A RETURN to school has drawn mixed reactions from Bendigo parents.
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Some welcomed the change, but others were cautious about their family's health.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Tuesday that prep, grade one and two, and year 11 and 12 students would return to school on May 26. Remaining students will go back on June 9.
For Michaela Woolley's family of six learning from home has been extremely stressful. She welcomed the return to classroom learning for her school-aged children.
The Maiden Gully parent has been left looking after two school children and two toddlers. Her husband, a builder, has been out of the house from about 7am to 5 or 6pm most days.
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Mrs Woolley - previously the family breadwinner - has also temporarily shut her photography business, made untenable by COVID-19 restrictions.
This has added financial stress into the mix, with the family forced to use savings.
She's found it "near impossible" some days to give her children the attention they need.
Mrs Woolley expects to have a bit more time between her children, when her grade one returns to school in two weeks.
Her kids are also looking forward to getting back to their routine, Mrs Woolley said.
"My kids are normally very confident kids, they do extremely well at school, they love going to school," she said.
"Now they just don't like the thought of going school work any more. They kind of huff when I say, 'It's time to open up your laptops'.
"They are really really looking forward to getting back to routine and the normal school interaction."
Clare Wood's reaction was mixed when she heard Year 11 and 12 students would be returning to school from May 26.
Her husband is in an elevated risk category for COVID-19, and has been instructed to stay at home.
Mrs Wood said her daughter was nervous she might bring something back to the house.
And as a Year 11 Victory Christian College student, she had been thriving at home, Mrs Wood said.
"It's just how do we manage one of us going out, and coming back, and not potentially passing anything on," she said.
"I know the incidences of cases are low for Bendigo, but you just never know where other people have been, or who they've been in contact with."
Golden Square parent Sarah Penrose was chuffed to hear children would soon return to the classroom, after scrabbling to find care for her youngest child.
A hygiene services worker, she has been unable to work from home.
It's meant Ms Penrose has struggled to find care for her six-year-old daughter.
Her the grade two student was in the van with her, because she had been unable to find someone to look after her, when Ms Penrose spoke to the Bendigo Advertiser.
Ms Penrose said the school had told her they were struggling to find staff to supervise children, when she rang to ask if her daughter could attend in person.
Her 12 and 13 year old children were pretty independent, Ms Penrose said, but she did not want to put too much pressure on them to look after their younger sister.
Ms Penrose's husband works full time in Tongala, meaning most of the pressure has fallen on her.
She has also been forced to reduce her work hours from 6am-3pm, to 6am-1pm, to homeschool.
The routine has "awful".
Ms Penrose has been left drained by the stress of extra care around contact at work. She then comes home to help her children learn.
By the time that's done, it's time to cook tea, and get the children to bed.
Ms Penrose said a huge load had come off mind now her six-year-old is going back to school.
And her daughter is excited to see her friends more than anything. Having just lost her first tooth, she's keen to show them the gap.