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IN THE SPRING OF 2020, schools were closed to limit the spread and impact of COVID-19 across Canada and beyond. Relationships are key, no matter the modality Relationships - with school staff, with community-based service providers, and for students in particular, with peers - mattered in so many ways for families. Many parents pointed to the regular, personalized check-ins, by email, phone, or video chat, that were offered by their child's edu¬cation assistant and/or teacher as the most beneficial support they received from schools. We also need to attend to skills and structures to ensure that students, families, and school staff are well-supported and resourced as they engage in the challenging work of building effective collaborative relationships. [Extracted from the article]

The article describes the Summer and Winter Bear types of parents of students with special needs in Canada. Topics include the difficulty for teachers of collaborating with parents of special needs student, the outcome of pressures faced by these parents, and a description of Summer Bear as those parents who use will, strength and dedication to navigate the school system. Also cited is the difficulty of collaborating with Winter Bear or those parents who are slow to respond. INSET: The Grizzly in the Room.