Return to School - FAQ

Secondary school offices reopen on Monday, August 21, 2023 and elementary school offices reopen on Monday, August 28, 2023. Modified calendar school offices reopened earlier in August.  

• Elementary Regular: Tuesday, September 5, 2023 / Thursday, June 27, 2024
• Secondary Regular: Tuesday, September 5, 2023 / Wednesday, June 26, 2024
• Elementary Modified: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 / Thursday, June 27, 2024
• Secondary Modified: Thursday, August 24, 2023 / Wednesday, June 26, 2024

For modified secondary students (Brock HS, Henry Street HS, and Maxwell Heights SS) the form will be available via the Parent Portal on Monday, August 14, 2023.

For regular calendar elementary and secondary students the form will be available via the Parent Portal on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

Modified elementary students (C.E. Broughton and Winchester Public Schools) homeroom teacher information* will be available via Parent Portal on Friday, August 4, 2023.

Regular calendar elementary students homeroom teacher information* will be available via Parent Portal on Friday, September 1, 2023.

*Homeroom teacher information will only display if you have completed the returning student verification form.

Modified secondary students (Brock HS, Henry Street HS, and Maxwell Heights SS) timetables* will be available via the Parent Portal on Friday, August 18, 2023.

Regular calendar secondary students timetables* will be available via the Parent Portal on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

*Timetable information will only display if you have completed the returning student verification form.

Each spring DDSB staff work to carefully project school enrolment numbers by grade for the upcoming school year. Enrolments then fluctuate in August and early-September as students enter and leave the District. In September, enrolment is confirmed through school attendance over the first 2-3 weeks of school with class reorganizations taking place in late-September. This can result in existing classes having a new teacher assigned, or classes being split up in order to accommodate students in order to meet Ministry of Education mandated class size requirements. For the 2023-24 school year, the reorganization date is Monday, September 25. Families whose child(ren) are impacted by any reorganizations will be informed of class placement or educator changes in advance of September 25.

The best place to start is by speaking with office staff at your children's current school. They can help you navigate the process of transferring schools within the Board. Visit the school directory page on this website for school contact information.

Parents/guardians can start the process by contacting the Superintendent’s office for the school(s) their children currently attend and informing them of their intent to home school. If you are not sure how to reach your school’s area Superintendent’s office, staff at the school will be able to provide that information to you. The home schooling procedure and associated forms can be found on the DDSB website.

To register a new student in a DDSB school:

1. Use the school locator to find schools in your area boundaries.
2. Complete the new student online registration.
3. Wait for the school to contact you for an appointment (you will need to provide supporting documents at this time).
4. Go to the meeting with the required supporting documents and complete registration.

For confirmation regarding your child's home school designation, contact our Property and Planning Department via e-mail at: Planning.Department@ddsb.ca or by phone 905-666-6421 or 1-800-339-6913 ext. 6421.

For more information about this process, visit the DDSB registration page.

Your child must meet the following age requirements to enter Kindergarten:

• To register for Junior Kindergarten, your child must be 4 years old by December 31 in the current year.
• To register for Senior Kindergarten, your child must be 5 years old by December 31 in the current year.

To apply to school as an international student, complete the International Student Application package. If you require assistance with the package contact the International Education Department by phone at 905-666-5500 ext. 5497 or by email at InternationalEd@ddsb.ca.

Durham District School Board (DDSB) supports the provision of quality child care services in its schools through qualified, licensed child care operators where space is available and the need for service has been identified through community/regional planning processes. Registration and availability of programs is managed by our child care partners. You will need to contact the partner directly to inquire about availability. We offer Child Care programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, as well as before and after school programs for elementary school children.
If you require additional information, please reach out to the DDSB Early Years team, at EarlyYears@ddsb.ca.

You can view your children’s grades by logging into the Parent Portal and navigating to the “Grades and Attendance” section in the left panel. Grades will display in the Parent Portal on the day report cards are scheduled to be sent home. Parents/guardians will receive electronic copies of their report cards throughout the school year if a valid email address is on file for your student. If you have trouble accessing this information please contact your children’s school office for assistance.

Parent-teacher conferences are available at select times throughout the school year, typically before report card distribution. Contact your school office for more information. 

You can register for summer school (elementary and secondary) through the Durham Continuing Education website. Information on elementary summer learning programs is shared with schools and families prior to summer break. Only secondary summer learning program information will be available on the DCE website.

How do I register for night school?

More information on night school and how to register can be found on the Night School page of the Durham Continuing Education website.

Visit the Durham Continuing Education website for program opportunities that best suit your needs such as: Adult Day School, Night School, Credit Recovery, and more.

School staff are able to help you with the Parent Portal, Google Classroom, and Chromebooks and provide information about: passwords, login information, access codes, equipment, obtaining a Chromebook, power cords, phone number and email updates, name change, absences, address change, OEN's, report cards, etc. Please reach out to the home school secretary for assistance with any of the above issues. Contact information for schools may be found in the school directory on our website. Parents/guardians are also encouraged to read our Parent Portal FAQ for support.

Contact information for all DDSB schools is available in the online school directory.

All student absences including late arrivals and early dismissals are to be reported via SchoolMessenger. Download the SchoolMessenger app or visit the website for more information.

In order to receive direct updates about your child(ren)’s education, you must have a valid e-mail registered with us. Please contact your child(ren)’s school to make this request. They will need to verify your identity for legal/privacy reasons.

The DDSB website can easily be translated into many different languages through Google Translate. You will find the Translate or Select Language feature on every DDSB webpage in the banner at the top of the page next to the magnifying glass icon or search feature.

1. Go to ddsb.ca on a computer or laptop device.
2. Click on the Translate or Select Language button in the banner at the top of the webpage. Translate appears on the main DDSB website and Select Language appears on school webpages.
3. Choose your preferred language from the list.

A prepared package of general information and helpful resources for families is available in the following languages:

• Arabic
• Chinese (simplified)
• English
• Farsi
• French
• Ojibwe
• Tamil
• Urdu

All learning is delivered in accordance with the curriculum established by the Ministry of Education. At the elementary level, programs and courses are designed to give young students the best start. The DDSB also provides programs for specific types of early learning. All programs are aimed at student achievement and well-being. Courses teach and enhance critical thinking and ignite the desire to learn and grow, including with the use of technology. At the secondary level, a diverse range of high school courses and programs are offered to meet individual student needs. This includes traditional classes and alternative learning environments such as eLearning, tutoring, and cooperative education where students gain secondary school credits while completing a work placement in the community.

There are a few methods you can use to report your child’s absence from school.  

• Calling 1-844-350-2646
• Online  
• On your smartphone through the SchoolMessenger app 

Please refer to the Report an Absence page of our website for a list of student absence codes.

Use the self-assessment screening tool for guidance on when students and staff can return to school if they have had symptoms of illness. 

From time to time schools may experience a situation that requires safety and security protocols to be implemented on the direction of the police or in consultation with emergency services. This happens with varying frequencies with situations such as a hold and secure or a shelter in place taking place more often than a lockdown or evacuation. Descriptions of emergency situations are included below.

Schools will endeavour to inform parents/guardians of these situations as soon as is reasonably possible. It is important to know that the first priority of the school administration is to ensure the safety of students and those in the building before being able to communicate with parents/guardians.

Hold and Secure: Used in response to a threat of danger outside the school. All students and staff remain inside and away from all exterior doors and windows. Classroom routine continues as normal.

Shelter in Place: Used in response to a disaster situation (i.e., environmental hazard) outside the school. Students and staff are instructed to move away from exterior doors and windows and to take cover under desks or in hallways.

Lockdown: Used in response to a threat of danger inside the school. Students and staff gather in a secured area, with doors locked and barricaded, windows covered, and lights turned off. 

Evacuation: Used in response to a disaster situation (i.e., gas leak) inside the school. Students and staff are evacuated from the school until it is deemed safe by emergency response authorities.

Students are encouraged to reach out to someone at their school if they have concerns or questions about their well-being. A guidance counsellor or teacher can support you and direct you to someone who can help if needed. In addition, we offer resources for students and parents/guardians on the Well-Being and Mental Health webpage.

We have a team of professionals available to assist which includes social workers, psychologists, and psychological associates. This team can also provide assistance in connecting you to community mental health services and supports. If you are interested in talking to someone on the DDSB Mental Health Team, please use the Mental Health Support Form to provide us with your contact information and a member of the team will be in touch as soon as possible. Please Note: This is not a crisis service. If it is an emergency, please call 911.

Your first point of contact when you have a concern with your child’s school, staff, well-being and/or education, would be the administration at the school itself. School level staff will be the best persons to assist and resolve any concerns you may have.

DDSB recognizes that Indigenous rights are distinct. In the exercise of those rights, Indigenous staff and students shall not be subjected to actions with the aim or effect of depriving these distinct rights. For more information about Indigenous rights, visit the Indigenous Education webpage and view the Indigenous Education Policy and Procedure on Classroom Practices.

DDSB is committed to providing services, employment and learning and working environments that centre Indigenous rights, human rights and equity and are welcoming, respectful, safe, inclusive, equitable, accessible, and free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, racism, oppression, and harm. 

Please visit the Human Rights Policy page where you will find more information on how we will meet this commitment for all students, staff and community members, including:  

• Human Rights at the DDSB  
• What the DDSB is doing 

In addition, the DDSB’s Equity and Inclusive Education page provides more information on initiatives to support equity and inclusive education, including addressing anti-Black racism.

The Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism Procedure and summary outline proactive actions and requirements to prevent discrimination and discriminatory barriers in DDSB learning and working environments, including classrooms, schools, academic services and corporate departments.

Under the Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism Policy and summary, all students, parents/guardians, employees, and community members have responsibilities to treat everyone with dignity and respect, uphold human rights, and prevent discrimination in DDSB learning and working environments.

Expectations for students, families, and community members are also outlined in the Code of Conduct, and Discipline for Students Regulation. For more information please visit the Positive School Climates webpage.

If you need human rights accommodation, we want to know so we can address it. Your request will be handled confidentially and with sensitivity. Please visit How do I request an accommodation? and read this summary for more information on raising accommodation requests. Accommodation requests will be addressed using the Human Rights Inclusive Design and Accommodation Procedure.

If you are experiencing discrimination, we want to know so we can address it. The DDSB takes these matters very seriously and handles human rights issues and complaints confidentially and with sensitivity. Please visit How do I raise/report a human rights issue, or file a complaint?, and read this summary and Information Sheet for Students and Families for information on the options available to you. 

Student or family issues or complaints against DDSB employees will be addressed using the Student/Family Human Rights Issue, Incident and Complaint Resolution Procedure.

We are committed to upholding our responsibilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for digital accessibility, and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR). This is also in keeping with our commitments related to inclusive design, the duty to accommodate, and preventing discrimination and ableism under the DDSB’s Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism policy and procedures.

For information about accommodations, alternative format requests, and DDSB accessibility practices please visit the Accessibility webpage.

Special education class teams (students, teachers, educational assistants and other support staff) will remain together in support of student learning, no matter which learning option their family has selected. We understand the need for flexibility for students with significant health vulnerabilities which are related to their educational accommodation needs.

School staff and Inclusive Student Services will collaborate with families to plan programming, accommodations and supports. For more information, please visit the Inclusive Student Services page.

At the start of the school year for most school boards in Ontario, there are typically increased bus delays or cancellations based on staffing and start-up challenges. DSTS and their contracted transportation providers work diligently to recruit new school bus drivers on a regular basis and manage unforeseen issues that arise with bus routes. The cancellation of school bus routes is a last resort. DSTS is committed to continuing their efforts to mitigate these province-wide challenges.

In the event that transportation services are cancelled due to inclement weather, both elementary and secondary schools located within the affected cancellation zone(s) will remain open.

In very rare situations, if a decision is made to close schools:

• Elementary schools located in the affected zone(s) would be closed.
• Secondary schools located in the affected zone(s) would switch to a virtual learning day for all students.

How will I be notified if transportation services are cancelled and/or schools are closed? 

• Families will be notified as soon as possible (no later than 7:00 a.m.) through a posting on the DDSB website, social media and where possible, through local radio stations and media outlets.

What zone am I in? You can review the inclement weather zone maps by visiting the DSTS website.

Durham District School Board policy does not permit solicitation or advertising of products, businesses or corporations in our schools or on Board property. If you wish to distribute materials in our schools or on our property, you can make a request.

You must make your request at least two weeks before the date you wish to advertise your information. Only approved materials will be sent electronically to your selected community schools.

To submit a request, complete the Materials to Schools application questionnaire and information requested. The Operations Officer will evaluate your request and respond within five business days of receipt of your request.

Durham District School Board recognizes the importance of partnership with parents/guardians in creating positive learning environments and ensuring student achievement and well-being. A number of opportunities are available for parents/guardians to play a role in their school community, including the School Community Council (SCC), an advisory body that makes recommendations to the Principal to help further student achievement and well-being and to support ongoing parent engagement. To join your school’s SCC as a voting member, contact the school Principal. All members are elected within the first 30 days of each new school year. SCC meetings are held at least four times each year.

Additionally, parents can take part in the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC), with potential vacancies available each September. Appointed PIC members serve a two-year term and support, encourage, and enhance parent engagement at the Board level. The PIC provides the Board with information and advice to help engage parents. While SCC’s are school-based, the PIC is a District-wide committee that links parents with the Board’s Director of Education and Trustees.