Things will look a bit more normal as students and staff begin returning to school on Tuesday.

For the first time in two years, students are starting the year without any COVID-19 restrictions.

Zoë Watson, superintendent of the Anglophone South School District said masks will be an “individual choice.”

“If there are certain classes through the day or certain locations in the school or certain times when they feel they should be masked, they should feel very comfortable to do that,” Watson said in a recent interview.

Speaking with reporters last week, Education Minister Dominic Cardy said they are not against bringing in mask mandates for a few weeks at a time if Public Health deems it necessary.

Meanwhile, Watson said the school district will continue to provide hand sanitizer at all 69 of its schools.

“We do encourage parents that if students are sick then, as always pre-COVID, students need to stay home,” she said.

The superintendent said they are hoping to see attendance improve as part of their Attendance Matters initiative, which was launched before the pandemic.