PORT HAWKESBURY – The public school system in southern Cape Breton and northeastern Nova Scotia underwent some massive changes in a short period of time, following the March arrival of the coronavirus pandemic and its accompanying social-distancing protocols in Atlantic Canada.

The Strait Regional Centre for Education (SRCE) closed its schools in Richmond, Inverness, Guysborough and Antigonish counties on March 13, just before the Nova Scotia March Break period was set to kick in. According to SRCE executive director Paul Landry, the region’s educators quickly developed a pandemic plan that included at-home learning and daily communications between the SRCE and the province’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD).

According to Landry, these discussions generated “a tremendous amount of engagement” and continue to occur on all levels, albeit on a less regular schedule than these talks took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave.

In the meantime, the SRCE executive director said teachers and students “are certainly seeing the benefits” of the home-based technology used to continue the education process during the school shutdown period. He noted that some of the teachers within the Strait Regional system were already using such technology, while others have quickly adapted and put in the effort to ensure any issues are overcome.

“It’s been a very interesting journey for sure, but I think it was a positive journey, and everybody came together to make it happen,” Landry commented.

With the 2019-2020 academic year officially coming to an end on June 5, Landry confirmed that schools throughout the region will re-open for the following week to allow staff and students to re=enter the buildings and claim any personal materials that had been left prior to the March shutdowns.

As for the traditional graduation ceremonies and proms that normally mark the end of the school year for Grade 12 students, Landry confirmed that he and his staff are working closely with principals, teachers, students and their families to ensure that scaled-down versions of these year-end activities can take place without violating the regulations for these events set down by Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Robert Strang, in late May.