THE final students have now returned to the classroom across the Wimmera, after months of remote learning.
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Grades three to six and years seven to 10 students started back at school on Tuesday.
Schools operated remotely during term two up to this point due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Horsham Primary School principal Chris Walter said it was fantastic to have a full school for the first time since March.
"Everyone's happy to be back and seeing their friends again," he said.
Mr Walter said changes in light of COVID-19 were introduced when the preps to grade twos returned two weeks earlier.
Classrooms and play equipment are now cleaned more regularly.
Mr Walter said parents were no longer allowed on the school grounds beyond the front office.
He said there was also a strong focus on teaching children to wash their hands and cough into their elbow.
Mr Walter said the younger students had settled back into school well during the past two weeks.
"They've been great. It's really impressive how they've got back in the swing of it," he said.
"There's been a few people who've got upset leaving mum and dad but that's normal."
Mr Walter said there were extra staff members in pick-up and drop-off areas to help anyone who was struggling.
He said overall the children had been resilient through months of remote learning.
"It was a really big learning experience, not just for the students but the teachers as well," he said.
"As time went on we started to get the balance right."
Mr Walter said improved relationships between the school and families was one major positive out of remote learning.
"That relationship (with families) seems to be even stronger than it was before," he said.
He said increased technology skills was another highlight.
Mr Walter said it was great to watch the older students interact on their first day back.
"There's a lot of excitement around," he said.
St Patrick's School in Nhill welcomed back its grades three to six students on Tuesday with a special guest - Mickey Mouse.
Mickey, also known as principal Kingsley Dalgleish, said it was the first time since March 23 that the school's 32 pupils were on site together.
He said the students had to work through new dynamics in friendships after not seeing some of their peers at all in that time.
But he said everyone was keen to be back.
"They've all been looking forward to it," he said. "I surveyed families and the kids a few weeks ago and they were all really keen to get back."
Mr Dalgleish said it was great to see the interaction between the senior and junior students on Tuesday.
He said while remote learning was now over, aspects of it would remain.
These include using online mathematics programs to help students work at their own pace, and using more technology with presentations.
Mr Dalgleish said the school was being cleaned regularly and there were sanitiser stations for students outside every classroom.
"They're all into sanitising their hands as they walk in and sanitising when they walk out," he said.
Mr Dalgleish said remote learning had not only changed things for the students, but the parents as well.
"Our parents have been very supportive throughout this whole process and worked with the teachers to help keep the students engaged with their classes and their classmates," he said.
"With many of the parents also having to work from home, it has been an added workload for them to be doing their work as well as supervising their children with their studies at the same time.
"We have acknowledged the efforts of the parents with small tokens of our appreciation. Students received welcome back packs as well."
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