It does sound nice, but the point of getting sent home is social distancing. I can’t imagine that 8 kids getting together are going to stay 6ft apart from each other. I get that a lot of people don’t see the danger yet, but I think it is coming. My kids are not hanging out with friends.
They aren’t getting into groups at restaurants. That ship has sailed, esp after today’s announcement from Gov Newsom. To my knowledge there haven’t been any actual meet ups. But they are staying connected. They are watching the news and have parents paying attention. They are following guidelines. Common sense applies, and it is a moving target. They started putting the groups together a week ago.
Fwiw (and I may change my mind), at this point, I have no issue with my kid spending time with another student, so long as they are safe about it. No riding on public transit. Lots of hand washing. Kiddo had a middle school friend over yesterday. I wouldn’t want a group of kids in my house. But a “play date” under controlled circumstances with social distancing is ok by me. Am I off base with this?
All it takes is one. I don’t see how limiting groups to 50 or 5 or 1 makes a difference. Unless you know every single place and contact each and every person has made and that every one of those contacts is virus-free (which you can’t know), complete isolation is the only way to avoid contamination. I don’t know how practical that is, but it’s the only way to slow this transmission. Contact with even a single person exposes you to every possible transmission that person has been exposed to. I don’t have a horse in this race as our son is no longer a student, but our community is on personal lockdown. All events, clubs, and facilities have been shut down for the foreseeable future. We are all remaining in our homes, expect for grocery forays as necessary. Our house is getting an incredible spring cleaning, and ChoatieDad is catching up on crossword puzzles. We haven’t left the house in several days and have no plans to venture out.
This is a trying time for everyone, and I do think how the school treats its students in this crisis speaks volumes about the school and its leadership. Any school can say “Go back to your country.” The key is communication. There are so many uncertainties, and the school’s job is to be as transparent as possible about the steps ahead - many international parents must be wondering if they can come back at all and if they will be subject to quarantine, if they can participate in online classes effectively, if they can apply to colleges without problems, etc.
Peddie’s and Cate’s approaches seem impressive to me, even if those are not for everyone and those may not be the best idea. They project a great message to students: that we are in this together and must overcome this together. Having a few more kids would add minimum risk and I would do that anytime if my son asks me if he could bring his classmates to my house.
I think everyone should be limiting contact unless absolutely necessary, outside of family units.
The last I heard was the Cal governor’s announcement today shutting bars and restricting restaurants. High risk people are as of today advised not to leave their homes. That wasn’t in place yesterday when the friend came over. We followed the guidelines on social distancing in place at the time. So today is a new day on that front.
Agree with no play dates, even with six feet. (And I mean all this generally — I realize that you didn’t have all the information when you made the judgement call to allow a play date.) The recommendation to stay separated and at home to flatten the curve only works if we all do it, and if we do it early in the curve, regardless of what we perceive our personal risk to be. (Reminding ourselves that lack of symptoms means nothing.)
The calculation is not “what is my risk?” The question at its most lenient becomes: is the situation urgent enough to justify breaking life-saving protocol? (And frankly for some: am I actually convinced that I’m special enough not to follow protocol suggested to save lives?)
As someone who is especially vulnerable and knows many people who are also very vulnerable (older, pre-existing conditions, etc.), I would like to thank all those who are obeying social distancing and directives to isolate, self-quarantine as appropriate. The more we can flatten the curve, the more our medical system can adequately care for all those who are needing care from all causes, and the more lives we can all save!
Here’s guidelines. Playdates are out.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/guid/16A933F0-6719-11EA-AC33-9C5786494C7C
I was at the park with my dog yesterday and witnessed something brilliant. A group of teens arrived individually and stood at a distance from each other. Each Purelled their hands and one pulled out a frisbee and sanitized that too. Then they played a long, robust game of frisbee, a sport designed to be played at a distance of at least 10 feet apart.
FYI @ the SAT last Saturday … our local schools had it cancelled, but…
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/03/16/saturday-was-not-ideal-day-take-sat
It seems that since the virus spreads via breathing hand washing playdates aren’t going to be safe at all.
I have heard that some kids are picking one friend and just hanging out with that friend and no others. I’m not even sure that’s safe if parents are still going to work…
There was just a study in Germany that before people start to experience symptoms the viral load in their throats is out of control. Interesting and kind of scary.
I like the mention of schedules and routine.
Do any of you believe/have info on whether this pandemic could impact the start of the 2020 Fall term for boarding schools?
On the same note, when do you think the “curve” of COVID-19 will end? Thank you!
Not to be flip, but nobody knows.
I heard a podcast yesterday with an epidemiologist who said as soon as China lifts restrictions covid will be back full force. I think this will not be a one month issue and optimistically things will calm down by summer but I don’t really believe that.
@one1ofeach That is my fear. And part of me thinks UK approach of letting it pass through and just protect/quarantine the vulnerable may be a more viable solution. Because now it is well beyond the kids, so many people are losing their jobs and businesses going under with everything being shut down left and right. And how long can we realistically keep things shut down before a complete economic meltdown? Going back to this thread, I think the schools that have asked the kids to go home are actually the wiser ones, I don’t see any point in keeping kids on closed campus when there is virtually zero hope of re-opening this spring. I actually wonder what they will end up doing once it is clear the school will not open again.
What do you guys think is the chance that school starts like normal in the fall for the boarding schools? I’m not sure how I feel about paying 65k or whatever for online instruction, but not sure what choice we have for parents of children just accepted into boarding school…
If you ask me, I would think the chance to start school in September is on the slimmer side. I am afraid America will be hard hit.
Read a New Yorker’s case on Quora.
- He got infected on March 3 from a ticket usher for Broadway shows.
- He showed negligible symptoms and freely roamed the city, using public transportations, interacting with countless others.
- He was confirmed on March 17.
The government allowed him 2 weeks to spread it because it required all of the following conditions to be met in order to “allow” him to be tested for Covid-19:
- His direct contactor (the ticket usher) of March 3 was confirmed.
- He himself showed symptoms.
- He had to prove it was not flu.
Absolutely crazy. If “testing” is considered a previlege to be granted, there is no way we can prevent the spread. In Asian countries, governments would block the whole area and force everyone in the vicinity of the confirmed to test against Covid-19 BEFORE any showing of symptoms.
The only way to be safe now is for those who have not yet been infected to isolate themselves. Because the infected are walking outside - often themselves not knowing.
Just what was Trump thinking when he saw all those people in the streets of Wuhan collapse on the YouTube? Zombie movies? What made him think the same could not happen here? How complacent can one be? Nothing has been done for the past 3 months since the outbreak and now we have to deal with the consequences of inaction, stupidity and hubris.
I figured out the zombie apocalypse. It has nothing to do with the virus. School closures and toilet paper disruptions are causing teenagers to go crazy. Once wi-fi access is disrupted, they’ll immediately turn into zombies.