Thousands of children in Haldimand, Norfolk and Brant slung their backpacks over their shoulders to head off to start a new year of learning on Tuesday.
“We are very excited to be starting the 2022-23 school year in a teaching and learning environment that is much closer to ‘normal’ for students, staff, and families,” said Tracey Austin, manager of communications at the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board. “We are so proud of the hard work, ability to pivot, the creative solutions, and resilience exhibited by everyone over the past two years.”
Austin said staff are happy to see that sports and extracurricular activities have also resumed, adding that after school additional tutoring services will soon be available for both elementary and secondary students.
This year, the BHNCDSB has 7,743 elementary and 4,338 secondary students in 31 schools.
Of those, 53 elementary and 37 secondary students have opted for remote learning.
“As a reminder, students, staff and visitors are encouraged to self-assess for symptoms of illness using the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool,” she noted. “Masks are recommended, but not required for students, staff and visitors.”
The communications manager said schools would promote respectful and inclusive environments for individuals who choose to wear, or not wear, a mask.
Rapid antigen tests are available upon request, and hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette will continue to be promoted.
The Grand Erie District School Board’s projected enrollment for 2022-23 is 18,360 elementary and 7,500 secondary students across its 72 schools.
“We are seeing positive early signs of higher than projected enrollment at our schools, however final numbers are not yet available,” said GEDSB manager of communications Dave Smouter. “Grand Erie is also welcoming more than 20 students from the Ukraine in schools across the district.”
About 220 Grand Erie students are enrolled this year in online learning.
The transportation consortium that serves students in the region is experiencing a school-bus driver shortage.
Philip Kuckyt, manager of transportation services, said a small number of buses are running behind schedule daily, mostly in and from the Haldimand area.
“Families will be notified of any delays, as early as possible each day, by our bus companies who post details to the Student Transportation Services, Brant Haldimand Norfolk website (stsbhn.ca) which triggers notifications to families via email subscriptions and the Chipmunk app .”
As he waited for his son outside of Branlyn-Notre Dame School in Brantford on Tuesday afternoon, Colin Durdon said neither of his kids were enthusiastic about returning to school.
His son Grady started Grade 7 this year, while his daughter Abby is in Grade 10 at Pauline Johnson Collegiate.
“Both were a bit nervous to go back, but they’re here,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s hard to get into the swing of things.”
He said the family spent two weeks at a fly-in hunting and fishing camp his in-laws own, north of Timmins.
“Coming back from exciting stuff like that, I don’t blame them.”
