The 2020-2021 school year was one unlike any other, with ups and downs, and one or two technical issues when it came to learning online.
Global News spoke to some students and teachers at Northbrae Public School in London, Ont., about what it has been like going through a whole school year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The word pivot has taken on a whole new meaning from that iconic Friends scene. For principal Helen Mahabir, pivoting was a big part of the last school year for students and staff, adapting to the changing guidelines and different waves of the pandemic.
“What an unusual year it has been for students to be here and then moved into remote learning,” she said.
“We use the word pivoting a lot, and some staff are done with that word.”
Mahabir said people should also associate the last school year with another word, “resilience.”
“Our students have stepped up to the plate and done the best they can while they were online and our staff has worked so hard to prepare each and every day,” she said.
“It’s easy to go to how hard and challenging it’s been, and I don’t want to negate that, because it has been, but there is hope for a future with less physical distancing.”
Since mid-April, students across Ontario have been learning remotely.
Teachers were let back into classrooms last week to get report cards ready as well as pack up all the belongings students left behind. For the last three days of school, students were allowed to come back to pick up their report cards and say goodby to their teachers.
Mahabir said allowing students to return has given them some “closure” in what has been a very different year.
“I had a kindergartener come and he brought his backpack because he thought he was going to stay for the day, so he was leaving with a really sad face because he so wanted to be here,” she said.
Looking to next year, Mahabir said she is hopeful with vaccines and case numbers going down, they will be back to in-person learning.
“What we have missed most is in-person connection, and if we get the chance we want to be back in-person.”
ESL teacher Shannon Robb
“This last year has been a ride, we have had some ups and downs, some wins and some challenges, and overall I would say we are very proud of our students and staff,” said English as a Second Language Teacher (ESL), Shannon Robb.
Like Mahabir, Robb said students and staff have really “risen to the challenge” of learning during the pandemic.
“Seeing their little faces, I think for teachers was great, and gave us that added boost to get through,” Robb said.
“The pivots back and forth were challenging times, but I feel like our kids should be very proud.”
The lack of in-person contact for both students and teachers has been a tough, Robb said, but she is hopeful for what the September 2021 school year will bring.
“We worked with what we had and to see the smiles under masks meant a lot.”
Educational assistant, Brittany Bruyea
“A lot of kids were coming into kindergarten and this was their first year of school ever, and there were a lot of differences wearing masks and going to and from remote learning, it has been a roller coaster,” said educational assistant Brittany Bruyea.
“I have been shocked at how many kids show up even though it’s hard to wake up and roll onto a camera.”
Looking back, Bruyea said it was difficult not knowing what was happening with students doing online learning or coming back to the schools.
But a good thing about e-learning she said was learning more about technology.
Looking at what will happen next year, she said, “I think September will feel a lot more positive than this year and a lot more hopeful.”
“We might still be wearing masks, but that’s the last of my worries, as long as we can gather together,” Bruyea said.
Grade 8 students reflect on 2020/2021 school year
For students, going back and forth between in-person and online learning garnered mixed responses.
Grade 8 graduate Esraa Sidiq said overall this year went “really well” and she is looking forward to going to high school next year.
“There were nice people and teachers and I enjoyed the school year,” Sidiq said.
For her, the move to online learning was not difficult, but she did miss her classmates.
Others, like grade 8 graduates Cindy Tran and Pauline Nguyen, were less enthused about the back and forth from in-class to online learning.
“It was awful – terrible – I hated it,” said Tran.
Tran said online learning for 60 per cent of the year was difficult and that she stopped doing school in May because her motivation was not there.
For Nguyen, there were fun moments with classmates and teachers but online learning was not easy.
“I am great at procrastinating, so I could not do everything on time, nor did I finish everything.”
Looking to next year, Tran said she is excited to meet new people and Nguyen is looking forward to exploring a new school.
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