Return to School

After nearly six months away from school, my children are about to return. The 2020/2021 school supply list has been drastically simplified, asking students to simply bring a water bottle, personal hand sanitizer and reusable cloth face masks.

My son is entering his first year of high school and is attending a modified welcome/orientation session before classes commence on September 8. Usually, his new school holds a Welcome BBQ for the incoming Grade 9 students at the end of August, but things will be handled differently this year due to the pandemic.

In my daughter’s Grade 5 classroom, she is eager to reunite in a cohort with friends she hasn’t seen since mid-March, but she’s aware that a few of them will be learning remotely from home this year.

All of the adults in our family work at full-time employment, so we have decided that attending school in person is the best option for our situation. We have tried to be as open and honest when the children’s questions have come up and done our best to prepare them to safely return to the classroom environment. They are both anxious but also grateful to resume a sense of some normalcy and routine after the extended time away from school. – Karla Rasmussen

We wish the educators, support staff, students and their families well as they navigate this new learning journey, in whatever form and direction it may take for them.