Within the week, students will be returning to the classroom for what many are hoping will be a school year closer to normalcy than the past two.
Daniella Greco, a grade 3 and 4 teacher at A.E. Wright Community School in Seven Oaks School Division, says she’s looking forward to returning to a level of normalcy.
“I’m really excited. Some of the grade threes haven’t experienced a normal school year, so just really excited for them to see what the class looks like,” Greco told Global News.
“Just really excited for them to see the classroom, experience collaborating with one another in different classes, just being in the halls together, and just talking to one another.”
Preparing for the first week of classes looked a bit different for Greco this year, with no need to setup plexiglass barriers, physical distancing markers, or individualized supplies for students.
“It’s going to be so amazing just being able to sit on the carpet with my class and just working together, collaborating, sharing things with one another, playing games, being close and not having to worry about that,” Greco said.
“I think it will be really exciting just to make that connection even stronger, and it was stronger previously but I know being together is the best, so we’re really looking forward to it.”
Like numerous other school divisions in the province, the superintendent of Seven Oaks School Division says no COVID-19 restrictions will be in place, but the division will continue to follow provincial public health advice, including optional mask-use, staying home when experiencing symptoms, and masks and testing kits will be made available.
A.E. Wright Community School principal Harpreet Panag says they’re looking forward to a normal school year, but will still be taking extra precautions and are prepared to pivot should another COVID-19 wave force them into tighter restrictions.
“I think we are prepared, we’ve lived that experience,” Panag said.
She also says many teachers are looking forward to focusing solely on helping students learn in the curriculum, and not public health orders. And many teachers will be shifting focus on addressing learning gaps caused by the pandemic.
“Assessing and addressing the short and long term effects of COVID,” Panag said. “What’s important this year is centering our work around student learning.”
Comments