A Message from Delta School Board Chairperson, Val Windsor
I would like to express the Board’s appreciation to all staff, students and families for their ongoing patience, understanding and support. Over recent months and, in particular, in the run up to the new school year, the pandemic has placed an inordinate amount of change, uncertainty, stress and anxiety on all of us.
It seems that the only constant with this pandemic is change and I fully expect we’ll see a lot more of it in the months ahead. It would be an understatement to say that the pandemic has added to the challenges faced by school districts. Over the last seven months, the work that has been put in by every member of the school district – support staff, school and district administrators, CUPE 1091 or DTA members – has been monumental.
Monday, October 5th marks the 26th celebration of World Teacher’s Day, and represents a way for us to increase awareness, understanding and appreciation for the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development around the world.
Not surprisingly, this year’s theme is COVID-related: Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future. Along with more than 100 countries around the world, the Delta School District will celebrate World Teachers’ Day on Monday. But this year, in addition to recognizing our teachers, we plan to recognize the invaluable service, skill, time, and care that all of our staff commit to our students each and every day.
On behalf of the board of trustees, I cannot express our appreciation enough. We have consistently witnessed staff acting with determination, commitment, spirit and grace under great pressure. In the Delta School District, we are blessed with caring and committed staff who, whatever their role, strive to deliver our mission of enabling all learners to succeed and contribute their full potential to the future each and every day.
My hope is that on Monday, you will all take time to reflect on the deep impact our teachers, school and district administrators and all other staff have had on our students, especially throughout the pandemic.
A Message from Delta School District Superintendent, Doug Sheppard
I would like to add to Val’s comments and share some of my thoughts on why World Teachers’ Day is important to Delta School District.
“The day provides the occasion to celebrate the teaching profession worldwide, take stock of achievements, and draw attention to the voices of teachers, who are at the heart of efforts to attain the global education target of leaving no one behind.
The issue of teacher leadership in relation to crisis responses is not just timely, but critical in terms of the contributions teachers have made to provide remote learning, support vulnerable populations, re-open schools, and ensure that learning gaps have been mitigated. The discussions surrounding World Teachers’ Day will also address the role of teachers in building resilience and shaping the future of education and the teaching profession.” – UNESCO
I am so proud of the commitment our teachers and all of our staff have shown over the last several months. Back in the spring, educators and administrators rallied to deliver a completely new learning model and provide a multitude of different supports to families, which included more than 500 laptops, and weekly food hampers. Our Facilities and Maintenance staff have continued to work so hard throughout the pandemic. We are so grateful for all they do to ensure our schools and work sites are clean, ready and safe for students and staff every day. I would like to thank staff who work at DMEC, Tilbury and the school board office, for their ongoing commitment and support behind the scenes which has been essential in allowing school operations to start up again smoothly. I would also like to recognize our International Programs team who took great care of our new and returning international students by connecting with them on a daily basis and keeping them busy during their two-week quarantine.
Navigating the pandemic since March and getting schools up and running again after the summer vacation has not been easy – it has taken a lot of hard work and diligence to stay on top of the changing guidelines, and has created a huge amount of concern and worry for all of our staff who are focused on putting students first.
I echo Val’s comments completely, and hope that on World Teachers’ Day we can all take a moment to acknowledge the tremendous work our staff do here in Delta.