“This is where we’re at,” Barbara Dawkins said.
It is just a matter of fact, at this point, that the COVID-19 pandemic has persisted and students in Homewood School District 153 have now gone through a full quarter and into a second fully remote. And Dawkins, a parent of a second-grader at Willow School, said the effort of parents and the community at this point should be making sure that reality works as well as it can.
“I think Willow has done a tremendous job,” said Dawkins, who also serves as a trustee for the Village of Homewood. “I couldn’t ask for more. … We’re very fortunate to have such a great school district. They’ve gone above and beyond.”
She said her son, Giles, spent the first week or two in class simply learning the etiquette of being a student in an online setting.
“His teacher did a really good job just teaching them how to deal with an e-learning environment,” she said.
The biggest problem Dawkins said they experienced was the worry that the internet in the area would not hold up throughout the process. She solved that by getting Giles a cellular-enabled tablet.
“It’s not the kids and it’s not the school,” she said of the problems. “It’s the internet capability of the area.”
She added that the district promised 1-on-1 time with the students. She had her doubts that would be feasible and actually take place, but she was pleasantly surprised to see it happen, she said.
By this point, Giles has a regular schedule. The children know where they need to be (virtually) and when during the school day. It may even be easier for them than some of the parents, Dawkins said.
“This is what they know,” she said. “Kids are adaptable.”
Giles said he has not found remote learning any harder, but he wants to be back in-person to see his friends. He misses recess and other opportunities to play with everyone he knows.
Dawkins said there is no doubt she would like to see her son back in school, but she wants to see D153 “follow the science” in making that decision.
“Whatever is the safest thing for the kids,” Dawkins said. “I think every parent wants their kids in school. Every kid wants to be in school. But the question is: Is it safe?”
Sarah Meeks, of Homewood, said she is happy her children Teagan and Nora are both staying home at the moment. She said their family has a member who is high-risk for the coronavirus.
“We are taking it extra-seriously,” Meeks said, noting her family does not have visitors in the home and is not visiting others at the moment.
That situation makes remote learning the “safest thing,” according to Teagan, a fifth-grader at Churchill School.
“If it wasn’t corona I’d want to be back in school, but because it’s corona I’m glad I’m doing e-learning,” Teagan said.
She said remote learning has been “mostly amazing,” though she misses doing class work on paper. But the trade-off is that she gets to go to school with her sister Nora, who would otherwise be entering a kindergarten classroom at Willow.
“I’ve been helping my sister,” Teagan said.
“It’s been really good,” Nora added.
Meeks said thankfully her work has been “really understanding,” and she has been able to stay home with her children throughout the experience. The school has been great about providing a stable and supportive experience for the children, too, she added.
For Nora, in particular, the half-days have been just right, she said.
But Meeks does have her concerns as a parent. While Teagan has already made friends through school and had that experience of a few years in the buildings, Nora is missing that right now.
“I can see how the pandemic has affected her more,” Meeks said. “But I’m super-confident when it’s safe to return to school, first grade will give that to her.”
She also echoed one of Dawkins’ concerns, saying that while the school devices and platforms have been great, her family has experienced “a lot” of internet issues.
All in all, Meeks sees remote learning as a necessity during the pandemic, and she thinks the district has done a nice job of making it work.
“I’m super-grateful for our teachers, who have had to relearn their jobs and be patient with our kids,” she said.
Bonnie and Tony Fanelli of Homewood find remote learning is a struggle for their daughter. They say she is “back sliding” and they see her crying in frustration. The couple applauds the teachers for “doing a wonderful job” but they wish the district could make some accommodation for children like their daughter.
“I understand why it had to go in a different direction,” Tony said at a recent District 153 board meeting. He suggested the situation has changed since August. “If health and safety guidelines are able to be followed now, move in baby steps in that direction as long as health and safety can be maintained.”
Board members empathized with the Fanellis but said the decision was made for the safety of the children and staff.
“We are sensitive to people’s individual needs and balance that with group needs,” said member Gregory Lawrence.
Eric Crump contributed to this story.