The Hamilton-Wentworth
Catholic District School Board is committed to fostering a safe, accepting, and
healthy learning environment for all students. Consistent with Ontario Ministry
of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 161, we are committed to supporting
the management of student prevalent medical conditions — anaphylaxis, asthma,
diabetes, and epilepsy — within our schools.
As part of this ongoing
work, and to strengthen collaboration between home and school, we are
implementing an important update. Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year,
the process for developing Plans of Care for students with prevalent medical
conditions will change. This revised process is intended to improve
clarity, consistency, and shared responsibility in supporting student safety
and well-being.
WHAT IS CHANGING: A MOVE TO DIGITAL PLAN OF CARE DEVELOPMENT FOR
PREVALENT MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Beginning in the
2026–2027 school year, Plans of Care will be completed and submitted digitally
through the Board’s Aspen Parent/Family Portal, replacing the previous
paper-based process. This change will benefit both families and schools by:
·
Improving
accuracy and efficiency — information is received instantly and reduces the
risk of errors or lost paperwork
·
Increasing
accessibility — you can review your child’s Plan of Care at any time, from any
device
Please note that the new
Plans of Care interface will not be available in the Aspen Parent/Family Portal
until late August 2026. We are sharing this information now so that your family
can be prepared when the system becomes available.
ACTION STEPS: WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
To
participate in the new digital Plan of Care process for prevalent medical
conditions, you must have an active Aspen Parent/Family Portal account with
access to your child’s record.
If your
child is diagnosed with anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy, please
complete the following steps by mid-August of this year:
Step 1 —
Prepare Your Aspen Parent/Family Portal Account
i)
Ensure you can log in to your Aspen
Parent/Family Portal account.
If you
have not yet set up your account, follow the step-by-step set-up instructions available
on the Board’s Aspen Parent Portal Support page.
>Click
here to access account set-up instructions.
ii)
Confirm that your child’s record is visible.
Once logged into the Parent/Family Portal, click
on the Family Tab at the top of the page.
·
If you child’s name is listed, his/her record is
visible to you. No further action is
required.
·
If your child’s name is not listed, please
submit a support request ticket to the Board’s Tech Help desk using the link
below.
>Click
here to submit a Tech Help support request.
Step 2 —
Inform the School of Any Updates to Your Child's Prevalent Medical Condition
Please
notify the school if:
· your
child has received a new diagnosis of a prevalent medical condition;
· there
are changes to your child’s condition; and/or,
· there
are changes to your child’s medication.
In late
August 2026, you will receive a SchoolMessenger communication when the Plans of
Care interface becomes available in the Aspen Parent/Family Portal. This communication will include clear
instructions for initiating, completing, and submitting your child’s Plan of
Care.
Please
note that all Plans of Care for students with prevalent medical conditions will
need to be in place by October 1, 2026.
For
additional information regarding roles and responsibilities related to
prevalent medical conditions within the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District
School Board, please visit the condition-specific areas under Student Health on
the Board website. These areas will be updated
with information about the new digital process in late August.
Thank
you for your continued cooperation and partnership as we implement this
important update to support student safety and well-being across our schools.
Should you have any questions, please contact your child’s school.
Yours in
faith and partnership,