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SHELLEY MAGNUSSON
In Senator Riley School, the gymnasium, separated
by curtains, turns into temporary classrooms.
Teachers of High River persevere
A flood’s aftermath and the new school year’s full teaching loads have kept teachers in High River running in high gear since June.
During a tour of flood-damaged schools in late September, ATA President Mark Ramsankar listened to teachers’ concerns. Many teachers whose homes were flooded are back in the classroom and are still dealing with insurance companies and contractors. “The ATA didn’t want to come in and tell teachers in High River what they needed. Now that school is back in session, we’re here to listen.” Ramsankar will bring teachers’ concerns to the October meeting of Provincial Executive Council.
Some teachers lost everything, whereas others experienced little or no damage—but every teacher in High River is dealing with flood fallout in some way. Teachers expressed concern for students whose families are living in trailers in a temporary community called Saddlebrook. Others wondered if they’d rebuild their homes or if the province would buy them out. And some spoke about students who cry whenever it rains. Many identified time as a critical issue—time to deal with insurance companies and contractors and time to rebuild or grieve the loss of their homes.
Highwood High School was not damaged by the flood; the school was pressed into service as the military’s base of emergency operations over the summer. Notre Dame Collegiate is sharing space with Senator Riley School and waiting for 12 portables to be ready. In the meantime, teachers and students use one wing of the school and the gym, which is separated into classrooms by curtains. Access to the gym is by an outside sidewalk, which is fine as long as the weather is mild.
Holy Spirit Academy is a K–6 school temporarily housed in the Memorial Centre, a beautiful building but less than ideal for a school. For example, the room housing all Grade 4 classes must be dismantled whenever the room is booked for an evening event. Tables and supplies must be moved, packed and stored in a closet or in teachers’ cars, then reassembled the next day. Because Grades 5 and 6 classes share the auditorium, noisier classes (such as music) must be scheduled when the other class is outside. When all Grades 5 and 6 classes are in the room together, the noise is overwhelming. Luckily, outdoor physical education is an option with pleasant fall weather.
The resiliency of teachers and students is amazing. Holy Spirit Academy principal Dorothy White’s office consists of a counter for her laptop and a stool for her to perch on. She laughed and said: “I have to open the cupboard door so I have room for my legs.”
Spitzee Elementary School fared much better, with only the heritage wing of the school sustaining major damage. Eighty per cent of the school’s families were flooded out, and most of those families lost everything. In the flood’s immediate aftermath, teachers and schools were inundated with teaching supplies, lesson plans and offers of help, but as one young teacher observed: “We can share stuff, but we can’t share time. We’re trying to offer our kids a safe haven, but at the same time our lives have been shattered as well, and we’re all struggling to rebuild.”
We heard over and over again from teachers who are making it work—this despite dealing with contractors and insurance agents; teaching students who’ve been uprooted; and enduring their own uncertain living conditions, makeshift classrooms and ever-changing timelines. How long teachers can give their all to students before they have nothing left to give is a sobering thought. “These teachers didn’t get an opportunity to recharge their batteries this summer, and we have to ask, is this sustainable?” commented Ramsankar.
Teachers expressed their thanks for the high level of cooperation and support they have received from Foothills School Division and Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools.
Teachers in High River are persevering; they’re doing a phenomenal job under extremely difficult circumstances. Their selflessness in creating positive learning environments for their students is amazing. ❚
