Kids everywhere are chomping at the bit as classes finish this week, sending thousands of kids off to their summer vacation.
The waning days, hours and minutes of the school year can feel like a lifetime when you’re a kid.
At Winston Churchill Public School in Kingston, the students are counting down until the final bell to go on summer break, and there’s no shortage of plans for the next couple of months.
“I’m going to be doing a rock band camp,” said Grade 6 student Elliott Booth.
“I’m going to Ottawa, Toronto. I’m going to my cottage a lot,” added Fiona O’Reilly, also in Grade 6.
It’s been a long couple of years for children around the world, and Ontario is no exception.
Many of these students have been in and out of the classroom or had their schedules flipped around because of the COVID-19 pandemic, something that they said they’re happy is now a thing of the past.
“It felt refreshing not having to wear a mask, not having to just look at a screen all the time, like in online school,” said sixth grader Aahaan Banerjee, reflecting on the past year.
“It felt … relaxed, I guess, but then, at the same time, there were a lot more activities going on, so I wasn’t fully used to it. but, I’m really happy to be back in the classroom again,” Booth said.
For all three of these students, this week marks their last at Winston Churchill Public School, which only takes them as far as Grade 6.
They said it’s a place they won’t soon forget.
When asked what she’ll remember the most, O’Reilly replied: “Probably all of my friends and the people, and just all the memories I’ve made.”
Booth said the end of this year comes with a lot of mixed emotions. “I’ve been here for eight years and it was really hard during the last couple of days, and I feel just wrapping it up.”
All three of these students are moving on to another nearby school for grades 7 and 8 with new programs and challenges.
With a new adventure ahead of him, Banerjee says his philosophy is clear: “Keep working.”