THUNDER BAY - The Lakehead Public School Board is recognizing the hard work of students who continue to face challenges learning outside of the classroom.
Throughout each quadmester, students are nominated for their work ethic, strong effort, and academic accomplishments and celebrated with a gift from a local business.
On Thursday, Johnny Faiers, at Grade 11 student at Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute received a hot chocolate bombs from Yum Yum Hot Cocoa Bombs from manufacturing technology teacher, Curtis Sandberg.
Johnny said he has been trying to put in effort while learning at home when he can.
“A little it goes a long way,” he said. “Not a lot of people want to turn on their cameras, not a lot of people want to talk. I try to hop in there when I can, try to add comments. Just trying to be as helpful as I can.”
“We know these students are at home doing the best that they can and engaging with us as best we can,” Sandberg added. “It’s rewarding to be able to celebrate student success.”
Students across numerous school boards across the city have been learning at home since late February following several outbreaks in local schools and surging COVID-19 case numbers.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit said given that a large number of school-age youth are still testing positive for COVID-19, at-home learning will remain until at least April 19.
But for students like Johnny, who is hoping to go into the skilled trades, learning at home has presented numerous challenges.
“With all the tech classes I am in, it’s hard to learn how to weld online through videos,” he said. “You can show as many videos as much as you want, but actually doing it, getting the experience, that is how you learn it.”
Families are also struggling. Johnny’s mother, Melissa Faiers, who has three other kids who have been homeschooled since before the pandemic, said there is a lot to juggle.
“I feel like I’m managing everyone’s mental health,” she said. “It’s exhausting and super frustrating to see for Johnny because Johnny is a hands on learner and he’s in these tech classes. He wants to weld for a career. For him to miss that hands on portion, it scares me to think what the workforce will look like soon.”
Melissa added they do have a welder at home and have upgraded the electricity system in the garage in order to allow Johnny to practice, but it still isn’t the same as learning in the classroom.
It’s also a balancing act, Melissa said, ensuring that everyone is able to focus, as well as taking the time to take a break and exercise and recharge.
“We have been reaching out and looking or the supports that are in place,” she said. “There are avenues we can pursue for mental health help for each of us in the home. My son’s teachers and principal have been phenomenal. Everyone is working together to make this the best they can.”
And while it’s disappointing that in-person will not be returning until April, Melissa said she understands the decision, but she hopes it won’t hinder student’s learning going forward.
“I totally get it,” she said. “Our numbers are really high in the city, but it’s also like, now what. How much longer? How much more does he have to miss? Is he going to be able to catch up? Like he said, there is only much he can learn from a book for the trade he is in.”
Sandberg said teachers understand the challenges that are facing students and they took face their own hurdles when it comes to teaching online and balancing their work and home life.
“We are making the most of it,” he said. “It’s important because it keeps our family safe and the school community safe and Thunder Bay safe.”
According to Sandberg, students in the tech classes have been receiving a lot of lessons on health and safety, theory, as well as video demonstrations.
“Students have been participating in an at home design and build challenge to come up with a design and prototype and manufacture that at home using whatever materials and equipment they have available to them,” he said. “It has been challenging just as it is in every class but I think everyone is making the best of it.”
Once students are permitted to return to the classroom, Sandberg said there should be enough time in the school year to get that practical, hands-on learning to complete the courses.
“That’s the idea of hammering down on the theory and the math and everything else involved, so once we do get back into the classroom, it’s straight to work, hands on,” he said. “We will hopefully have a enough time to get everything in.”