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Virtual Schooling Or Hybrid Or Part Time Schooling

Discussion in 'General Discussions - USA & Canada' started by Vedhavalli, Jul 11, 2020.

  1. Vedhavalli

    Vedhavalli Platinum IL'ite

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    My kid's school district is offering 3 programs
    1. HYBRID school: The hybrid model means students spend time learning at school Students are assigned to a group and each group rotates 2-days at school and 3-days learning at home. When at school, learning will be similar to a traditional school day. 7 hours a day including lunch & recess.
    2. VIRTUAL school: Students attending the Online Academy will not attend school on campus. Similar to a regular school day, students will have specific class times.
    3. PART Time : students attending part-time school shall attend school from 8 am to 12pm. All 5 days, traditional school day.
    The problem is this rule apply for entire year.
    We can't switch to another if situation improves due to COVID-19.
    Some districts are offering semester basis to switch from hybrid to virtual. Vice versa.
    My child is in elementary school. I'm willing for virtual schooling only.

    I'm skeptical about sending kid to school where we can't avoid people contact or kids playing together, in lunch breaks.
    What's the best possible solution?
    Can I request district to switch to traditional school in case situation improves?

    If there are less cases and herd immunity is achieved.
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2020
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  2. MalStrom

    MalStrom IL Hall of Fame

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    What is the Covid situation in your county?
     
  3. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    By when do you have to commit?

    Of the options offered and the limited information we have about the future, and if I were a SAHM, I would pick the virtual only (for a child in 5th grade or younger). The hybrid model would be too confusing for the child and the parent -- children that young do better in a schedule that is constant from Mon-Fri.

    Can parent(s) handle teaching child for a year at home even with online instruction from school? Yes, though it will be challenging and taxing on the mom. With some discipline and mom taking a break regularly before she needs the break, it can be managed. The four main subjects are: english (language arts), math, science, social studies. For the first two, there are many resources online and both are easy enough for parent to teach. Science and social studies are a little harder to teach at home. Science requires projects etc. Social studies is a bit dry and teachers make them interesting. Do the best you can. Grades don't matter. Most of the topics in these two subjects are repeated in middle school (electricity, magnetism, biology, chemistry, ancient history, U.S. history, world history).

    Most school districts publish on their website the list of textbooks used. If you'd like to get a head-start yourself, you can find them cheap in bookstores like abebooks, alibris, textbookx.com, ecampus.com. Don't buy the lang-arts textbooks. Some teachers use only well-known novels.

    Socialization: This is the biggest thing that the child will miss in virtual school. March - May went by as a novelty. In fall, young children having to study online and no daily in-person interaction with friends will be quite stressful. I would create a hybrid model for the socialization -- find some activities that I conduct online for groups of 3-5 children. Part of each activity the children do together in-person or share their creations with each other, supervised by the 4-5 parents taking turns. Social distancing is easier to enforce in a guided interaction setting than a general "time to play outside."

    Requesting to switch to traditional later: There are no guarantees but I have learnt that if one is persistent, polite but firm, asks the right people, and presents the right reasons, accommodations are made. For example, you could ask your pediatrician to write a note that the child needs to go back to traditional school. Such things are best attempted quietly without informing too many other parents.

    The districts need to have an estimate of the staff they need come fall, so they send out questionnaires etc. But, things will continue to be fluid. If/when things become better, they will start to offer more traditional setting instruction. Online teaching is more work for the teachers also. So, the restriction on "cannot switch the entire year" might be relaxed by the schools themselves or after strong demand from vocal parents.

    Having child at home for a part of or one whole school year while not being completely responsible for creating curriculum is a rare opportunity, if one looks at it that way. Good Luck.
     
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  4. Mehana

    Mehana Platinum IL'ite

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    My kid school decided to go for 2 options, hybrid (2 days a week in school, 3 days virtual) and virtual all 5 days a week. I am going for virtual dueadue to covidIcovid outbreak. School hours reduced, only 4 hours. School district has strict guidelines wear mask all day, social distancing and safety measures. I am more worried about the social skills, structure, school environment if I am choosing virtual.
     
  5. Sreevidyaa

    Sreevidyaa Silver IL'ite

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    Ideally in school would be the better option but we aren’t living in an ideal world right now with regards to pandemic. In the current situation virtual school is the better choice. The main reason is that even though the kids aren’t affected to a greater extent the parents are exposed by the kids; I am not trying to alarm you but this is reality. I read about a tragedy in US where both parents died. Even though the news told as child being a possible source I am not sure but just was so concerned at the terrible tragedy.

    So missing a year at a younger age is acceptable and child can pick up next year. Priorities change in current covid situation.
     
  6. Vedhavalli

    Vedhavalli Platinum IL'ite

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    @Rihana
    Thanks for insights. Going for Virtual schooling, I don't want take risk of getting my child infected or infecting others.
    Online school should be doable till situation becomes better & back to normal.

    I got the school supplies.
    I put up a separate shelves for school work.
    My child has a desk & chair.
    I structured the schedule (school is yet to give)
    What are the things, we should take up to feel like traditional schooling?
    Only thing bothering is screen time.
    Plus how am I going to manage school work kid is small she needs help to navigate through.
    My presence is required.

    How about socialization? I asked for Virtual play dates only 1-2 kids turn up.
     

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