Schools across the Cowra district started welcoming back students this week, after a phased return to face-to-face learning commenced on Monday.
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While schools have remained opened for students of essential workers, Year 11 and 12 have now returned full time at both Cowra High School and St Raphael's Catholic School, while younger cohorts are attending school on a roster system.
St Raphael's Catholic School Principal, Michael Gallagher, said students have enthusiastically returned to school.
"There's been a strong uptake, there's a maximum in the 270s and a minimum in the 250s with the rostered return," he said.
"We will be back to 450 or so in Week 5 if everything goes to plan.
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"It's like a return from Christmas holidays, we are ticking over okay."
Mr Gallagher said the students' families have shown tremendous support during this difficult time.
"The parents have stayed in touch, they have been supportive," he said.
Cowra High School Principal, Helene Hamilton, said her staff members worked tirelessly to assist parents with at-home learning.
"Our staff here are amazing and they will do whatever it takes to make sure the kids at Cowra High School, that the teaching and learning is first class and even though the kids weren't here on the ground, those high expectations with remote learning still came into play," she said.
"We're all teachers here, so we know how to teach kids, but it's about teaching our parents, how do they cope? How do they learn in this complex world of COVID to support, mentor and coach their kids," she said.
"Every child, from Year 7 to 12, was called by a teacher or a learning support officer to check in."
Cowra High School Deputy Principal, Megan Robinson, said remote learning also provided the opportunity for both teachers and students to learn new skills and become more resilient to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Google Classroom, all the kids have their assessments, they work and they adjusted straight away," she said.
"These kids will be stronger, more resilient, more independent learners... Year 12 will be stronger at university because of this."
However both Ms Hamilton and Ms Robinson echoed Mr Gallagher's sentiments, saying it was great to welcome students back to school.
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"To see kids bouncing in the gates, I think COVID has let them see how important school is," Ms Hamilton said.,
"It's not just about the teaching and learning, that's a huge part of it, but it's engaging with others. They're excited to see each other."
"Our priority was Year 11 and 12 had to be back and to make sure the Year 12 kids weren't disadvantaged with their HSC," Ms Robinson said.
The rostered system will run from Weeks 3 to 6 at Cowra High, with the NSW Government expected to introduce Phase 2 of a return to full onsite school operations in the coming weeks.
