Page 4 - 2021 - 05 - second edition CCS InTouch - outlines_Neat

Office Life My days have been filled with
doing my part to make the
By Mrs. M. Hendriks school safe, whether by encour-
aging the use of the screen-
IT HAS BEEN A strange year ing app, answering questions
for Mrs. Nagtegaal and myself about the everchanging proto-
in the school office, and our dai- col in terms of symptoms, and
ly responsibilities have looked making sure staff have access
much different than they have to the appropriate PPE. There
in the past years. have been many phone calls
and emails from apprehensive,
From behind the plexiglass anxious, and yet clearly sup- Masks, Microbes & Minors
shield in front of my desk, I portive parents, for some whom
have been able to welcome a I have become their eyes and By Mr. B. Cochrane
great deal fewer visitors to the hands as they are sadly kept
school and to also help stu- outside the school. The home- WHEN I ARRIVED at Calvin Since I am sanitizing more, I
dents requiring some sort of time routine has become just Christian School I had many see students more regularly
assistance. I used to know the that, routine, as we carefully visions of what I could do as and I have been learning to
name of every student who stagger the students heading the custodian. I had ideas of recognize them behind their
would come into the office, but home for the day. making little changes here variety of masks. I can ask
now I find myself hesitating as and there to aid the educators about their days and connect
I see only the eyes (and hair And now as I write this we and administrators in assist- with them and have been giv-
when they are not wearing win- have pivoted once again to ing children’s minds to grow en some wonderfully animat-
ter clothing!). With the cohorting “Learn from Home”. The school in this wonderful school. As I ed tales from the kindergar-
I am not able to be in contact is eerily quiet during the day, write this article, I am closing ten classes. Now in the third
with the children as regularly as and the hvac creates wind in on finishing my third year at stay-at-home order, I have
before, and I often shake my tunnels howling down the hall- CCS. It feels more like I just been given some freedom to
head in disbelief when I see a ways when different doors are started here and it seems that catch up on the maintenance
student who is 3 or 4 inches tall- opened, which only adds to the every month there are new of the building and the prop-
er than they were the last time eeriness. It seems to me that changes and adjustments to erty again. The halls are ee-
we were together! this school building is begging be made. I am thankful that rily quiet without the sound of
for the sound of the day to day my first year was normal as teachers giving their lessons;
Despite all the modifications happy noise of “school.” the past two have been differ- the rush to be the first student
that have had to take place, ent, to say the least. to be somewhere important,
we count ourselves blessed to The door to Mr. Boonstra’s of- whether it be the washroom or
have been in the school build- fice is open, and I do love to Pandemics are not part of the outside to play the latest popu-
ing as long as we have. We are hear our principal giggle (yep, planning for anyone in their lar game; or even just the qui-
blessed by children who are ob- giggle) as he joins in with vari- day-to-day life. COVID-19 has etness of pages turning over
viously so happy to be together ous classes in their classroom become a big part of our lives during reading time.
and learning. As I do my walk Google Meets. He so obvious- as we isolate ourselves and
first thing in the morning picking ly enjoys connecting with the aim to protect those around Now, it is the echo of my foot-
up each homeroom’s atten- students. us. The same is true of a cus- steps down the hallways and
dance sheet, I love to hear the todian. The two biggest ques- sometimes the sound of Mrs.
morning meeting activities and It is my hope and prayer that, tions I have been asked are: Hendriks and Mr. Boonstra
general teaching that is taking whatever form school has tak- “How is your battle keeping doing their office work. Even
place. I have found an almost en for CCS, the office staff will COVID-19 out of the school?” though these are the current
tangible, warm community feel continue to provide a safe, wel- and “What will you do if there sounds of CCS, I know that
through the school with these coming, and informative place is an outbreak?” I realized the once again students will be
resilient, adaptable students. for our community! custodial team is on the front- back making noises and learn-
line and is working to keep the ing in person. I look forward to
students safe. We can only that, with the laughter, voices,
prevent potential spread, or and chaos. When the students
contain spread if there is ever are back, there will come a
an outbreak. I now spend a need for more sanitizing to
big part of each day sanitizing keep everyone in the building
the washrooms, door handles, as safe as possible. I am look-
and stair railings to make them ing forward to another “normal”
safer for all who use them. year soon.

4 inTouch June 2021