STEPHEN RICCIO
PONTIAC May 10, 2021
Local elementary school students returned to in-person class on Monday, May 10, although the Pontiac continues to deal with emergency measures otherwise.
Premier François Legault announced the return to in-person class for Outaouais elementary school students at . . .
a press conference on May 4.
Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) Director General Mike Dubeau said that while returning to classes brings with it the need to be careful, he believes that staff and students are excited to see familiar faces.
“Everyone is still concerned about the level of the virus in the Outaouais and the Pontiac especially, so there’s definitely a concern about the health of our students and our staff,” he said. “But at the same time I think there’s a renewed excitement to see the students and to see the staff and to get back to in-person learning.”
With the regional vaccination process opening up to everyone aged 25 and older as of May 12, many staff members have had the opportunity to book a vaccine appointment by now, and Dubeau said that he was encouraged by that prospect.
“I’m 55, so as soon as we got the call to get the AstraZeneca, I was there. So I think that’s a prevalent feeling among our staff,” he said.
While there is no way to require staff members getting vaccinated, Dubeau said his feeling is that the majority of WQSB staff have chosen to do so.
While the 2020-21 school year is winding down, it’s been a year continuously broken into segments of virtual learning and in-person learning. With the last day of school in Quebec scheduled for June 23 this year, Dubeau said he’s looking forward to getting the chance to start fresh after the summer break.
“I think what we’re looking for is a good start up in August, and getting back to some kind of normalcy where we see our kids on a regular basis and have an opportunity to support them [consistently],” he said.
