Return to classrooms sparks moments of joy
Wellness clubs, co-curriculars are helping ease the transition back into school life for many
When COVID-19 gave everyone lemons, Havergal College student Alicia Shen made lemonade.
During the pandemic, Shen joined forces with a team of Havergal students to create “The Global Diplomat,” an online news source where student writers from around the world share articles on global affairs. Now studying economics, applied mathematics and humanities at Rhode Island’s Brown University, Shen says the project fuelled her passion for “asking and attempting to answer the more profound questions.”
Not to be outdone, a group of teachers at Havergal College incorporated the pandemic itself into a virtual module of the Global Learning and Leading Diploma.
“We brought this group of Grade 10-12 students through a history of pandemics, and through their own experiences with COVID, so they could see cycles and patterns emerging,” says Garth Nichols, vice-president of strategic innovation & design. “We talked about what to expect, cognitive dissonance and possible silver linings. It was really important to have those silver linings in such a difficult time.”
As the pandemic plodded on, a new “vaccine rollout” module emerged. “We gave students a hypothetical situation where they had 100 vaccinations and a particular population,” says Nichols. “And we asked them: ‘What are the big ethical and logistical questions? What is the science telling you about distributing those 100 vaccines?’ They grappled with these questions in a transdisciplinary way as they worked to understand these very complex challenges, and in the end it was enormously rewarding for everyone involved.”
With public boards across Canada shuttering extracurricular programs due to COVID-19, the in-person and virtual programs that endured at private and independent schools provided a source of comfort, engagement and enjoyment
for thousands of students. Now, with many independent schools reopening clubs and co-curriculars, students are being eased back into school life more smoothly than might otherwise be possible.
According to Dr. Sarah Morrison, assistant head of school academics at Appleby College in Oakville, the return to clubs and classrooms has “sparked moments of such excitement and joy” among students and faculty alike. “I don’t think this is unique to Appleby, but there’s this buzz on campus. The students are so excited to be here. I don’t know if they’ve ever appreciated school as much as they do in September of 2021. So we’re all just crossing our fingers and hoping we can continue.”
In a nod to the stresses and uncertainties of the pandemic, Appleby has placed a renewed emphasis on wellness clubs, ranging from athlete well-being to meditation, that focus on “experiential, knowledge and reflection outcomes,” says Dr. Claire Kelly, assistant head of school and student life.
“The curriculum doesn’t end at 3:30,” says Kelly. “We believe in the whole child approach, in depth and breadth, in education well beyond the classroom. We actually put out a proposal form every winter and early spring, asking students and faculty if they would like to propose a new club. After all, we recognize that the students are much more in tune with these things.”
Those forms have gained plenty of traction if the long list of Appleby clubs is anything to go by. Organized into areas of interest — arts & design, beyond the classroom, community advocacy, global citizenship, leadership and wellbeing — clubs run the gamut from music appreciation, horticulture and debating to sustainability, peer counselling, and truth and reconciliation.
Programs shuttered by the pandemic, meanwhile, are finding new life. The 2021 academic year at Mississauga’s Holy Name of Mary College School began with the relaunch of its Mini-Medical School, one of more than 100 co-curricular offerings that “allow students to develop the real-world skills that they need to become active community members and leaders throughout their lives,” says head of admissions Giselle Fernandes.
“With many of our co-curriculars spanning several grades, there is a unique opportunity to develop mentorship within the student body. This really helps to develop our deeper school community and sense of belonging for all students.”
The Mini-Medical School explores microbiology, forensics and biotechnology using tools such as virtual real-time observations of surgeries with Yale University, and includes summer medical placements and internships in hospitals across 193 countries. Annual medical mission trips and research expeditions will resume pending government approval.
With its renowned athletics programs awaiting a green light from health authorities to start the 2021-22 academic year, interest in other clubs at St. Michael’s College School is at an all-time high, says John Walsh, manager of community & learning partnerships.
Good thing the school at Bathurst and St. Clair has both the staff and the resources to support it. “We have such a versatile team, and all 140 of us are willing to pitch in with the clubs and activities,” Walsh says, adding that in-house resources such as a flight simulator, recording studio and robotics lab have helped support the 50-plus clubs.
Other students scoured the internet for resources. Last year, student feedback at Holy Trinity School in Richmond Hill led to the creation of a TEDEd club. Using the club’s namesake online learning platform, members created succinct speeches that delivered big ideas. The club culminated in a livestreamed event in April 2021, when students delivered their ideas to a virtual audience from HTS’s Frank M. D’Andrea Theatre.
One of the messages hit home with dean of students Melanie van de Water. “Schools might look a little bit different in the future, but that’s a very positive thing. We’re gaining a new appreciation for what we’re missing, and we’re being compelled to reinvent what we do.”