A UNIQUE BACK-TO-SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

Last August, the École oraliste de Québec pour enfants malentendants ou sourds reopened its doors to 64 preschool, elementary, and high school students. Back-to-school, while unconventional, went smoothly. The teachers were thrilled to see all their students again and the students were excited to start a new school year with their friends.

While there were certainly many challenges to overcome, we did everything in our power to make the students’ return to school as normal as possible. We were thankfully given clear directives, which made it easier to reorganize our schedules while balancing two priorities: allowing students with hearing or language problems to learn and implementing safety measures.

New Measures

This year, masks are mandatory for students aged 10 and over. We understand that it’s a necessary measure, but we were concerned about how the masks would affect the students’ communication since many of them rely on lip reading to understand what’s being said to them. Fortunately, we had already tried using special windowed masks last spring. That allowed us to recommend that parents buy these masks to help the students understand spoken language. The school also provided adapted face covers to its staff alongside other personal protective equipment, such as medical face masks, visors, and protective eyewear. We further protected everyone by grouping the students into coloured “bubbles” by grade level. Students in the same “bubble” can interact without having to physically distance, which allows for much more socialization and more spontaneous discussions. It also means that students can work on group projects without restrictions. Students in different “bubbles” must stay one metre apart. As for teachers, they must stay at least two metres away from students and other teachers or assistants. Otherwise, they must wear their personal protective equipment.

Ready to Go!

In the spring, we had to deal with remote learning. It posed many challenges for students and teachers alike, since the listening conditions were far from optimal. Just having our students physically at school is a major advantage, since we can better meet students’ individual needs. That allows us to fulfill our mission to provide education that’s based on the foundations of academic success. Given the uncertain times, we’ve now made several contingency plans so we’re ready for anything that comes up. We’ve even developed an emergency plan if some or all of us have to isolate. All of our students will have access to computer and educational materials, useful resources, and academic support that’s adapted to the student’s level. We’ve thought everything out so that, no matter what comes up, we’ll be able to give our students the best support possible. After everything we’ve experienced over the past few months, we’re more ready than ever to give our students nothing but the best!

Yasmine Sahrane Assistant Director École oraliste de Québec pour enfants malentendants ou sourds