With students set to return to classrooms in the coming weeks, families, teachers and staff are preparing for a school year that will look a little different from the norm. But what about the things parents and teachers can’t see?
Mental health concerns are not lost on educators and they are anticipating big changes for the 2020-21 school year.
Landon Kowalzik, principal of N.J. Macpherson school, says that “in many ways, all of us have been through somewhat of a traumatic experience.”
“Everyone reacts to trauma differently,” he said, “but it does have an impact on most people's mental health and well being. So there's definitely a concern coming back.”
The school has always had access to community resources, as well as an onsite counselor and support teachers to help students talk through emotions. This year, however, the GNWT is rolling out the Child and Youth Care Counseling program (CYCC) so that every school is assigned at least one youth care counselor, sometimes more depending on the school’s population, to ensure children's individual needs are being met.
“It was in the works before Covid happened,” he said, “but the fact that all the schools will get a counselor, anytime between now and next month, is perfect timing because we probably need it now more than ever.”
Liz Baile is the student services co-ordinator for the Yellowknife Catholic School board. She says that “psychological safety and well being” will be their number one focus as in the fall, above the curriculum.
Among the most effective tools for teachers are opening dialogues, practicing new routines, encouraging questions and creating space to discuss uncertainty is paramount, according to Baile.
She emphasizes the importance of “giving kids a voice” and including students in discussions of what they need.
“We need to be asking them and let them be creative in coming up with solutions,” she said.
Baile and Kowalzik say that even though there are heightened concerns over returning students’ mental health, not returning would be cause for even greater concern.
“We’ve all been restricted during the pandemic,” Baile said. “When a person is restricted they don’t get the chance to grow and process.”
She says that school fosters communication and exposes students to challenges, socialization, different kinds of relationships and opportunities to “make sense of their world”.
Kowalzik echoed the importance of routine. The interruption of routine was abrupt and fraught with uncertainty, which has been hard on all of us but can really take a toll on kids, he says.
He recalls hearing of the outbreak around March break and at the time, it felt distant. Then it was announced that the break would be extended by two weeks, then two weeks more, and then all of the sudden no one was going back at all.
“We know that things might never be exactly the same as they used to” he said. “The more normalcy we can add to our daily lives, I think the better it will be for people's mental health. Students, but parents and staff as well.”
Graham Arts, J.H Sissons principal, is hesitant to speak on specifics for the fall without having yet seen anything. "I prefer to deal with what I'm able to see and observe in the moment," he says.
One thing that he can be certain of however, is that "as much as teachers always do, they will be keeping a close eye on their students."