Justine Bell, OCDSB trustee
You have likely heard by now that it “takes a community to keep our schools safe” and we must all do our part to stay healthy at school and beyond. Well, it looks like we are heeding the call. So far, following the Ministry of Education’s COVID-19 protocols and the advice of Ottawa Public Health have paid off. We have generally not seen the spread of the virus in schools.
In our classrooms, safety measures such as daily self-assessment, physical distancing, hand hygiene, wearing masks and PPE as required, and isolating high-risk contacts in the event of a positive case are helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
On the home front for the past three months, my family has been on a rollercoaster ride. This morning, my daughter was so happy walking to school that she excitedly told me how to spell Love. Yesterday’s letter in senior kindergarten was L! We are doing our best to enjoy these little moments because we know they can be replaced by fear and uncertainty at any moment. The first (and only) time I received notification from my daughter’s principal that there was a positive case at her school was petrifying.
An OCDSB survey went out a few weeks ago to ask “What are the most important things you want to share about your family’s school experience so far this year?” We heard from close to 9,000 parents/guardians of in-person school and around 3,250 parents/guardians of students attending school virtually (OCV).
According to the survey results, most parents reported that their child is somewhat or very engaged in their learning. Nearly three-quarters of elementary parents said that their child’s well-being has improved since returning to school. Secondary parents had mixed feelings about how it’s going, with mental health and workload expectations being significant concerns. A message that came out loud and clear was the great appreciation we all have for educators, administrators and custodians, and our concern for their mental health and well-being.
So how’s it going? I’m not going to give it a grade. I believe it’s important to acknowledge that it’s been hard and we still have a lot to learn. But there have been some amazing little moments to cherish.
My hope is that, as we enter the holiday season and start the New Year, we will take what we have learned and enjoy amazing little moments together.