During the month of August, we'll be showing you how districts across the Valley are getting ready for the 2021 school year.

We start off in Point Isabel where teachers have a message for parents.

As an educator for the last 12 years, 7^th grade history teacher Courtney Hill saw several changes as a result of the pandemic.

"The type of delivery - even with students in the classroom - is vastly different,” Hill said. “Because, you're now playing to two audiences."

Technology being the biggest factor in how she's had to adapt. But even as a history teacher, Hill says her years in the field have helped.

"Technology is the future,” Hill said. “So that's been incorporated year by year. And so there was kind of that switch very quickly. But, thankfully we've had a lot of expertise."

For 43 years, Celia Galindo has perfected the art of cooking. Now, she's bringing that expertise to young students for the first time.

In her classroom, kids will be learning to prepare food. And while some parents may be nervous, Galindo says the first few weeks of food safety classes should actually make her students a little bit safer.

“A lot of times, they're not used to washing their hands every three minutes - that's going to have to happen in my class,” Galindo said.

Although their levels of experience are different, and both Galindo and Hill are nervous about the year ahead, their message for parents who may be anxious is the same.

"It is a little scary,” said Hill. “It can be a little daunting. But the one thing that you can count on is that teachers love these kids as much as parents do. So we're looking out for safety number one. Always.”