By Mary O’KEEFE

School begins this month but it won’t be a traditional return to the classroom as COVID-19 has forced administrators, teachers, students and parents back to the computer screens for virtual learning.

When classrooms were shuttered in mid-March and replaced with remote learning it was up to the school district to quickly create virtual teaching models. Now, after almost five months, the district has gathered data and put programs in place that will hopefully make it easier for students, their families and teachers to navigate the trials and tribulations of remote learning and virtual teaching.

Keaton Kugler is an incoming Crescenta Valley High School sophomore and his brother Lucian is an incoming senior at CVHS. They are preparing for the beginning of the 2020-21school year.

“I did summer school and am doing band camp,” said Keaton. “Mentally, we are getting ready for [the type] of learning we had last year.” 

“I probably would be shopping with Hayden [a friend] for school supplies and organizing for the next year,” said Chowen Mingsuwan, a CVHS incoming sophomore, as to what he would normally be doing in preparation for returning to school.

The ending of the 2019-20 school year was not easy but kids got through it.

“It was difficult but a preferable alternative to the threat of a disease,” Lucian said. He added he understands why there is remote learning and is not certain that if there were in-person classes all students would follow the rules surrounding face coverings and social distancing.

“Even things as simple as not vaping in the bathroom are violated all the time,” he said. “Anyone saying we should go back to [in-person class] should realize the town hall meeting to discuss back to school was virtual,” Lucian said.

Ava Burzynzki is an incoming CVHS freshman. This means she will be attending a school without ever stepping on its campus.

“It’s kind of exciting. If feels different since it is mostly online,” Ava said.

She is hopeful that there will be some programs that bring students together.

“[Teachers] could bring us together as a school,” she said.

She added there might be a way that teachers could have a Zoom meeting in which students could see each other in class.

“During remote learning the teachers would give us video instructions,” Chowen said. “I do like video instruction but would [like] a way to reach out to my teacher if I don’t understand the [assignment].”

During in-person classes students would often rely on each other to help understand a subject or would talk to the teacher for clarification during or after class.

Ava’s brother Griffith attends Clark Magnet High School and will be an 11th grader when school starts on Aug. 19. He said if he could change the way remote learning was done in the past he would like more direct contact with the teacher.

“Teachers would put up assignments and videos; [if we had questions] we would have to email the teachers and wait [sometimes] for two hours,” Griffith said.

Those who are in sports or band are also facing an unusual challenge. Keaton is in band and said remote learning was difficult but the band was organized. The musicians would begin together then separate into groups according to the instrument they are playing.

Ava is involved in cross-country/track and still does not know how that sport will be practiced during COVID-19.

All students interviewed for this article were well aware of the pandemic and were in favor of remote learning, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t missing friends, and are anxious to safely return to classrooms.

As a senior, Lucian is worried about what his last year of high school will look like if remote learning continues throughout the entire academic year.

“I think it is worth the sacrifice; I know teachers who have compromised immune systems and [I have] friends with asthma. I [don’t] want to be responsible for anyone’s [illness] or death,” Lucian said.

  Mary Okeefe