Robin Schmitt reads to her Grade 4 students at the Ross Glen library in this undated file photo. Local parents who spoke to the News seem mostly excited to be sending their kids back to school in the fall.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com@mocranker
With K-12 schools reopening in September, many parents in the Hat are getting ready to send their kids back to class, while others will be keeping theirs at home.
The reopening announcement came last week and has created plenty of conversation about whether kids should be back in class this year.
Parents around the Hat shared their opinions on kids going back to school.
Mandy Meyer is a mother of three, with her kids being 14, 11 and six years old. She says her kids will be back in class in September.
“My older two hated the online learning,” she said. “They felt like they weren’t learning and that they were just reading and copying – it was a mess.
“They feel like they’ll do a lot better at school and I want them to be there.”
Meyer says she is working from home right now, and her youngest child wants to stay at home with her every day.
“The youngest is going to be a bit of a challenge,” she said. “School is important for kids and I think they need to be there.”
Shelley Kalewski says she completed a school survey before the school year and will have her two kids in class in the fall.
“When schools closed, I think kids were pretty excited they didn’t have to go. I think as time went on, parents and kids got tired of the homeschooling,” she said. “After doing the at-home work, I think everyone is excited for the kids to be back at school.
“Schools opening is a huge relief.”
Local parent Cris Foshaug sent a letter on July 24 to Premier Jason Kenney about the return to school plan.
“I am a taxpaying Albertan and my taxes should be paying for the safety of my children and all children, but this government is sending our children back to school without giving us answers on how they are going to keep them safe or giving teachers the tools to do this,” the letter states. “In mid March, in-school classes were cancelled with 60 active cases in the province. Am I to understand that with Alberta’s active COVID-19 cases approaching 1,200 today, you are accepting the catastrophic consequences of jeopardizing our children by sending them back to crowded classrooms?”
Rob Kochie says he is happy to see schools open again.
“My wife and I both work and we don’t have the ability to stay home and teach our kids,” he said. “We’re also not teachers and it’s been a long time since we’ve been in school. It’s really important for us that our kids go back.”
Jennifer Jones says she is 100 per cent for kids going back to school.
“They need to be there for their mental health,” she said.
She added that she is worried for parents and guardians when kids are sent home sick.
“What happens to parents who need to work when a kid is sent home sick?” she said. “If my son catches a cold at school, his sister is going to catch it and that will extend my time at home even more.
“That’s something that is really going to impact a lot of people.”
