Back to school or not? Here’s what these Hamilton parents have decided

With the back-to-school season quickly approaching, Hamilton parents are now faced with another decision of what their children's year will look like amid COVID-19.

Families at both boards can opt for remote learning at home or their kids can head back to school for the first time since March.

The Hamilton Spectator spoke with families about their plans and concerns for September. Their interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Jamie and Mackenzie Nordquay

Jamie Nordquay's daughter, Mackenzie, is heading into Grade 10 in the public school system. She attends a high school in the city's east end.

As of right now, we have decided remote learning will be easier for my daughter.

We made a list of pros and cons and feel that remote learning will be easier on her mentally, as alternating days will lead to not being able to make a solid routine for the school year. We also feel remote learning can result in a good routine and less confusion, which will result in getting her work done.

My concerns for remote learning is that she will no longer have support and a teacher to access if she needs help or has a question about her school work. Will they have someone outside of the school to help the students who choose remote learning?

These are things we need to know before we can make the right decision but can't find out these answers. I feel that we will not be fully prepared for the first day of school. Many parents and students are very confused with this whole process.

The Higgins family

Laurie Rimac Higgins and Jay Higgins have two kids enrolled in the public board. Emmerson is going into Grade 6 and Parker into Grade 2. Laurie's 90-year-old father, Steve Rimac, also lives with them.

We are leaning toward keeping our kids home in September out of an abundance of caution.

We decided the health of our multi-generational family as well as our community was far more important and not worth the unknown risks.

We (also) have our own business organizing the Hamilton-Halton-Niagara Wedding Shows. Since the pandemic hit and the Ontario government halted the organization of any mass gatherings, we have been working on a virtual concept. This has allowed both of us to work from home.

It was a serious challenge this past spring with remote learning. Although the teachers did the best they could with the lesson plans, we found it extremely difficult to keep the kids focused and engaged.

We have discussed this at length and have decided that we do our best and will streamline the lessons to best suit our children's skill level and attention span. It also deeply concerns us that our kids would be missing out on important socialization skills that they could only learn in a school setting.

So, we are still keeping an open mind and we will re-evaluate the situation as new information becomes available.

Debora Rebelo and her son, Nathanael

Debora Rebelo is a working single mother. Nathanael is heading into Grade 2 in the Catholic school system.

I will be sending my son to school because as a working single mother, I can't keep him home and continue to home-school him while working full-time.

Although I am very blessed to be able to work from home, it has been very difficult to work full-time and home-school him since the school closure in March.

I felt very lost and many times somewhat desperate as I wasn't performing at the level my work wanted me to be performing while also feeling like I was neglecting" my son so I could still earn an income.

I don't necessarily want to send him to school but I just don't have the resources or support to keep him home and make sure he is succeeding in his learning.

My main concern about the in-class learning is the kids' safety and mental health. Asking kids to wear a mask for six to seven hours is just a bit much and unrealistic with the younger kids.

Another big concern of mine is that we still don't know what the processes and policies are if a kid does show symptoms.

I wish there was more information about what we can expect so I can start preparing a contingency plan.

The Lee family

Tiamma Lee is a single mom with three sons in the public school system. One is in high school and the other two are in elementary school. They live on west Hamilton Mountain.

We won't be going back. My kids aren't wearing masks all day ... they will not be subjected to that type of fear-based environment. That's the main reason I'm not sending them back. I don't want them dealing with any of that.

I'm looking for a university student or someone private to come to the house to teach them in person. They're just going to have one-on-one sessions for math, English, geography and music. Those are the four subjects I feel are most important.

Since COVID-19 started, I've just done my own thing at home, but it has gotten more difficult for me. I work from home and I'm very busy. But it makes it easier for me to facilitate this. It's not a simple thing. I'm just in a really good predicament to do that. Not everyone has that ability.

One of my sons also has a learning disability. He's excited. He told me he can't concentrate and he can't learn in class.

I'm not worried about the social end. My sons have tons of cousins, and my friends have kids. I'm just worried about the core (classes): math and English and those important things.

The Hinsperger family

Nick and Amanda Hinsperger's son, Oliver, is set to start kindergarten at a public school in the city's downtown this fall.

We're truly on standby. The provincial government is clearly confident in their plan, but we've also seen prominent health experts demonstrate their concerns. We have faith in medical experts, and until there is something that resembles a consensus on how best to protect our kids and families, we're holding on a final decision.

The key factor driving our decision is the lack of definitive path forward. From the moment the plan was announced, there were questions, and unlike earlier on in the pandemic, instead of straightforward responses, the Ontario government is offering scripted sound bites.

Another related factor is the unknown. We're still learning about the virus, and it feels like Ontario's back-to-school plan is a leap of faith instead of a foolproof approach to preventing the spread of this virus we're still learning about.

It's not often in our lives a major decision is left so late. We're concerned that waiting so long to decide will put Oliver at a disadvantage. It's difficult to mentally prepare a child for two entirely different scenarios with their own set of expectations that need to be placed upon him.

Lexi and Nash

Lexi's son, Nash, is going into Grade 1 in the public school system. Lexi asked that their last name not be used due to safety concerns. Nash was recently diagnosed with ADHD and Tourette's syndrome.

My decision is to keep my son home and do remote learning.

The main factor is that he will struggle adjusting to a Grade 1 setting just with his medical, and given the rules and changes to the school system, it will not help. My main concern is, that given the school board's plan ... is that they will not provide the necessary special care, attention or support that my son will need.

I just don't feel I'd be doing my job as a mom sending him to school under these conditions.

I'm concerned that, as a mom and not typically a teacher, that I myself may struggle with a full role as a teacher and the workload, especially since I also have a baby full-time at home. I'm also concerned about how communication between teachers and I will work.

I want it to feel as close to real school as possible for him.

The Gorle family

Jordan Gorle's sons are enrolled in a public elementary school. Daman is heading into Grade 8 and Keegan into Grade 7.

I have decided to help my kids with returning to in-class learning. While the decision was never mine to make unilaterally, I always support facing problems head on. Some agree with it and some don't, but it seems schools will open. My kids want to go. So, I'll support them.

I support their choice to return because I trust that they will be able to follow guidelines, accept new routines and thrive in whatever the new social landscape of in-class school looks like. With challenge comes growth. I see returning as a great learning opportunity.

I have many concerns regarding COVID, in terms of outbreaks and second waves. I worry about the safety of my children and the impact opening schools could have on the province as a whole. I'm deeply concerned for teachers, and the weight of the burden being placed on their shoulders.

I'm (also) concerned kids that don't follow safety routines, either due to cognitive ability, behaviour issues or simple carelessness will not only put people at risk, but cause teachers and staff much distraction and stress.

The more time spent enforcing new and potentially confusing rules will take away from time spent teaching material. If (my) kids will get less of an education and a potentially negative experience this would leave me second guessing my support to return.

CORRECTION: This article was updated Aug. 15 to correct the spelling of Tiamma Lee's name. We regret the error.

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com