CSC Teesside and the New School Year

Now we have moved into the second month of the new school year, it is time to take stock of what we have achieved here on Teesside.

All 15 of the CSC Curriculum schools who signed up for 2020-21 before the emergency started have remained loyal. 

None of them stepped away from chess, despite the extraordinary circumstances.

Some of our schools returned to chess action on the first week of September. 

Others have deferred the start of the sessions until their own school curriculum has reached a suitable position which will allow other activities back into their schools.

I have been in touch with all of our schools every single week since our enforced hiatus began in March.

For the schools who cannot accept visitors into their schools we are running innovative online lessons. The tutors trained hard on this aspect during the lockdown and were ready for the new challenge.

The CSC Teesside tutors are full of energy and a strong desire to connect - and, in some cases, reconnect - with the children.

The schools are relieved to bring some normality back into the lives of the children.

The children, who are the most resilient of all of us (in more ways than one) are, of course, magnificent.

Not one single person knows what the future holds, either in the short or long term. Everything is in state of flux and will be for at least the next two years.

However, I do not want one single person to doubt that everyone in our particular corner is trying their absolute best to create something positive, to educate, to inspire and to support our schools and children in these extremely challenging times.

Chess may not be the most important aspect of school life, but that is what we do and quite frankly the people of Teesside can hold their heads up high as they keep on spreading their positivity.

When it comes to CSC Teesside, every school matters; every child matters.