This week, students in the Swan Valley School Division are returning to school, taking cautious steps toward a sense of normality following two catastrophic floods over the summer.
Although classrooms throughout the area remained intact, the division is making adjustments in the wake of the floods, including rerouting buses around damaged roads and providing assistance to families as they navigate the transition back to their routines.
Kaylee Lowe expressed that school is a welcome change for her three children, but it brings additional challenges.
“It’s tough. You’re trying to ensure you have all your school supplies, backpacks, indoor shoes, and lunches ready for the kids. It’s a struggle,” she mentioned. “On top of that, you’re just trying to manage daily life.”
Lowe’s home was inundated during Canada Day celebrations, which led her family to evacuate for three days as the water levels rose.
With the help of family and friends, she was able to clean up after her basement was flooded, but she is still awaiting financial support from her insurance and the disaster financial assistance program offered by the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization.
This situation makes it challenging to balance flood recovery with the costs associated with returning to school.
According to superintendent Rob Tomlinson, Lowe’s experience reflects the difficulties faced by many families in the school division.
Swan Valley School Division students are prepared to return to class following a summer filled with consecutive floods. Although schools remained unaffected, many families are juggling recovery efforts with preparations for the upcoming school year.
“Many individuals likely did not enjoy the summer they had hoped for,” he remarked. “They are still in the process of cleaning their basements or yards.”
Both Minitonas School and Swan River South School narrowly avoided flooding, according to Tomlinson, although the homes of numerous students and staff were not as fortunate.
The cleanup is ongoing, he noted. In some instances, students may find themselves sleeping on couches rather than in their damaged bedrooms, or may even be unable to return home at all.
“It was an extremely traumatic experience — unfortunately, not just once, but twice — that impacted our division,” Tomlinson stated. “If families or children require assistance, we are here to help them.”
The objective is to ensure that students feel secure and comfortable as they return to their routines when school commences on Thursday, he added.
This may prove challenging since some students could be on the bus for longer or picked up earlier than usual to avoid roads that are still in need of repairs, Tomlinson explained.
Routes are currently being mapped out and tested, and they will be communicated to parents before the school year begins.
Swan Valley School Division superintendent Rob Tomlinson stated, ‘Many individuals likely did not have the summer they desired.’ (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)
At present, Tomlinson feels hopeful and is looking forward to seeing students back in the classroom.
Jodi Willis shared similar sentiments for her two children.
They spent the summer helping neighbors, friends, and family with flood recovery efforts in Swan Valley.
“It feels like the summer just got started,” Willis remarked about the season. “Until this week, they were really reluctant to return.”
Residents fill sandbags near a school in Swan River on June 9. (Michele McDougall/CBC)
Willis commended teachers for their efforts to ensure her children feel prepared and enthusiastic about returning to school. Teachers reached out with postcards and treats to celebrate the beginning of the new academic year.
“It excites them to know their teachers are looking forward to their return,” Willis stated.
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Kate Church mentioned that witnessing the water rage through streets, surround schools, and cover a baseball diamond where her children play left them feeling unsettled, and the flooding limited their time with friends.
“They are very eager to get back to school to reconnect with their friends since we couldn’t see them for quite some time,” she noted. “They are ready to return to a more structured and normal schedule.”
Lowe, like many other parents, expressed that while there is excitement for the first day, it is overshadowed by the ongoing challenge of balancing essential school needs with the gradual recovery of her home.
She is finding assistance at the Elbert Chartrand Friendship Centre in Swan River while she waits for help from her insurance and the Emergency Management Organization.
“I haven’t received anything from them,” she remarked. “Thus, obtaining back-to-school supplies has been quite challenging. I still need to manage my mortgage, utilities — all the bills I have to handle in my life.”