BENDIGO parents and schools will be working together in 2021 to support students after a year of remote learning.
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Central Victorian primary and high school students spent most of this year learning from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hayley Kellow's six-year-old son Louis' first year of prep was not what she expected, as he missed out not only on classes but events like school concerts and Easter parades.
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Mrs Kellow said her son had been quite anxious throughout the year and had missed being around his friends.
"He missed out on a lot of those school opportunities while we were in remote learning so I'm so glad he was able to do a few little things at the end of the year," she said.
"It was definitely a relief to have them back to normality. It wasn't a long time back at school but it was good."
Lauren Evans' daughter Lyla also spent much of her grade two year learning from home. Mrs Evans said it had been challenging.
"Remote learning was very self-directed," she said. "We didn't find it extremely structured. It wasn't ideal.
"Lyla needs to be more directed and she's also a quiet and anxious little kid so she missed her friends a lot. There was not much interaction between the teacher and the kids."
During remote learning, Mrs Evans and Mrs Kellow signed up for the Triple P Online Victoria program - a free course designed to help parents support their child's emotional wellbeing.
Mrs Kellow said as an adult, she had been feeling anxious about the pandemic.
"In these unprecedented times when we didn't know how to deal with things, we were able to get online and get these resources and tools to help us," she said.
"It just gives us the confidence and reflection on what sort of parent you want to be and how you can achieve that."
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Mrs Evans said the program gave her the instructions on how to help her daughters.
"Kids don't tend to explain or can talk about how they are feeling as much as adults, so it comes out in behaviour," she said.
"The program does address those sorts of issues. There are lots of modules about how you can help your kids and build on resilience."
Mrs Evans said Lyla was feeling ready to go into the next school year, while her other daughter Edie was also entering prep in 2021.
Mrs Evans said the prep orientation program had been different, with shorter transition classes for new students.
"The school has done their best to manage it, but it's just what had to happen," she said. "It's different but the kids don't know any different."
Mrs Kellow, who is also a teacher, said some prep students might find next year challenging because of those changes.
"I know how important those transition sessions are to get the children familiar with their surroundings," She said.
"I know some schools around Bendigo haven't been able to tell the kids who their teacher will be next year. It's not ideal. It's just the way the world is at the moment."
But Mrs Kellow said parents should feel confident that their children would be supported in 2021.
"I know a lot of parents are worried about the progress of their kids because they didn't have face-to-face classes," she said.
"But parents need to remember they will make up for it next year and the teachers will adjust their learning to cater for those needs.
"So there's no need to stress about the kids that may be a little bit behind where they should be or didn't quite achieve their goals. The teachers will take that into consideration next year."
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