The hugs started before the visit did.
Months after a controversial school boundary change left some Niagara-on-the-Lake families angry, anxious and unsure about what came next, students from St. Davids Public School walked into Crossroads Public School on Wednesday to meet the classmates, teachers and school community waiting for them in September.
For the students making the move, it was their latest step into a change they never asked for.
For Crossroads staff, including principal Kate Fish, it was another chance to make sure they did not feel like strangers.
“We have it all split up into the classes that you are going into,” Fish told students as they arrived. “Kids who are already in the class are going to help you.”
The visit was part of a months-long transition process for students affected by the District School Board of Niagara’s decision to move about 125 students from Niagara-on-the-Green out of the St. Davids catchment and into Crossroads starting this fall.
The board has said the change was driven by overcrowding and traffic issues at St. Davids.
But the decision drew backlash from parents who said they felt blindsided, shut out of the process and worried about what the move would mean for their children’s friendships, routines and sense of belonging.
Now, while the disappointment has not disappeared, some parents say work being done behind the scenes has helped soften the landing.
Sonal Ahluwalia, whose daughter Adina is in Grade 5 at St. Davids and will attend Crossroads for Grade 6 in September, said the past few months have made a difference.
“And honestly, that helped my daughter a lot,” Ahluwalia said. “She has been much more relaxed now compared to her initial anxiety.”
Ahluwalia said parents were invited to Crossroads for an open house and school tour on Feb. 5, followed by a planning meeting on March 10 where families were asked what would help make the transition easier for their children.
That mattered, she said.
“One thing that I feel very good and grateful about is that the staff and principal at Crossroads didn’t just tell us what to do, they actually asked us what would help us feel comfortable.”
“I think that made a huge difference in feeling the way we feel as parents, for our kids who were anxious and nervous over this change,” she said.
Ahluwalia said the “main common concern” among parents was “friendship and building new connections,” especially for students in older grades.
“I think this school trip is to especially ensure they all get to meet their new future classmates,” she said.
Fish said both schools have tried to respond to that concern directly.
“We will make sure that all of the kids will have somebody from St David’s in their class,” she said, regarding St. Davids students affected by the move.
“They’re going to be given the opportunity at the end of the school year to request who they want in their class, we’ve expressed this to the parents too.”
Fish said the student groups used during Wednesday’s visit were not final class lists.
She said the goal of the visit was to help students see Crossroads not as an unknown place, but as a school where they already belong.
“We’re hoping that they meet some people today,” she said.
“They can also have the opportunity to select some of the kids who are in their classes today, that they meet today, to be in the class next year.”
Students took part in community-building activities with children in the grades they will enter in September, including a “community circle” where they could introduce themselves and share information at their own comfort level.
“Starting with building that community,” Fish said.
They also worked on a paw print activity tied to the school’s coyote mascot, drawing themselves in the centre and adding parts of their identity around the outside, including hobbies, talents, dreams and things that bring them joy.
The activity was meant to help students find common ground with future classmates.
“They have to find three people who have the same hobbies,” Fish said.
Students also received a Crossroads bag with a spirit wear T-shirt and snack inside and had time for recess together.
“We really wanted them to have an opportunity to have recess together so that they can play free,” Fish said.
Grade 1 students from St. Davids and Crossroads have also been writing back and forth as pen pals before meeting in person.
Last week, they had “pen pal day” and “did some fun activities together,” said Fish.
She said the two school communities are already closely connected, with students from both often playing on the same sports teams in Virgil.
“So everybody knows, sort of everybody,” she said.
Administrative staff at both schools are also in regular contact.
“We’re really closely connected,” she said. “We talk all the time.”
School board superintendent Mat Miller attended the visit.
In a statement, he said both school teams deserve credit for the work behind the transition.
“I want to recognize the incredible work of both school teams,” he said.
“Principal (Carl) Glauser, vice-principal (Susan) Plat and the St. Davids staff have done an excellent job of collaborating with principal Fish and Crossroad staff to make the transition process a very positive, engaging and student-focused experience,” Miller said.
For Fish, the strongest sign of progress has come from the students themselves.
“It’s been a lengthy but really powerful process to see how excited kids can get when you create a positive environment for them to come into,” she said.
“Did you see the (St. Davids) kids when they were coming in?” she said. “I’ve seen them so many times, like they’re hugging me.”
“You can see that the kids here are very excited about it,” she added.
Ahluwalia said her disappointment with the boundary change “remains in place still, sadly.”
But as September gets closer, she said the transition efforts have helped her daughter feel more ready for what comes next.
“So far, they seem very welcoming and I hope things go smoothly for the kids.”
