Back to school 2020

The start of the school year kind of seemed to me to come out of nowhere.  I think it had to do with the fact that part of me was sure that it was never going to happen.  Happen it did - but as is the norm in 2020 - it is as far from normal as it can be. 

Spencer started his college semester in late August.  Three of his four classes are virtual and his acting class is part in person/part Zoom.   I didn't take a first day photo of him because - college - and I just think you have to cut the back to school photo cord somewhere.  On his first day of online classes he hadn't purchased a laptop yet so had to borrow Trent's and that was fine.  About twenty minutes before his first ever college Zoom Philosophy class was about to begin...we lost power.  Spencer tends to be a nervous kid anyway so this was not good.  He had an unfamiliar laptop and zero wifi to connect to his class.  Trent followed him to the library parking lot so he could use their wifi and got him set up on the laptop.  Very funny 2020.  You can just stop now. 

The other kids didn't get out of the traditional photos so easily.  Of course on the official first day it was raining.  They were good sports and posed for a quick photo inside.  Then when they got home for the day and the weather had cleared up they had to pose for the traditional steps photo.

Evan is a junior this year and he is attending classes with a hybrid model this year.  He physically goes into the school on Monday and Thursday.  He is home with online school on Tuesday and Friday.  He may start going some Wednesdays as well.  Those days are reserved for teacher office hours, or special classes or meet ups with classes.  Not the most ideal situation, but he is thrilled to be back in a school building with people for two days a week. I pray things continue to get better as far as Covid - his classes are so hard and it benefits him to be able to learn in an actual school setting. 

Hailey is in her last year of middle school - 8th grade!  The middle school didn't have a hybrid option so Hailey is completely virtual for her first trimester.  If they had offered a hybrid option I would have sent her a couple days a week.  It didn't make much sense to us to send her to school to sit in a room all day with a mask on and do the same lessons she could do at home.  I know that we are fortunate to have the privilege for me to be home during most days and help out if needed.  

It will definitely be a strange year!  We are keeping our fingers crossed that things continue to improve and maybe by the second trimester things will be a little more conventional.