On Tuesday, Sept. 5, following a long summer vacation — and the Labour Day long weekend — thousands of students in Northern Lights Public Schools and the Francophone Conseil Scolair Centre-Est headed back to classrooms across the Lakeland to begin a new year of learning. Classes began a little earlier for students in the Lakeland Catholic School District, who went back on the other side of the weekend, starting their school year on August 31.
Rob Wicker, the principal of Vera M. Welsh Elementary School in Lac La Biche, said the 2023-2024 school year is getting underway with a student body of 285 in his building. This year's initial enrolment numbers are higher than projected, and include new students whose families have recently moved to the area. Some of those new arrivals are evacuees from forest fires that have ravaged communities in the Northwest Territories.
“There are a handful of new students as well as a few from families who were evacuated from the Northwest Territories who are with us temporarily," Wicker told Lakeland This Week.
On Tuesday morning, the parking lot of the K-3 school was a very busy place, with parents and busses continually dropping off students. While many of those youngsters were returning to classes, some were entering school for the very first time.
“There are always challenges for children who just starting school. There’s always the anxiety of leaving home for the first time as well as a change in routine,” Wicker explained. “But students most roll right into it after a couple of days.”
One of these first-timers was five-year-old Ellie Phillips who was brought to her first day by mom Ashley.
The youngster was eager to start the day.
“Ellie has been very excited to start school. We’ve been getting her ready over the summer and recently, helped her pick out school supplies,” Ashley said.
After Ellie and the rest of the students made their way to classrooms and new faces, orientation sessions were held to get all the youngsters ready for their classes and the school.
“Each individual class has its own orientation where students are shown everything from where to put their coats and boots to how to have fun and stay safe on the playground,” Wicker continued. “They also receive their textbooks for the year.”
Across the Lakeland, an estimated 9,000 students in the NLPS, Lakeland Catholic, St. Paul Education Regional Division and Conseil Scolair Centre-Est are back now back in classes.
