Friends, new teachers and staying healthy top of mind as students return to class this week in Waterloo region
CBC
Jackson Elliott is excited to get back to school and start Grade 4.
"I missed my friends a lot," he said when asked why he was eager to see summer break end.
Elizabeth Johnston agreed.
"I'm, like, excited to see my friends and meeting new people, too," she told CBC News.
Alina Cosmac, 10, will be meeting a lot of new people this week. She moved to Waterloo region from Kazakhstan.
"I'm excited for my new teacher. My school is very nice," she said.
Young people at parks in downtown Kitchener had few back-to-school jitters and mostly expressed excitement about returning to the classroom.
This year, that first day back depends on which board students are in. The Waterloo Region District School Board has a PD Day on Tuesday, which means students won't be in class until Wednesday.
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, both French-language school boards, Upper Grand District School Board and Wellington Catholic District School Board will return to class on Tuesday.
Annie Johnston said she was "pretty nervous" to head back to class because she's going into Grade 12.
"It's a big year and we're going to university next year, but I'm overall excited," she said.
Parents and caregivers worried about busing can breathe a little easier this year as Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region reports there are enough bus drivers to serve all the routes.
Benoit Bourgault is general manager at Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region and says right now, the four contractors who provide school buses "are in relatively good shape" right now.
There aren't many back-up drivers, so in the case of illness there could be some delays, he noted.
