Um. If those kids get the virus and then go out into the neighborhood, there will be spread. This is the same thing as saying it’s ok to have political rallies with no masks. We are either all trying to follow some set of rules or not. If there are large swaths of people in any neighborhood not following the state’s rules, it won’t even matter that the rest are.
Rather than me explain why masks are controversial in younger kids, I will highlight what Toronto Hospital for Sick Kids recommends (which I assume Ontario used as the basis for their decision to not require masks in school this fall):
Access the full report here: http://www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Newsroom/Past-News/2020/covid19-recommendations-school-reopening.html
I wonder what would happen if high schools just sent their kids back …but all in masks except when eating. They could find some way to spread them all out more for 30 minutes to eat. It would be a test of the masking, that’s for sure. Maybe masks with kids three feet apart is ok. Maybe it doesn’t have to be six feet. Maybe the 2 minute passing period is too short of a time for the virus to escape the masks and get anyone sick. Not sure any district is ready to risk it and I think teachers would be against this idea but how desperate do we have to be to try it?
I get it. And I don’t agree with the school’s approach.
What I do believe is our constitution and foundational religious tolerance is closely aligned with other protections against intolerance. It means we need to protect these ideals even when less than optimal.
Liberty and tolerance is at the fore front of the conversation right now. More people will get sick and viral spread from the protests than this one school. And I agree protestors t have fundamental rights that are protected too. If less than optimal from a pandemic perspective.
Religious freedoms do not mean we have to agree. We just have to be tolerant.
Just think it had little to do with the thread really.
It also seems like bad form to accept the risks of viral spread for one just cause and knock the other. Inconsistent to me.
But I don’t want to derail this great thread any further.
The problem for rising HS seniors is that they may have already missed the opportunities to distinguish themselves in their chosen endeavors at a time that is critical from the college application standpoint - the spring of the junior year.
We’ve been discussing it with our boys (rising college and HS freshmen who were looking forward to returning to the ISEF Finals and MathCounts Nationals, among other things) that as frustrating as all the cancellations were for them, the blow they represented to the rising HS seniors is much more severe.
With colleges going test optional and even test blind in the wake of the pandemic, next year’s application process will inevitably be even more “holistic”, which is not a good news for those who were counting on their test scores and academic awards to carry them through.
Of course, their loss may be a win for someone else who wouldn’t have gotten in but for their “How I suffered under the COVID lockdown” essay. But then you have to think about what it does to the academic level of the next cohort.
…And we though applying to colleges was stressful in 2019.
@privatebanker I understand all of that and don’t think the religious schools should not open, but can’t they just wear masks? I don’t see how that limits their freedom. It’s just asking them to respect their neighbors.
The issue for many schools will be buses. The CDC recommendation sets them at 25% full. In many areas if a bus cannot pick up a child, they will have no way of attending school (no reliable family transportation).
My youngest is autistic. He is practicing with a face mask daily but it’s a lot harder for the length of a school day. He has pull outs- not sure the plan for those. I think EC teachers will be at very high risk as they will not be able to socially distance from their students and this is one group of students that needs in person school the most. He has an EC team at his school. It’s not just a single teacher and he needs those services. I continue to work with him daily but he is already regressing from where he was in March. Fewer words, more steaming, and more meltdowns. (He is scared and frustrated by this new world.)
None of this is simple.
@homerdog I don’t know this school or their beliefs. I do know certain religions interpret things differently than I do. Which is why I brought up the fact that some religions mandate facial covering of one gender vs the other as an example.
Makes no sense to me but if the school is some for reason has a religious grounding for that decision it’s best left aside.
I am not sure what the high school mask experiment would prove,@homerdog. The same teens wearing masks from 9am-3pm won’t be wearing them from 4pm-9pm, and likely still socializing with the same group of kids. I do not think most teens will be isolated only at home or school by September.
@roycroftmom But if those kids get sick because they caught the virus outside of school, that’s one thing. They’ll have masks on at school and not spread it to teachers. If they are symptomatic, they obviously will not go to school. I agree that there could be a lot of asymptomatic kids at school. That will be the case no matter the school’s plan, no? Plus, isn’t it the same as moms and dads going to work with masks on and then coming home and socializing as they have been?
The interesting thing about the Fairfax County options is that depending on the option you choose, you need to stay with it for the entire school year. No switching mid-year. I guess it is possible that those who select the in-person option may be forced to the all virtual model if things worsen in the Fall/Winter.
There’s also a domino effect in play here. In areas where schools choose to not be in-person, teachers who then find themselves with their own kids at home may not be able to teach in-person or synchronous remote classes. Our local (suburban Chicago) administrators are concerned about this issue.
Elon posted some updates yesterday. In my opinion still short on details regarding testing.
One interesting thing is the addition of tents for more space. I assume many schools that have milder climates will utilize this option.
Tent Spaces on Campus
Plans are being finalized to have 7 or 8 large event-style tents in various locations across campus. Tents will range in size, accommodating 16 to 35 physically distanced individuals. Folding tables, chairs, and Wi-Fi will be provided. Tents will not have connected power, air conditioning, heating, or technology hardware. Tents will be open air and susceptible to sun, wind, rain, and . . . snow. Some of the tents will be used for overflow seating for Clohan, Lakeside, and McEwen Dining Halls. Most tents will be reservable. More details will be shared soon.
^Which reminds me, there hasn’t been any official word from Amherst yet regarding enrollment plans for the Fall. Wondering where @ChemAM got his information?
That will be very pleasant, @ElonMomMD . The average temperature there is 82 in Sept, 72 in Oct, and 62 in November, so that should be suitable.
^So, we really don’t know anything about Amherst except that they too are investing in tents.
https://www.amherst.edu/news/covid-19
We still have no plan from our HS in MD for S22. I expect we will see something similar to what Fairfax County has proposed. Not really a fan of either of those options but I guess two of in-person instruction is better then nothing.
The other thing I have heard about Fairfax County is that the teachers that will be doing the virtual classes will not necessarily be teachers from your own school.
Time for some levity in this thread.
Here’s “A Message from your University’s Vice President of Magical Thinking.”
Sad thing is that most of the school plans I have seen so far aren’t so far removed from this in a lot of ways. But still funny!
ETA - Jinx! @TheVulcan
“A MESSAGE FROM YOUR UNIVERSITY’S VICE PRESIDENT FOR MAGICAL THINKING”
"Dear University Community,
Since we first announced our plans to reopen this fall (a far too early decision given the lack of reliable data about the likely prevalence of COVID-19 in the fall, but done out of necessity to beat the June 1st National College Decision Day deadline), many students, parents, faculty, and staff have asked us how we plan to ensure that we reopen safely. Our strategy is outlined below, but the short answer is this: Our university will proceed as if everything will be okay because we really, really want it to be."
The rest is pure gold.