Due to the rising Coronavirus situation, WFISD has made the decision to switch over into the School@Home platform which will start on Monday. School closure has also been extended until April 10.  

“It was frustrating but understandable given the situation,” senior Travis Christoff said. “It will be interesting to see how everything will turn out.”

For the first two weeks students will only have one assignment per class. Each assignment will be the same throughout the district. The goal is to make the transition easier and lighten the burden for students who have other responsibilities at home. 

“I would prefer to make my own assignments that I know best suit my students and what we’ve been learning, especially since not all classes are in the same spot district-wide,” science teacher Alisha Crouch said. “However, I also feel that the district is doing the best they can with the cards that have been dealt, and it’s a learning process for everyone involved.” 

Teachers can’t meet the needs of all students. Some teens will have a hard time adjusting due to the lack of necessary materials and at-home situations. For those who don’t have access to the internet, a low-tech solution will be implemented via paper packets by contacting the school. There are also wi-fi offers for school. Others will want more challenging material to help them prepare for the future. 

“My first reaction was, ‘Is this even going to work right?’” senior Grace Estrada said. “I want to go to school and learn! Because I’m more of a paper and pencil person.” 

Some needs are catered too with teachers having available office hours for extra help and questions. Google Meets will be used to address any concerns or to visit (list of hours down below). 

 However, this doesn’t solve another concern. For Crouch, her Anatomy and Physiology class offers a strong foundation for teens who are pursuing a medical career. Now, with the new shift students will be missing crucial information that would usually be covered by now. 

 “My biggest worry is not being able to teach new material and students missing out on a big chunk of the educational year that they need to go into next year, whether they are still in high school or heading into college,” Crouch said.   

The STAAR test this year is also canceled this year, which changes the requirements to move up a grade.  

Despite all the concerns, many are grateful for the continuation of school. 

“I think it’s a good idea because we need to still learn, especially those who are still competing for class rank,” Christoff said. “Obviously we can’t return to school given the COVID-19 situation and us being in a shelter in place.” 

Schedule for Google Meets with teachers: 

Tuesday:

– Period 1: 9-9:40 a.m. 

– Period 2: 10- 10:40 a.m 

– Period 3: 11-11:40 a.m 

– Period 4: 1-1:40 p.m 

Thursday:

– Period 5: 9-9:40 a.m 

– Period 6: 10-10:40 a.m

 – Period 7: 11-11:40 a.m 

– Period 8: 1-1:40 p.m