Back to school marks a kind of unofficial end of summer.
Even though there’s still actually two more weeks remaining, the season to many for all intents and purposes is over as families get back into whatever their normal routines were before classes for the 2022-23 school year came to a close in June.
Changes are often part of the territory at this time of the year. With administration, there’s a new principal at Crofton Elementary School, Craig McLeod, replacing Tim Ylagan, and a few other staffing changes at Crofton Elementary, Chemainus Elementary and Chemainus Secondary School as classes get back in session for 2023-24.
With the return to more structure around the community, it also requires an education for the public. For those without school-age children or grandchildren, it’s amazing how oblivious residents can be with what’s going on around them.
The typical Facebook posts will crop up from those who never seem to keep themselves in the know, wondering when kids are returning to the classroom.
There is never anything new about the date when kids go back to school. It’s always on the Tuesday after Labour Day, with a gradual or slow approach the first week with the younger students first in the case of Chemainus Secondary School before the older grades return.
At the same time, drivers have to get back into the habit of paying attention to the school zone speed limit signs again and that’s always an adventure in the first week, especially those aforementioned folks who have no idea what’s going on with schools.
There will be plenty of complaints, as usual, with the school speed zone on Chemainus Road between Pine Street and Cook Street that usually catches people unawares and driving way above 30 kmh. Cowichan Community Policing is already monitoring that spot, among others, with Speed Watch volunteers because it happens every year when people go soaring through that section of the road without paying attention.
Far too many incidents happen at communities around the province in school zones. Slowing down for a few moments isn’t going to kill anyone.