Students and staff are heading back to school today. (Tuesday)
Staff, students and leadership across the region stress they are relieved to return to a near normal start.
This is the first time since September of 2019 school boards across Ontario have enjoyed a regular start to the school year.
Masks won’t be mandatory at all schools but will be provided to those who choose to use them.
School sports, field trips, concerts and extra curricular’s will be back in full swing.
Meal services have also returned.
Students and staff are still urged to follow public health guidelines, and stay home if they are feeling unwell.
At the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board, Christy Radbourne is also experiencing her first day of school as she was just appointed as the new director of education last week.
Radbourne says, “I know that while there is still anxieties regarding health and well-being, we have instituted many of the public health protocols that were necessary. So staff will still be ensuring that we have clean sanitized environments, we will be encouraging hand washing, we will be encouraging social distancing where necessary, coughing protocols>”
She says one of her goals is to visit every school at the KPDSB in the next couple of months.
Jackie Robinson is the Director of Education for the Northwest Catholic District School Board.
Robinson says, COVID protocols have been lifted, but precautions are still in place
“Deep cleaning, etc, and the recommended use of masks for our staff and students in schools to mitigate instances of illness or COVID. Of course masks are not mandatory. We do continue to make sure our schools are clean, safe learning environments.”
Robinson says the board offered tutoring, summer learning and transition to school programming in advance of the new school year.
Nicole Kurtz has taken over as director of education at the Kenora Catholic District School Board, which oversees operations at St. John’s School.
She talks about the normal start to the year.
“I think it will make a huge difference for student health and well-being and as well as staff, where we’re not nagging students to keep their mask on,” suggests Kurtz.
“The focus can now be on academics and relationship building.”
(With files from Randy Thoms and Tim Davidson)
