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A Montclair nonprofit has hit on a novel resource to help students struggling with the academic and social challenges of remote learning: Their peers.
After the pandemic hit last spring and schools went fully remote, Masiel Rodriquez-Vars, president of the nonprofit Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, started hearing from teachers and guidance counselors that many of the districts middle school students were not showing up to virtual classes and not handing in assignments. Remote learning exacerbates the risk of student engagement, especially for students already having difficulty in school or who don t have tech-savvy supports, she said. Middle school is a hard three years, and especially now when kids are not seeing their teachers and friends on a regular basis, she said. They are struggling with mental health issues, navigating friends and figuring out their identity.