In our county this school year, we have the option for students to attend school in-person the traditional way, or to complete their assignments online virtually. Students can switch their option to attend traditional or virtual school at the beginning of each nine-week period. Since we started school later than normal (on September 8th), we just completed the second nine weeks on Friday. Therefore, tomorrow we start our third quarter.
Now, in my school (the high school), we allow students to become virtual at any point they want to. This gets them out of the crowded classrooms and allows the remaining students to spread out a bit more to lessen the chances of quarantining, etc. However, if a high school student was virtual, he or she can only return to the traditional setting at the beginning of a nine-week period or if the student is failing and the principal makes the student return to traditional learning. I teach the virtual and traditional students so if a traditional student became a virtual student in the middle of any given week, I am still going to be their teacher and I will handle all of their lessons online. It seemed overwhelming at the beginning of the school year, but I feel very comfortable with it now. It also makes for an easy transition if or when that student returns to the traditional setting (ie, I already know where they'd sit in the classroom, I already have their grades, etc.).
At my sons' school (the elementary school), students have to choose the virtual or traditional path and have to remain that way until the nine weeks ends. This is because at their school, some teachers teach the traditional students and some teach the virtual students. Since the beginning of the school year, my sons have utilized the virtual option. My mother-in-law watches them during the day and conducts their school work with them and makes sure that they attend their Zoom meetings, etc. At this halfway point in the school year, though, we have made the decision to switch them back to traditional learning.
A number of things went into our decision. I do feel as though they need the interactions with their peers. It's nice to have all three kids around each other during the day, and they can get along well together but I think there's something special about getting to hang around people in one's own age group. I think my third grader needs to run around with third grade friends at PE, and my first grader needs to make some first grade friends, etc. My husband and I have paid attention to the Covid cases in our area and are seeing the decline in the Christmas spike, so we feel safe in sending them back to the traditional school setting. Also, Avery is in the middle of potty training and has kind of had to fit her own schedule into the Zoom call and academic schedule of her brothers. I think by sending them back to school, she will get more one-on-one attention and this will aid in her potty training efforts. I also want to relieve my mother-in-law of some of the stress that comes with being the designated adult in charge of the virtual learning of two children. Although she says she enjoyed re-learning their topics, I do feel as though it put a lot of extra pressure on her.
I feel very much at peace with our decision and I do hope that it works out as well as I'd like. Last week, I engaged in a multi-day and several hour communication ordeal in trying to get Michael's medical plan sent to the school in order for him to even be able to attend. I also had to buy a few extra school supplies to supplement the supplies they needed while virtual learning. Just this morning, I finished up assembling their backpacks and their textbooks and all of the medical supplies for the nurses and teachers. I ordered some plastic water bottles (since the water fountains are turned off), and some mask-lanyards from Amazon in order to assist with the mask wearing at school and the hopes of not losing (too many) masks. :) This is the world we live in now and I guess I need to fully embrace it. I am at peace and I am content and confident. I can't help but feel anything else other than this is God's will and He will bless it.
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
