And just like that, the summer vacation has come to an end. Teachers and non-teaching staff have made their way back to school and I must say it has been wonderful to be together again in real life (IRL). Stories of “staycation” have been shared and I see that summer glow on rested faces, mixed with a sense of eagerness to return to working routines in school and with our students again IRL too.
Academic year 2020/21 will be different. IEGS has prepared for a return to school in line with the Public Health Agency of Sweden’s current recommendations. In our current twenty-first century lives, and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not easy to let go of that feeling to be extra prepared for anticipating the unknown.
We have spent this past week together as an IEGS staff team, adjusting our plans and ways of working at IEGS to ensure that we will be ready and adaptable for the challenges that may come during the year. We have multiple plans in place as a resource for when the unexpected may occur. During our continued professional development workshops and seminars, we have also focused on student workload and ways to improve our practice in working with inclusion as a school and professional community. Our teachers play an essential role in providing education to each of our students. We look to them to inspire the future leaders of our world, and during these exceptional times, they will use their professional judgement to ensure that the right to quality education is upheld at IEGS.
While we have planned and prepared this week, I have reminded my staff of the importance of keeping calm and to focus on the now. In doing so, we can achieve great steps and solutions to problems that are here and now. I am confident that our IEGS staff teams are ready and equipped with the tools and resources needed to shift in any direction needed to provide our students with education.
We are educators, we are ready for the year, and we can’t wait to welcome our new and returning students to IEGS later this week!
/Dr Heimeier