The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant effects on education systems, the extent of which is only beginning to be understood. The aim of our research was to investigate links between the COVID-19 pandemic and school environments in Quebec (Canada), and this article presents our findings specific to the impact on primary and secondary school students. Our quantitative and qualitative results show that students in general were resilient and highly adaptable during the school year following the initial lockdown. However, two categories of students were particularly vulnerable, especially with respect to mental health and school motivation: students with special educational needs and students in upper-secondary school (14-17 years).