School bells rang this morning in Fort St John to mark the end of summer break and invite students back in.
As they are heading back into the classroom, city councillor Sarah MacDougall advised them to not dwell on the end of summer vacation. Instead, she suggested they look at the new school year as a chance for growth, both academically and socially.
“School is a great opportunity to get out there and to learn,” MacDougall began. “Take the opportunity to embrace everything that’s new that will be coming at you — all of those learning opportunities (and) all of those friends.”
Parents, she said, should also remind their children of the importance of being kind to new classmates. MacDougall suggested parents with more extroverted children should encourage them to “reach out to someone who’s sitting by themselves, and see if they want to eat lunch with you or go play in the playground together.”
Peace River North School District 60 did not anticipate any spikes in enrolment, according to the provincial Ministry of Education’s district reports. The typical 6,000 student enrolment number is expected to be slightly surpassed in the 2025-2026 year.
A 2024 report from The Human Early Learning Partnership found most students in the district get dropped off to school by car, but 26 per cent of them make their way home as pedestrians. Students reported travelling on foot, by bike, or on other non-motorized rides.
“I think parents should always sit down with their kids and remind them of the busyness of the roads when they’re going back to school … Things are busier, there are just more cars on the road,” explained MacDougall, who said drivers should, “Slow down and keep your eyes peeled.”
“You may want to plan your route a bit more, if you normally drive by a school, maybe there’s a way you can go that you can avoid the school – if you’re not actually a parent dropping kids off.”
Drivers in school zones must hit the brakes on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ICBC said the minimum fine issued for speeding in playground or school zones is $196.
