Distance learning to begin in Lee and Collier Counties

Teachers and students in Lee and Collier Counties will head back to school virtually on Monday.

The distance learning is part of another measure to social distance and slow the spread of coronavirus.

Moisture returns Sunday with agood chance of rain and highs inthe low to mid 80s.THIS MORNING TEACHERS ANDSTUDENTS HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL*VIRTUALLY.ALL PART OF ANOTHER MEASURE TOSOCIAL DISTANCE AND SLOW THESPREAD OF CORONAVIRUJESSICA ALPERN HAS MORE ON HOWDISTANCE LEARNING WILL WORK INBOTH LEE AND COLLIER COUNTIES.THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HAVEBEEN SPENT PREPPING FOR TODAY.FROM TESTING OUT TECH ISSUES...TO MAKING SURE ALL STUDENTS HAVEACCESS TO A COMPUTER.THIS MORNING WILL MARK DAY ONEOF DISTANCE LEARNING FOR LEE ANDCOLLIER COUNTIES.WHILE FLORIDA SCHOOLS ARE*PHYSICALLY CLOSED UNTIL APRIL15TH DUE TO CORONAVIRUS... THEDISTRICTS WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT*CLASS IS STILL IN SESSION.JUST IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT.EACH COUNTY HAS A DIFFERENT SETUP-- BUT FOR THE MOST PARTSTUDENTS ARE ASKED TO LOG INTOTHEIR ONLINE PORTALS.THEY’LL BE ABLE TO ACCESSCOURSEWORK FROM THEIR TEACHERS.AND ARE EXPECTED TO ACTIVELYPARTICIPATE EACH VIRTUAL SCHOOLDAY.WE GOT A SNEAK PEEK WHILEPREPARATIONS WERE UNDERWAY ATLEE COUNTY SCHOOLS LAST WEEK.TEACHERS TELL US THEY UNDERSTANDTHIS WILL CERTAINLY BE ANADJUSTMENT.BUT THAT THE BIG THING HERE ISPROVIDING SOME SORT OF *ROUTINEDURING WHAT’S BEEN A VERYCONFUSING TIME.SOT (Jennifer Nargi, 3rd-gradeteacher, Villas ElementarySchool):"We don’t want to overwhelm thefamilies, we don’t want to havethem stress or worry about ’ohthis one more thing tocomplete,’ this is just to givethe kids some routine.Especially being considerate ofthose families that have morethan one kid sharing oneChromebook."SINCE TODAY WILL BE DAY ONE, YOUMAY HAVE QUESTIONS.THROUGHOUT THIS EXPERIENCE,PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE ABLE TOE-MAIL THE ADDRESSES ON YOURSCREEN FOR HELP.THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OFRESOURCES THE SCHOOL DISTRICTSHAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU AND YOURKIDS THROUGHOUT THIS