With summer soon approaching and COVID cases at a minimum, NDB students have the option to apply for summer school courses. Some students choose to take summer classes if they want to advance their class placement for the next school year, or if they are interested in learning more about a specific subject. Other students are required to take summer school if they did not meet the requirements to pass a class during the previous school year. However, this summer comes with a catch: many courses require students to be in person for the lessons.

After two years of COVID-19, one of the upsides that benefited students was the option to participate in summer classes virtually. This had been reality for the summers of 2020 and 2021, and many students are hoping that would be the case for this summer too.

Requiring students to be in person for summer classes can serve as a large obstacle, not only for students but for families as well. Having the classes be in-person can be a difficulty in a family’s summer planning, or even force them to cancel plans altogether. This would be disappointing for all those looking forward to their previous plans, and would make the students enrolled in summer school not want to be there.

Not only would life be easier on the students and families, having summer classes online could help students build skills to help prepare them for the upcoming school year. If the classes were online, students could work on their planning and time management skills to get work done on time and to regularly attend online meetings while on summer vacation. These critical skills would set students up to be more successful.

Having an online option for summer courses could also allow more students to enroll, as they could participate in their classes from wherever they might be. Not having to wake up early, rush to school, and sit in a classroom for hours could make students more relaxed and eager to do their work from home.

Lastly, almost two years of school virtually has everyone accustomed to the technology and how to succeed in classes online. Summer courses would run smoother and faster, at everyone’s convenience.

Academic courses that are offered this summer should consider a remote option, to make the summer easier for the teachers, students, and families.