'We all hit a wall': COVID-19 burnout hits Calgary schools

More than 13,000 students and nearly 700 teachers are in isolation due to COVID-19 exposures at Calgary's two public schoolboards.

Western Canada High School teacher Courtney Walcott is one of those affected.

He says more than a year into the pandemic this isn't something new to students or teachers, but asCOVID-19 cases continue to crop up in Calgary schools and have trickle-down effects on their lives, it's taken a toll.

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"[The pandemic has]dragged on and the isolations got harder and longer and more and more students were checking out. We all hit a wall. I was talking with my colleagues about our burnout, and I think most of us walked into this March breaknever really having been as tired as we are right now," he said.

"Even when things are the same, it's like there isa guillotine just waiting to drop around us. We're waiting for the shutdown and we're seeing the numbers go up andwe're seeing people become laxon the rules."

'The relaxing of the rules, the kids see it, too'

While COVID-19 protocols including mask wearing and social distancing arebeing enforced by staff as much as possible, Walcott saysstudents at his school only have tolook outside to 17th Avenue S.W. toseea different story.

"There are groups of people walking up and down as soon as the sun comesout, and it's clear the fatigue that has hit the city, that's hit the world," he said. "The relaxing of the rules, the kids see it, too. And sowhen students see adults act in a certain way, I can only imagine the way that that's being internalized."

A Grade 12 student from Dr. E.P. ScarlettHigh School,whomCBCNews has agreed not to name because of potential repercussions from her school, said she feels extremely frustrated to see the way some of her peers are ignoring health restrictions.

"They're definitely not following guidelines. They've been spending their lunch times in their cars with no masks, which seems like a big problem at the schools right now," she said.

'People are not being completely honest'

After a couple of cases were identified at the school prior to spring break, the student said she and many of her peers were upset to see people they thought would certainly be close contacts to a positive caseattending school.

"It just feels like people are not being completely honest," she said.

And when she raised concerns with an administrator, she said she felt shutdown.

"They were very unresponsive. It seemed like he was not happy that I was even bringing it up."

Ultimately, the student, along with about a dozen of her peers,decided to leave school that day because theyfelt unsafe.

Later that night, the student andher entire class werenamed as close contacts to a positive case and they're all now spending spring break in isolation.

Students report feeling drained

William Aberhart senior Nicole Major is also spending spring break in isolation after two COVID exposures at school.

"I definitely feel that a year in, it's pretty draining and you can definitely feel that at school,everyone's feeling that way. We're all kind of lacking that social connection that makes school so fun," she said.

The self-described band kid said that being a part of her school's band and musical ensembles and clubs really made a difference in her life.

"That really helped me to find a social life and friends," she said. "Obviously, withCOVID, those have all changed a little bit, but we're still trying to find ways to stay connected by doing those things just differently now."

While Major is stuck at home and unable to see any friends or extended familyfor her one week off school, she was supposed to be on a long-anticipated band trip to Europe.

"I should be in Austria right now, which is pretty saddening," she said.

"But I knowthat I'm doing everything that I can be to stop the spread and to help protect vulnerable populations right now, which is really all that I can be thinking about, I guess."

Major's mother, Tara Beattie, an associate professor at the University of Calgary,said it's been hard for parents to see their children struggle, and lose the social opportunities they had previously, and know there is nothing they can do to personally change the situation.

"I think she's done a great job over the past year. And for the most part, it's been pretty optimistic. Butit's tough," she said.

"I try toacknowledge that what they're feeling is OK and real and they're allowed to be frustrated and they're allowed to be upset."

Calgary school boards unable to fill all sub requests

Calgary's two public school boards say they'restrugglingto fill all substitute teacher requests right now.

The Calgary Catholic School District said it's unable to fill an average of 20 per cent of itsguest teacher requests each day, while the Calgary Board of Education said10 per cent of sub requests remained unfilled in March before spring break.

One Calgarymiddle school teacher, whomCBCNews has agreed not to name as she fears professional retribution, said that when her son in high schoolbecame infected with COVID-19, she needed to find someone to fill in for her.

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"I was scrambling for a sub. The board usually has subs to deal with quarantine situations, but it looked to me as if they were all out of those people," she said.

"I was lucky to find a sub but it was very hard. It seems to be getting more and more difficult as more people are being quarantined."

'We're hitting burnout'

The teacher said March break was a welcome respite.

"I would say that everyone is hitting exhaustion pointbecause if kids are away because of COVIDor what have you,we also have to do online stuff for them, which you teach a totally different way," she said.

"Honestly, it's been challenging we'rehitting burnout right now."

Despite multiple requests over the past two weeks, the CBE said no one was available for an interview. But in a written statement, the board saidit's important that everyone followall current health measures.

"These efforts will help to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our schools when we return on April 6."

Calgary Catholic chief superintendent Bryan Szumlas said there is no doubt that COVID-19 has been emotionally draining on staff and students.

"When they wake up in the morning, they're worried, you know, that they might have COVIDthemselves or that they may be asymptomatic and possibly spreading it to others," he said. "And then as a teacher in education,being that role model for students, helping students with sanitizing and enforcing the additional rules that we've never had before,all of these things area toll on staff, for sure."

Szumlas said thatthrough all the chaos it's important to be transparent with kids about the situation.

"It kind of goes like a roller-coaster, up and down, as we're in this third wave. We have 47schools right now that are either in an alert or outbreak status. But my advice is to keep lines of communication open with youth," he said.

"That means teachers need to be there to listen to their concerns. And, of course, parents need to continue to talk to them about COVID-19, especially reminding them of the importance of taking this seriously and following the health measures."