Elementary students in the Butler Area School District are making the move to remote learning starting today.
While this will be the first online learning session for some students this year, others have been enrolled in Cyber School since day one.
Our newsroom got a look into Broad Street Elementary School, which is serving as cyber headquarters for the district.
Teachers interact with students over Google Meet rooms throughout the day, hoping to provide that personalized connection. And establishing those relationships was a major concern for 3rd grade teacher Kim Covert.
“It turns out that the relationships I’m building with the kids are similar,” Covert said. “And it’s moving a little slower than a regular classroom, but we have less face-to-face time. However, those relationships are there, and that was my biggest concern.”
Kelly Neff is a 2nd grade teacher for Butler’s Cyber School and she says the Cyber School gives students the option from transitioning from online to in-person classes.
“The curriculum is set up that students can be enrolled in Cyber School and then move to in-person instruction so they’re on the same page,” Neff said.
Teachers like Neff will be assisting other elementary school teachers who were teaching inside the classroom as they begin online instruction starting Monday.
According to district officials about 1,500 students in kindergarten through 12th grade are in Butler’s Cyber School.
