June 30, 2020

PSBAA President’s Year-End Blog 2020

As June winds down and we get closer to the official start of summer break, I want to take a look back at this unprecedented year, especially the past three months.

Prior to COVID-19 was challenging enough in terms of changes for boards across the province with the tightening of budgets. Ultimately this resulted in fewer resources while we continue to meet the needs of the students in our inclusive education system, of which we are so proud. Those challenges continue, but of one thing I am certain: we will always focus on putting children first. Significant adjustments in how to meet this priority were required and we appreciate the creativity of our administrators in meeting this need. It is important to also recognize the trustees who give the oversight to our administrators to carry out this work. We are the ones accountable to our communities and to the Minister of Education. This is a significant responsibility that we all take very seriously.

Then came COVID-19. From our students and their families to our administrators, teachers, bus drivers, support staff, there was a coming together that centered around making sure our students continue to have access to learning. The words that can be attributed to the many efforts made to reach our end goal are too numerous to mention, so I will simply say congratulations and thank you.

In addition to missing the human connection that being in the classroom provides, some other big misses are front of mind. Normally, we would be congratulating all graduating students in person, and wishing them well in their future endeavours. We would have fêted them in a special graduation ceremony followed by some festivities where the graduates, resplendent in their formal attire, would have proudly posed for photos with families and friends from over the years. A momentous and memorable occasion indeed, and one of my favourite times of the year. With restrictions being lifted to some extent we have seen communities coming together to celebrate, in a variety of ways, the grade 12 graduates and the celebration of grade 9 students also transitioning to high school. These celebrations have been heartwarming and speak to the significance of these milestones in the minds and hearts of our communities throughout the province. Whether or not this year was your graduating year, congratulations to you and to every student who worked so hard this year, especially over the past three months. You have earned every bit of your academic success this year.

We would also be personally wishing all our returning students well and hoping they enjoy a well-deserved summer break. We would be thanking our teachers, administrators, bus drivers, librarians, and custodians for all their hard work and dedication. We would be talking about their summer plans – often for a road trip to camp or to visit relatives and friends. And those of us who are publicly-elected school board trustees would be looking forward to some rest and relaxation ourselves. We would have had formal gatherings for our teachers and staff who are retiring. An opportunity to thank and celebrate them for their years of dedicated service to our divisions and communities.

As we all know, the past three months have been anything but normal. However, the response by our staff and students, families and communities has been exceptional.

When classes were first suspended in mid-March, I wrote about how the strength of our school communities was going to be critical in sustaining our students and families in the months to come. I am even more convinced of this than ever. We do not yet know what school will look like in the fall, but I do know this: our teachers and administrators, students and families have grown this year in unique and special ways. Going forward, it will be more important than ever to remain committed to being inclusive, welcoming and compassionate, being mindful of each other and making every effort to demonstrate that we are truly in this together.

Regardless of whether we are able to welcome students back to school in person in September – and I dearly hope we can – I know that we all appreciate each other and our special qualities more than ever before. What a wonderful and joyous reunion it will be in each of our schools when we are all together again.

In the meantime, I wish you and yours a most enjoyable summer. Stay healthy!