Schools in Yellowknife set to reopen Sept. 14. Teachers union says return is a 'soft start'

The school year in Yellowknife will look as normal as possible when doors open to students Sept. 14, said David Wasylciw, chair of the board for the city's public school system.

Assuming the wildfire situation doesn't change, all schools in Yellowknife and the surrounding area will reopen for staff on Sept. 11 and for students on Sept. 14.

The high schools will be open for registration and the distribution of timetables on Sept. 12 and 13. 

Students will have lost more than two weeks of instruction, and in some cases, teachers are only getting three days rather than the usual week to prep for classes. But that can likely be made up during the year, Wasylciw said in an interview with CBC North.

Wasylciw is the board chair for Yellowknife Education District No. 1. 

"Getting into school is going to look like the beginning of school, like normal," he said. "There's been a loss but not necessarily a learning loss."

Likewise, the prep time teachers get will look different and some elements might be postponed, he said.

"There's just excitement to get the school open."

Yellowknife Education District No. 1 issued a joint news release Saturday with Yellowknife Catholic Schools and La Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest about the reopening plan. It said once schools are open, then they will be figuring out how to best support students and staff from any impacts of the evacuation. 

"We know this has been a trying and challenging time for everyone, and we look forward to returning to some normalcy as soon as possible," they said in the statement.

Good to get back to routine

Chris Taff says his eight-year-old son Jeremiah is looking forward to going back to school at St. Joseph. 

"He loves school and he's excited to be back with his friends," Taff said. 

The family evacuated to Calgary and said they understand it's been difficult for teachers and administrators who were facing a similar situation.

Taff says it'll likely take some time for everyone to get back into the school routine.

Annie Thrasher has 18 grandchildren ranging in age from four months to 12 years old. Also a Yellowknife resident evacuated to Calgary, she says the process of evacuating and being in a new environment has been stressful for the kids. 

"It'll be good for the kids to get back into routine," Thrasher said.

Accommodations available

Matthew Miller, NWT Teachers' Association president, said some teachers were already anxious about this school year because of curriculum changes. Over several years, the Northwest Territories is switching to an adapted version of the B.C. curriculum instead of the Alberta curriculum.   

But he said school administration has already been talking about what accommodation might be available for any teacher who needs more time to get back.

Likewise for students, a return will be "somewhat of a soft start," he said.

"This isn't meant to be cookie cutter. This is meant for the majority of people who can get there. Anyone who needs any form of accommodations should be reaching out to their principal or superintendent."

He said teachers need time to get back and get their own households settled before they can return to the classroom to prep for students. And schools also need to ensure non-curricular support such as food programs and mental health are in place.

Roads back into Yellowknife are scheduled to open to the general public on Wednesday. But residents have been told to expect limited health services at the Stanton Territorial Hospital and other challenges during the early days of the re-entry period.

Officials are pleading for patience, asking people to plan for their own food and accommodations, and to hold off a day or two if they can to avoid the first rush.