Virtual Guest Speaker: Gabriel Vilardi

 
A huge thank you to alum Gabriel Vilardi who took some time out of his day and spoke to our students via video chat. Gabe is currently playing for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League.

Gabe answered questions and touched on a number of topics such as how to self-motivate during this time, sticking to a routine while at home, what it takes to be a pro, and the difference between all levels of hockey and what to expect.

Gabe also gave us some insight into some personal experiences such as the process for the NHL Draft, what it’s like to be called up to the NHL from the AHL, interactions with players on the Los Angeles Kings, and how he recovered from a serious injury to make a return to pro hockey.

Thanks again Gabe! We really appreciate the time you took to speak with us!

Though our physical doors remain temporarily closed, the minds of our students stay open. Summer classes are continuing to meet on their regular daily schedules, in virtual classrooms with face-to-face instruction and peer interaction.  The Blyth Academy model of small class sizes, flexible scheduling and individualized approach have enabled us to remain faithful to our standards. Our commitment to ongoing and meaningful communication between school, teachers, students and families has been critical to this effort.

Although our students have transitioned into summer mode and COVID-19 restrictions have begun to loosen, we are looking ahead to what September will hold for our campuses and families.
We want to be clear - our preference and our priority is to get students back to our campuses, but we must ensure this is done in a safe and effective way. While we await official guidance from Public Health and the Ministry of Education, a "return to school" task force has been hard at work putting concrete operational plans in place for all likely scenarios. This includes a full return to campus with safeguards, a blended model of virtual and in-campus learning and the continuation of fully virtual classrooms. All scenarios will provide robust learning and live, daily instruction and interaction with teachers and peers. 
With ten campuses across Ontario, we realize that each one of our schools is a unique space and community. We will be implementing across-the-board policies on hand washing, facility cleaning and social distancing measures. Each school is also prepared to pivot individually based on the guidance of local health authorities and to best serve students and families. 
Our recent survey showed that over 80 per cent of Blyth Academy families are eager to return to campuses, and we are hard at work to prepare for this day. As September's scenario becomes clearer and more information becomes available, we will continue to communicate. 

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