LONGER CLASSES MEANT TO LIMIT COVID-19 SPREAD, SAYS PDSB

sauga student explained.

The board has also adopted a 'quadmester' model, where there are two classes a day each 150 minutes long, as opposed to having eight classes for half the year with four classes alternating every other day. The PDSB'S reasoning for having longer classes was to limit COVID-19 spread, even though students have lunch outside the classroom and engage with extracurricular sports and activities.

Kaden Johnson, who opted to learn from home said "tech issues are a big problem" and if the Wi-fi at the school is cut out, his only solution is to keep reloading the online learning site until he can connect with his teacher again.

"Sometimes teachers will resort to using their own data if the Wi-fi continues to be a problem," the Grade 11 student added.

With the constant disruptions to learning, Anh Nguyen Anh said the immediate consequences are academic learning loss resulting in course grades dropping. It then creates an added layer of stress as the students gear up to apply for universities or colleges, which often look at Grade 11 and 12 marks.

"If our grades are dropping, how can we apply to our dream university program?" the Mississauga student added.

All three students have also faced increased levels of stress, anxiety and burnout. With the rigorous quadmester model, that has students learning at an accelerated rate, and the delay in learning, Missar said she feels anxious because "once you fall behind it feels almost impossible to catch up."

"We're frustrated, so anxious and just really exhausted," she said. "I used to be so excited to go to school to learn and now it's a tiring and difficult endeavour. Our mental health is at an all-time low."

Recently, the Caledon school board trustee Stan Cameron sent a letter to Education Minister Stephen Lecce noting that the most common issue from the community is about secondary school teaching and learning models.

Cameron noted that the 150-minute classes are causing students feelings of "uncertainty" and "disinterest" resulting in poorer grades. He also said that the hybrid model is "ineffective," according to the constituents in Caledon.

The trustee suggested that the Medical Officer of Health decide what is best for schools and with the recently announced rapid testing program, a return to the traditional secondary school model can be made.

On Nov. 5, some walk-ins at various PDSB schools took place from concerned teachers, staff, parents and students to end hybrid learning and the 150-minute classes.

OSSTF District 19 - Peel

Teacher Bargaining Unit started the campaign, No Hybrid No 150 — a letterwriting campaign, with a goal to have 500 letters sent to the board and Ministry of Education.

While teacher unions and parents are being vocal about the issues with the various learning models at the board, the students feel like sometimes their voices get lost in the commotion.

"Because we're so young

our voices aren't heard as often, which is frustrating because I'm the one learning under this model," Missar said.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With three months of the school year underway, we wanted to see how the hybrid and quadmester learning model is affecting students in terms of academic learning loss and mental health struggles.