First day of school is a promise

This week, thousands of Manitoba students will walk through school doors carrying backpacks filled with new supplies, new hopes and, for some, new worries.

For parents and caregivers, this may be a familiar September routine — shopping for school supplies, adjusting schedules, preparing lunches and getting children ready for another year of learning.

For educators and school staff, it is the beginning of another demanding year.

But for Manitoba, this week should mean something more. It should be a renewal of our promise to every child.

That promise is simple — Every child deserves to feel safe. Every child deserves to belong. Every child deserves to be heard. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.

Education is often measured through graduation rates, literacy and numeracy results, attendance and other important indicators. These measures matter. But behind every number is a young person with a story, a family and a future.

A student who is struggling academically may also be struggling with anxiety. A student who is frequently absent may be dealing with circumstances we cannot see. A newcomer student may be learning a new language while simultaneously learning how to navigate a new community. A student with a disability may be capable of achieving great things but require the right supports to demonstrate what they can do.

And sometimes, the student who needs us most is the one who says nothing at all.

This is why the first day of school is not simply about curriculum. It is about connection.

Before we ask a child to read a book, solve a problem or write an assignment, we should ask whether that child believes that they belong in the classroom. Before we measure achievement, we should make sure students have access to the conditions that make achievement possible.

That means supporting mental health and well-being. It means ensuring that students with disabilities receive appropriate supports. It means welcoming newcomer families. It means creating classrooms where different cultures, languages, identities and experiences are respected. It means ensuring that students can learn in safe, accessible and welcoming environments.

It also means supporting the adults who make these things possible.

Teachers, educational assistants, counsellors, clinicians, administrators and other school staff enter our schools each day carrying an enormous responsibility. They are not simply delivering lessons. They are building relationships, identifying needs, responding to crises, encouraging students and helping young people see possibilities for their futures.

If we want strong schools, we must support the people who work in them.

Manitoba has made significant investments in education, including increased funding and a major commitment to building new schools. These investments are important. But our responsibility does not end when a new building opens or when a budget is approved.

We must continually ask a more fundamental question: What does a child need to thrive?

The answer will not be the same for every student.

Some students need additional literacy or numeracy support. Some need mental-health services. Some need an educational assistant. Some need a safe breakfast before they can concentrate on their morning lesson. Some need help learning English. Some need someone to notice that they have become withdrawn.

And some simply need an adult to tell them, “I believe in you.”

Our education system must be capable of seeing the whole child.

When we create environments in which students feel safe, supported and connected, we create the conditions for higher expectations and greater achievement. We can demand excellence while extending compassion. We can pursue academic rigour while recognizing that children are human beings, not test scores. We can expect students to work hard while ensuring that they have the resources and relationships necessary to succeed.

That balance matters.

As Manitoba begins another school year, we also have an opportunity to think about what kind of schools and communities we want to build for the next generation.

Our schools should not only prepare students for the world as it exists today. They should prepare them to shape the world of tomorrow.

That means teaching literacy, numeracy, science, technology and critical thinking. It also means teaching empathy, citizenship, collaboration, environmental responsibility and respect for others. It means giving students a voice in matters that affect their education. And it means recognizing education is not the responsibility of schools alone.

Families, communities, governments, school boards, educators, organizations and students themselves all have a role to play.

When we work together, a school becomes more than a place where children spend six or seven hours a day. It becomes a community.

And when schools are strong, communities are stronger.

So, as school bells ring across Manitoba, let us remember what that first day represents.

It is a new beginning for students. It is a fresh start for families. It is another opportunity for educators to make a difference.

But it is also a promise from all of us.

A promise that every child — regardless of where they live, what language they speak, what challenges they face or what abilities they bring — will have an opportunity to belong, learn and thrive. It is a promise about the Manitoba we want to build — and the future we want every child to have.

» Ann Evangelista is a Winnipeg School Division trustee and a Region 6 director on the provincial executive of the Manitoba School Boards Association. This column previously appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press.