Sarah*H
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,015
Jun 25, 2014 20:07:06 GMT
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Post by Sarah*H on Sept 10, 2020 1:03:07 GMT
Our district is hybrid for the high school. DD attends the first two days of the week. She'll go online tomorrow.
It's been a bit of a shock here. We knew things wouldn't be normal but we were all looking forward to a sense of normalcy with the return to school. DD is lucky enough that the majority of her friend group is in the same part of the alphabet so most of them are attending the same days. It turns out to be meaningless. There is no conversation in the hallways, no banter in the classrooms. They separate buyers and packers at lunch so she eats lunch alone at a desk in the hallway. They have 4 minutes to move between classes and seats are assigned with the 5-10 kids in each class separated as far as possible from each other. They even dismiss in waves and she is out the door 30 seconds after the bell rings. She says she has spoken about 5 words aloud each day.
Mostly I'm relieved that they are controlling all of this so tightly, that they have done their best to eliminate transmission in the school. But gosh, I was not prepared for the emotional whammy of her despondence when I pick her up from school. We've already been through the emotional part of dealing with everything we've lost part of this pandemic; I wasn't ready for round 2.
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Peal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,524
Jun 25, 2014 22:45:40 GMT
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Post by Peal on Sept 10, 2020 1:20:02 GMT
DS is a sophomore. He attends full time, but, this is the second week of school and they have been doing early out. They don't start full days until next week. He hasn't done lunch yet. They are offering grab and go lunches at the end of the day, but, he can't eat it on the bus (because they are supposed to wear masks) and he doesn't want to wait over an hour to eat if he can just eat whatever is at home.
What I have gotten out of him about school:
"It's fine" "The middle school kids don't wear masks on the bus" "I saw one Trump mask" "The halls are really crowded"
We have had multiple variations of "It's fine" but, that the gist of it. He is not a talkative boy.
I imagine whatever happens next week will be the real test.
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Post by workingclassdog on Sept 10, 2020 1:24:26 GMT
It’s actually been great, we are in our third week I think. No issues in our class. I don’t really know how other classes are faring as the school isn’t announcing if there is a case. All I have heard is there was one case in a lower grade.
So other than all the rules and masks it’s been almost normal.
She goes full time in person. Everyday. They go five weeks on and one week off for deep cleaning
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Post by cade387 on Sept 10, 2020 1:39:03 GMT
- Full time face to face started 8/26 (9 school days) - Elementary school so masks are suggested but not required in the class - teachers do wear masks at all times - kids wear masks in common areas when going to/from their room - classes do not mix at recess etc.
So far: - 2 teachers positive - 1 class in quarantine - A few students that I know of are self-quarantining as we speak due to possible symptoms but nothing official from the school - principal is stressed and many parents pissed off
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Post by ExpatBackHome on Sept 10, 2020 1:40:54 GMT
We’ve been back 2 weeks, hybrid model. My older DS (high school) says he is most worried during PE as kids are exercising in the gym. Many people switched to full online due to 2 cases in middle school (different grades). The school is preK - 12. He says the high schoolers take their mask off as soon as they leave the gate and start hugging each other 😫 we also have staggered start and finish times.
My 1st grader is in a class of 10 spaced out at desks. The don’t get to go outside for recesses yet (they bring a toy) due to heat and they can’t play on the equipment. I think the teacher does have them run out and back in for a minute though. The other teachers come to their class for art/music/library/etc. It's been difficult to make friends (his first year at the school) since they can’t socialize much (he’s a friendly kid). He usually loves school but now says he wants to stay home every day to learn.
So far it’s been fine but cases In the country shot up so we are deciding this weekend if we will switch to 100% online. We have to commit to 1 month before getting the hybrid option again.
After 2 weeks, I don’t foresee anything close to normal until there’s a vaccine
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Post by freecharlie on Sept 10, 2020 1:50:50 GMT
My school looks pretty much like it did before except we have tables in the gyms to spread out at lunch and masks are somewhat worn
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Post by jcmom04 on Sept 10, 2020 1:51:39 GMT
I have HS and MS kids. They were hybrid starting 8/19 (split by alpha M/W and T/Th with all home F).
Masks were mandatory across the district for students and teachers/staff at all times EXCEPT while eating. Social distancing and they even changed start/end times to create more distancing. We live close to 2 hotspots in TX but while our numbers rose through the summer they were nothing compared to the really bad places.
In that time we had 1 student come to school, get sent home and test positive. Only 6 others needed to quarantine. Any other students positive or in quarantine were because of family members positive at home or exposure outside of school. We had ~6700 students total (K-12). Not big but not tiny.
They started everyday school Tuesday and it’s going well. No cases yet.
I personally think the difference has been masks worn by everyone, all day. Every other district around us (small towns but also very few cases) have all gone 100% virtual and they started at the same time and the only thing they did differently was recommend but not require masks.
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AmeliaBloomer
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,842
Location: USA
Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Sept 10, 2020 1:57:52 GMT
It’s actually been great, we are in our third week I think. No issues in our class. I don’t really know how other classes are faring as the school isn’t announcing if there is a case. All I have heard is there was one case in a lower grade. So other than all the rules and masks it’s been almost normal. She goes full time in person. Everyday. They go five weeks on and one week off for deep cleaning Five weeks on and one whole week off for deep cleaning? What in the world is their medical/science-based reason for that?
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Post by aj2hall on Sept 10, 2020 1:58:54 GMT
The elementary school where I work started back today, in person just half the kids. The other half starts tomorrow and all kids on Friday. Masks are required for kids and teachers, except during lunch and snacks in the classroom. Each classroom has a designated area of the playground for recess. Unified Arts travel to the classrooms. I was happy to see kids today, but nothing felt normal.
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,448
Jun 25, 2014 23:25:39 GMT
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Post by katybee on Sept 10, 2020 2:14:33 GMT
I’m so sad for your daughter and every other kid going to school right now. My school starts back in person on Tuesday (we’ve been virtual for three weeks now.) I will remain the kindergarten virtual teacher and I get to work from home. But I was looking at our newsletter from last year at this time and was overcome with grief when I realized all the traditions we will miss this year. No field trips, no popcorn days, no trunk or treat, no assemblies, no spring carnival, the kids don’t get to go to specials (they will be delivered asynchronously over the TV), our library has been turned into a classroom... I don’t even know if we will take class pictures. I really, really hope and pray next year will be closer to normal. P.S. I hate Donald Trump.
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Post by cade387 on Sept 10, 2020 2:18:29 GMT
- Full time face to face started 8/26 (9 school days) - Elementary school so masks are suggested but not required in the class - teachers do wear masks at all times - kids wear masks in common areas when going to/from their room - classes do not mix at recess etc. So far: - 2 teachers positive - 1 class in quarantine - A few students that I know of are self-quarantining as we speak due to possible symptoms but nothing official from the school - principal is stressed and many parents pissed off Oh and in the rooms where masks are optional there is no distancing. I hate every second of this.
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Post by huskermom98 on Sept 10, 2020 2:25:16 GMT
My 12yo is back in school 5 days like normal and so far so good! They don't have to wear masks all day long, just whenever they are moving. They pretty much stay in their room all day long and the teachers change rooms. My biggest worry is that they eat in their classroom and they get to watch a movie--my ADHD son admits he gets distracted and doesn't eat much some days, but we need him to because he's normally not very hungry on his meds. The school had to change how drop off and pick up was done (to keep the age groups separated) and it was going great until 4 days into the year the city decided to do a 6 week long road work project out front...seriously, you had all summer (plus mid-March to the end of May) to do a project in front of a school and you wait until the school starts back up??? It's still going ok, but it's just frustrating.
Really wish I could say how my 15yo is doing, but his district is 100% online, illegally though. They don't have permission from the state to be 100% online so it's possible that the days don't count. They may be forced to do a hybrid plan which is fine with me because he wants to be in school (and play sports which can't happen if the district is online).
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paigepea
Drama Llama
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Posts: 5,609
Location: BC, Canada
Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Sept 10, 2020 2:31:26 GMT
My girls went back today:
Gr 7 - their grade is a cohort. They wear masks when mixing with other cohorts (hallways / common spaces) but not when with their grade. 20 kids in a class spaced apart. They wear cohort t-shirts for the first 3 weeks so teachers and students can help identify who is who. Outdoor spaces are spaced by cohort and they rotate through different spaces. They share the washroom with 2 other cohorts. They have to put their colour tag on the washroom door to identify that they’re in there. If there is a diff colour tag they have to wait until that person leaves. Drop off pick up and lunch is all staggered. Went well. They don’t have to mask up in class within their cohort unless mixed cohort or the teacher can’t distance.
Gr 10 - their grade is their cohort. They don’t have to mask up within their cohort during class unless the teacher can’t distance, then they need a mask. Masks in all common spaces. They have their grade entrance, grade washroom, grade hallway. During class they can use a diff washroom unless someone else is in it. She has to wear a cohort t-shirt for the first 2 weeks so teachers and students can easily identify who is in which cohort.
Assemblies are live-streamed. Activities after school are all within cohort. Lunch is staggered within cohort.
It’s not bad. The cohort t-shirts quote our provincial head health dr. They say : be kind, be calm , be safe. And then they put the dr name underneath. The kids love the shirts.
My girls were very excited and happy.
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Post by tenacious on Sept 10, 2020 3:15:53 GMT
We’ve been back in person with early out days since Aug 21. It has been fine. We had to pull our son out this week and go to online because of sports. They were losing players to quarantine left and right, so, they asked us to go online if possible to save our chances for continuing the season. Which is fine.
We dropped my son of at his college apartment 2.5 weeks ago....and, he came home this Friday because his roomate has Covid already. That didn’t last long! He is doing all online for the next 10 days, then I am hauling his butt back to his apartment as fast as I can. LOL!
DD is still in person, and she is loving it.
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Post by peasandthanku on Sept 10, 2020 3:16:02 GMT
Day 1 was Friday. Monday was a holiday, Tuesday we got a letter saying they sent 96 kids home to quarantine due to direct contact with a Covid positive student. Wednesday I spent the day reassuring my kids it would all be okay..... Thursday I plan on drinking wine.
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Post by SallyPA on Sept 10, 2020 3:25:11 GMT
One sophomore and one senior that started 8/31. They are both full time in school right now. There are 3 new positive cases in students since the start of school. No teachers or other staff. My kids wear their masks the whole time but other kids do not and some teachers do not enforce in their rooms (even if closer than 6 feet). My kids are doing just fine. The senior is concerned about getting to do all the normal senior stuff and that is weighing heavily on her mind. They are in good spirits though and glad to be back to routine and their friends.
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Post by tenacious on Sept 10, 2020 3:27:23 GMT
OP, I am so sorry about your DD eating alone!!
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Post by PEAcan pie on Sept 10, 2020 3:41:43 GMT
It’s actually been great, we are in our third week I think. No issues in our class. I don’t really know how other classes are faring as the school isn’t announcing if there is a case. All I have heard is there was one case in a lower grade. So other than all the rules and masks it’s been almost normal. She goes full time in person. Everyday. They go five weeks on and one week off for deep cleaning Five weeks on and one whole week off for deep cleaning? What in the world is their medical/science-based reason for that? Right, I thought the same thing. That does nothing for the five weeks they are attending!
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Post by workingclassdog on Sept 10, 2020 13:11:31 GMT
It’s actually been great, we are in our third week I think. No issues in our class. I don’t really know how other classes are faring as the school isn’t announcing if there is a case. All I have heard is there was one case in a lower grade. So other than all the rules and masks it’s been almost normal. She goes full time in person. Everyday. They go five weeks on and one week off for deep cleaning Five weeks on and one whole week off for deep cleaning? What in the world is their medical/science-based reason for that? You know I have no idea. I am go with the flow person so that's what they said, that's what I am doing. Edited to add: They do clean everyday but I think the week off they are moving furniture, deep cleaning the floors, just stuff they are not able to do when the kids are in the school. They have always done deep cleaning on their normal breaks, so they are doing it more often now. Instead of three times a year it is every 5th week plus breaks.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Sept 10, 2020 15:27:20 GMT
My kid is doing virtual, but our school starts back with a hybrid model with kids in the building next week on an ABABC schedule. We’ve already learned that two of her good friends were split up (the third is also doing virtual and will be in DD’s class) and will attend on different days so they’re kind of sad about that because that means they will never see each other at school. I figured that would happen, which kind of throws the whole social reason for attending in person out the window.
From the videos I’ve watched, they will have the kids spaced out in the classroom, no small group work, no assemblies, no field trips, they will eat lunch and snack in the classroom, everyone wears masks all day except when eating, specialists will be delivering their lessons for the whole year in solid multi week blocks with the same kids, then switch groups for both in person and virtual. It all just sounds like a big bag of suck to me, and I’m so glad we chose the virtual option.
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Post by tc on Sept 10, 2020 15:37:56 GMT
We're in the middle of week 5.
It's elementary school. Second grade. They pretty much stay with their class and within their classroom as much as they can. My son says they do get "mask breaks" when they are working at their desk alone and there's no one else close by. Recess is limited to 15 minutes once a day and they don't have to wear their masks then either, but also can't use the playground equipment. He came home the first day saying, "I don't want to be the dead kid." Which kind of broke my heart. We told him that NO ONE WANTS DEAD KIDS and to wear his mask when he's told and try not to touch many things or other people and to always use the hand sanitizing station when asked and wash his hands as often as he can.
We've had two positive cases at school so far. Sounds like, through the grapevine, both were kids who had been previously tested and their parents sent them to school anyway while they awaited the results. Both of their classrooms had to quarantine for two weeks with remote learning. As far as I'm aware, it didn't spread to their classmates or the teachers and the two weeks were up at the end of last week and the classes came back to school.
I know that's not the end of it - but I keep hoping for it nontheless. Our afternoon caregiver who works for the school district had two potential exposures herself within the last three days. She's waiting for the people she had contact with to get tested to see if they're positive to see if she needs to get tested.
Of my mother's six grandkids in school - two different cities - two different states - three families - three different school districts - middle school/elementary school mix - my son is the only one attending school.
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Post by maryland on Sept 10, 2020 18:27:37 GMT
Ours started this week with in-person for half the class M,W and the other half Tu, Th. No one on Friday. My daughter says it's going well! And she is happy to be there! She is a senior. She says all the kids wore masks and did what they were supposed to do. They are supposed to go 5 days a week Oct. 5th.
She is just sad that the bands can't do halftimes (she is with the band on poms). But the football teams get to play (southwestern PA is all about football). Our county was doing well, but is getting a bit more cases, so that worries me about school continuing.
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Post by mrssmith on Sept 10, 2020 18:42:19 GMT
Waiting to hear this week if our inperson option is going to start. The way the middle school principal described it, it sounds extremely unappealing. Not everyone would be able to go back anyway (our schools are very crowded, so building capacity has to be limited). 10 kids per classroom, teachers move room to room, fine arts via video, lunch in the classroom, no PE (except maybe some stretching or walking up and down the hall), masks on all day. I'd rather have my kids at home, even though they hate that too. Best of luck to you all, especially where masks are optional!
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Post by mrssmith on Sept 10, 2020 18:43:50 GMT
- Full time face to face started 8/26 (9 school days) - Elementary school so masks are suggested but not required in the class - teachers do wear masks at all times - kids wear masks in common areas when going to/from their room - classes do not mix at recess etc. So far: - 2 teachers positive - 1 class in quarantine - A few students that I know of are self-quarantining as we speak due to possible symptoms but nothing official from the school - principal is stressed and many parents pissed off Oh and in the rooms where masks are optional there is no distancing. I hate every second of this. That sounds terrible. Do the quarantined kids get virtual lessons?
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Post by wallyagain on Sept 10, 2020 18:58:30 GMT
I don’t have kids in school, but my neighbor does. Not sure how school is going but bussing is a problem. 3 kids to a seat for 45 minutes? Crazy. She called transportation for the school board and they kept saying the bus was built for that, totally ignoring the whole Covid-19 distancing stuff. I’m glad I am not dealing with this stuff.
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peaname
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,390
Aug 16, 2014 23:15:53 GMT
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Post by peaname on Sept 10, 2020 19:03:32 GMT
The town next door had elementary for one day and then a staff member tested positive so they had to close for cleaning x3 days.
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Post by cynipidae17 on Sept 10, 2020 21:15:29 GMT
My girls have been back for almost 2 weeks. We are in a hybrid model where they go Monday, Tuesday, and every other Wednesday. They are required to wear masks and the school portion has been going great as far as learning, but it has been tough socially for my 5th grader. Our last name begins with A so she seems to always be on an end with no one to talk to and sits way far away from the rest of her class for lunch. She is one of 5 girls in her class and as a very quiet girl, she is forgotten and spends recess alone. She is really frustrated with the whole situation and her best friends are in her class on the days she isn't, which doesn't help. She has come to terms with her situation, but it sucks. Her sister who is a 3rd grader has all her good friends in her class so that makes it a little more frustrating for her.
We haven't had any covid cases yet, but our school sent home a symptom tree that seems to indicate that if our kid has 2 or more cold like symptoms they will be sent home for 10 days. I really have no idea how my girls are supposed to get some learning in. I have been disappointed in the little work they have to do when they are home, but I am hoping that will pick up.
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Post by Jennifer C on Sept 10, 2020 21:21:22 GMT
My girls have been back for almost 2 weeks. We are in a hybrid model where they go Monday, Tuesday, and every other Wednesday. They are required to wear masks and the school portion has been going great as far as learning, but it has been tough socially for my 5th grader. Our last name begins with A so she seems to always be on an end with no one to talk to and sits way far away from the rest of her class for lunch. She is one of 5 girls in her class and as a very quiet girl, she is forgotten and spends recess alone. She is really frustrated with the whole situation and her best friends are in her class on the days she isn't, which doesn't help. She has come to terms with her situation, but it sucks. Her sister who is a 3rd grader has all her good friends in her class so that makes it a little more frustrating for her. We haven't had any covid cases yet, but our school sent home a symptom tree that seems to indicate that if our kid has 2 or more cold like symptoms they will be sent home for 10 days. I really have no idea how my girls are supposed to get some learning in. I have been disappointed in the little work they have to do when they are home, but I am hoping that will pick up. Oh, I just want to hug your little girl. Jennifer
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Post by cade387 on Sept 11, 2020 0:18:37 GMT
Oh and in the rooms where masks are optional there is no distancing. I hate every second of this. That sounds terrible. Do the quarantined kids get virtual lessons? Only if their whole class quarantined. If they are a sibling of a quarantined kid then no - the parents are expected to teach them.
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Post by fredfreddy44 on Sept 11, 2020 1:35:59 GMT
they will have the kids spaced out in the classroom
There is a phrase that has two meanings, depending how you look at it, both probably apt right now.
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