The pandemic has forced our children into isolation. It had limited their physical activities indoors and outdoors. It took away the opportunity for young children to socially interact with others. This has caused anxiety and depression among many young children. Now that we are slowly and safely re-opening our indoor public spaces and encouraging students to physically go back to in-person school learning, many youths are experiencing trouble socializing with others. This is a concern to the parents and to the educators at YRDSB as well.

The student’s academic success should not only be based on good grades. It should also be accompanied by good character. Parents, teachers, and community partners can work together to create an environment for our children to safely interact with each other physically, thus, ensuring positive mental health development.

As your Public School Trustee, I will advocate for group learning and teamwork initiatives as part of our students’ learning curriculum. Teachers can offer more activities to be completed in a group setting; asking students to solve a problem collectively. Group learning gives the opportunity for our students to learn to socially interact with each other and foster their potential leadership character in them. It also helps students to practice their listening and negotiation skills to achieve final results while interacting with their peers.