Beyond COVID-19 Lies a New Normal and New Opportunities

The COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be much more than just a health crisis.

It not only disrupted social and economic activities, but also severely impacted socio-emotional and financial wellbeing of millions across the globe. The lives of TCF Canada principals, teachers, students, and their families have also been significantly changed because of this crisis.

Facing these challenges head on, TCF Canada continues its legacy of being resilient as we earnestly adapt our learning processes to meet the needs of these trying times. As our schools reopen across the country, we have committed ourselves to realigning our priorities. We want to ensure that the right balance is struck between academic learning and emotional wellbeing with the intention of fostering a sense of safety, hope, compassion, and belonging for our entire community.

TCF Canada is moving forward with a four-pronged Back to School plan:

Implementing Embedded Learning for Student Development and Well-being

The beginning and end of each school day is dedicated to open conversation and reflection in every grade. This enables students to voice and share their thoughts, feelings, raise their concerns, and provide feedback. This in turn helps teachers fulfill the students’ social and emotional needs appropriately. Structured 40-min periods are also being introduced throughout the week in classrooms focused on improving the physical and mental wellbeing of our students. Students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in engaging stories, indoor and outdoor plays, games, and arts and crafts.

Introducing Staff Circles

To foster resilience and ensure well-being of staff members, dedicated sessions, regular staff circles, and robust engagement activities will be incorporated into the weekly school schedule. The goal is to encourage open discussions and provide a collaborative space for social and emotional peer support, problem solving, and self-care. Moreover, routine administrative burdens on principals and staff members will be minimized to ensure efficacy.

Building a School-Community Relationship

TCF Canada principals and teachers are working to develop a much more deliberate and robust school-community relationship. They are actively engaging with families of our students to encourage them to ensure continuity in the child’s learning journey and by addressing their concerns and anxieties about school reopening.

Creating an Enabling Policy Environment

As schools resume, students, teachers, and principals are returning to classrooms from a period of uncertainty and stress. Therefore, our prime focus is to create an environment at school that has stability, clarity, and comfort. This means giving principal and teachers clarity on policy matters and mitigating the burden of routine responsibilities on them, so that they can focus on what matters most: bridging the learning gap and ensuring the well-being of students.

Of course, we are also making sure all public health guidelines are being followed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We have implemented physical distancing and good hygiene practices in addition to monitoring the health of our students and staff.

With your support and the joint efforts of the entire TCF Canada community, we hope this comprehensive plan will help us adapt to the new normal and have a safe and healthy school year.