September 15, 2021

Challenge and opportunity in this fall’s return to school

Welcome back!

I love the beginning of the new school year. I always have. It’s a wonderful time to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones.

This September is different than most – partly because of the pandemic and partly because elections for public school board trustees are being held on Monday, October 18.

As we navigate this latest wave of the pandemic, please know that public school board trustees remain committed to doing all we can to help everyone in our public schools – students, staff and school communities – stay as safe and healthy as possible. Trustees have worked closely with their administration team to ensure their jurisdiction’s back-to-school plan meets students’ learning needs AND keeps safety first.

School board trustee elections are important because, every four years, the voters of our communities elect the trustee who best represents them and the K-12 educational priorities of their community. Our commitment as trustees extends to every area of oversight of the public school system. Of course, we have wonderful administrative teams as well as our teaching and non-teaching staff. However, it is the public school board trustees who make decisions about how best to spend our share of provincial government funding, to ensure every student in our schools has the resources, tools, and learning opportunities to succeed to the best of their potential.

That brings me to another reason I always love the beginning of the new school year. New beginnings represent hope and opportunity. Our public schools offer unmatched opportunity and choice in programming – everything from aviation and agriculture to sports and welding, with many more options in between. Students have a plethora of learning options to meet their educational goals and aspirations. It’s all here, in our public schools!

This school year we will have many challenges and opportunities. The pandemic is not over yet, but neither is our resilience and determination to accomplish great things.

Together, we know we will have a wonderful school year. Welcome back – we are so happy to see everyone again!

Cathy Hogg,
President