A SSRCE school bus. Photo: SSRCE
Students from the South Shore Regional Centre for Education have been in classrooms for a week now and we now have a better idea of what the school year will look like.
SSRCE Executive Director Paul Ash says before classes started they ensured everyone on staff was familiar with the back to school plan so they could implement it successfully when students arrived.
Some of the key points emphasized as students returned to class were as follows;
- full in-class learning with the associated academic, social and emotional supports
- continued use of outdoor learning, small-group instruction, and enhanced use of technology
- full resumption of music classes, band, sports, use of cafeterias, lockers and cubbies, extra-curricular activities and community use of gyms, following core public health measures
- ongoing inspections and maintenance of school ventilation systems
- school counsellors, SchoolsPlus staff, and others will continue to provide timely and appropriate mental health supports to students
- schools will create supportive environments for those who choose to wear a mask once the province enters Phase 5
- non-essential visitors will be permitted (following all safety protocols), although virtual meetings and visits are still encouraged
- parents and guardians of pre-primary and Primary students will be able to visit schools on their child’s first day
Ash says so far they’ve been successful in implementing the changes, “The first week went really well and I’m always impressed by how cooperative our students have been throughout the pandemic.”
He says things are unlikely to entirely return to normal once the pandemic has passed but that it’s for the good, “Our outlook on cleaning and disinfecting our spaces has become so much more serious and I think that is something that we will keep around.”
Whether there is a demand amongst students to continue wearing masks once mask requirements are lifted on October, 4 is still unknown but the provinces various education institutions will be obliged to create spaces for them if there are students who want that.
As far as what would be considered a success for this school year Ash says if students can remain in classrooms throughout he would consider that a good year.
