On Friday, April 3rd, a large group of Junior and Senior School parents participated in a forum with TCS faculty members that shared ideas on how to support the academic and social-emotional needs of students during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking with parents were Ms. Allyson O’Grady (director of academic support), Ms. Krista Koekoek (director of guidance), Ms. Kerri Dunn (guidance counsellor) and Ms. Jennifer Reid (Junior School student & academic support).

As Ms. Reid noted, “E-learning presents many exciting opportunities to explore technology and build strong time management skills. However, this new way of learning can also bring with it challenges that will remind us – teachers, students and parents – to be flexible and open-minded.”

As families adjust to the new TCS Connect e-community model, parents were eager to understand how best to support their children at home. Topics included motivating questions parents can ask about their child’s online learning experience and how to instill good time management habits. And there was an emphasis on emotional wellbeing, not only that of children, but of parents, as we all face the uncertainty and stress of a global pandemic. Finally, parents were reminded of the many supports available to them and their children through the TCS community.