Muted mics, cameras turned off, error codes and teachers repeating the question, “Can you hear me?”. This is the reality of the 2020 school year and the first year of optional Remote Learning for Elkhorn Public Schools. 

COVID-19 has changed everyone’s lives, especially students’. This is the first year Elkhorn Public Schools has given families a choice whether to send their kids to school or do remote learning at home. Unlike last year, when remote learning was required to all students.

Elkhorn North Counselor, Martha Dowd contributed a lot to the preparations of remote learning at Elkhorn North. “It was easier than in March, because in March we never did anything like this before and there’s so much unknown. So this time, we had a better understanding, but there are still a lot of pieces to put together,” Dowd said.

While helping with the preparations of remote learning, Dowd also helped families make an educated choice for what would be best for the health and safety of their kids. This is because underlying health issues can make the virus more dangerous. “It was an option for families, so if there was a reason that they felt like it was best for them to stay home, then they could choose that option,” Dowd said. 

A good handful of families at Elkhorn North chose the safer route of remote learning for their students. This could be because of the student’s health or a family member’s health. The risk of catching an illness is just too high for some students because of underlying health issues.  

“I did remote learning due to my sisters’ and I all being high risk. We all have severe asthma and COVID-19 can greatly affect your respiratory system,” Jaiden Tobin, an Elkhorn North junior, said. 

Although remote learning is an option for students, there have been many students who didn’t have a choice and have been forced into remote learning. This is because they had to quarantine due to direct contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. Due to required quarantine, many sports teams, classes, and clubs have been hit hard with the loss of some members. Junior Vitor Labegaline had to miss the first two weeks of football due to quarantine. “I was required to do remote learning because I came into contact with someone who tested positive,” Labegaline said. 

Most people would think that remote learning at home would not be so bad because they get to sit at home instead of school. Despite the thought of this, not many students actually enjoy remote learning due to the amount of work and the amount of distractions around them, not to mention all of the troubleshooting through the Chromebooks. “It is so much harder to focus and understand the teachers,” ENHS junior, Jack Lusk said. 

Remote learning is also really boring for some of the students. “Online school is really boring, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy,” Labegaline said. 

Despite most students not enjoying remote learning, there are a few who do. Some believe that learning at home is much easier than in-person learning at school. The comfort of their home helps them focus more rather than at school. When students were asked if they wished to go back to regular school, some gladly declined. “I learn better at home, and doing school at home is fun,” junior Gabby Tobin said. 

All in all, remote learning has brought about very mixed feelings, whether it was required or not. Some people enjoy it while others do not. With no COVID-19 vaccine yet, remote learning will still be an option until further notice. It’s different but like some would say, “it’s better to be safe than sorry”.