An Okotoks mother was picking up her child at school as classes started on Sept. 1, after a previous school year in which the family had opted for at-home learning.
“We’re excited,” said Bre Thompson, who was meeting her Grade 3 daughter after the first day of school at Big Rock School. “I think the school has done a really good job of making us feel comfortable with the precautions they are taking.
“And COVID is here to stay, it’s not going away.”
She said the school’s sanitization processes and positivity and reassurance of students were the reasons for opting for attending in-school learning this year.
“I think there are bonuses for both,” Thompson said of learning at home or in-class. “Home-schooling was a great opportunity.
“I had a year to prepare my children for what they needed to do to get back into school — I had a year to work with them. It was stressful and hard but there were also beautiful moments as well.
“We just felt ready this year.”
Many students returned to school as both Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools and Foothills School Division began staggered starts for students on Sept. 1.
Kim McClain joined her son McClain Reinhart as the student dropped off his supplies for the following day at Good Shepherd School.
“I think it’s great, it’s good to see the smiles on children’s faces,” Kim said. “I never got too excited last year (about COVID).”
McClain is glad to be back.
“It’s been a long holiday and it is good to be back in school.”
Good Shepherd principal Wayne Lorenz is also delighted to have the students back.
“Today was a great day,” Lorenz said on Sept. 1, when the Kindergarten to Grade 6 students with last names starting from A to K attended school. “For me, from what I saw, what was different from last year’s (first day of school) everyone is coming in so calm, happy to be here.
“They are just ready to be here and meet their friends, new teachers,.. Just a really good start.”
Good Shepherd did get hit with cases of COVID last year, as did all schools in the area.
The school will continue to have staggered recesses for students. As well, teachers will continue to move from room to room, rather than having students change classrooms.
He said students and families are calm despite an increase in COVID cases in Okotoks. (There were 61 cases in the community on Sept. 1 according to AHS statistics).
“We don’t seem to have the kids scared,” Lorenz said. “Some kids came last year with worry about ‘What’s COVID in the school?’
“Now they have a little bit of experience behind them, they had a safe year overall last year and most kids ended the school year very well.
“This year, it is not at the top of their minds.”
The school is dealing with the fact nearly 100 per cent of the student body would not be eligible for a COVID vaccination. Individuals 12 years and older are eligible for the vaccine.
“We will still be respectful of the climate and the possibility of COVID – we won’t have assemblies with the whole school right away, half and half kind of things,” he said. “We have to work with it and work our way through it.”
He said the school has had a number of students transfer from at-home learning to in-class at Good Shepherd this year.
Holly Penhalagan shared the excitement of the first day of school as she greeted her child at Big Rock.
“I am excited that they are back, but kind of nervous about what the next couple of months will be,” Penhalagan said. “We are doing the best that we can with all of the information that we have from the school and they are doing an excellent job.”
She said as she works in the health-care system, COVID is a daily concern.
“It is a huge part of our life,” Penhalagan said. “Depending on what happens in school, that affects my work, whether I can go to work or not, so it affects a lot more than us.”
However, she feels having her children in a traditional school setting as much possible more than compensates for her concerns.
“The social interaction, I find they need. They feel the world is a little bit normal, at least here, they have kind of a normal life,” she said.
Big Rock principal Scott Carey said making life as normal for students and the school community is a high priority.
Communication with families has been a key role.
“We have been honest with the reality that we have – we aren’t in a place (in society) where we want to be, but we (the school) have a lot more experience from last year.
“We have a duty to provide a safe and caring environment.”
Things are getting as normal as can be at Big Rock.
“In June this wasn’t what we expected for when we came back,” Carey said, while watching students load onto the school bus. “But it feels really good to be back. A lot more fear last year, this year there’s some apprehension...
“I don’t like to use the word normal, but it's pretty normal if there is such a thing as a normal school day.”
