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Return of the children
As a principal for the last four years, Brownlee knows a bit about the nervous anticipation educational staff face, planning for the upcoming school year. In the week leading up to the return of students, principals plan schedules and programs, attend conferences and meetings and ensure their schools are in running order for the start-up. For teachers, seminars are attended and lesson plans get set. In other words, it's a stressful and hectic time of year for adults as well. "The school is open this week, with administrative staff in, putting together our timetable," said Brownlee, after scrolling over a broad sheet of lined paper sitting on his desk, a carefully designed schedule scribbled with pencil and bright coloured marker. "We have a number of teachers in the building, who are actively looking to set-up their classrooms. They're creating active and bright learning environments for the kids, so everyone's ready to go on the first day. "We always want to be reflective on our practice, and make sure we're striving to do a better job the following year. "Every year is a chance to have a do over." Earlier this week, many teachers and principals throughout Simcoe County began setting up their classrooms and schools for students, who return to the facilities on Tuesday. At Goodfellow, about 540 students have already registered to attend classes. Across the Simcoe County and Simcoe Muskoka Catholic district school boards, over 56,000 and 21,000 elementary and secondary students will be attending classes this year, respectively. "We'll be working on our first week procedures, and setting up a rotation for the kids that will look at using agendas, bullying, respect and how school works," said Brownlee. "We're getting our student agendas ready, making sure our first week newsletter is prepared to be sent home. We're continuing to meet people and get ready for what we hope will be another successful school year." But for many students, preparation will make all the difference towards a good experience in the early part of the school year. And parents can play a vital role in their child's success, said Brownlee. Parents should ensure their children have a standard bedtime, quality food packed for lunch, and a quiet room for completing homework each day. Safety rules, for crossing streets and dealing with strangers, should also be reviewed. "Starting back to school means getting back into a routine," said Brownlee. "Certainly, part of the summer is that you don't have a routine. We encourage parents to work with their kids to establish a structured bedtime and eating times. We are returning to the idea that they're going to need a quiet place at home to do their homework." Drivers also need to watch for children waiting alongside roadways and school buses. "There are going to be a lot of kids everywhere," said Brownlee. "They need to be paying attention to crosswalks, (and) that buses are going to be running. They need to keep their eyes open; over the summer we can get relaxed on those things." Meanwhile, non-teaching board staff have been busy this summer. About $4.7 million in maintenance work, which included the replacement of doors, windows and roofs, computer networking and parking lot repairs, was completed on schools throughout the Catholic board, said director Michael O'Keefe. About 120 new teachers are expected to start working for the Catholic board this year, while construction continues on a new school in Barrie, he said. "We are looking forward to welcoming back all of our students and staff," said O'Keefe. "There is always a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement as our very committed staff prepare for the return of their students." New students are encouraged to sign-up for school this week. For more information, contact a local school or visit www.scdsb.on.ca or www.smcdsb.on.ca. |
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