THUNDER BAY – Matawa Education and Care Centre is set to welcome its first students back to the classroom since March.
Brad Battiston, principal of the Thunder Bay-based school, on Wednesday said about 45 students are expected to return for in-person studies on Thursday, making them one of the first education outlets in the province to reopen in the COVID-19 era.
Following Ontario guidelines, the learning centre has enacted strict COVID-19 protocols, including keeping desks at least two metres apart, the addition of sanitizing stations throughout the school and directional signs on the floor to minimize student contact in the hallways.
The school also has a full-time nurse on staff and have created an isolation room should any student or staff show up exhibiting signs of the coronavirus.
Battiston said he expects between 140 and 150 students will enroll for the 2020-21 school year, but about half will at least start the semester studying from home.
“For us, the preparation has been a lot of work done with our communities that we serve, within the tribal council itself and working with the Ministry of Education and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit,” Battiston said.
Learning how to operate safely, based on the current knowledge of the virus and how it’s spread, has been the focus since school stopped.
They’re also ready to pivot at a moment’s notice.
“We know that it’s constantly changing and we do get those updates in a timely manner ... but it is challenging. There’s a lot of uncertainty about what it’s going to look like in month. The school day, is it going to continue to be this way,” Battiston said.
“There are a lot of questions from staff about different scenarios within the classroom environment. Families are calling about what’s expected of the students before they come, how you proceed if somebody has a cold. How do you handle the different possibilities of COVID?”
Battiston said they continue to navigate things with staff and students and their families, adding he’s confident everyone is prepared to start the year in a safe manner, while still being able to deliver the education the students are at the school to receive.
It’s all about learning how to adapt, he added.
“There’s going to be a lot more online learning, where internet service is available,” he said. “Some of our communities don’t have consistent, reliable internet, so it’s going to be done over the phone, through the fax or through email and regular mail, sending packages to the students.
“We will have in-class learning with our students. Some live in town and will be doing home-schooling with them as well. We are covered for every scenario in offering the services. Whatever the student and family are comfortable with.”
