Back to School 2020

True confessions.  When we scheduled our trip to the west coast at the end of August, I thought the kids had no school.  Salt Lake City School District had postponed school until after Labor Day to give students and teachers more time to get organized online. 

However, right before we left I experienced this moment of panic when I realized that online school was going to be excruciatingly difficult for Annika.  In an effort to get back into school mode, I sat down with her to practice a bit of writing.  It took more than an hour of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth before she finally wrote a grand total of nineteen words.  In that moment, it became painstakingly clear: if this little girl was going to get an education, her primary teacher couldn't be me.

And so, in a last minute scramble, we applied for an out-of-district variance for both Annika and Eli and enrolled them at Woods Cross Elementary in Davis County. Unlike Salt Lake City School District which is completely online, Davis County's plan was to meet in-person two days a week, supplemented by online curriculum for the off days.

In true Wheeler fashion, we'd already made travel arrangements for the first week of Davis County schools.  Apparently five and a half months of summer vacation wasn't long enough for us?  Seriously, I feel like this happens every year.  I really am the worst parent when it comes to taking school schedules seriously.

At any rate, we rolled back into Salt Lake at 11:30 pm Monday night.  Here are Annie and Eli Tuesday morning, bright and ready for their first day of school.

Eli was understandably nervous about switching schools, particularly since he's been with the same class of Spanish immersion students since first grade.  In the end, he's really liking fifth grade and his teacher, Ms. Callahan.  He especially enjoys the STEM excursions to Starbase Academy at Hill Air Force Base.

As for our social Annika, she is delighted to be around other people.  In-person education is going much better for her as well.  Her original teacher, Ms. Dixon, became an administrator after the first week, so her second-grade teacher is Ms. Bolinder.

As a parent, I really liked the Tuesday/Thursday teaching arrangement because there was so much room for kids to space out.  Annika and Eli each had about ten students in their class.  While waiting for school to start, the kids all stood on well-spaced symbols painted on the sidewalk .

I am a firm proponent of COVID precautions and mask-wearing.  Even so, I still worry about what social distancing must be doing to our children psychologically.  While dropping off at Woods Cross, I saw the saddest thing.  I watched a little boy arrive at school and hide in the bushes because he had forgotten his mask.  I just wanted to wrap him up in a giant hug and reassure him that everything would be okay. 

While Annie and Eli started at Woods Cross, Brooklyn and Talia endured another week of summer.  Following Labor Day, they were ecstatic for the first day of school, even if it was going to be online.  They got up at the crack of dawn to get ready and their instruments practiced.  We were all gathered at the table eating breakfast when the power went out.

Considering that the back alley looked like this, it's not hard to see why.

Rocky Mountain Power worked around the clock, bringing in dozens of workers from out-of-state, but we still didn't get power back until Friday. It was eight days before our internet was reconnected.  Brooklyn and Talia diligently trekked down to the church building every morning, cloistering themselves there for the day.  Once our internet was back up and running, school looked more like this.

All in all, online classes have been going quite well for Talia and Brooklyn.  I'm extremely impressed with their dedication in getting up early to practice before logging into their classes.  Even though they don't like it, they even turn on their videos so that their teachers don't feel like they are teaching to a blank screen.  For the first quarter, they are taking four block "A" classes.  Next quarter they will switch to their four "B" classes.  Third quarter goes back to "A" and then fourth returns to "B."  It's not ideal with AP testing for Brooklyn, but I think it's the best option we have right now.

Talia (8th grade) has a fun schedule this quarter.  She's taking US History with Ms. Twiggs, Honors Math with Mr. Kassner, PE with Ms. Norman, and Advanced Art with Ms. Delfin.  

As a sophomore, Brooklyn chose some pretty rigorous classes.  Right now, she's taking Concurrent Enrollment Spanish with Ms. Anderson, AP Computer Science with Mr. Vawdrey, Honors Language Arts 10 with Ms. Tanner, and AP Physics with Ms. Bulson.  Early morning seminary is every day at 7:00 am--a fairly humane time.  Zoom classes are held MTThF with Wednesday being reserved for asynchronous learning.  However, Brooklyn's concurrent enrollment Math 1050/1060 class for next quarter is meeting for two hours every Wednesday during this quarter as well.  

I'm just glad my big girls are organized enough to keep track of their own schedules and assignments.  It can be pretty overwhelming!  Here's a cute little sketch Brooklyn drew of herself and her friends for her Language Arts class.  Note the Wheeler Wobble T-shirt.

As for me personally, I stepped away from my job at West High this year to have more time to engage with the kids and their education.  In truth, I spend a lot of time chauffeuring, whether to Woods Cross elementary (which recently switched to four-days a week in-person) or Ultimate frisbee.

Both Brooklyn and Talia are playing ultimate with the Krakens this year, and they love it!  They bike themselves to practice at Sugarhouse park every now and then so I don't have to make as many trips.

Other extracurriculars: Annika is doing Girl Scouts, Eli and Talia are taking piano lessons from Sherry Black, Talia is taking violin from David Langr, and Brooklyn is studying cello with Dr. Lauren Posey.  Dr. Posey recently had Brooklyn submit an audition video to perform in a masterclass with Avi Friedlander next week.  Brooklyn is both excited and terrified to have been accepted.

Congratulations Brooklyn!  And congratulations to both big girls for auditioning into YACP orchestras.  Brooklyn is playing with the Wasatch Mountain Camerata, and Talia is playing with the Youth Chamber Orchestra.

Add in weekly church youth group activities and everyone is staying quite busy.  Overall, I feel grateful that the year is off to a strong start.  Just praying for the stamina to keep it up through winter!