We Are Ready for the 2020/21 School Year!
I trust that you have had a good and restful summer. We are just weeks away from school start up. We will be returning to school in September and though the circumstances are different than they were a year ago, the principles and practices remain the same, the same ones that have made Menno Simons Christian School such a positive place for you and your children. The safety and well being of your children will always be our top priority. The specific safety protocols that we have put into place are well beyond what is being required by provincial mandates. Please read the information below for details about our protocols.
While we are fully committed to seeing your children in school and working with you for the duration of the 2020-21 school year, we are prepared for moving into full or partial remote learning, should we be required to do so. Your teachers are among the best I have ever worked with. Their designing and implementation of learning experiences for your child between March and June are a testament to that. If we are back in remote learning, we will exceed expectations once again with you and your children.
I have followed carefully the decisions that have been made in other school districts in Alberta and provinces in Canada. Internationally, I have read mixed results from different countries. I hesitate to make comparisons and forecasts for the future ahead for Menno Simons, primarily because context is very relevant and we could end up comparing apples to oranges. However, I remain confident that we are receiving the best possible direction from the Alberta government and will closely follow their advice and guidance throughout the next months and beyond.
The Hebrew language has a peculiarity when it comes to both the future and the past. The future is firmly behind our backs. The word ‘etmol’ roughly translated means living into a new future by looking backwards to our past, where we have come from. The word ‘machar’ is the concept of being behind, like sitting in a rowboat focusing on a point where you have come from. The ‘so what’ or conclusion for us at Menno Simons is then best captured in the scripture found in Hebrews (12: 1-2), to look back to Jesus, and look back to the people who have witnessed to God’s love, and look back to how faithful God has always been to you and me. No point in tiring out, worrying or giving up. Why? Because of where we have come from and how faithful God has been to us. We are in good hands!
God bless you as you!
Bernie Potvin and the Administrative Team