Upper Grand school board hires workers to help students absent from school during COVID

The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) has hired two workers aimed at reaching students who've been absent from school, and who are facing more barriers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That includes a family of five elementary students who hadn't attended class in 30 days.

The board has hired two new re-engagement leads, one who recently reached out to the family of the five students. They've all returned to school. 

"We are working with students who have had a difficult time getting to school, so chronic attendance issues," said Britni Scott, the board's elementary re-engagement lead.

"Our role is to work with them, to get them back to school ... connecting them with the proper resources in the school and also engaging community supports if that's something that's needed."

The province gave UGDSB $341,000 to address learning disruptions and help students re-engage with school. The board used a portion of that funding to hire two re-engagement leads for the 2021-2022 school year.

The leads are helping students from kindergarten to Grade 12 who are disadvantaged, or who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This includes students who racialized, Indigenous, low income, part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and living with disabilities or special education needs.

How to re-engage students

There are many reasons why students may not be attending school, Scott said, but at the forefront are mental health and anxiety challenges.

"I think everyone is really struggling with connection, struggling with socialization, struggling with being seen and a sense of belonging," said Kaley Kowaluk-Mainland, the secondary re-engagement lead.

"Prior to the pandemic, we had students who weren't attending, and this obviously exacerbated that," said Scott, noting some people may also be struggling with situations at home and can't seem to get themselves back to school.

If a student has missed 15 days, an attendance counsellor will step in to work with them and if they need more help, they can request the support of a re-engagement lead. An administrator can also step in and seek support. 

Kowaluk-Mainland, who is currently supporting five students, said a big part of the role includes checking in with students and family by text, phone and email.

She checks in on how they're doing, what they want to accomplish and what they need in their day-to-day lives, including connecting them with crucial community services such as the Canadian Mental Health Association. 

Kowaluk-Mainland also works with teachers to help students meet deadlines and keep track of assignments. 

"You're never too far behind. You're never too late to come back and work as a team to get to your next step, whatever that might be," she added.

Can be hard to find the students

Scott, who is supporting six students, including the family of five, said she focuses heavily on building and maintaining relationships with those students and families.

"What are the things that they like about not only school, but outside of school, so that when we are meeting with the in-school team to build a plan, we know a lot about the student and the things that they like, so we can incorporate that into their return to school," said Scott.

The biggest challenge, Kowaluk-Mainland said, has been getting in contact with students who aren't attending school in person or virtually.

Both re-engagement leads started work in September and will be in the roles until the end of the academic year. 

Both say they hope this work continues to be prioritized once the one-year commitment is over. They're compiling a list of resources for administrators and staff to turn to to help re-engage students.