English students back at school in western Quebec

There was a mix of emotions atEnglish schools in western Quebec as students returnedon Friday.

The Western Quebec School Board is using a staggered start, with only a few grades starting each day for the first couple of weeks.

"I don't know what the class is gonna be like," said Dominic Smith, a Grade 5student at Chelsea Elementary School, on Friday morning.

At Smith's school, masks mandatory for students in Grade 5 and upin common areasbut not in classrooms.

Elementary and high school students will be bubbled with members of their class. Students will have to stay two metres from their teachers, but won't have to distance from each other in the classroom.

"We're fairly confident in the school and the teachers and we know they're going to take great care of the kids. So we'll see how it goes from here and take it day by day," said Amanda Degrace, Dominic's mother who also has two other children at Chelsea.

'Keeping my fingers crossed'

Other parents CBC spoke with on Friday weren't as confident.

"I think it's harder on mom then my son at this point," said Jasmina Archambault whose son is going into Grade 1at Lord Aymer. She had hoped the mask policy would involve all children.

"I feel nervous. I hope that I'm making the right decision as a parent and I'm just keeping my fingers crossed," she said.

Some schools are taking extra measures. At Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School, the principal has set up tents to serve as outdoor classrooms.

"It's a new educational experience and it's going to be fun," said principal David McFall

"In terms of health and the outdoor ventilation, we couldn't be doing anything more proactive in a COVID back-to-school year. "

In-person learning is mandatory in Quebec unless you can show your child has a medical condition. A lawsuit launched by parents istrying to fight the policy.

Of the more than 7,500 students between Kindergarten and Grade 11returning to English schools in western Quebec, about 150 have notes from their doctors to stay at home, a board official said.

Parents preparing for the worst

On Friday, many parents said they were already thinking about what to do if schools are shut down again.

"I'm expecting that it's going to happen at some point and we're just going to shut down for a few weeks again and everybody is going to make sure that we're healthy and come back," said Richard Beranek, whose daughter is starting Kindergarten at Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Others are taking further steps.

"In the weeks leading up to this, we kind of reached out to a bunch of people to figure out if we could have a plan for a socialisation/learning bubble if we shut down again," said Adrienne Labrosse, a mom of a Kindergarten student atChelsea.

"[We are] trying to find families that have kids of a similar age and people who are comfortable taking the same level of risk as we are."

Take a tour of a Quebec schools outdoor learning setup

4 years ago

Duration 0:52

David McFall, principal of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Gatineau, says students will spend some class time in tents outdoors, which he hopes will reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.