Adventures of the first two weeks of 2021

 Back to work started briskly on January 4th as our school continued with half the students one day, half the next. It took a couple days to get used to wearing a mask again all day, but it did come back. The kids took a bit of brain jiggling to get things back for them, which is quite understandable.

The weather has been incredible for January in SK. Just a teeny bit below 0C. We definitely cannot complain about that. When the -40Cs come along, as they eventually will, it will be a tough adjustment.

Friday the 8th we got an email of our first covid case of 2021 at school. It was to be expected when people don't take things even with a modicum of seriousness. By Saturday we had a second and then a third.

Sunday afternoon I got  THE call from provincial health saying I had been deemed a close contact to a positive case. Not from my own class, but within the building. 

And so begins 14 days of self isolation... minus the 2 since I had last saw the person.

I spent hours Sunday night finding a sub for 2 weeks and planning for the first few days. Thank goodness I had brought my computer home. At least I could access some of my materials.

My husband was allowed to go to work. We could have no one over (which technically has been the rule since Dec 15th in our province). They encouraged us to be as separate in the home as possible. Different sleeping arrangements, bathrooms etc.  I did not have to go for a test unless symptoms developed.

I rather enjoyed Monday at home. I had a few emails from students and parents, but other than that, my time was my own. 

Tuesday morning was wonderfully leisurely until the virtual staff meeting that announced there were more cases and all students in our building would be virtual for the next couple weeks.

And with that my sub was abruptly done her shift, 8 days early, and I began to teach online from home.

Some schools have been doing this since the start of the year, so I really can't complain.

A huge storm in our province Wed covered the roads with thick freezing rain and no visibility, so being at home was a good thing for many.

6 more days of isolation for me and then off to the city on the 7th for my infusion that had to get bumped to the absolute edge of the window.

Here's hoping the numbers from Christmas calm down and we can get back to in person soon

Fall Catchup

 I realize I have been away for the better part of six months. There was nothing cataclysmic keeping me away....just life being busy and no brain energy left to give much else but work and exisisting.

We started the fall here back in person at school. All masks, all the time. 

I have to say that the kids I have this year did really well with this adaptation. There was no pushback. With the group I had last year, it would have been a much different, far more stressful story.

The biggest challenges were that pretty much everything we used to do, was no longer allowed with covid. Working in groups. Challenge stations. Pass and share etc. We are also not a 1 to 1 school for devices so that required some creativity as well.

It took the better part of September to start to feel comfortable in the new routines. Thankfully it was glorious weather so we did a lot of work outside and took a lot of walks on the campus, which could be mask free provided there was distancing. That great weather lasted until Remembrance Day weekend.

It was a blessing.

Remembrance Day weekend brought a snow dump unlike anything we have seen in a long time. We actually had a snow day, which never happens here. In reality, the snowday was more of a 'we don't have enough staff who can make it into work, and we can't combine classes' thing. But it was glorious and a little gleeful.

Towards the end of November we hit Level 3 with Covid protocols. This meant that we had to split the kids. Half one day, half at home. and then switch. The good news is I wasn't required to teach the  in class and at home at the same time. So for their in class day we did a lot of front loading and practice, and then for their at home they worked on deeper level work on the same topics.

The tough part comes with keeping the two groups balanced in terms of work load, finding time to get caught up on the online marking, and planning when to load each assignment online. It generally is taking two hours a day outside of school time to stay on top of all of this.

Really hoping the after effects of Christmas do not change us to purely online. That is even harder to do and with the disastrous decision making by the provincial govt in spring about online being optional then, some bad habits have been set.

I guess we shall see what the new year brings for school.

First Day of Work - virtually exhausting

Well that was certainly a different day of work.

I tried to keep it normal. Up. shower. breakie. all that stuff.

The commute to work was rough. Traffic just about knocked me over on my way to the office.

(read, cats raced me down the stairs, between my feet)

I tried to set up the office to make it feel as real as possible. I have a whole house to work with but making the office work -central makes me feel more focused.

We started with a virtual staff meeting. They gave us a list of things to do for the week

• contact each family through email, phone or text and get a yes or no on whether the family wishes to continue with online learning. 
•  fill in the responses we get on a shared document
• for those who wish to, do they have wifi and devices to do this
• decide on our platform for work and class meetings.
• a full staff meeting each work day at 10
•  a grade level team meeting
• decide on how you will communicate regularly with parents.

The troubles became apparent

• missing contact info for parents. we have been trying to update this all year but some families sure do avoid filling it in. I have many bounce back emails. 
• I am not terribly comfortable using my own phone number for contact but there was no choice. Lots of calls and texts unanswered
• students in gr 7 really don't know how to log into their email online. or check it if they do know how to log in.
• my basement is really cold. socks and a small space heater helped
• my head was spinning with email alerts, text messages and calls and meeting reminders. too many coming from too many different sources.

I pulled out a coil notebook, put down the date and started keeping track of what I was doing. Why  a notebook? I am sure at some point the powers that be will want to know what we are doing each day. A notebook shows that step by step progression while an online document can be altered. We have been cautioned before about being able to prove documentation happened authentically and things weren't 'added later'. kind of like a numbered police officer's notepad

Things I learned

• I am glad I had my class set up on google classroom and we used it during the year. for those who hadn't it was a nightmare
•  sticky notes are my saviour. I have notes everywhere for passwords and reminders etc
•  I don't know how ppl sit at a computer all day. My ass was so sore. 
• my head was spinning from staring at  a screen all day
• parents (the ones who were actively wanting to learn anyways) are hungry for information. I have used a class facebook page for years that parents 'like' and follow. My post on there got more responses than my emails. I plan to write on it each day even if it is just to touch base. 

Mid week

It feels like forever since we started this and really it was only a few days ago. I have started to make mental lists of things I might be able to convert into online learning. I definitely feel like I am neglecting the students.

I did some baking today and dropped two tins of it off at friend's houses on their doorstep. I am not used to being at home and feel like I should be out and doing something.

Watching the toll in Italy grow and the new cases developing in the US is a bit frightening. Lockdowns have begun. Not just self isolation but stay inside.

I have started keeping a list of new cases here in SK and will continue to add as they days go on. We are much more spread out here than probably where many of you are, but it will come.

My routine is still getting up as early as I did for work. Up and coffee and watch the news. Check social media. Then I try to do something productive, but its hard.

DS1 is surviving. He gave me a list of things he was wanting and I dropped them off in the garage. Our buffer zone we call it.

As long as it stays cold  and snowy here, people will be more inclined to stay home. But as soon as it warms up.... yikes.

First Day of Pause

ok well the second since Friday was the first day. Close enough

It only took til noon until I started to feel guilty not connecting with my kids' and their families. We were told to take the week and try to think of ways to keep interest in learning online, but mostly the week is for us.

So I unpacked some books, put a few more things away and started to make a list of things I could do so I wouldn't go crazy.

I am still trying to keep the bills straight between the houses, and the dates they are due.

I spent some time adjusting my budget to reflect 2 power bills, 2 water bills etc.  At some point we will get the boys to kick in but let's wait and see.  It shouldn't be so hard to keep it organized but it feels like a mess for me. Hopefully it will get better.


DS2 is up with his gf and experiencing that same pause. Except for her, she's only been teaching less than 3 months so she doesn't have that wealth of experiences and materials to draw upon.

DS1 is surviving and finding himself sneezing a lot from the cat hair. We've cleaned a lot but it's still there. I suspect the furnace vents all need cleaning.

I definitely need to figure out a rhythm for the days ahead.

And Boom... it starts

There was more of a spring in my step heading to work today, than yesterday. Not sure why. Perhaps the nerf gun war
I finished doing some room tidying and filling in documents for the district.

At 9:20 there is a page for another staff meeting. This time we aren't all gathering in the library. Three groups of staff, three admin, three different rooms. Same message.

We are all instructed to download an app and test it. Then we are told to finalize our paperwork, get our stuff together, and go. Preferably within the hour.

Pause would begin early. No nerf gun war. No last visits. Just get whatever you think you are going to need for online learning. Get your laptop and cord. And get out.

We were forbidden from entering the school - until at least May 1.

I threw a few resources I thought I would need in a box, got my marks binder (yes I do it old fashioned first before putting in online), a few books and I left.

It was really bizarre driving away from the school. Disconnected. Unreal. Confusing.

I drove home and just sat. For over an hour. It was a real 'what the hell just happened?"

DS called about  PM. He and the other boy did their check outs and left by noon. It is starting to become real to him. All this time he was of the 'it's no big deal' mindset. Now, with borders closing it's becoming real. All Canadians lose their healthcare (if something happens to them while down there) if they are not back in the country by Friday Midnight. A caravan of boys started together and will split around Nashville, some heading towards NY, NJ and Ontario others heading up to the west to Michigan, Minnesota and Canada.

I let DS2 know he needed to clear out of the house tomorrow so it's safe for the 14 day self isolation required by law.

Hump Day Happenings

The halls are hauntingly empty.

At our staff meeting this morning they said we are a go until Thursday 3:30. Then, according to the province, we will have Friday, and next week as Pause, as they are calling it. Time to be at home and figure out this new world for our family as well as for teaching.

The govt stated in that initial announcement that online learning is optional and everyone passes.

NOT well thought out to say the least. So many what ifs and our hands are tied. Really wish they would include us in conversations.

I finished my marks and updated my report cards for Term 3. My EA and I began cleaning around the classroom. Wiping desks and computers. Finding library books and returning them. Making lists of students to contact that they had belongings in my room.

We as a staff have planned a nerf gun war for our noon tomorrow. Tensions are high and everyone is shell shocked. We need a bit of levity and togetherness before we say goodbye to each other and the building.

After work, DH and I went for a big grocery shop. Unsure of how this is going to go, we are just making sure we have what we need for at least  couple weeks. The stores were crazy. Jammed. Panicy. Like right before Christmas but more stressful.

Carts are piled high. Shelves are bare. Almost no canned goods. No milk or bread. Surprisingly, the ice-cream bins are empty. This, in addition to the now usual - no cleaning products, flour, TP etc.

We didn't hoard but just made sure we had a few of each item we would want. It was one of the biggest bills I have had grocery shopping. Took forever to put away.

DS phoned tonight. Their league is suspended. He is doing his close out interview tomorrow (Thursday), taking care of his banking, and cleaning their condo.  One of the boys on the team is from SK. He had planned to fly home but was more than a little nervous about it. That, and last minute flights were exorbitantly expensive. DS decided they would come home together. How they will get 2 sets of equipment (the buddy is a goalie), and all their belongings in DS's Jeep Compass, is beyond me.

so much for their big plan of "many of the boys are going to caravan together, stop in Nashville for the night, etc)

DS2 is cleaning up our old house and getting his things ready to clear out before DS1 gets home.

so what do we do from here?

Our big  - hey we are doing sanctions is quite meaningless now.

no students in my room so no need to arrive early. There are still kids in other rooms, especially in 10-12 and technically they can be here til Thursday.


Today I am mostly marking assignments that have come in and getting my marks book up to date.

In other news, DS1 hears tomorrow what is happening with his team.

NHL, AHL and all our Canadian leagues are suspended. It's only a matter of time until DS's league is too.

Apocalypse now

9 AM - 13 students in the room

We carried on and did a new lesson in math for those who were here.

9:50 - break

9:57 - started period 2

10:00 - student tells me they got a text from their parent saying school is done.

I head to Social Media - Yup . Announcement from the government. 

Really bugs me they didn't share with school districts first and then on to schools and us.

They want us to be a partnership and they blindside us with info.

How can we support kids and their families when they don't give us info.

I go in the hall and see three of my colleagues with the same stunned look on their face.

It's just surreal.

By 11 AM all my kids were gone. Some cleaned out their lockers and took their stuff. Some did not.

Staff are sitting around stunned. unsure what to do.

I mean I have read a ton of Young adult books with that post apocalyptic theme, but now I seem to be living it.