Several school districts will welcome back students to campus in the coming days after the coronavirus pandemic forced kids to learn from home for much of last year.

MISSOURI CITY, Texas – This week, President Biden plans to address getting kids back in the classroom as early as Wednesday. This comes as Fort Bend ISD once again is closing some schools and opening others. The district also sent an email to parents on Friday saying if their student is falling behind in their studies and grades, they will require them to come and learn face-to-face. Below is a list of FBISD schools and their plans:School pivoting to online on Tuesday, Feb. 9Pecan Grove Elementary (2/8-2/19, Students return on 2/22)School pivoting to online on Monday, Feb. 8Sienna Crossing Elementary (2/8-2/15, Students return on 2/16)Townewest Elementary (2/8-2/15, Students return on 2/16)Elkins High School (2/8-2/19, Students return on 2/22)Online schools returning to face-to-face instruction on Monday, Feb. 8Austin High SchoolBarbara Jordan ElementaryBriargate ElementaryDulles High SchoolHodges Bend Middle SchoolMadden ElementaryOyster Creek ElementaryJames Patterson ElementaryOnline schools returning to face-to-face instruction on Wednesday, Feb. 10Crockett Middle SchoolOnline schools returning to face-to-face instruction on Tuesday, Feb. 16Bowie Middle SchoolOakland ElementaryChrista McAuliffe Middle SchoolJames Neill ElementaryRosa Parks ElementaryJuan Seguin ElementaryOnline schools returning to face-to-face instruction on Wednesday, Feb. 17Quail Valley ElementaryOnline schools returning to face-to-face instruction on Monday, Feb. 22AdBush High SchoolFort Bend ISD will continue to closely monitor all schools across the district. For the latest news about your child’s school, visit www.fortbendisd.com.

A Houston program is providing one-on-one academic help to make sure students stay connected in a safe way. The Education Building at The Forge for families Center takes pride in assisting parents through the pandemic. They navigate students through the virtual learning process and help with homework and assignments. Thomas is the Program Director at the Forge for families Center. To learn more about the Forge for families center, click here.

HOUSTON – Spring ISD is making sure students who are struggling with attendance and engagement are not left behind this semester. Spring ISD says they just want to make sure students have everything they needed in order to succeed. Many students say the initiative was much needed because they were able to ask questions and talk to school leaders. The primary focus will be high school students, who either have a high number of absences or are at a high risk of failure for this semester. Students say it feels good to know that Spring ISD wants them to be successful.

SPRING – Spring ISD launches a door-to-door campaign to get students either back in school or in front of their computers again at home. “And offer them the support that they need to be successful this year.”District administrators said they plan to reach 500 families in Spring ISD over a three-hour period. The primary focus will be high school students, who either have a high number of absences or are at a high risk of failure for this semester. “I love that because now it’s showing the passion the administrators have for the kids, even for the parents,” said Spring ISD parent Shamal Peets. Many believed the parents need the visit as much as the students.

NAVASOTA, Texas – Navasota Independent School District has decided to discontinue its online learning options for students starting Oct. 20. The district said students will return to face-to-face, on-campus instruction after the school board’s meeting Monday night. The board determined it would be best for students, teachers and administrators to return due to low attendance rates and grades of students learning online compared to on-campus learners. District officials said that its campuses will be cleaned and disinfected to ensure the safety of all students and address health concerns. However, for families who may choose to not have their child(ren) return to on-campus learning, there are other options available.

Back to school time is very different this year and whether your child is going in person or online, they may experience some stress. Parents can normally relate to first day jitters but kids today have new anxiety with online learning. “There are some kids that just don’t do well with virtual communication,” said Staci Passe, psychologist at Be Someone Therapy. Depending on your school plan for virtual learning, your child might be online for several hours each day and being on-camera can trigger anxiety in some kids. To which she said, trust teachers to help get children up to speed no matter how many issues you have with online learning!

Some of you want to help and others need help. When the pandemic started, they were already well equipped to collect old computers, refurbish them and distribute them to students in Harris County. Here’s how you can helpYou can schedule an appointment to drop off your old computers, laptops and accessories like monitors, keyboards, mice, cables and speakers. They need computers that are not more than five years old. Pastor Hannah Terry says they’ll take whatever old computers and laptops you have, refurbish devices they can and recycle those that can’t be restored.

KATY, Texas – Katy ISD is set to begin the school year with a virtual start on Wednesday morning. More than 85,000 k-12th grade will begin the school year with online learning. Katy ISD Superintendent Dr. Ken Gregorski said that the district has been working for weeks to make sure that students have the technology needed to begin the school year. So we feel that our system is up and ready and functional to handle the capacity that it will need for students to get online,” the superintendent said. All the way from when you get on the bus where every child getting on school transportation is required to wear a mask.

HOUSTON – The alarm clock will replace the sound of the school bell as students go back to class at home in just a few weeks. At-home learning means you will need technology to help your student get online for classes and complete school work. What type you need and how much you will have to spend depends on your child’s age and requirements from their school. You should definitely shop around online because many retailers are offering back to school specials and bundles. In Houston ISD, if you need a laptop or hotspot, interim superintendent Grenita Lathan says you should request them through your school principal.

A 12-year-old Nicaraguan boy started his own business to save money for a computer to attend online classes. Mario Urroz says he's been using his mother's cell phone to do homework ever since his school closed due to the coronavirus. With money being tight, Mario decided to start selling cacti. Mario buys them from a local farm, puts them in colorful painted pots and then sells them on social media. Mario is hoping to have enough money to buy a computer by December.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – As universities across the U.S. are reformatting the way classes are taught, Google is taking things a step further by providing their own certificates, CNBC reported. The company, based in Mountain View, California said the certificates are the equivalent to a four-year degree, with offerings such as Data Analytics, Project Management and User Experience (UX) design. Today we’re announcing Google Career Certificates from #GrowWithGoogle to help job seekers prepare for careers in high-growth fields. https://t.co/h65QdjWTPC pic.twitter.com/6BsRzAY08X — Google (@Google) July 13, 2020The courses will be offered by Coursera, and a previous college degree is not required to apply. Google also offers other courses in addition to certificates, such as digital wellbeing, and being successful in a digital market.

KLEIN, Texas – Klein ISD released its plan Friday for reopening school in five and a half weeks. Adcox is an 11th grader at Klein High School and believes it’s best if she stays home for school. “I think it’ll be more likely for me to catch it and spread it to someone who’s more vulnerable, so I don’t want that to happen,” she said. In the district’s plan, parents can pick Klein on campus or Klein online. “We’ve been working so hard amidst these challenging circumstances to design the best possible to reopening Klein ISD,” said Superintendent Dr. Jenny McGown in a video to the community.