Longboat Key families navigate back to school amid a pandemic

Parents all summer knew this day would come soon enough: first day of school.

Since last spring, kids have been home, either studying online or enjoying summer vacation. 

Last week, Manatee County kids returned to class, with parents choosing between full-time in person, full-time online learning and a hybrid of the two. 

Sarasota County kids will start Monday. Parents had three options from which to choose: full-time in person, remote learning and a regimen of virtual classes at their own pace. 

No matter what the choice or destination, parents on Longboat Key say this school year is beginning with a lot of questions. 

On Aug. 17,  the Nock children — Lauren-Taylor, Garrett and Easton — donned their masks, boarded their buses and headed for their new schools. It’s quite a new routine, as Lauren-Taylor and Garrett start sixth grade at a new school and Easton is going to kindergarten. 

“It’s really great,” Lauren-Taylor said. “Of course everyone is as mixed-up as me because we’re wearing masks and it’s sixth grade. We’re starting a new chapter in our lives. We’re being safe and having fun.” 

For mom Jessica Nock, the decision to go back to school or not was fraught and ever-changing. Her feelings about it changed every day but in the end, she made the decision to send them back. Her children are extroverts, and Easton has been extremely excited to go to school for a while now after he watched his siblings over the years. 

“I really feel good about it,” Jessica said. “They’re trying their best and keeping everything clean and distanced. I feel good about the decision. The kids’ mental health changed. They’re happier going back.” 

In the spring, e-learning went well for the Nock family, but Jessica doesn’t think it would work for them long-term. The kids suffered a bored summer and it was hard for them to not be able to see their friends. She trusts that the school is doing their best to keep everyone safe. 

“As long as I see that effort, seeing them (the kids) smile is worth it,” Jessica said.

Zuleika Zunz is another Manatee County Schools student, but was one of four fourth-graders at Anna Maria Elementary who started the year online. Parents Ivan and Judith decided to keep her home for all their safety. 

“It’s just so nerve-wracking,” father Ivan Zunz said. “There’s so much unknown and the numbers aren’t going down.” 

E-learning is going smoothly, Zuleika reports, but she misses her friends and sometimes the family’s pet bird repeats words it hears — not ideal for Zoom calls. She has a very organized desk set-up with her notebooks, pens, unicorn headphones and laptop where she spends her school day. She has to log on at 8:30, and then listens to an audio announcement from the teacher — morning announcements in 2020. 

From there, Zuleika’s day looks somewhat like a normal school day. She goes through a set schedule of classes and has lunch at the same time every day, as well as workbook and online assignments to complete throughout the week. There’s a classroom teacher as well as an online aide to help e-learning students.

“Under the circumstances it seems to be going well,” Ivan said. 

Zuleika will stay online until at least mid-October, when the family can review the situation and decide to send her back to Anna Maria Elementary, where about 195 students began the school year in-person.

Even with homeschooling families, the school year is far from normal. The Riesen family lives on the south end of the Key, so 16-year-old Sophia and 10-year-old Addison would be in Sarasota County Schools and starting classes on Aug. 31. However, their school year is typically year-round, involving travel and various in-person classes. None of that is happening in 2020. 

“We do kind of all-over, customized school for each of the girls,” mom Jorie Riesen said. “Our family travels a ton and that’s how we do a huge portion of education is through hands-on travel and going around the world and learning about culture, people and history. That is what we’re missing big-time right now.” 

Sophia, a junior in high school, began college courses online on Aug. 17. She got her driver’s license recently and had originally planned on taking some courses in-person, since she could drive herself. But that’s now a plan for another year. 

There are some parts of Sophia’s normal academic life that will return soon, like her internship at Mote. But it’s hard for her to think about what it will look like, because she knows how quickly things can change these days. There’s no timetable for Addison’s return to her classes, unfortunately. 

“All of Addi’s stuff is kind of on hold,” Jorie said. “It’s hard to be 10 and waiting.”

Time has felt strange for the Riesen girls, who normally get to travel over the summer, so the return to structure is much appreciated. 

“Time passes faster when I’m working,” Sophia said. “This summer every day felt like nine days. It felt like the longest spring break ever. A long, hot spring break.”