On behalf of the DGH staff, I would like to wish our DGH community a safe and wonderful holiday. 2020 has been a trying year for so many in our community, province and country and a year that many of us will be happy to see end!
That being said, the start of the school year has brought positives. First and foremost, simply having the majority of our students and staff back in our bricks and mortar school has been wonderful. While there was tremendous trepidation as school began in September (by all involved), watching the smiling faces of students (and staff) as students landed in classrooms and reconnected with friends they may not have seen for almost 6 months was worth all of the effort in the getting the school year up and running. Being able to move learning forward in a more traditional sense was also something students and staff equally appreciated. I spoke with many staff regarding this prior to the school year’s start; all felt the same: they were ecstatic about having students in front of them rather than a computer screen!
From my (and the larger staff and community) lens, the support of our community has been rather impressive. The vast majority of our students have done an amazing job of wearing their mask and following our new routines. In large part that is due to the support and efforts of our families who have encouraged their child(ren) to follow these routines. While no one can truly predict what will happen as the school year continues, the routines implemented in school has definitely led to fewer student absences due to illness to this point in the year. Thank you for all of your efforts in supporting the school in this area.
As we head into the holidays, I truly hope every DGH family has at least some additional opportunity to enjoy family time together. However, you choose to recognize and enjoy the holidays, I hope there is time for good food and good times, and that everyone remains safe and sound.
We look forward to seeing all of our students back on January 4, 2021! And, to be honest, it seems quite terrifying to typing in “2021”!