SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — School has wrapped up for students in KELOLAND, putting remote learning in the past– at least for now.

10-year-old Spencer and 6-year-old Carter Pick spent their last few months of class at Harrisburg Explorer Elementary doing remote learning.

“Well, I’m not sure they’d want me as their full-time teacher, but the one part that they did like was they were done with their work within a couple of hours every day and have the rest of the day to play, but they really did miss seeing their friends,” Nicole Pick said.

Nicole Pick says remote learning offered more time to spend with her family, but it didn’t come without some challenges when it came time to be both mom, and teacher.

“If you would’ve said remote learning, a week before that, probably not many people would have known what we were talking about,” Kevin Dick said.

Kevin Dick is the principal of R.F. Pettigrew Elementary in Sioux Falls. He says the switch to remote learning happened quickly, but students, parents and teachers adapted well.

“They just rolled up their sleeves, embraced the challenge, and the students by and large, joined in as much as possible,” Dick said.

While remote learning lacked social interaction, he says it did bring a new connection between school and home life.

“We felt at school, we were pretty connected overall with our families. But now, I mean, if I asked my teacher, they would know the family’s schedules as far as their work schedules. They would know when the kids, you know, work best when they were online and when they’d be available,” Dick said.

If students are safely able to get back into the classroom by the fall, Dick says some of the new techniques used in remote learning may continue.

“I think there will be pieces of technology and remote learning that will still stay around and it’ll continue to develop. Just as remote learning developed over this last quarter,” Dick said.

While the future of the pandemic is unknown, Pick says her sons are hoping to get back inside the classroom come August.

“They want it to start to, they do want to go back,” Pick said.

A school supplies list for the 2021 school year at R.F. Pettigrew Elementary is already posted online. To take a look, click here.