WATTS, Calif. — While many schools are reopening their classrooms, one school in Watts will remain closed.

Watts Learning Center will continue online learning following overwhelming requests from students and families asking not to return.

Fifth grader A’niya McDermon explained how she misses walking around school and being with her friends, but would rather stick with learning online because the thought of going back to school is scary.

"I think that it’s best for everyone at my school to stay at home because one, there are younger kids, and they don’t really know how to social distance that much," McDermon said. "They’ll want to touch on you and play with you and always want to be close by you. And two, because us fifth graders and fourth graders and third graders, we should know how to social distance and to keep our masks on, but there are some kids that may not want to keep their masks on, so I’ll be scared about that."

That fear is the reason many families told school leadership they didn’t want their students to return. A survey revealed many of the families have been hit hard by COVID-19 and prefer to stay home.

As Board President Eugene Fisher explained, they had to respond to the social and emotional needs of the community.

“This pandemic has taken lives in our community, and we learned about that because the teachers are basically front-line, and they know that students are going through the changes, and we are sensitive to the families’ needs,” Fisher said. “We respond to that with empathy, and certainly sympathize and empathize because the children are impacted emotionally when such a thing occurs.”

Third grade teacher Sima Aleahmad has responded to those needs virtually by including inspirational videos and mindfulness in her class’s daily routine.

"We’re doing mindful moments and we’re breathing in the moment," said Aleahmad. "We’re anchoring in love. We’re sharing that love with others. So we start our day in a positive way."

McDermon said she is grateful for her school’s commitment to making sure she feels supported while learning from home and eventually making it back to the classroom.