At their first regular meeting before the school year on Monday, the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division board of education took the opportunity to welcome back students and families.
Trustees commended the staff for ensuring schools are safe, welcoming spaces where learning is the focus, and thanked parents who consistently support their children and schools.
“The board is really excited to have kids back in school, and (have) staff connecting and building relationships to welcome (them) back to school,” education director Robert Bratvold said. “Certainly we are excited to have kids back we have got things in place to keep folks safe. I know we have got some great learning ready for them too.”
The Board discussed the impact of the pandemic on learning and expressed the value of having the additional staff for COVID-19 supports. These include 10 extra teachers, two coaches, two social workers and additional EA and Mentor supports. These additional staff will support students in mental wellness and in addressing any unfinished learning caused by disruptions related to the pandemic.
“We have got some kids with unfinished learning, they may not have been in school as regularly last year or maybe they were disconnected even more so they have got a bunch more learning to do. And we have got some extra staff in place to address that,” Bratvold said.
Bratvold reiterated how important the relationships are between the division and its families.
“All of our staff are looking forward to connecting and building those relationships and getting that learning going,” he said.
