Dear Parents/Guardians,

As the 2020-2021 school year comes to an end, we can look back over the past 16 months and know with certainty that there is much we have learned.  Most importantly we learned how to educate our students during a global pandemic while upholding a caring Catholic learning community. 

It’s something that’s never been done before.  We transitioned back and forth between face-to-face classrooms and fully online.  We deployed thousands of Board-owned devices to ensure that every student had access to online learning.  Lack of reliable internet in many of our rural communities was problematic, but our tech teams creatively resolved these challenges. Educators and Principals continually adapted, revised and improved instructional supports to all of our students.  Those students with the highest special education needs were met by teams of educators and support staff in schools throughout the year. Support for mental health and wellbeing continues to be provided for all students as we move into the summer months.

Our schools responded to the social justice needs of our students, families and communities throughout this time. This pandemic has made life difficult for many of our families.  Such initiatives as Noelle’s Gift, food drives and deliveries, fundraisers for bicycles, other acts of charity and creative campaigns of hope occurred regularly across our school communities. It wasn’t easy, but with our collective actions and ingenuity, as well as the awesome commitment of our staff and the tremendous support of our families and parishes, Catholic education at St. Clair forged ahead during the most significant public health emergency in more than a century. 

I also want to say a particular word of thanks to our public health partners at Chatham-Kent and Lambton Public Health, who were alongside us every step of the way.  We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for their support and guidance and for helping us to meet every challenge presented by COVID-19. Thanks also to the students and parents at St. Clair Catholic, who followed the public health and safety guidelines to help make our schools as safe as possible!

We look ahead to the 2021-2022 school year with hope and optimism.  Our Always Ready Action Plan is in place and will be updated with new guidance from the Ministry of Education and Public Health Ontario over the summer.  The plan has three main pillars: know we are well; know our learners; and know we are critical thinkers.  We know that we need to be healthy – physically, mentally and spiritually – and ready to teach and to learn.  We can look back over the past 16 months and consider the pandemic in terms of equity and inclusion, mental health and student learning.  Compassion and empathy have helped to lead us through this pandemic.  These are important qualities of Catholic education that we must keep at the forefront as we return to school in September. 

Let’s look forward to September together with renewed confidence and hope!  Light has begun to pierce the darkness of COVID-19.  I hope you have a restful and relaxing summer with your family.

God’s blessings to you,

Deb Crawford
Director of Education