As we enter 2021, we have made it almost halfway through the craziness of virtual kindergarten. In June I wrote a blog post about how I wasn't sure what kindergarten would look like for my then 5 year old.
We found out in August that she would be starting off 100% virtual. The school started kindergarten off with a gradual entry. The parents met with the teacher one day. Our daughter met with the teacher one day. Then they had a couple of days where they just had morning meetings. During the third week of school, they followed a full schedule.
The school created a schedule that they felt would work the best for these kinder babies. They have a morning meeting, phonics in one of three small groups (the other time is supposed to be independent time), math, a 2 hour break for lunch/recess, then small groups in the afternoon for science/social studies/health/reading. Lastly they have specials at the end of the day.
At first I loved this schedule. I thought it would be good for the kids to have extended breaks from the computer. However, as we have progressed through this year, I have discovered that these long breaks are HARD. Unfortunately, she has a break from 10:55am to 1:50pm because she is in the last group in the afternoon. I have two, hour-long classes that I teach during this break so it is hard for me to help her with independent work and she won't do it on their own.
Even with the struggle around the working independently, it has been AMAZING to watch this kid navigate this virtual learning like a pro. She absolutely loves being on the computer with her teacher. She loves to tell her "friends" on the Google Meet that they are her best friends, even though they haven't met. She has learned sight words, letter sounds, how to add/subtract, understand greater than and less than. She is starting to read. All of this has been accomplished while learning on a computer.
The things that these kids are accomplishing right now is nothing short of amazing. They are learning to navigate technology, programs, online assignments, etc. during a pandemic. All while dealing with who knows what at home.
We continue to venture into the unknown as we begin 2021. Many counties are continuing virtual learning with no idea when or if we will return to the school building. Keeping positive thoughts. This may not always be easy, but these kids are resilient.
Original blog post from June 2019:
We've been watching A LOT of Disney+ in our house lately and listening to songs nonstop.
As we are getting closer to finishing up distance learning for this school year, my mind is starting to shift to next year. All types of people from politicians to CDC to parents to teachers, everyone is thinking about what is going to happen in the fall. Honestly, it's like we are going into the unknown. We don't know what the country is going to look like 2-3 months from now.
What I do know is that when we go back, whether it's virtually or some hybrid form of in the building, it's going to be different and that makes me sad.
You guys, my daughter turned 5 this year and has been talking about and looking forward to this moment for at least 2 years of her short little life. She can't wait to go to kindergarten! And this breaks my heart, because I know that the kindergarten that she envisions and that I was envisioning for her is not going to happen.
Kindergarten is such a pivotal year in a child's life and now we have no idea what this is even going to look like. Will they even be in a classroom together? If so, what kind of rules will be set in place? Ones that would probably never work in a classroom full of 5 year olds! Face masks?? More like slingshots!
I've just been emotional lately thinking about this entrance into school for not only my daughter, but all of the little 5 year olds that have been looking forward to starting school. I try not to worry or stress over it, because we truly have no idea and it's completely out of our control anyway.
So for the time being, I'm going to continue watching Frozen 2 and try to enjoy my summer and not worry about the journey into the unknown in the fall.
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