Another school year spent navigating the complexities of a pandemic is behind students, teachers and staff.
Kids in the province’s K-12 system are heading home early today, report cards in hand, and looking forward to the summer break.
NLTA President Trent Langdon says for teachers it’s been another rewarding, but long and sometimes exhausting run dealing with school shut downs and staffing shortages caused by the pandemic.
He says every June brings mixed emotions as teachers say goodbye to pupils, but he admits, it’s been tough.
The last year, says Langdon, in addition to the previous two years, has weighed heavily on the shoulders of teachers. He says teachers have felt the strain of shifting between in-class and virtual learning, and keeping things going in light of a shortage of substitute teachers.
That said, Langdon is wishing all students and teachers a happy and safe summer ahead.
“Be safe,” he urges students “and come back in one piece.” He is also offering his thanks to members for the work they do.
(File photo.)
Meanwhile, the province is holding a learning loss symposium today and tomorrow to discuss time lost by high school students during the pandemic.
Education Minister Tom Osborne says stakeholders from the department, post-secondary institutions, and others will come together to look at what needs to happen to better support high school students as they transition to university and college.
He says the symposium will look at the learning loss grads have experienced over the last few years, and figure out how they can help bridge the gaps that they’re facing. Osborne says they plan to hold another symposium at some point looking at learning loss in the K-12 system as a whole.
