This year Cathedral Prep has switched over to a hybrid and remote access learning model. Every Monday and Wednesday the Orange group goes into school while the Black group remotes in from home. And the Black group goes in every Tuesday and Thursday while the Orange group learns from home. Every Friday it alternates between the Orange and Black groups with who goes in and who stays home.

Teachers use Microsoft Teams so kids at home can be on a video call while class is going on in school, and all of their assignments are on Teams. It has its challenges every now and then, but it is the safest way to have kids in the school and participating in class during a pandemic. 

What a lot of people thought going into this year was with kids being at home it’s tough because there are a lot of distractions that can come their way. And being in the comfort of your own home is nice, but students don’t have the same concentration they do at school. School is a working environment.

When students go into school, their mind is thinking it’s time to go work. At home, that is the place to relax and do what you want, so your mind thinks it’s time to relax. Being in school is better for concentrating because students really have nothing better to do than to pay attention. Plus, students are right there to ask the teacher questions if they need to. While at home, there could be a glitch and the teacher may not hear you, or you may have connection issues so your screen is blurry. 

Students have shown they are able to push through the glitches and any other difficulties while being at home. A lot of schools don’t have the remote learning option, so students are taking advantage of this opportunity. 

“I’m so grateful we have the remote learning option, so our families and students can feel safe and still participate in school here,” English teacher Ms. Mackensen said. “The hybrid model and remote learning in general has a learning curve. What impressed me about my classes is the resiliency, determination, and grace that my students have shown working through the new technology.”