![]() ![]() “I had to deliver the materials to each kid because without that and their books, it’s nearly impossible to learn.”īecause Hall teaches four different grade levels, parents also need to take on additional homeschooling roles, looking after their children while Hall teaches other age groups. “I broke the rules and snuck through,” said Hall. Many of her students were in a similar predicament. Arms raised, she sent out assignments and reached her students that way until her husband was able to clear enough debris for her to get to Pacific Valley. The road connecting her house to Highway 1 was a mess, and since she didn’t have internet at her home, she had to hike up a nearby hill and hold her phone high in the air to get cell service. When the roads first crumbled, Hall - like nearly everyone in the community - was also cut off from the classroom. As he scooped the “blue bellies” into a bucket, Sage angled the phone to show the squirming reptiles to Ryder and his little sister. One day, Sage said he carried his mom’s phone down to the beach and called Ryder to include him in a virtual lizard hunt. Sage and his best friend, Ryder, used to go lizard hunting at the beach between their homes, but now they are separated by the slides. Sage Harvey, 11, tunes into online classes on March 1, 2023. “I haven’t seen some of my friends in months,” said Sage. Most of 11-year-old Sage’s interactions now revolve around the two other students in his class, whom he sees online, instead of the 14 other students filtering in and out of Pacific Valley’s hallways. More screens have also been the only way for the children to connect with some of their best friends. Sage, Kyan and Aven Harvey - who used to split their time between their mother’s and father’s homes - have seen their dad just twice since the January storms, relying on FaceTime to fill the gap. On top of that, many children have been cut off from some of those they love most. Hall said a few students are struggling to keep up, and she has watched as one child’s internet has become so feeble, “It’s like she’s not even there.” For the last two weeks, the internet has been down at Pacific Valley, forcing Hall to teach from a hotel 30 miles south of the school. “But what options are there? Have the kids take a helicopter to school every morning? There’s just no solution right now.”Īfter a year and a half back in the classroom, the post-pandemic return to online learning was not a welcome one. “Again, people are saying, ‘My kids aren’t acting right, this online stuff has to stop,’ ” said Hall. Four children have transferred out since the storms began, and for those who have remained, computer screens have replaced classrooms and phone calls have replaced play dates. But with their children stuck learning online, even parents who do have access to their workplaces can’t leave their kids at home alone.Įven before this latest storm, Caltrans officials said the road closure at Paul’s Slide is indefinite, leaving many to worry that Pacific Valley School could be shuttered until June or later. For many, going to the next closest school would mean driving as much as 45 minutes one way. They were blocked not just from the school but also their workplaces, health care centers and grocery stores. They’re so close, but still so far.įor weeks in January, about 250 residents living in the 20-mile stretch from Lime Creek in the north to Ragged Point in the south relied on helicopter deliveries for essential items. It’s frustrating, said Day, who first questioned the decision but ultimately accepted that it was the only way to keep the lessons going. But that meant even families like the Days - who live on the school’s side of the slide and could reach the classroom - can’t send their kids to school. They reasoned that it would deliver the best quality of teaching. When the roads first closed, the school decided to go fully remote so teachers wouldn’t have to scramble between online and in-person instruction. And that is definitely being seen in the kids.” “I try really hard, but I would say that no one is OK,” said Hall, the school’s kindergarten through third-grade teacher. But since late last year, damage from the slides has forced all of its students back to COVID-style remote learning - and kept many parents from their jobs. With just 15 students and four teachers, the school prides itself on the tight-knit community it creates. It’s nestled between a sea of redwoods and a stretch of Highway 1, and just beyond the road, sheer cliffs face off against the Pacific Ocean. Hall teaches at Pacific Valley School, the modern-day equivalent of a one-room schoolhouse.
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