azucena
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 13:23:14 GMT -5
Posts: 5,195
|
Post by azucena on Aug 6, 2020 10:37:20 GMT -5
I know folks have been sharing school plans across various threads, but I thought having the conversations in one place might be helpful. There are days when I just can't think about it anymore, so I can hope to avoid it by not opening this thread.
StL case counts are still increasing. Many of the larger public schools announced their plans to offer hybrid and virtual option mid-July. Most have since rolled back to virtual only as of the end of July.
DD12 and DD8 attend our church school which is still planning 100% in person. We aren't big enough to offer a choice. I attended our back-to-school group mtg with the principal last night. I was already uncomfortable about sending them. We've been super careful since DH had an emergency bowel resection in Jan, spending 3 days in ICU and 10 more hospitalized. It took him until May to recover 90% and June to reach 100%. Plus, I'm a life insurance actuary so study mortality for a living and am just generally risk averse. My anxiety is thru the roof even with medication, but I'm doing the best I can. DH hasn't returned to work teaching preschool, but that's still an ongoing discussion.
Anyway, our school is going to treat each class as a pod and keep them apart as much as possible. They are going to ask us about symptoms each morning and take temperatures as we drop off. Masks are required in the hallways and other public spaces but they are encouraging 'mask breaks' in the classrooms when 6 feet can be maintained. Our pediatrician told us to leave the masks on except when outside. My girls are frustrated about masking all day (I agree it will suck) and also worried about peer pressure. I'm going to their teachers and the principal know our family rules and to help coach the other kids. DH and I both agree that they can throw us under the bus and/or cite the doctor. We're teaching DD8 to say I saw my dad in the hospital, it was scary, and we're trying to avoid that.
These are the scenarios that were discussed last night that have me on edge: Students/parents are expected to be transparent about allergies. If a student has a runny nose, "all other symptoms will be considered on a case-by-case basis". Parents are asked to "use their absolute best judgement to help keep everyone safe."
If a student develops a fever at school, they will be sent home and cannot return until the typical rule of 24 hours fever free. I'm not sure that's good enough right now. Also, if that student has a sibling, he/she will not be required to leave school. Seems to me that would be a reasonable precaution.
If a parent comes in contact with a coworker suspected to have COVID-19, the family is to follow their doctor's advice about quarantining and testing. The principal even alluded to the parent choosing to quarantine but still sending the kid(s). Again, I'm not sure this is cautious enough.
If a student has virus symptoms, they plan to try to limit how much has to close. Their hope is just one classroom and just until the test is returned. If it's positive then a committee including a doctor and nurse will evaluate what to do. They will also follow state guidelines but apparently they are exempt from StL county guidelines. They will "take them under advisement" which currently means ignoring them as the guidelines say virtual school is best with current rising cases.
To top things off, we are seeing increased enrollment from families switching from public school to have in-person. DD8's second grade was 13 kids and is currently 17 with 2 weeks left before school. DD12's seventh grade went from 17 to 18 likely because it's harder to switch older kids. Both classes would top out at 22. We're moving to a brand new school building (better HVAC is a huge positive) and will get a chance to see inside on Sunday. After that no one besides children and staff will be allowed inside. The principal talked about how that will help mitigate risk and I agree, but based on her phrasing, I think she's overlooking that the adults' infection vectors are still involved.
Based on conversations with kids' friends and what I'm seeing on fb, school families are currently vacationing in FL, MI, MT, CO, CA. These are just the ones I easily know about. Sleepover birthday parties are still happening. Many families are acting like it's over. DD12's friends in particular keep talking about 'when we were in quarantine', past tense, and she's like, um, guys we should all still be practicing safety. The whole conservative Republican - it's a hoax is really biting us in the ass given we're a church school. I'm conservative and religious but can balance that with science.
I think we're kidding ourselves that we can make in-person schooling work particularly with rising case counts, lack of testing, and testing result delays. However, I'm totally backed into a corner trying to balance my kids' mental health. The isolation is having a huge impact on them. I can't in good faith move them from their school given the trauma of their dad's surgery and this summer's isolation. I'm stuck with being transparent with the school about our family's decisions and truthful that we're going to monitor carefully and reserve the right to change. Change likely means homeschooling with our school's curriculum and a huge mess since DH would lead as much as he could but wouldn't be great at really teaching. Meanwhile I'm working 50 hour weeks already. This sucks!
|
|
azucena
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 13:23:14 GMT -5
Posts: 5,195
|
Post by azucena on Aug 6, 2020 10:39:18 GMT -5
Partially venting, partially looking to hear how other parents are handling it, and partially looking for folks to check me if I'm being crazy worrying too much.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Apr 24, 2024 5:48:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2020 10:56:46 GMT -5
Our situation is very similar with how the private school is handling it and I actually moved my son to this school for the Fall from where he was since they do seem to have the most comprehensive plan while the public is just now massively scrambling to figure out what to do which kind of blows me away, since it's not like this is a new development. However, unlike your school we do have an online only option and I think about 20% are going to take it judging by what I'm hearing from the school. You have to opt in for 12 weeks to take it. We're doing in-person. Of all the options it seems the least "icky" to me, but it's certainly not perfect. Having to be masked all day and socially distanced doesn't sound like much fun. There will be no before or after care which means he will need to be dropped off at 8am and picked up at 2:30pm despite the fact that I work 7:30-4:00. There will probably be no busing either depending on what goes on with the public as they provide the transportation. However, they seem to have a good plan of keeping pods segregated and it is also a brand new facility that they were just finishing up this summer, so they even installed some extra ventilation (air purifying?) system recommended by the health department.
MN recommendations are based on cases/10,000 by county and ours says secondary should be hybrid so all the high school kids will be off campus and there will be a lot more room for grades 5-8. Grades 7 and 8 will only be meeting 4 days a week and will be using the auditorium and band/choir as well as other large areas for the classes. Grades 5 and 6 will be in an entirely different building than them.
|
|
haapai
Junior Associate
Character
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 20:40:06 GMT -5
Posts: 5,880
|
Post by haapai on Aug 6, 2020 11:01:11 GMT -5
It sounds like your head and your heart are at odds here. I can't help but notice that while your OP included all sorts of detail regarding how the school will do things and handle contingencies (much more detail than I've seen anywhere else), you have omitted some very telling details.
Is your husband working? Is he working from home? Is he capable of overseeing distance-learning?
I think that you left this part out on purpose. Why do you think that was?
I'm neither a shrink nor a parent. You can ignore me or blast me. I just think that your post was very telling. Your head knows the answer but your heart doesn't want to accept it.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Apr 24, 2024 5:48:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2020 11:17:47 GMT -5
It sounds like your head and your heart are at odds here. I can't help but notice that while your OP included all sorts of detail regarding how the school will do things and handle contingencies (much more detail than I've seen anywhere else), you have omitted some very telling details.
Is your husband working? Is he working from home? Is he capable of overseeing distance-learning?
I think that you left this part out on purpose. Why do you think that was?
I'm neither a shrink nor a parent. You can ignore me or blast me. I just think that your post was very telling. Your head knows the answer but your heart doesn't want to accept it.
Those of us without school-aged children do have a dog in this fight. Schools are petri dishes and very well will lead to community outbreaks otherwise avoidable if students would distance learn until the pandemic is better under control and there is a national plan. I think it comes down to one question - are you willing to take the added risk of your child and your household getting the virus? Clearly, doing in-person school greatly increases your risk. Similar to going to in-person church, or any other gathering with other community members you may/may not be able to trust to behave in currently acceptable ways. If the risk is reasonable to you, then send kids to school. If not, then don't. I, personally, think in-person school won't last long because teachers and students are already getting sick in areas where school has opened. I don't think teachers are going to keep agreeing to put themselves at added risk when there are viable options.
|
|
gs11rmb
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 12:43:39 GMT -5
Posts: 3,303
|
Post by gs11rmb on Aug 6, 2020 11:19:49 GMT -5
I'm in Atlanta and our district is 100% virtual for at least the first 9 weeks. I was sad about it but then saw some seriously crazy scenes coming out of Paulding County School District (Northwest of Atlanta) with packed hallways and no masks. I'm hoping the girls get a better educational experience than they did in spring now that the schools and teachers have had time to prepare. I expect DD12 (entering 7th grade) will be fine, learn a little but mostly tread water until school re-opens. My younger girl will be 8 in three weeks (entering 3rd grade) and I've hired a teacher from her school to work with her one-on-one a few hours a week concentrating on helping her reading skills. It's going to cost $50 per hour so I'm back to paying daycare prices. She was about a year behind where she should be and I can't let her lose even more ground. My daughter hasn't been diagnosed (testing was supposed to be scheduled the week the school closed for COVID) and her teacher doesn't think it's dyslexia, which is somewhat helpful because the going rate for Orton Gillingham tutors around here is $115 per hour with a minimum of 3 days per week . I worry about my girls' academic needs being met but I also can't stop thinking about all the children whose parents can't afford to pay for help just to keep them at grade level. As for 'pods', I know of people who are pooling their resources for 3-5 families so parents can work. Alternate the host house and hire a sensible college student or adult to supervise the kids getting online for their virtual lessons. I've also seen discussions of pod formation that makes me want to throw up...
|
|
azucena
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 13:23:14 GMT -5
Posts: 5,195
|
Post by azucena on Aug 6, 2020 11:34:52 GMT -5
It sounds like your head and your heart are at odds here. I can't help but notice that while your OP included all sorts of detail regarding how the school will do things and handle contingencies (much more detail than I've seen anywhere else), you have omitted some very telling details.
Is your husband working? Is he working from home? Is he capable of overseeing distance-learning?
I think that you left this part out on purpose. Why do you think that was?
I'm neither a shrink nor a parent. You can ignore me or blast me. I just think that your post was very telling. Your head knows the answer but your heart doesn't want to accept it.
Oh, it's most definitely a heart/head war that has been raging since this all started. If DH hadn't had surgery in Jan, I would still be risk averse. His most recent surgery was number 17 since 2001 when we were 21 yrs old. It's a saga. Having him go from 100% healthy to calling an ambulance as he was doubled over in pain from an intestinal blockage, debating surgery with the surgeons and refusing the first surgeon, and then having him end up in ICU on a ventilator which was never stated as a turnout was a terrible experience. I'll be seeing my therapist today for a tele-visit for the first time since she went on her own medical leave in March. I'm working on it. DH is a seize life, carefree kind of guy. Doesn't matter that he almost died (again), he's still invincible. He's following my lead on this because he knows how on edge I am. He's barely keeping up with the news and will check in with me on things that he's read from time to time - his interpretation of the virus is totally different and frankly often incorrect. He was cleared to work in April but by that time his preschool center was closed. They reopened mid-June and his doctor said his body has been thru more than enough this year so she wrote him an indefinite doctor note. His work is asking for it to be updated monthly which is fair. We will talk to the doctor and get her latest input on what to do. I'm leaning towards waiting out August and a week or two into Sept to see what happens after school starts around here. We both think that's what the dr will say too. He's on an unpaid leave, and it helps that they don't have enough kids back to need him. He's a great teacher, so if it comes down to them not being able to hold his place any longer then he will either get rehired there eventually or move on to something else. I'm the breadwinner and carry the family's insurance so that gives him more flexibility. He has/had ulcerative colitis which is an autoimmune disorder and risky with the virus. He has an ostomy and isn't currently on any medications but has taken lots of immunosuppressants in the past. He went from 170 (slightly overweight) to 135 in his recovery. He had the gnarliest, deepest, open wound I've ever seen. There's still one tiny part that hasn't healed - he may have an internal stitch that didn't dissolve. Surgeon is monitoring a bit longer. It's amazing that he's made the recovery that he did. He could oversee online learning and did most of it while we were doing it March to May. Mostly though, the girls were taking classes from their real teachers and he provided tech support. He helped the first grader as needed. He has never been a good student so would be at a loss to help much with 7th grade. Fortunately, both of our girls are good students with natural abilities so they did most of it on their own. Our school doesn't have a way to coach us through it if they are also holding in-person classes. They would give us the curriculum and charge us 25% instead of full price. The price doesn't matter - the expertise does. We've talked about pulling them and finding something structured online but both of us agree that it doesn't feel like the right choice for them. Watching DH recover was very hard on them too and frankly they don't know half of it because we tried to keep it age appropriate for them. We've been isolated since March with the girls having very limited in-person contact with their friends. At this point, my concern about their mental health and behavior is winning out over my concern for them being exposed to the virus. Particularly given my family's history of depression and DD12's age and countenance. I'm banking on the fact that them wearing masks will help. If they are exposed, then it should be a lower load which may mean less sick. I'm working from home for the rest of the year, and we have choices for DH so we can limit our overall risk to 'just them' which should also help. Still not sure I really answered your questions. I'm definitely thinking through everything you mentioned and have been for a while; likely over thinking it all actually. My partnership with DH hasn't always been equal and likely never will be. We've been through a lot together and keep ending up stronger for it. We pulled together this time again, and it's huge that he's following my lead. We're having more rational discussions and give and take than ever before. His job is everything to him, and he's great at it. He clearly misses it after 7 months off.
|
|
cktc
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 19, 2013 22:15:31 GMT -5
Posts: 3,202
|
Post by cktc on Aug 6, 2020 11:37:17 GMT -5
I pulled DS from pre-k. Pre-k is outside the government mandates so they are only offering in-person. If I knew the other parents were conflicted I might have been more willing to send him, but I know the reality is he would be going with children whose parents think this is a big hoax, or just the flu, etc... I suppose the decision was easier for me since he doesn't actually need to be in school yet, but social-behavioral wise it breaks my heart because I wanted him to have this transition year before starting full-time. Hopefully I can re-enroll him at the start of 2021, and his sister can go as well for 2 months when she turns 3.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Apr 24, 2024 5:48:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2020 11:41:13 GMT -5
azucena - Have you looked into any of the online schools? My son and I played around with Connections Academy classes this summer and he really enjoyed it and I think he learned more in those few hours than he did the entire end of spring semester. If it wasn't for the fact that he would be home alone all day having to do this I would have enrolled him in that for sure.
|
|
oped
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 20, 2018 20:49:12 GMT -5
Posts: 4,676
|
Post by oped on Aug 6, 2020 11:42:53 GMT -5
gs11rmb I did a facetime screening this week that went ok if you want me to take a look. I use Wilson Reading which is an OG program... 3 times a week is best although I’ve done 90 minutes twice a week with homework depending on the kid... but progress would likely be slower so not save anything. As is it can take 2-3 years to get through the program, but I could recommend ideas and tell if it really seems like something she needs or not at this point.
|
|
oped
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 20, 2018 20:49:12 GMT -5
Posts: 4,676
|
Post by oped on Aug 6, 2020 11:44:44 GMT -5
azucena. I would t send them, and I think that’s an equal head heart decision for me. I just wouldn’t take the risk, and thank my lucky stars I didn’t have to...
|
|
azucena
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 13:23:14 GMT -5
Posts: 5,195
|
Post by azucena on Aug 6, 2020 11:46:49 GMT -5
I take issue with 'viable options'. None of the options feel viable to me. It's lose-lose-lose.
DH has a colleague who just put in her two weeks notice because her school is online only and she's a single mom with kids 12, 10, and 7 who will need online schooling supervision. She makes $1400/month which leaves no room to pay for help.
My kids will be okay. We'll see to their education either way. Both are reading at least an hour per day and doing 3 math worksheets. They have the advantage of involved parents.
We will continue to do our part by wearing masks everywhere. DD12 had a cold last week, so we postponed buying school supplies and shoes. It was truly just a cold, but we limited her activities even further. I'm fully prepared to do that when school starts. I'm also gearing up for mental health or even mask break days where I pull one or both of them for a break.
|
|
azucena
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 13:23:14 GMT -5
Posts: 5,195
|
Post by azucena on Aug 6, 2020 11:54:50 GMT -5
I did look at online schools, and our school did a decent job of online schooling in the spring. I'm not opposed to online school.
My heart and even my head is saying that it's just not healthy to keep them entirely at home any longer. The risk-reward equation is tipping for us. It's a completely crazy decision to have to make. They are both so social. Both have expressed fears that their friends have moved on without them. And, it's at least partly true, they are getting left behind as it's much easier for their peers to communicate and even hang out with friends who don't have any restrictions or way less. I hear myself succumbing to peer pressure in a sense but at the same time I know what we've been doing isn't sustainable.
DD12's volleyball season is delayed a month so far as they are trying to figure out what to do. When it comes down to it, I don't think that risk-reward equation works out in her favor. Fortunately vball isn't life for her. Basketball season in Nov is a different story and again the risks are even higher for that.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Apr 24, 2024 5:48:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2020 11:57:36 GMT -5
Our state high school league pushed volleyball and football to spring (football in spring is going to be odd). Soccer and swimming and I think cross country are starting this fall.
|
|
azucena
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 13:23:14 GMT -5
Posts: 5,195
|
Post by azucena on Aug 6, 2020 11:59:28 GMT -5
FWIW - we haven't been to church this whole time. They are taking some precautions but it feels like an unnecessary risk. We watch it online sometimes but sometimes that makes us feel worse about missing out so we take it week by week. DD12 and I are doing a zoom Bible study together which we are enjoying.
If nothing else, this thread made me cry. Which I'm considering a positive because it's been lying under the surface for weeks but just wouldn't come out as I tend to try too hard to keep it together and under control. Hoping it's cathartic and useful for therapy today. Does mean I'm not getting much work done today but oh well.
I just want the best for my babies.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Apr 24, 2024 5:48:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2020 12:00:58 GMT -5
She was about a year behind where she should be and I can't let her lose even more ground. My daughter hasn't been diagnosed (testing was supposed to be scheduled the week the school closed for COVID) and her teacher doesn't think it's dyslexia, which is somewhat helpful because the going rate for Orton Gillingham tutors around here is $115 per hour with a minimum of 3 days per week . There are some free online screening tests for dyslexia. You might do one with your daughter to get a better idea if that's the issue or not. www.dynaread.com/online-dyslexia-test
|
|
azucena
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 13:23:14 GMT -5
Posts: 5,195
|
Post by azucena on Aug 6, 2020 12:04:17 GMT -5
Our state high school league pushed volleyball and football to spring (football in spring is going to be odd). Soccer and swimming and I think cross country are starting this fall. Again this is where our church school can kinda do whatever it wants. They are meeting with the other schools in our league and so far monitoring. I think it's likely they will decide volleyball is acceptable because the kids are separated by the net and they've already alluded to no parents or fans in building. That's where my gut is saying it will be mask free, more hours per day, and mixing 7th and 8th grade so I'm pretty sure I'll say no. And then that puts even more pressure on my relationship with DD12. I don't want this to go political at all, but damn them for making a pandemic political. If we had leadership that let the medical experts guide us, we would be so much better off.
|
|
haapai
Junior Associate
Character
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 20:40:06 GMT -5
Posts: 5,880
|
Post by haapai on Aug 6, 2020 12:06:35 GMT -5
Azucena, have you considered the possibility that no matter what choices you make now, your kids will be distance-learning by October 1st? Is that a thought experiment that you can handle?
You may be agonizing over choices that you don't really have.
|
|
azucena
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 13:23:14 GMT -5
Posts: 5,195
|
Post by azucena on Aug 6, 2020 12:12:10 GMT -5
Azucena, have you considered the possibility that no matter what choices you make now, your kids will be distance-learning by October 1st? Is that a thought experiment that you can handle?
You may be agonizing over choices that you don't really have.
That's kind of the hope I'm holding onto. But I guess it was dashed a bit hearing last night that our school thinks we are currently green - no/low risk and what it might take to get to yellow - medium risk which invokes hybrid which for us seems to mean classrooms with an outbreak move to online learning temporarily unless the county authorities specifically tell them otherwise. It's all a bit like peaking behind the curtain and seeing that the people you trust aren't entirely trustworthy after all.
|
|
bean29
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 22:26:57 GMT -5
Posts: 9,920
|
Post by bean29 on Aug 6, 2020 12:16:10 GMT -5
azucena - Have you looked into any of the online schools? My son and I played around with Connections Academy classes this summer and he really enjoyed it and I think he learned more in those few hours than he did the entire end of spring semester. If it wasn't for the fact that he would be home alone all day having to do this I would have enrolled him in that for sure. Assuming that is the same the local schools around here use, my DN just finished up HS with that, and my Beautician's DD got kicked out of HS for beating up another student. She went to the local 2 year campus and then moved to a UW campus for Engineering. She is in her final year of Environmental Engineering, so I do think that homeschooling can work. My Cousin Homeschooled her kids. When they got to HS they went to (Public I think, maybe Private) HS. Youngest is at Marquette University and one of her other children just got named an assistant Basketball coach to a Big 10 conference school. She had an education degree and got a Masters in Education so she could be Principal for the local Catholic Schools after all her kids were grown. They asked her to do it because they felt they did not have any other candidates with the religion background to take over from the Nun that had previously done it. My cousin had always been involved in the religious education at the school. She also worked with a homeschooling group similar to what OPED has described. I think homeschooling can work, I don't think DH and I could have made it work, and my DH had an Education degree (assuming we both kept our current careers). I don't think you can change your work parameters. If your DH takes on homeschooling and gets sick, he will not be able to homeschool. My Great niece has been having epileptic seizures, and they talked about not letting her back in school in fall b/c of the potential affects on her health if she got Covid-19. She is about 12 and younger brother is about 9. My Nephew and niece decided to enroll their son in Baseball and is is so aware of his sister's health that he was hysterical that he was not going to do it until my Nephew talked him down. Nephew and Niece both have education degrees, Nephew works with HS students and Niece no longer teaches. I will reach out and see what they are doing in fall. My DH has always counselled me to make a decision and then don't look back. That is going to be what you will have to do here. Make a decision and then go with it. Don't beat yourself up, I would allow that you may need to revisit, but I would not second guess myself for making the best decision I could with the information I had at the time.
|
|
bean29
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 22:26:57 GMT -5
Posts: 9,920
|
Post by bean29 on Aug 6, 2020 12:23:49 GMT -5
azucena - Have you looked into any of the online schools? My son and I played around with Connections Academy classes this summer and he really enjoyed it and I think he learned more in those few hours than he did the entire end of spring semester. If it wasn't for the fact that he would be home alone all day having to do this I would have enrolled him in that for sure. Assuming that is the same the local schools around here use, my DN just finished up HS with that, and my Beautician's DD got kicked out of HS for beating up another student. She went to the local 2 year campus and then moved to a UW campus for Engineering. She is in her final year of Environmental Engineering, so I do think that homeschooling can work. My Cousin Homeschooled her kids. When they got to HS they went to (Public I think, maybe Private) HS. Youngest is at Marquette University and one of her other children just got named an assistant Basketball coach to a Big 10 conference school. She had an education degree and got a Masters in Education so she could be Principal for the local Catholic Schools after all her kids were grown. They asked her to do it because they felt they did not have any other candidates with the religion background to take over from the Nun that had previously done it. My cousin had always been involved in the religious education at the school. She also worked with a homeschooling group similar to what OPED has described. I think homeschooling can work, I don't think DH and I could have made it work, and my DH had an Education degree (assuming we both kept our current careers). I don't think you can change your work parameters. If your DH takes on homeschooling and gets sick, he will not be able to homeschool. My Great niece has been having epileptic seizures, and they talked about not letting her back in school in fall b/c of the potential affects on her health if she got Covid-19. She is about 12 and younger brother is about 9. My Nephew and niece decided to enroll their son in Baseball and is is so aware of his sister's health that he was hysterical that he was not going to do it until my Nephew talked him down. Nephew and Niece both have education degrees, Nephew works with HS students and Niece no longer teaches. I will reach out and see what they are doing in fall. My DH has always counselled me to make a decision and then don't look back. That is going to be what you will have to do here. Make a decision and then go with it. Don't beat yourself up, I would allow that you may need to revisit, but I would not second guess myself for making the best decision I could with the information I had at the time. ETA: I think you should reach out to the public school system and see what resources hey may offer you. You may be eligible for extra resources with the public schools due to your DH's health. Niece and nephew said in spring that the public schools didn't think they would allow either of their kids to return in fall due to potential risk to Great Niece's health.
|
|
haapai
Junior Associate
Character
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 20:40:06 GMT -5
Posts: 5,880
|
Post by haapai on Aug 6, 2020 12:29:55 GMT -5
I think a lot of people have peeked behind that curtain and are feeling the same way.
We're not dealing with the realities of airborne transmission or asymptomatic spread very well.
|
|
Lizard Queen
Senior Associate
103/2024
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 22:19:13 GMT -5
Posts: 14,659
|
Post by Lizard Queen on Aug 6, 2020 12:38:30 GMT -5
Our public school has a virtual and in-person option, with everyone wearing masks/distancing/pods. In person is shorter days for elementary and middle school, 5 days/week. HS is full length days 2x a week plus online. I thought what they did online in the spring was good for what it was. It was casual, with 3 30-45 minute zoom meetings for my 1st grader, and one zoom meeting just focusing on checking in and the social aspect for my 4th grader. My boys are more active, and not terribly studious, though they are intelligent and do well in school. My 7 year old missed the grade cutoff by a little over a month, so he's going into 2nd rather than 3rd grade. Academically, he could skip a grade, socially, probably not. My 10 year old going into 5th has a birthday at the end of February, and is on the younger side in his class (due to redshirting, or whatever). Still, he likes to get his work done right away, and gets straight 5's on his report card. So, motivation to do the work is a challenge for both, the younger more than the older. As siblings, they are bff's with a lot of rivalry. All this to say, it's a big challenge to get them settled down to work on school stuff. It's often a chally for my husband and I to focus on work at home, as well. In the spring, we were all at home together, trying to share the internet, distracting each other with noise, fights, internet issues, trying to juggle supervising kids and getting our paid work done at the same time. How we dealt was not worrying too much about the kids schooling at the time. I was finy with it short-term, since my kids were starting from such a strong position academically, but I can't let my kids get accustomed to even worse habits than they already had for the long-term. I wish I was an organizational genius like some people I know, but I'm not. I feel like I need a lot of those skills if I were to direct them in virtual learning from home.
So, lengthy way to say we're leaning towards in-person, watching local covid19 numbers closely. I am concerned about other parents being hoaxers. Just because I'm taking some risks does not mean I don't take it seriously. I am constantly reading and keeping up on developments. Constantly. Going into this with eyes wide open. I'm 48, and type A blood. No other risk factors. DH is 46 and no risk factors. Kids no risk factors as well. There is limited before/after care we are foregoing, though we always used it before. Oh, sports. (Sorry, this post is a disorganized jumble. I should have hopped on my laptop to write it.) My kids are signed up for soccer in the fall. They also did some outdoor sports this summer. We skipped volleyball because it's inside. From all my reading, I feel okay about outdoor sports, but not indoor sports.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Apr 24, 2024 5:48:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2020 12:51:51 GMT -5
I think a lot of people have peeked behind that curtain and are feeling the same way.
We're not dealing with the realities of airborne transmission or asymptomatic spread very well.
The biggest problem with this fact is that a LOT of time and effort is being wasted trying to figure out how to (impossibly) open schools safely during an out-of-control pandemic. It's simple, you can't. You put a ton of people at risk for little reward. It would be more prudent for schools to use all of that time and resources to come up with how to do distance learning well. This country never learns. It reminds me of people who were thinking they could travel by the holidays... At this rate, we still won't be able to travel in 2021... There are people who very successfully "unschool" and do other forms of homeschooling other's would balk at. But, those kids end up being some of the most "educated" adults. Traditional school wastes tons of time each day teaching things kids never remember a month later. No one is going to end up a stupid adult because they couldn't go to 2nd grade during a pandemic.
|
|
Wisconsin Beth
Distinguished Associate
No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:59:36 GMT -5
Posts: 30,626
|
Post by Wisconsin Beth on Aug 6, 2020 13:32:35 GMT -5
We just got back from picking up K's chromebook and schedule. Our public school system's stated plan is all virtual for now; at some point in the future, when it's deemed safer, they will move to 2 days in and 3 days out. When it's deemed safer, they will then go to everyone back for 5 days. There are no estimates on when this will happen, which I feel is realistic.
However, if you're picking up a Chromebook from your child's school, make sure you check that all the keys are there before you leave the area. K's is missing the letters A and S and now I've got an email into the it dept.
|
|
gs11rmb
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 12:43:39 GMT -5
Posts: 3,303
|
Post by gs11rmb on Aug 6, 2020 13:44:55 GMT -5
gs11rmb I did a facetime screening this week that went ok if you want me to take a look. I use Wilson Reading which is an OG program... 3 times a week is best although I’ve done 90 minutes twice a week with homework depending on the kid... but progress would likely be slower so not save anything. As is it can take 2-3 years to get through the program, but I could recommend ideas and tell if it really seems like something she needs or not at this point. That's so kind of you and I might take you up on the offer in a few weeks! One of the reasons I hired someone is because the virtual learning didn't go very well even though my daughter absolutely loves her teacher (same teacher for grades 1-3). She just responds so much better to working with a teacher 'in the flesh'. The woman I've hired teaches kindergarten at my daughter's school, is reading endorsed (whatever that means!) and just graduated with her Masters in K-12 literacy. She was recommended to me by the Instructional Specialist who I was working with to get the district to test my daughter. I just didn't see online reading support as being very effective for my kid. I really do appreciate your willingness to help. I'm also very conscious of trying not to overload my girl with reading assessments and practice because she already feels bad about herself and knowing she needs additional assistance .
|
|
oped
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 20, 2018 20:49:12 GMT -5
Posts: 4,676
|
Post by oped on Aug 6, 2020 13:58:18 GMT -5
Oh I’ll screen and recommend things you could do 😜. I wasn’t offering to do support... I agree in person is best.. but also was saying 3 x a week minimum is standard for that type of program if it becomes important.
That said the reason I have Wilson training is because a long time ago a parent insisted the district offer the program for her son and was ready to 1) offer data on why it would work and 2) was willing to fight it... so if she does get a diagnosis you may be able to work with the school to get that instruction.
If she feels bad about herself frankly I’d maybe back off a bit. Lots of kids don’t read till later. They can get over reading later. Much harder to get over ingrained feelings of inadequacy because of something as silly as reading by 8. Just my opinion. And from what I saw trying to give intervention later. The best success I ever had was with a girl we started after 8, non reader, but also NO feelings of inadequacy or negative experiences to counter.
|
|
giramomma
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 11:25:27 GMT -5
Posts: 21,296
|
Post by giramomma on Aug 6, 2020 14:03:26 GMT -5
DS is public High. Virtual for the first quarter. I'm betting he won't do hybrid until 2nd semester. DD1 is in 7th grade. Rumor has it she will be going hybrid at our private school. DD2 is in 3rd. She will be going face-to-face 5 days a week at our private. We have elected to keep Miss M out of preschool, even though I think she's ready. Mostly because I cannot manage 4 different school schedules, and minimally 3 different work schedules.
Our governor is not shutting schools down. Therefore, our school will stay open unless it's really not safe. Don't get me wrong, its not super safe now..36% of the cases are from community spread where they can't figure out the source. We're supposed to be under a max of 20 new cases a day in my county. We're mostly seeing 30-80 a day. But, all the other metrics are fine. At the girls school, kids will be in groups of 12-18. Masks will be worn all the time. Teachers will have face shields as well. (or to use when kids need to see lips and all of that). Kids will stay in the classroom, except for recess. Teachers will move. The nurses room is a large classroom now. We emptied out one of the kindy rooms yesterday. The school is hiring more staff. They asked parents to buy 18K in air conditioners (which parents did). The school is working on the ventilation system. There will be no sharing of supplies. There will be mask breaks, and frequent handwashing/sanitizing. Desks/chairs will be 6 feet apart all facing the same direction. Drop off time and pick up time will be staggered, by family. Even mass will be done online.
I don't know what happens if teachers get covid. A good amount of teachers retired this year, and the replacements are young.
I don't know what happens yet if a kid gets covid.
I am worried, but I also think we need to get close to normal where it makes sense. It makes sense for my girls to get closer to normal because the school is small, and there's lots of parental help. In the public district...it's too big and no real good options, other than either everyone is online or everyone goes to school face-to-face. We are not seeing an uptick in new families in our school. Tuition for non-parish members was 8K per child, give or take 3/4 years ago. It seems parents looking to hire help are comfortable spending $300/week/family. These families also have two kids. So, if you have one kid, and school is virtual all year, then costs are about the same. But, if you have two kids, or are hopeful that schools won't be virtual all year, than hiring a sitter that will help with ea learning for $20/hour makes sense. Plus, we are Catholic. Optics for Catholics aren't all that great...
|
|
bean29
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 22:26:57 GMT -5
Posts: 9,920
|
Post by bean29 on Aug 6, 2020 14:37:27 GMT -5
Our governor is not shutting schools down. (Just to clarify - our governor was Elected State Superintendent of Schools for 10 years before running for Govenor). he is committed to education, but he is a Democratic Governor with Republican control of the legislature. If he tries to shut down, they will countermand him, so he did not attempt to make that call. he tried to extend our shutdown, but the legislature said no.
Optics for Catholics aren't all that great... what are you saying cause I just am not sure.
and as far as tuition goes, can't parents use the choice program to pay their student tuition? If the school accepts students via choice, do the parents have to pay additional tuition?
Eta: Acuzena I texted my niece and asked what they plan to do for their kids in fall. she said she thinks they are putting a lot of safety in for the kids. They are waiting to make sure, but as of now their kids are going to go to school with a mask on.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Apr 24, 2024 5:48:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2020 14:40:54 GMT -5
Our school is Catholic and now full due to public defectors. It's only $1600/year regardless of religious affiliation though.
|
|