Skip to content

Heartfelt message unites school’s community

As schools sit empty and students learn at home, administrators and teachers are getting creative to keep their communities connected
Leann Buteau
Leann Buteau, the principal at Mundy Road elementary school in Coquitlam, spent last weekend cutting out hearts so that all the school's 200 students could be included in the window greeting that was unveiled last Monday.

A principal for only the last two months of her 32-year career as an educator, Leann Buteau was already on a steep learning curve.

Then, COVID-19 hit.

But if there’s one thing Buteau had already absorbed in her short time leading Mundy Road elementary school in Coquitlam, it’s the tightness of the school’s community of 200 students and their families. 

So as the teachers in her charge prepared to welcome those students back into their virtual embrace on Monday, Buteau limbered up her scissors. She spent much of the last weekend cutting out pink hearts for each student that were then posted in a large classroom window facing busy Austin Avenue, along with the heartfelt message, “We Miss You.”

Because, Buteau said, the teachers and staff truly do.

“This is our community,” she said. “With each heart you think of each student and their family and how they’re doing.”

Buteau said it’s been difficult to walk along the school’s empty hallways, normally bursting with life and vitality. And while the teachers have been diligently plotting lessons plans and new ways to deliver them, it’s the other aspects of a school’s community that must be carefully bolstered. Such as programs like Backpack Buddies that ensure every child has the food and supplies they need to be able to learn effectively, and the connections that are forged between parents during drop-off and pick-up times.

“This is the hub of this corner of Coquitlam,” Buteau said, adding the giant window message is the first salvo in her ongoing mission to keep Mundy Road’s families connected. She’s also planning a newsletter to keep everyone apprised of the school’s plans, celebrate milestones and birthdays, share some of the work being done at home by the students.

Buteau said it’s her role as the school’s administrator to show the community she has the competence and confidence to keep them together, even as they’re all apart.

“You can’t be overwhelmed,” she added.

Already, there’ve been signs of success. Like the family that is starting each day with their own morning announcements.

And when the public health crisis has lifted, Buteau said, she’s confident her school — every school, as a matter of fact — will emerge stronger and more unified in its sense of its own community.

Is there something unique happening in your school's community? Let us know newsroom@tricitynews.com