91原创

Schools in 91原创 officially opened on Tuesday with fewer provincially-mandated COVID-19 safety protocols, and although the first day was a shortened timetable parents were nervous nonetheless.

鈥淎nxious, but excited,鈥� are the words Shelby Dingwall used to describe how she was feeling while walking her five-year-old son to Nicomekl Elementary for his first day of kindergarten.

It was a new experience for Dingwall, and son Kingston, where the pair were not only marking the beginning of attending school they were doing it amid a pandemic.

鈥淚鈥檓 a little nervous, but excited,鈥� said Kingston when asked how he was feeling about entering the classroom.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to go on the playground,鈥� he added, as he eyed the outdoor area over his shoulder.

Students Kingston鈥檚 age, up to Grade 3, are not required by the province to wear masks, nor are they eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Presently, Health Canada has approved COVID-19 vaccines for those 12 years and older.

鈥淗e was in daycare and he did bring home COVID once鈥� and now there are more kids so it鈥檚 a little nerve-wrecking, but we鈥檙e going to trust the process,鈥� Dingwall said.

READ MORE: B.C. teachers say back-to-school plan doesn鈥檛 address testing, ventilation concerns

But the process looks a little different for the 2021-22 school-year.

Unlike the previous school year, this year, the province no longer requires cohorts or learning groups, physical distancing of two metres is no longer recommended, there are no staggered start and end times, schools will see reduced cleaning, and online learning options like last year鈥檚 Transition Support Model are no longer provided.

Some of those changes have left parents like Corey Reid and Shelby Truesdale uneasy, who were at the 91原创 City elementary school Tuesday morning seeing off son Decklan.

鈥淚 think I鈥檓 more nervous than he is,鈥� said mom.

The first day at our secondary schools involved a lot of care and connection. At we followed our Leadership Students as they helped make our new grade 9 students feel welcome.

鈥� 91原创 Schools (@91原创Schools)

Decklan was home-schooled last year, so returning to school was a big change for him. When asked how he felt about having to wear a mask indoors he dropped his head down.

鈥淭his will be first time he鈥檒l be back in class in a year and a half,鈥� Reid noted.

The family wasn鈥檛 prepared to have Decklan return to school for Grade 4, but it was more than concerns about COVID that forced their decision.

鈥淸It was] not having the ability to hold a place for him,鈥� Reid explained. 鈥淚f they don鈥檛 start school there鈥檚 no guarantee they鈥檒l have a place for the school-year.鈥�

Reid cited concerns of the Delta variant, noting some states in the U.S. that have started school and seen a rise in cases.

The 91原创 School District, as directed by the province, has modified how COVID-19 notifications will be distributed this year.

There was a lot of excitement at all our school sites today! As we welcomed our students into our schools, we talked to some of our teachers at James Kennedy Elementary about the new start.

鈥� 91原创 Schools (@91原创Schools)

鈥淯nlike last year, COVID-19 notifications directed to the broader school community such as exposure letters will not be issued,鈥� said Gord Stewart, superintendent of 91原创 schools.

鈥淭hese types of notifications will be distributed only if deemed necessary by public health to help with contact tracing or managing an outbreak.鈥�

It鈥檚 news Reid isn鈥檛 pleased with.

鈥淲e鈥檇 like to see that continue,鈥� he said about last year鈥檚 notification process.

READ MORE: B.C. teachers, parents want data on COVID-19 in schools to be publicly available

Meanwhile, dad Devon Heath took some comfort in drawing on past experience of how school operates with the added health and safety protocols.

鈥淸We鈥檙e] more comfortable this year than last year, knowing what we鈥檙e getting into, but still a little nervous with all that鈥檚 going on in the world, that鈥檚 for sure,鈥� said Heath, who was seeing off son Rypien for his first day of Grade 1 at Nicomekl Elementary.

鈥淚 just hope more people get vaccinated,鈥� he said.

READ MORE: Back to school Q&A: Is it safe for unvaccinated students? What鈥檚 the harm of school closures?

As of Aug. 31, 63 per cent of kids between the ages of 12-17 in 91原创 had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 75 per cent had received one, according to most recent BC Centre for Disease Control data.

Seventy-nine per cent of 91原创 residents in the 18-49 age group have received one dose of the vaccine, while 70 per cent have received two.

91原创 Advance Times reached out to the 91原创 Teachers鈥� Association for vaccination data on its members, and union president Tanya Kerr said that information wasn鈥檛 available yet.

Meanwhile, at Alex Hope Elementary in Walnut Grove, Caitlin Haddrell picked up her two children, in Grades 3 and 6, after their first day.

鈥淚鈥檓 okay with it,鈥� said Haddrell. 鈥淚 saw lots of masks this morning, so that made me feel good.鈥�

With one child in the mask-mandated age groups of Grades 4 to 7, and the other in the masks-recommended groups of kindergarten to Grade 3, Haddrell said they have a 鈥渇amily mask mandate.鈥�

She was a bit nervous about the announcement that there wouldn鈥檛 be public exposure notifications this year.

Uiming Zhong was also at Alex Hope, picking up his son, a first grader.

鈥淭he school has taken a lot of measures to avoid the risk,鈥� Zhong said.

As for how his son was feeling about his first day of school, 鈥淚 think he feels a little sad to go back to school [after the summer], but he will be okay,鈥� Zhong said.

Get ready for going back to school with our Healthy Back to School Guide. We have information and resources about COVID-19, back to school anxiety, nutrition, sleep and more:

鈥� Fraser Health (@Fraserhealth)

Principal Nathan Erker said said the school has done a lot of work with its school community around safety over the last year and a half.

As a kindergarten through Grade 7 school, about half their grades are under the mask mandate and half are recommended.

鈥淲e鈥檙e well in the majority of our students wearing masks, including the K to Grade 4 population,鈥� Erker said.

For the second first day of school in a row during the COVID-19 pandemic, most things are the same, Erker and vice-principal Courtney Robertson said.

Kids are excited, and so are teachers and other staff, said Robertson.

鈥� with files from reporter Matthew Claxton