INDIANAPOLIS What looks to be a normal day at the park for these students is the first time many have ever met. That's because they typically communicate online.Indiana Gateway Digital Academy is an online school option for students across the state. It's been around for five years and it started with around 1,500 students and has grown to around 6,000."COVID hit and everything went virtual, Janell Collins, who has two kids that attend Indiana Gateway Digital Academy said. I think a lot of families talk about how hard that was for them but what I discovered is that my kids started doing better. "Collins and her partner adopted both of their children. Each has their own unique challenges. When her kids started getting better grades, they decided to keep them in virtual school something Collins' daughter says she prefers."What I like about virtual school is that it's less distracting, Krystal Collins a 5th grader in virtual school said.WATCH | Legislation passed to give schools resources to teach online safety thanks to Evansville mom Mother lauds legislation that addresses internet safetyWhile Janell and her partner were happy with the academic achievements their kids were achieving, they had concerns about the lack of social interactions their kids would get. Thats why they made sure to put each of their children in extracurricular activities. However, the get together with fellow parents students and their teacher have helped improve her kids experience."They can feel like they have school friends like everybody else has school friends, Collins said.For more information about Indiana Gateway Digital Academy click here.