As the year’s pass it becomes harder and harder to remember the anticipation and sometimes hesitation that, as a young person growing up in Steinbach, I felt with a new school year. However many of those memories remain and those feelings are no doubt there for most students who returned to school this week in the Hanover School Division and throughout the province.

For students, teachers and parents, many things have changed at local schools over the past generation. When I was a student at Elmdale Elementary, Steinbach Junior High and Steinbach Regional Secondary School, issues around overcrowding in local schools did not even come close to the levels that exist today. In fact, the challenges that face the Hanover School Division with growing enrollment are unlike many other school divisions in the province that either have stable or declining enrollment.

It is a testament to the local trustees, administration, teachers and support staff that the schools in the Hanover School Division area such a positive learning environment that they are the schools so many parents want to see their children attend. And while growth is a much better situation in the long-run than declining enrollment, it presents its own set of immediate challenges.

The new school middle school and high school that have been announced for Steinbach are much needed facilities but will only fill a part of the education capital needed for the region to keep up with growing enrollment. There will continue to be demands on the education system in this region with new capital projects needed to make for a safe and proper learning environment for our children.

Parents no doubt also face the school year with different challenges and concerns than in years past. One of the concerns getting a great deal of attention this year is the H1N1 virus and plans to avoid its potential spread in schools. Local school officials and health officials have been working on plans to address these concerns and undertaking preventative measures including installing more hand-sanitizers. Information from the province on the development of H1N1 this fall will continue to be made available to parents and all Manitobans.

There are also many students in our region who are home-schooled and while their challenges may differ from those attending in a school setting, the anticipation of a new school year is just as strong in these young learners and their educators.

For all students in the Hanover School Division, regardless of the school or setting, the beginning of a new school year brings with it a sense of beginning another chapter in a life of learning. I want to wish all of the students well as they settle into the new school year and thank each of the teachers, trustees, administration and support staff for your contribution in making our schools some of the best in the province.