‘Our staff are exhausted’: Calgary Catholic schools wraps up challenging year

A school year unlike any other comes to an end Students, parents and teachers all said so long to a long and difficult pandemic school year that left everyone drained.

CALGARY — The Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) is getting ready for summer break on Friday, after what’s been described as a difficult year for students and staff.

“This year’s been filled with many challenges, but it’s also been filled with some opportunities to rethink how we do things in education,” said CCSD Supt. Dr. Bryan Szumlas.

One month ago, students across the province were able to resume in-person learning after the province sent kids online weeks prior as it grappled with the third wave of the pandemic.

At the time, the Alberta Teachers Association said 33 per cent of schools had alerts or outbreaks.

According to the latest data, there are 162 schools in the province that are on alert or outbreak status.

"Really this summer I've been encouraging teachers and students to just rest, unplug from devices," said Jason Schilling, ATA president. "And to just take some time to rest from this last year but also recognize the challenges of this last year."

Shilling says health measures will still be needed in schools for the start of the next year in September.

"I'm hopeful that we'll be able to return to school where we're not caught in this cycle of isolation that we were last year where schools were in and then out and then in and then out," said Schilling. "We saw teachers and students some of then having to isolate up to five times, it was extremely hard on everyone involved."

Medeana Moussa is the executive director of Support our Students Alberta and ants to see the provincial government be proactive and have a strategy for kids in September.

"I think there is some optimism especially for junior high and high schools with kids being eligible to be vaccinated and teachers being vaccinated and protected so those are hopeful things," said Moussa.

Parents gathered outside of St. Benedict School in the southwest to meet their kids finishing classes for the summer.

"My heart goes out to all the parents who had to work from home," said Kari Rojas. "I don't know how they managed it, everyone's been a super hero this year, and it's over!"

Samantha Gillis's daughter Lindsay is 10 years old and her son Zachery is five. She had to be prepared throughout the year to bring her kids home from school on moments notice.

"Come and get them because they have to be isolated," said Gillis. "Not because we're sick, just contact and all that so we can't wait for a regular school year."

But not all parents are confident about getting back to normal in the new year.

"I don't think we're going to go back to normal," said Lourine Wilding. "I think they're still going to have to wear masks honestly, I don't think it's going to be back to normal because they can't get vaccinated yet."

"Kids under the age of 12 will be the largest population of Albertans who are not vaccinated who will be in congregated settings around one another," said Schilling. "So class size issues are still going to be a concern, social distancing will still be a concern, we'll need those in place."

MUCH-NEEDED SUMMER BREAK

Szumlas says the summer break is much needed.

“Our staff are exhausted," he said. "Not only in [Calgary Catholic School District] but teachers in general.”

As the province gets ready to enter Stage 3 of its Open for Summer plan, Szumlas says he’s hopeful for a safe return to school come the fall.

“[CCSD] will be working closely with Alberta Health Services and Alberta Education over the summer break,” he said.

Szumlas says there are still some uncertainties as to what the school year will look like.

"I’m really hopeful that we will be able to resume education in the fall without masks, but we have to wait and see."

Last week, the province provided more details about the provincial mask mandate that will be lifted for most settings on July 1.

“As we listen provincially to some of the directives, we know that masks are still required in buses or in taxies, things like that, in small confined spaces,” said Szumlas. “We’ve yet to know is a classroom considered a small, confined space, where masks may be needed or not.”

Szumlas says the CCSD will be communicating with parents over the summer to provide details about the fall.