SALT LAKE CITY — Students in the Salt Lake City School District will head back to the classroom on August 24th and some students will be attending an all new virtual school.
Salt Lake Virtual Elementary School is brand new this year and they’re ready to welcome kids back to the online classroom.
First grade virtual teacher, De-Ann Moore, Is preparing for her students to log on for the first time at Salt Lake Virtual Elementary School.
“Virtual learning works, it works for certain people,” said De-Ann Moore, first grade teacher at Salt Lake Virtual Elementary School.
The new school got approval from the school board this past winter, as a way to help certain students excel.
“There are some students that are really meant to do online, whether they have anxiety or different things that are keeping them from succeeding in school,” said Moore.
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For kids who have health concerns or parents who are worried about covid, virtual learning provides a way for kids to still keep up with their studies.
“They are really excited for the opportunity because they’re concerned about their children’s health, they’re just not ready to send their children back to in person school, in a classroom full of students,” said Ken Limb, Principal Salt Lake Virtual Elementary School.
The virtual school will be like any other school in the district, just online 4 days a week, and one day set aside for kids to come into the classroom in small group settings for specialized learning.
“They have very good experience, to have the students interact in a way that they’re not just on the computer all the time, they’re able to interact together, so they’re building friendships, so they aren’t just sitting there and not getting to know other kids,” said Moore.
Moore says she saw massive improvements in her virtual class last year, with a 70 percent growth in reading skills for every student.
“We’re going to take the students that flourish online, and the teachers that flourish online, put them together and we have this exciting school, where everyone is going to work together,” said Moore
And while it can be challenging starting a school from scratch, Moore says it’s worth it to see each child succeed and grow throughout the year.
Salt Lake Virtual Elementary will cap it’s enrollment at around 200.
