When the long weekend wraps up on Tuesday, September 8, the summer officially ends and the school year officially begins for kids. Every school year carries its share of anxieties, but talk to people at Spruce Ridge School in Estevan and you'll hear more excitement than anxiety. 

Cheri Haberstock, principal of the school, is beginning her first year as principal there under unusual circumstances during COVID-19. But the added layers of change from the virus haven't stifled her enthusiasm for the year ahead. 

"It is exciting to be starting at such a historical moment," she said with a chuckle. "It's a different fall than we've ever seen before, but we're just going to make the best of it and be positive and enthusiastic. I'm still super excited and nothing is going to dampen my enthusiasm about starting a school year."

Spruce Ridge has kids from Kindergarten to Grade 8, and it houses over 350 students, so it will be a busy place on Tuesday. And as much as crowds may make people especially nervous now, the teachers are looking forward to seeing the hallways full again. 

"We've all been working together for the last week and a half or two weeks," Haberstock said. "We are certainly not anxious, we're very, very excited. None of these teachers have seen any of these students for over five months so we're very eager to see them again and greet them."

That's not to say the job of the teacher hasn't gotten a little more complex in recent weeks. Classrooms will have to be sanitized constantly, and the recess and lunch schedules required a little bit of tinkering as well. 

"We want to make sure we have fewer students out on the playground so that it's easier for them to physical distance," said Haberstock. "So we've got two recesses happening at all times in the day... We just have one group going out for recess while the other group is eating, and then we switch."

With all the precautions in place, most parents have told Haberstock they will be sending their kids back to the physical classroom. Some are going to take advantage of virtual learning options, while others may look to the homeschooling route, but most kids will be back at the school. 

"Their kids are excited and can't wait to get back to school," she said. "The parents are excited to not have the kids at home, to get them out, get them socializing, get them seeing friends and back learning in a classroom. The online environment is very, very different."