Millions of students nationwide remain at home in this pandemic, learning on district laptops or tablets. Some children are now back in class and others could return soon. But at least one family won鈥檛 go back. They've chosen to home-school.
It鈥檚 a warm weekday morning in this tree lined neighborhood in Hurst. Seven-year-old Mollie Gilchrist is playing in her driveway with the rest of her family. She went to Bedford Heights Elementary School last year but hasn鈥檛 been back since COVID-19 closed it in March. She鈥檚 been learning at home ever since.
鈥淲ell, I don鈥檛 get to see my friends that much in home school,鈥� Mollie said. 鈥淏ut at home school I get to go on field trips, and I鈥檝e never been on one in public school.鈥�
Mom Tricia Gilchrist explains.
鈥淲e鈥檝e done a couple of field trips just at home,鈥� Trisha Gilchrist said, 鈥渂ecause we still want to be able to socialize them. Get them out.鈥�
Trisha Gilchrist says once COVID-19 closed schools, she tried to untangle the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District鈥檚 plans for teaching her kids online. More recently though, she鈥檚 been learning how to teach them herself, making all of North Texas a classroom.
鈥淚t just being our family, we have more of an opportunity to take them on field trips,鈥� Trisha Gilchrist said.
鈥淲hereas in public school they do have maybe one field trip a year and last year the field trip got cancelled anyway since they stopped going to school after spring break. They came home for spring break and were never able to go back. So she was very disappointed in having to miss her field trip last year. So here we鈥檝e gotten to do a couple to make up for that."
Tricia and husband Scott are the tag team teaching their four kids. The youngest, 18-month-old Riggins, is sleeping inside. Everyone else is outdoors under a shady tree or running around, like their 5-year-old, proud say and spell his name.
鈥淏eau. B-E-A-U,鈥� said Beau.
Mollie, the oldest, spells her name too.
鈥淓llie 鈥� and I spell my name E-L-L-I-E,鈥� she said.
Mom and dad both grew up here and still love the HEB ISD and their kids鈥� school.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been actively involved, we loved the teachers, the faculty, everybody," said Tricia. 鈥淏ut this year, with all of the COVID regulations, it just seemed hard for them to learn in front of a computer screen for 8 hours a day. With our kids being as young as they are it just didn鈥檛 seem the best option for our family.鈥�
So, they chose the home-school option. They鈥檇 already been considering it. For one thing, the Gilchrists work out of their house. Home schooling may free up more time to travel, which they love. They鈥檙e also devout Christians. The pandemic provided the perfect excuse to teach their kids the way they want.
"It definitely helped us consider this and do some hard research and thinking and thoughtful prayer through it. I鈥檇 say it was a big impact on our decision," said Scott Gilchrist.
Because faith influences every decision they make, they鈥檝e chosen a Christian home school curriculum called The Good and the Beautiful. Tricia says it makes teaching easy.
"The curriculum tells you exactly what to say, when to say it, it provides activities to do,鈥� says Tricia. 鈥淭he schooling part is great. It鈥榮 trying to figure out our new rhythm which has been more difficult."
They both figure that鈥檒l come with time. After all, says Scott, they鈥檙e still new students learning these home-schooling lessons.
"But we鈥檙e on week four. It鈥檚 hard to assess anything when you鈥檙e only four weeks in. But we鈥檙e having a blast,鈥� Scott said.
If that changes, they can always re-enroll in the district. The pandemic was a key reason for home schooling in the first place, but an approved vaccine would not be enough to send them back.
鈥淲e鈥檙e huge researchers,鈥� Tricia said. 鈥淪o we research a lot, and we鈥檝e always consulted our doctors and pediatricians and all about everything we do but we don鈥檛 just believe everything they say. We look into all angles. I can confidently say we would not get the COVID-19 vaccine."
Gilchrist is also confidant that a recent field trip to the aquarium was good for her daughter Mollie.
"I saw a sloth and learned that they don鈥檛 scream. It slept most of the whole time," Mollie said.
The Gilchrists aren't screaming either, even though they鈥檝e taken on home schooling for the first time in their lives.
Got a tip? Email Reporter Bill Zeeble at bzeeble@kera.org . You can follow him on Twitter @bzeeble.
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