***Version française en bas de la page*** One important resource we direct our members to is the Ontario Physical Activity Standards in Education (OPASSE), managed by Ophea. To increase risk awareness and promote best practices for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic we wanted to share the following supplemental information that Ophea has developed: COVID-19 Considerations for Physical Education This information…
***Version française en bas de la page*** Ontario schools and school boards have been working hard to put COVID-19 policies and procedures in place with guidance from various education and public health agencies. We’re impressed and proud of the quick work and dedication to reopen schools for the 2020/2021 school year. We wanted to take the opportunity to outline some…
***Version française en bas de la page*** As part of the reopening process, school boards are looking at alternatives to traditional indoor classrooms to provide safe learning spaces for students and staff. We hope the following will highlight some risk considerations should an alternate location, equipment and/or furniture be part of the planning process. Use of alternate outdoor location –…
***Version française au bas de la page*** While the province is starting to relax restrictions and permit the reopening of businesses along with some outdoor recreational amenities and summer camp programs, school boards are starting to ask, “How do we manage this exposure?” Outlining the duty of care owed specific to COVID-19 will assist all school board staff to identify…
While COVID-19 has resulted in the cancellation of many activities and events, we are pleased to share that OSBIE presentations are not one of them! OSBIE is offering a series of webinars during the month of June at no charge for our members. Here’s a chance to sharpen and enhance your insurance and risk management knowledge from the comfort of…
***Version française au bas de la page*** COVID-19 has caused people and organizations to rethink how we achieve what was previously considered normal activities. Who would have guessed that the 19/20 school year would experience such things as school closures, being taught through distance learning and the main way we would be interacting would be through virtual platforms and messaging…
***Version française au bas de la page*** The following are proactive steps that can be taken to minimize damage in advance of flood conditions and may assist in reducing the impact of flooding on your school building. These preparations are equally important during school closures. These practical steps can be taken immediately to reduce your risk profile: Include flood hazard…
***Version française au bas de la page*** “During the COVID-19 pandemic, with adolescents likely to use digital platforms even more for personal or educational purposes, there could be a concurrent increase in cyberbullying, an expert warned. When smartphones and social media became ubiquitous for students, cyberbullying rates went up,” Sameer Hinduja, PhD, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida…
***Version française au bas de la page*** As schools adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have shifted to communicating remotely using video conference platforms like Zoom, prompting a hacking phenomenon known as “Zoom-bombing.” In a typical attack, an unwanted perpetrator tries to disrupt an online class by hacking in and displaying images and language that may be pornographic, hateful or…
***Version française au bas de la page*** With the Provincial government mandating that schools remain closed to students until at least May 4th, 2020, school boards are looking at ways to support and educate our students. We wanted to assure all OSBIE members that teachers and staff working within the scope of their duties for the school board are covered…
