Online learning presents a number of challenges and here at Dr. Weeks Elementary School, teachers are doing everything they can to get students involved, and that includes home makeovers. 

Anas Mugane fires up his laptop for remote learning. He’s in fourth grade and can’t pick a favorite subject.

“Math, ELA, and science. There are three of them,” said Anas.

Two days a week, Anas’s classroom is his living room. He has great attendance and participation, so the school surprised him with a personalized desk. 

“I was excited. I was happy, too. Before I sit on, it was wiggly a little. Then I got into it. And this desk is good,” said Anas. 

Anas is one of the first students rewarded with a desk. It’s one of the creative ways leaders at Dr. Weeks Elementary are encouraging students, like Anas, to log on. 

Leah Mazzella-Mannion is the school’s administrative intern. She says the school was pushing 90% participation at the beginning of the year, and they want to keep that number up.

“So we came up with an idea that we could do a virtual home makeover for students so they had a space that they were proud of and a space where they could complete their work each and every day,” said Mazzella-Mannion. 

Before the makeover, Anas shared his home classroom with his siblings. Now he only has to share some school supplies.