For the last time in 2021, the yellow buses left the Ferland elementary school in Saint-Léonard on Monday. In front of the school, the headmistress greeted her students who, because of Quebec’s directives given a few hours earlier, were leaving for vacation a day earlier than expected. “Hoping that we come back soon,” said a mother. For teachers, parents and students, this is the start of a vacation that looks like deja vu.
Warm in their car, Valeria Vargas and Gustavo Gomez were waiting for their daughter Antonella, in 3e year, out of school. “I have to talk with work to make sure I can stay home. It’s difficult, the school has already closed 14 days in November, ”said M.me Vargas.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Taoufik Rahimi and his daughter Ritaje
After almost two years of a pandemic, the closure of schools, “that’s it, we’re used to it,” says Taoufik Rahimi. The father of two school-aged girls seemed resigned. “We’re tired, like everyone else, but we know we don’t have much to do. We try to be understanding ”, says the man, who admits that“ it plays a lot on morale ”.
Mr. Rahimi believes that by looking at the situation in Europe for a few weeks, we could guess what was going to happen in Quebec. His daughter Ritaje, in 2e year, was just happy to have finished school.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Benoit Lalumière with his son Alexandre and his daughter Alissa
Self-employed, Benoit Lalumière says he has this chance, which others do not have, to be able to organize his work schedule as he sees fit. Schools that close longer, “we saw it coming,” he said. “It’s still boring to fall back into it, I was hoping it didn’t come back. We may be able to break the wave again. We do what is asked of us, ”says the father.
His son Alexandre, in 6e year, for its part was sorry that the pajama day and the dinner at the hotdogs scheduled for Tuesday were postponed to January 10. “We’re going to take them back,” said Alexandre, alongside his little sister Alissa.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Caroline Zita and her children Amélya, Kenjy and Lee Roy
Mother of three children, Caroline Zita indicates that a school closure at the last minute, “it is not ideal”. “We understand the situation, it is the best thing to do so that everyone does not find themselves contaminated and that the school is closed entirely,” she said.
Work at home when Kenjy, in kindergarten, Lee Roy, in 3e year, and Amélya, in 4e, do distance schooling, “it is not very possible”, maintains the mother. “We’re going to do the best we can,” she concludes.