Monday is technically the first day of school but while you won't be dropping the kids off at school just yet you may find yourself helping them to complete at home learning packets.
That's because yesterday teachers nationwide were called back to their empty classrooms to prepare much-needed catch-up materials. I stopped by two Belize City Primary schools to find out about the first tentative step toward the new school year.
The return to school is an important and hopefully welcome step, but ahead of that return GOB is focusing on what they call a recovery month in which teachers like St. Luke's Carol Martin are preparing to learn at home packets so that children can get caught up on what they missed during 2020s lost third term.
Carol Martin, Teacher, St. Luke's Methodist
"We have been preparing paper based and online learning for students. We know that parents right now are not too much into technology or online learning because of constraints but we are also preparing paper, the paper-based work for those parents that are not able to do online learning. For the standard six levels the paper-based package will include mathematics, language arts, social studies, science and H.F.L.E we're looking at doing an activity for each day in math and other subjects as well, instructions are being given to children to clear, so that they can clearly understand what it is that they are to do for each of the activities given so we have an introduction activity, a development activity, and a concluding activity for them to do at home. If they are doing the online learning likewise the same information will be given to them online."
And along with those packets teachers are also preparing mini-lesson plans to give principals an overview of what students are taking home. And over at All Saints Primary, I asked principal Colin Estrada if he thought that one month was too short a timeframe to catch up on a whole term
Colin Estrada, Principal, All Saints Anglican Primary
"Well it is not much of a bother what happens is remember our children have been out for approximately 5 months and so it is getting them back into the rhythm of school and so even if some of them might not be able to get it. Our work as a school to be able to get the children to the level that we need them you know because even on a daily basis there may be some children who may have some learning disabilities or some special needs that we still have to be able to work with you know, so it is not much of a bother for our staff."
And while the focus is on academics, we wonder if these educators have any fears surrounding the eventual return to full classrooms and the potential for a schoolyard outbreak of COVID-19.
Carol Martin, Teacher, St. Luke's Methodist
"I previously had some anxiety because children are loving they like to cling with each other they like to associate with each other and most of the time they would want to hug you know to give each other a handshake and so I was quite concerned about them coming back to school and their interactions and the space within these classrooms. I mean when we came here we were trying to fit 15 students in a classroom and for some classrooms, there are more than 15 if you even cut the total amount for a class in half so we were looking at how we were going to get them into the space and how they were going to maneuver themselves, do activities that will not be allowing them to be interacting in touching each other and even the materials they were going to use how are they going to use these materials, to learn but how will they be sanitary enough and for the other set of students who will be coming in the afternoon so it was quite a lot of preparation and thinking and as a school and the administration we were able to get through some of the hurdles so I think we would be prepared maybe two months down the road and I am hopeful that things will get better."
Colin Estrada, Principal
"We're looking for directives from the ministry in terms of when they will allow us to be face to face with the students and even when there is that face to face what will happen is that we will have half at one time and then half at the other time. There is that risk but what happens is that we will have to take the necessary precautions that are there and one of the things that we're seeing is that there's an increase in the numbers and so when you came on the compound one of the things that we did for you and for your team was for you to be able to do what? To follow the protocols."
And in a short while - provided that the protocols are in place and the maintenance of social distancing is enforced - children will have to make that return to school. But in the meantime, our educators told us that the most important thing parents can do is to keep their minds engaged.
Colin Estrada, Principal
"In all of the packets that we're sending out there is a timetable that is in there that parents can work with their children with and what we're asking them is engage your children, engage and work with them."
Carol Martin, Teacher, St. Luke's Methodist
"As a teacher even as a parent you have to be concerned because I have children of my own and as parents what we need to do is just keep our children involved in simple reading, little books addition subtraction whatever basic you can do keep your children's mind active."
And to make the opening more real, On Monday morning at 9:00, the Ministry of Education will be hosting a virtual school opening ceremony - you can see that right here on Channel 7.
And to complement online and paper-based learning, teachers will be providing weekly feedback via phone calls, WhatsApp, and Facebook with parents encouraged to keep in touch with schools for any guidance they require.
