(File photo/CKOM News Staff)

By Angie Rolheiser

Back to School

Northeast parents give thoughts on back to school amid pandemic

Sep 4, 2020 | 3:13 PM

On Sept. 8, students and teachers in Saskatchewan will head back to the classroom together for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March.

The Saskatchewan government and public health officials are recommending masks for Grades 4 to 12 where social distancing is not possible to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Mask use would occur in high-traffic areas such as hallways, bathrooms, and school buses.

Schools in the northeast will also have staggered starts and recess times as well as cohorts.

With those precautions in place many parents as well as students are still excited to get back to in-school learning.

“Five months off of education is a long time, summer is one thing but having those extra months and trying to keep them busy and on track and not falling behind in areas is a challenge from home,” Linda Madraga said.

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Madraga is mother to a Grade 4 student as well as a Grade 7 student, meaning one elementary student while the other is entering her first year at Melfort Composite Collegiate Institute (MUCC).

“I just explained to them that life has rules and no we don’t like wearing masks and doing all of those regulations required but if that means going to school safely and being able to move forward with life then i’m on board,” Madraga said. “This is just one of those life rules that we have to live with and deal with, so we are just being positive about it.”

Returning to a ‘normal’ routine after those months of being mainly at home is what Madraga said they are most looking forward to.

Another parent of an MUCC student, Darren Flaata said he is confident with the plans the school division has put in place, even with their situation being a bit different from other families.

Flaata’s daughter Cadence is going into Grade 10 and has cerebral palsy.

“They have a lot of procedures in place that are going to protect her and other students and staff,” Flaata said. “She has a disability and is one-on-one with staff a lot but we feel good about it.”

Mask use is one big concern for Flaata.

“She can’t wear a mask because it restricts her breathing,” Flaata said. “I am on the fence on it, we do need to protect those with underlying health conditions but I think mask wearing will cause more problems down the road.”

He added in his personal opinion, being in a mask all day will be a breeding ground for different infections.

As for staying within a certain bubble, he isn’t too concerned with that either.

“Her group is always a small group and that is how it is for most kids, they have their normal group and that is who they hang with,” Flaata said. “I am pretty confident that everything is going to be fine.”

Flaata is also hoping that some extra curricular activities can begin in the near future as well but also believes that the focus should stay on just getting kids back inside of their classrooms safely first and foremost.

Tyson Olson has two boys in elementary school in Melfort, he said they are very excited to return to school.

“I’m about the same level of excited as they are and they are pretty pumped,” Olson said.

Olson’s sons are heading into Grade 3 and Grade 1, who are not required to wear a mask because they are not yet in Grade 4. Some parents of children below the Grade 4 level will still encourage mask use, Olson will not be.

“I mostly just don’t understand how they think a kid is going to be able to handle it like an adult,” Olson said. “I know they have to have protocols in place but I don’t foresee how it’s going to work.”

He said if mask use was going to be implemented, it should have been done at the beginning of the pandemic and not now when numbers have gone down so much.

“Definitely excited for them to go back and see their buddies and return back to what they are used to,” Olson said.

Learning from home

While many students are set to return to the classroom, some parents have elected to teach their children remotely.

Laura Howden Dies will be keeping her children who are Grade 9 and 12 students at MUCC at home this year.

Being self-employed herself and having a retired husband allows the family to opt for learning-from home a little more easily.

As for what that learning from home plan looks like is still coming together.

“We are working with MUCC and NESD to ensure that all of the boxes are ticked for our girl in Grade 12 so she gets what she needs,” Howden Dies said. “For Grade 9, there is a bit more leeway and we are at home with her we will be able to fill in the gaps and we are aware of what the curriculum is for that.”

At the beginning of August, Howden Dies was told by NESD that they wouldn’t be offering online education options.

“I think they had the expectation that everyone would return to the schools,” Howden Dies said. “Our issue with that is overcrowding because the schools are already to the hilt.”

The family wanted to remain with NESD but in the online format to allow for those families that have no other option, to return to in-person classes in a safe manner.

“If we aren’t accessing NESD that funding goes elsewhere and that is contrary to what we want, we want to stay invested in our community,” Howden Dies said.

The long-term goal is to return to school but at a time when everyone can feel safe about it.

“The nice thing about doing an online or home school plan, if there is a disruption in the day-to-day schooling, we still have our online plan so we can get them through this year,” Howden Dies said.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser