Recent stories in The News have highlighted just how different the upcoming school year will be for parents, students, and teachers as the coronavirus pandemic drags on.

First, News staff writer Crystal Nelson informed us that a larger-than-usual number of parents have elected to have their students learn entirely online or through homeschooling, avoiding the classroom all together.

Then, Nelson brought us a pair of stories showing the way that they technology schools built up over the years just to modernize classrooms are being used to help students learn away from the classroom, and the way teachers are being trained to use that technology and to teach in a virtual classroom instead of a brick-and-mortar one.

Indeed, the school year will be different than anyone has ever seen.

But some things remain the same.

No matter the medium, whether it be a blackboard or a laptop screen, our teachers are trying to prepare our students for the future, to inspire in them a curiosity about the world around them, to train them to think critically and solve problems.

And, no matter the medium, those teachers need our help, as parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and neighbors and coaches and other mentors, to make sure that learning continues at home.

And, no matter the medium, teachers need students to put in the work, to complete the assignments and to stay focused on the year ahead.

Yes, this school year will be different, but some things remain the same.