By ANYSSA BOHANAN
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS
The start to the school is going to look very different.
Instead of backpacks and school bells, it will be laptops on dining room tables.
And parents are getting creative with their home classroom setups.
“We’ve set up our own little workspace and everything,” Redmond parent Michelle Osborn said.
“I have asked my daughters each to have a designated space,” said Joanne Mina, parent of two Bend students. “But because they’re teens they like to decorate their rooms very specific.”
For some, online learning isn’t the most ideal situation.
“The first thing we’ve done has been be in denial about it.” said Mina. “They’re really looking for some camaraderie, support, friendship.”
But for others, it’s a fitting option.
“I like it, I enjoy it.” said Osborn. “I’m working from home too so it works really well.”
The Redmond School District has asked families to treat their online classroom as they would a classroom on campus, and have provided guidelines for parents and members of the household where a student is learning.
As the start of the school year approaches, regardless of how parents feel about online learning, they’re doing their best to ensure their students have the best space at home possible.
“We built a whole office space in our spare area and we made a desk for him because we felt it was super important for him to separate work from home,” said Osborn. “It makes it a little more mentally clear that, ‘Okay, this is school.”
“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but it does have to be a dedicated space where they know the work that they’re doing there is meaningful and it’s important,” Mina said.
Students in the Redmond School District will start on September 10th.
Bend-La Pine students will follow suit on September 14th.
