September 9, 2021—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 5
B.C.’s schools return to in-person classroom learning Masks create communication problems in schools, say principals, while remote learning has isolated students By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter As the new school year approached, B.C.’s Ministry of Education said that students could look forward to the return of full-time in-person learning. While mask requirements and other health and safety measures will remain in place, sports, music, and other extracurricular activities may resume. “We know how excited students and families are about being back in school with extracurricular and sports programs and how important it is for children to be connected to their teachers and friends on a full-time basis,” said Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside, in a release. “We also know we can do this safely, even as the pandemic continues to present challenges.” Following a provincial health order, staff and students in Grade 4 and up are required to wear a mask in indoor spaces. Younger students will be “strongly encouraged” to wear masks, according to the ministry. Nancy Logan, principal of Haahuupayak Elementary School in Port Alberni, said many of the school’s safety protocols will carry over from last year, including the mandated daily health checks. Although Logan said that students at Haahuupayak got used to wearing masks, it remained a challenge. The masks make it more difficult for children to express themselves and to understand others, she said. To acknowledge these concerns, Logan said teachers will have open dialogue
Photo by Melissa Renwick
Lunch breaks at Ucluelet Secondary School will continue to be scheduled before noon to minimize students’ contact with the community. It’s a shift carried over from last year to protect students who access food from local restaurants and grocery stores, said Principal Carol Sedgwick. with students at the beginning of the Secondary School (USS), echoed Locontinue to be scheduled before noon to school year so they don’t feel alone in gan and said, “it’s disappointing we’re minimize students’ contact with the comtheir struggle. back in a place where we’re all wearing munity. It’s a shift carried over from last “We really have to have patience and masks.” year to protect students who access food kindness with each other,” she said. Despite that, she said she remains optifrom local restaurants and grocery stores, “When children are speaking, we need to mistic because “we’ve done this before” said Sedgwick. show respect and do our best to hear and and for some, masks bring comfort. After Haahuupayak transitioned to a listen.” In September 2020, the BC Centre four-day school week last year to help Carol Sedgwick, principal of Ucluelet for Disease Control (BCCDC) released students and staff manage pandemic a study called the Impact of School stress, Logan said the school will be Closures on Learning, Child and Famreturning to five days this September. ily Well-Being During the COVID-19 While it was “great” to have a three-day Pandemic. weekend to reboot, the additional half The report expressed concern that the hour at the end of each day was too burpandemic may be disproportionately densome on students and staff, she said. impacting Indigenous peoples due to the Children will no longer be segregated “effect of ongoing racism, social excluinto cohorts this year, as this isn’t recomsion, and structural violence on the health mended by public health as a COVID-19 and well-being of Indigenous children, mitigation measure. families and communities.” This change will allow teachers to It’s a sentiment reflected by Logan, extend their support to all students, rather who said that layers of intergenerational than being limited to one or two classes, trauma from colonization and residential said Logan. schools compounded the stress inflicted All mechanical heating, ventilation and by the pandemic. air conditioning systems in schools will While Logan said she supports each continue to be regularly inspected. family’s decision about sending their According to the ministry, provincial children back to school, she hopes to refunding will be made available to update assure parents about the safety and health or replace these systems through routine precautions in place at Haahuupayak capital programs. A total of $87.5 million through one-on-one meetings. has already been used to improve ventilaThe BCCDC study found that students tion in schools across the province. were significantly impacted by remote Logan said that funding through the education through uneven learning oppor- First Nations Education Steering Comtunities, increased stress and decreased mittee and the First Nations Schools connection. Association enabled Haahuupayak to hire “As children and youth are isolated a full-time intervention teacher to address from peers, teachers, extended families the learning loss due to the pandemic. and community networks, mental health By helping students with some of the conditions may increase,” read the study. basic skills, numeracy, and literacy, “it “School closures and physical distanccan really help them feel confident to ing may result in increased loneliness in rejoin their groups,” she said. children and youth during the COVID-19 While the pandemic continues to alter pandemic, correlated with mental health the ways schools operate, Sedgwick said effects including anxiety and depression.” that like any other year, she looks forSince schools reopened in September ward to welcoming students back. 2020, Vancouver Coastal Health said it For educators, students and parents, the has not recorded a significant increase school year marks the beginning of a new in COVID-19 cases among school-aged year, she said. children relative to other groups. “It’s very celebratory,” said Sedgwick. Continuing from last year, USS will run “We all look forward to seeing the stufour semesters. Sedgwick said the shift dents that we haven’t seen all summer from two semesters was made to lighten and look forward to meeting the new students’ course loads and to minimize ones coming in. [I’m] very optimistic.” movement between classes in the school. Similarly, lunch breaks at USS will
