BRYAN, Texas — As the school year progresses, many students are transitioning from at-home learning to back on campus. For many families, the decision to change learning platforms isn’t an easy one.
“At our campus, we did begin the 2020-2021 school year virtually," said April Crow, the student recruitment coordinator for Harmony Science Academy - Bryan.
For the first three weeks, all of the students at Harmony Science Academy were learning at-home and online. Then on Sept. 8, the school allowed students to come back on campus. More than half opted to start learning in-person.
“Since then we have had more parents choose to transition to in-person classes to virtual," Crow said.
Aracely Gonzales recently chose to send her fifth and first-grader back to Harmony Science Academy's campus.
“I’m very glad they’re back at school," said Gonzales. "Having their teachers guiding them through personally I am more comfortable with that.”
While others were sending their students back when on-campus learning reopened, Gonzales and her husband decided to keep their daughters at home.
Gonzales would work during the day and her husband would stay at home with their kids and work at night. That way her husband could help her daughters with their online school. She said was rough.
“We have four children," Gonzales said. "We have a baby, we have a three-year-old. It was very hard for my husband to keep up with the little ones and my children’s virtual school.”
As time went on it got harder and harder to juggle it all, so the family finally decided to bring the girls back in person.
“It was very hard," Gonzales said. "As a parent, you want it all for them.”
Gonzales works at Harmony Science Academy as a teacher's assistant. While her kids were working at home, she was still going back to campus and was able to see the protocols the school was taking. It helped ease her and her husband's mind.
“Here at school our kids are well aware of their hygiene, washing their hands and wearing their masks," Gonzales said.
Gonzales knows not all parents can see what safety measures their student's campuses are taking every day.
For those who are thinking of sending their students back to in-person learning, Gonzales said to reach out to the school and keep reminding your children what to do.
Harmony Science Academy - Bryan plans to offer virtual learning throughout the rest of this school year.