A different kind of back-to-school shopping

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Only a week ago, Santa Cruz County announced all of its schools would start the year with distance learning. Now parents are trying to figure out what they need to help their students learn from home.

This week is normally the back to school event sale for teachers that are putting their classrooms together for the fall, at Wonderland Toys and Classroom Resources in Soquel. This summer, the school supply store is making changes to help parents get the resources they need for at home learning.

“We’re calling it back-to-home school love week, and it's basically for everyone who is looking towards the next month and saying, "how am I going to do this home school thing," which is really all of us,” co-owner of Wonderland Hannah Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield said the usual supplies like pencils and markers will be needed, but now certain projects for kids will likely become more popular for at home learning.

“We have lots of great art projects and science projects hands on manipulatives for math, and all kinds of things that will be especially useful for younger kids,” Stubblefield said.

“Not only am I mom, but I’m going to have to be teacher mom,” Pajaro Valley Unified School district parent Sara Castillo said.

Castillo’s son with special needs is heading into second grade at Rio Del Mar Elementary, but they already struggled through a spring of at-home learning.

“It was rough. I'm not going to lie,” Castillo said.

The county office of education said they’re getting even more chrome books, that way all students will have one. Castillo said her son got to keep his over the summer, and will continue using it in the fall.

“That’s really helping a lot, because the school district computers have access to all the online learning resources,” Castillo said.

The length of school days from home will be shorter than a regular school day. 1st-3rd graders will be in school for 3 hours and 50 minutes, and 4th through high school will be 4 hours. That is down from a six hour school day.

“If we can all be in this together we can find creative ways to do this. I think we’re going to rise to meet this challenge,” Stubblefield said.

The school supply and toy shop has been open for five years, and in the fall is moving to a new location in Aptos in the Rancho Del Mar shopping center.