Many parents, educators and students are busy preparing to return to school next week. Our school community has continued to show resiliency throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as students and teachers have adjusted to new routines and learning environments. While we are not fully out of the pandemic yet, Halton Region Public Health has continued to work closely with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, school boards and community partners to ensure all students return to a safe learning environment this year, whether in person or online.
Halton Region Public Health offers many great resources to help students, parents and the school community get ready for back to school.

• Our COVID-19 School and Child Care Information webpage has important information about COVID-19 health and safety measures in place at schools, updates to the school community from Halton’s Medical Officer of Health, child-friendly videos, FAQs for parents and more.
• Our Mental Health webpage provides information about local resources and how to access support agencies in our community.
• Our HaltonParents team of expert health care professionals is here to help you navigate your parenting journey. Read insightful blogs or connect with them on Twitter or Facebook for tips to prepare for the school year, links to community resources and more.

As a reminder, if your child is born in 2009 (turning 12 this year) or older, they are eligible to get their COVID-19 vaccine at a Halton Region Community Vaccination Clinic, pop-up clinics, participating pharmacy or primary care provider. Visit halton.ca/COVIDvaccines for more information about where to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Halton, find vaccine safety information and get answers to frequently asked questions about Halton’s vaccination program.

Whether your child is returning to the classroom or learning at home, it will be a collective effort to protect the health and safety of our school community. Please get vaccinated and continue to follow public health measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. Together, we can have a safe and healthy school year and keep Halton a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.