HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. – He might be stuck inside these days, but 6th grader Matthew Light was inspired to draw the sun which he's cutting out for a collage for his art project. 

"Our art teacher challenged us over this week and next week to go outside and find things that you appreciate," said Matthew. 

Matthew and his little sister Devin, who's in 4th grade, attend Our Lady of Guadalupe, or OLG for short. It's a small private Catholic school in Hermosa Beach.

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On Thursday, March 12 the decision was made to transition to remote learning, and by Tuesday March 17, students were home virtually attending class.

"It's cool being at home because I can finish early, then I get to do whatever I want," Matthew said. 

But one reason OLG was able to pivot so quickly was that they were already using equipment like Chromebooks and iPads in the classroom, and incorporating them into the students' lessons through online learning programs. 

Over in Harbor City, Jimi Hazen is taking off his music teacher hat and greeting his 5th grade math students via Google Classroom and Zoom. 

"Angelina, Boston, can you guys hear me?" asked Hazen.

"The scheduled Zooms are really just trying to get the kids engaged, and getting used to that normalcy, of ;Hey, we're in school, and I expect you to do a certain thing at a certain time,;" Hazen added. 

Not only does the technology come into play, but Hazen credits their short-term success to his administration's quick-action in pre-planning.

"We had one day where all the teachers came in together, and we got to figure out our distance learning plans," he said.

 

 

The small size of student body may also have benefited their smooth transition.

OLG has one grade per class with 25-30 students., from TK through 8th grade.

But despite the manageable size, having a majority of curriculums already online-based was the real game-changer.

"The fact that I just get to do it the same way I was doing it, not everyone can do that," said Hazen. "Because not everyone has been using the technology as much as I have."

Back at the Light home, Matthew and Devin feel like they've got a good handle on their schoolwork. 

They miss their friends but use virtual tools to stay connected.

"We have group chats, Facetime, practically anything that we can do to socialize with each other," Matthew said.

As Matthew and Devin continue to navigate life during the COVID-19 pandemic, at least they have the technology to keep them connected to their friends...and to their education.