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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 3, 20 20 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Halton Media General Manager Jason Pehora CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA They say parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing to do. And I'm sure all local parents and guardians can agree, parenting dur- ing a pandemic takes the challenges that come with childrearing to a whole new level. In addition to working at home with the kids in tow, Halton parents re- cently had to make the dif- ficult decision to either send their children back into the classroom this fall or opt for virtual dis- tance learning. Some have even completely switched gears and plan to become their children's teachers via homeschool- ing. No matter what choice we made, I think it's safe to say our emotions are all running a similar gamut. Some of us are nervous. Others are scared. We feel uncertain. We second-guess the option we chose. We lay awake at night, worrying. We imagine what the school day will look like for our children, armed with their masks and hand sanitizers, being greeted by teachers decked out in personal protective equipment. We wonder if we have what it takes to guide our children through dis- tance learning or homes- chooling. We put on a brave face and work hard to psych our kids up for the school year ahead. As we embark into the unknown, there's one thing that all parents should be able to agree on -- that we want what's best for our children. And the best decision for each family's unique needs will look different. But that doesn't mean we can't still support each other. At a time when ten- sions are running high, it's easy to be defensive and divisive or adopt an "us versus them" mentali- ty. Just look at the mask is- sue alone. Whether we're sending our kids back to school, taking part in distance learning or switching over to full homeschool- ing, we can still cheer our friends and neighbours on. At the very least, let's not question each other's decisions. Parenting during a pandemic is hard enough. Let's make it just a bit eas- ier by lifting each other up during these unprece- dented times. If we're going to get through this, we need our village, now more than ev- er. Melanie Hennessey is a reporter with insidehal- ton.com and theifp.ca. She can be reached at mhen- nessey@metroland.com. INTO THE UNKNOWN OF THE COVID-19 SCHOOL SYSTEM FAMILIES NEED SUPPORT FROM THEIR VILLAGE NOW MORE THAN EVER, WRITES MELANIE HENNESSEY "What are you doing with your kids for school?" It's a common question these days. Nobody really knows the best way to re-open schools. We are comfort- able with in-person teach- ing. Virtual teaching is a whole new skill set. We know some of what's worked -- co-horting, man- datory masks, hand hy- giene, social distancing, daily at-home screening, isolating the symptomatic, contact tracing and so on. We know what definite- ly doesn't work -- throwing open school doors and pre- tending the pandemic doesn't exist. We have many, many options. What remains uncer- tain is the day-to-day real- ity of back-to-school 2020. Uncertainty at best creates frustration and at worst, fear and anxiety. And, much of our pro- ductivity -- much of our sense of control -- relies on predictable schedules. COVID-19 is a new dis- ease entity. We learn more every single day. So, recom- mendations change day to day. We have just a few days until school starts. Despite the growing urgency, the advice I give is this: Take a breath. Be patient. School boards will wrestle with how to educate the two mil- lion students across Onta- rio. Meanwhile parents should talk to their kids. Think about local contexts, home situations, health considerations and then decide whether virtual or in-person schooling is your best bet. Teachers could consider how they will adapt lesson plans and workflows. We will not be able to complete our usual projects -- so pri- oritize what you want stu- dents to get out of this year. Outbreaks will happen. The number of active cases will rise. We will likely see a second wave of infections. So prepare. Be flexible. Stay calm. And most of all, be kind. More than math, sci- ence or grammar, 2020 is the year we will learn resil- ience and adaptability. Be the example you want to see in your kids and in the world. Nadia Alam is a Halton physician and past presi- dent of the Ontario Med- ical Association. Her col- umns also appear on www.drnadiaalam.com. She can be reached through her website. BE PREPARED, AND FLEXIBLE RESILIENCY AND ADAPTABILITY WILL BE THE GREATEST LESSONS WE LEARN THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WRITES DR. NADIA ALAM DR. NADIA ALAM Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA MELANIE HENNESSEY Column