WeSA国际影视传媒檙e just days away from bells ringing SA国际影视传媒� or buzzers sounding SA国际影视传媒� to mark the beginning of another school year.

And, unfortunately, it also marks the return of great uncertainty.

The latest COVID-19 outbreak has thrown hopes for a SA国际影视传媒渘ormalSA国际影视传媒� school year into a tailspin.

We canSA国际影视传媒檛 know for sure how things will transpire over the months ahead. More learning from home? Perhaps. Alternating times that students report for classes to reduce the number of people present in schools and aid social distancing? Maybe. The cancellation of all extra-curricular activities? A distinct possibility.

These potential developments would be a real letdown, but what can we do?

The school boards are treading carefully, trying not to give any false direction. To that end, a joint letter from all three school districts on Aug. 25 was quickly retracted. Instead, the school districts reverted to a previous communique: theySA国际影视传媒檙e SA国际影视传媒渕onitoring the COVID-19 situation.SA国际影视传媒�

Uncertainty abounds.

We do know that some school activities are out: there will be no theatre productions or drama classes, singing and playing musical instruments are a no go, high-contact sports will not go ahead.

Chief public health officer (CPHO) Dr. Kami Kandola ordered that, as of Aug. 26, masks be worn indoors in public places once again. So students can expect to SA国际影视传媒渕ask upSA国际影视传媒� for the foreseeable future.

Naturally, children are going to look to their parents for guidance and they will, to some degree, model their behaviour and reactions. Some level of disappointment is natural. Questioning the need for or extent of certain public health orders is understandable.

But for parents who rant, exhibit rage or who encourage their children to defy the rules that the CPHO or the school boards institute as protections against the spread of COVID-19, well, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 not productive or helpful in the least.

Part of our education as young men and women is to crack open the history books and read quotes from famous people, often privileged white men (history is skewed that way). American architect, inventor and author Richard Buckminster Fuller would qualify in that category, but he shared some wise words that seem applicable to the circumstances we find ourselves facing:

SA国际影视传媒淓verything youSA国际影视传媒檝e learned in school as SA国际影视传媒榦bviousSA国际影视传媒� becomes less and less obvious as you begin to study the universe. For example, there are no solids in the universe. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 not even a suggestion of a solid. There are no absolute continuums. There are no surfaces. There are no straight lines.SA国际影视传媒�

No straight lines. That is most definitely where weSA国际影视传媒檙e standing at this moment. We know vaccines are helpful, but theySA国际影视传媒檙e not 100 per cent effective. We know masks limit the spread of germs, but theySA国际影视传媒檙e not impenetrable, at least not the standard ones.

So we just have to follow best practices, because thatSA国际影视传媒檚 what has repeatedly shown to keep COVID-19 numbers in check SA国际影视传媒� again, not without exception.

Of course weSA国际影视传媒檙e all tired of this situation. WeSA国际影视传媒檇 all dearly love for these major inconveniences to go away.

Matthew Miller, president of NWT TeachersSA国际影视传媒� Association, knows that many parents want gym classes, band and choir to resume. LetSA国际影视传媒檚 face it, itSA国际影视传媒檚 only harder for educators who have to try to impart lessons to students who canSA国际影视传媒檛 burn energy through physical and creative outlets. But those programs wonSA国际影视传媒檛 return yet because, as Miller said, SA国际影视传媒渨e need to trust the advice of the chief public health officer as the expert.SA国际影视传媒�

Let those among us with a medical degree and experience in prevantative medicine be the first to say otherwise.