Sask. students excited to return to school, despite COVID-19 restrictions
Many school divisions opting for staggered start to school year
Ashton Carter says he's going to have a good year at school, even though it promises to be different.
"Just override all that fear and sadness with happiness and fun stuff," said the Regina student.
"We'll all be safe and this COVID will be over soon."
On Tuesday, Saskatchewan's schools opened their doors for students for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Some parents admit to being nervous about the big day.
"We were very on the fence about whether to send them back at all or not," said Regina parent Jessie Jardine.
"But really, Regina's relatively safe and they really wanted to go back to school."
The provincial government left decisions on many COVID-19 protocols up to regional school boards, creating a potential patchwork of different rules across the province for children and parents to follow.
Many school divisions in the province, including Regina and Saskatoon's, have opted for a staggered start for the first week of class. That means students will attend alternate days, splitting classes in half.
Masks are not mandatory across the province, but the majority of school divisions are mandating them when physical distancing is not possible.
"I haven't tried wearing [a mask] for a whole day yet," said Jardine's daughter, Esime Currie.
"I feel like it depends on the fabric, because there's fabric that gets my nose itchy."
Esime is starting Grade Five, and is slightly concerned about getting lost in the hallways.
Despite all of this, the prospect of starting school outweighs any fears she might have.
"I am very excited," she said.
"All my friends are going to be at school and it's been so long since I've seen them."
WATCH: Students head back to school at St. Josaphat School in Regina Tuesday.
Health concerns
However, Saskatoon mom Chantal Strongarm has decided to keep her children at home this year, opting for online classes.
"I can smile now," she said.
"I'm not so worried."
Strongarm has heart problems and Type 2 Diabetes. She was concerned that her children may bring COVID-19 back with them from school.
"They could lose their mother. I'm a sickly person. Only 40 per cent of my heart functions," she said.
"Whether or not they were going to do online classes, I was determined to keep them home."
Now, Strongarm is navigating the system, figuring out how to use the online classes and teaching her kids on the family's one laptop computer.
"I asked the school if they were going to help provide laptops or anything like that," she said.
"They said not this time, no. So really, that was a little stressful."
She said her youngest child wishes she could go back to school, but has come to grips with the new reality.
"My youngest was a bit hurt, but she understands the fact that the coronavirus is real and it's out there," she said.
"You don't know who can have it or who's going to carry it. So, she understands that now."
WATCH: Marion Graham Collegiate in Saskatoon welcomes students back
CBC Saskatchewan wants to tell more stories about how the pandemic is touching the province's most vulnerable and marginalized populations. How has COVID-19 affected you? Share your story with our online questionnaire.
With files from Heidi Atter, Saskatoon Morning