As Omicron continues to fuel the current COVID-19 surge in Louisiana, there is an uncertainty of whether or not the pandemic will ever end.
Over the past week, some schools in Acadiana have returned to virtual learning.
Breanna Spriggs, a licensed professional counselor supervisor at Acadiana Family Tree Counseling and Education Center, says learning at home can be challenging for kids.
“It’s easy to focus on learning when you’re in a learning environment. It’s different when you’re at home and you have your television here, your refrigerator there, and toys so that can be hard on kids in a lot of ways,” Spriggs says. “I would suggest that the parish reach out to the people who have already been doing it and say what’s your structure. Can we have some kind of connection on how to utilize how they structure online learning."
Spriggs says middle and high school students will face the most challenges while participating in virtual learning because they rely most on social interaction.
“Have small little play dates in the park with those kids, if not, let them outside and get some fresh air and not restricted to the four walls,” she says.
St. Martin Parish Superintendent, Allen Blanchard, says one of the main issues is the number of facilities out of quarantine.
However, they are working with students who need additional resources and are providing each student with a chrome book and low cost internet at home if needed.
“It’s a well known fact that students learn better in the classroom with a teacher, but given the current circumstances like at these two schools our teachers who are not quarantined, who are not COVID, positive are reporting to school,” Blanchard said. “Students all have their devices, and they bring the device home everyday. Just in case we have an emergency or something they have them and are prepared to learn,” he added.
“Social development is just as important as intellectual development, if not more,” Spriggs said.
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