The head of the local Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association is feeling relieved following the province's decision to keep the spring break as is.
There were rumblings the break planned for the week of April 12 could be changed due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, but Education Minister Stephen Lecce has confirmed it'll go ahead as planned.
Joe Brannagan says this is what everyone involved wanted.
"It sounds as though the minister and provincial government have actually taken the time and listened to the stakeholders. The stakeholders being the teachers, the parents and even the boards in this case."
He says there's no question staff need a break.
"It's created so much anxiety in all of the teachers' lives just that it might be moved again. Everybody is looking for a break. In an extremely crazy once in a century year, to get something as minimal as this, it means a lot."
Brannagan says educators need time to decompress.
"From our teachers' perspective, it's just been extremely challenging, frustrating, stressful. It's been unprecedented in the amount of toll that it taking on our teachers."
Back in February, the province postponed the traditional March Break in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Teachers' unions questioned the move stating students, families and teachers needed the time off.
— with files from AM800's Rob Hindi