Calgary students head back to the classroom

For some kids, the first day back to school is one of the best days of the year. For others, not so much.

Some parents are also feeling some bittersweet emotions sending their kids off for their first-ever day of school.

"She's our first to go to school, so it's a lot," said Graeme Hargreaves, whose daughter is entering kindergarten. "It's exciting, but I felt like she was just a baby a year ago."

Roughly 180,000 students across Calgary will find themselves back in the classroom by the end of the week, with most getting back into the swing of things on Thursday.

The big difference this year is there are no pandemic restrictions in place for students or staff.

"The last two years were certainly difficult on a number of fronts," said Christopher Usih, chief superintendent of schools for the Calgary Board of Education.

"Those health restrictions are no longer in place. However, we continue to encourage our students and parents to ensure students are practicing proper hand hygiene and also to keep students at home if they're not feeling well."

The CBE is opening four new schools this year; two in Auburn Bay, one in Mahogany and one in Skyview Ranch.

For some students kicking off a new school year in a brand new school, it's the simple things that excite them.

"I'm excited because there are chairs inside where I can sit, and they're comfier chairs than last year, I think," said Crosby, who is entering second grade.

Many elementary school teachers will also be dealing with new curricula this year.

There is an updated physical education curriculum for Alberta students up to grade six and new math and English curricula for kids up to grade three. 

"We had over 5,000 teachers in the past few weeks coming together to look at the curriculum, to look at effective practices and so on. We've done some good work, and that work continues," said Usih.

"Teachers are really coming together, collaborating, and doing the necessary work to ensure the successful implementation of the curriculum. So we are quite pleased with the professional response of our teachers."

BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE

Meanwhile, Southland Transportation is still highlighting an "urgent need" for school bus drivers in southern Alberta.

The company says there is a nationwide shortage of drivers, and Calgary is no exception with several routes that don't have a regularly assigned driver.

"We do recognize, and we understand and empathize with the families that are struggling and will be struggling with some of the shortages. We know that this is already a stressful time, said Southland Transportation assistant manager Kyrie Geurts.

"We are doing everything within our power to make sure we can get these drivers in the seats and get these kids to and from schools."

Southland Transportation says it is actively recruiting and training part-time drivers to fill the void.

They're hoping more people will come forward to enroll in their weekly training programs as soon as possible.