Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[HopperFan]

I skimmed through and then stopped reading .... wow so much made up information ....

My kids are out of school but my DD did graduate high school early by taking extra classes online (2 semesters English, 2 semesters Finance, 1 semester Economics and 1 semester Personal Fitness), and honestly she learned more from those classes than most her in classroom ones. It is possible to be a high quality education but depends on system and student.

My DS works for the school system (100,000) and has a huge group of friends who are long term and newer teachers in elementary, middle and high school, administrators, special ed teachers, coaches, bus drivers ..... and they are all very concerned about going back. I'm not sure why people think they will be unemployed if there is no in class school .... quite the opposite, they will be doing online teaching that involves lots more paperwork and minimal support. Some will also have young children at home they will be helping with their assignments. Now the folks who likely will be on extended furlough are the bus drivers, cafeteria workers and the specialists like therapists, librarians and elective teachers.

Our system we live in is huge and every week the meetings with staff resulted in strange or no information on how anything was going to work. Not until the last few weeks have they put possibilities out there to the staff. To parents all that has been shared is delayed opening by one week. You can return to school as usual OR you can do virtual learning but it is a full year commitment, no returning in January. They have to plan for teachers and they are working on assumption they will lose some of them so can't take on students in January.

At beginning of the summer there were some extreme ideas on the table that would have been a massive undertaking. I think once it gets down to what can they afford to do it changes everything, especially when the state cut their budgets because COVID reduced state tax income.

Discussions on table ...
- Busing as usual with assigned seats. I suppose for contact tracing later since usually 2-3 to a seat.
- Arrival at school gets you temperature checked before entering building.
- If you fail temp check you are sent to a location (might be trailers) to wait until someone comes for them.
- All staff wear masks.
- Kids are to stay in one classroom as much as possible with teachers moving.
- Desks will be moved apart but 6 ft is not possible.
- High school kids move but reduced number of times ...
- No electives; no art, music, PE, engineering, etc.
- No cafeteria; kids eat in classroom bag lunch from home or school provided.
- Lunch hour will be monitored by the teachers who no longer have classes to teach.
- No substitutes, no one comes in school other than staff and kids.
- Substituting will be provided by the teachers who no longer have classes to teach.
- Teachers get crazy number of COVID days for WHEN they get sick.
- Unknown how sports will be handled but right now summer practice is happening with restrictions.
- The protocol for when positive tests happen has a VERY LOW threshold.
- The threshold is so low I can't imagine they can stay open very long.
- If they can't stay open for in class, teachers will still go to school and teach from classroom.

I asked what happens to students who chose virtual school but compete in sports ... will coming on campus be a problem??? Another thing they have to figure out.

I expect all of this to be fluid right up until they actually do start. That makes it harder for parents especially since they have to choose virtual this week ... without knowing how in-class school will work.

Administrators say they anticipate many teachers may put in paperwork to not come back in the spring.

I'm terrified about my adult son being in a classroom full of ..... basically COVID carriers. There is no argument that oh we are in the grocery store, we got our haircut, we went to Home Depot .............. the difference is we are in those locations no more than 20 minutes mostly moving and I detour away from people, especially if they have no mask on. But that is not the same as being in a tight classroom for 7 hours with the same 25 kids who don't have masks on, or worse in high school 125 kids.

Just so sad that a full failure at the handling of this has us even having a conversation that kids might not be able to go back or stay in school. There is no money to make school safe, no public school system has that kind of money. And rather than offer money to help them, the government is threatening to withhold what they get now. This situation didn't have to be black and white, open or close. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MASK MANDATES in March, there should have been plans in place to open school safely in this fall, there have been NONE! So because no planning, support or funding has been offered many school systems are just doing their best and for many it will be bare minimal.

It's really sad that as a country we value our children's lives and their education so little. The estimate from the Dept of Education is that 14,000 children will die of COVID when they go back to school. Schools are going to open and get ready .... schools are going to close. Everyone needs their backup plan for their kids, don't get caught off guard like last time. This time businesses will not close, many parents will have to go to work ... they need to have a backup plan for where their kids will go or who can come in and help.


DD went back to work and her office is already a flurry of positives ... her boss, her team member and many others. She has had her first test and expects many more because ......... even with all these positives the office will not be closing again. Stay at your desk, sanitize everything, wash your hands, wear a mask and see you tomorrow.

OH SORRY this is so long, didn't realize it.

TLTR: Gonna be a rough ride for everyone so have a backup plan for your kids.

 

[quandrea]

[

I skimmed through and then stopped reading .... wow so much made up information ....

My kids are out of school but my DD did graduate high school early by taking extra classes online (2 semesters English, 2 semesters Finance, 1 semester Economics and 1 semester Personal Fitness), and honestly she learned more from those classes than most her in classroom ones. It is possible to be a high quality education but depends on system and student.

My DS works for the school system (100,000) and has a huge group of friends who are long term and newer teachers in elementary, middle and high school, administrators, special ed teachers, coaches, bus drivers ..... and they are all very concerned about going back. I'm not sure why people think they will be unemployed if there is no in class school .... quite the opposite, they will be doing online teaching that involves lots more paperwork and minimal support. Some will also have young children at home they will be helping with their assignments. Now the folks who likely will be on extended furlough are the bus drivers, cafeteria workers and the specialists like therapists, librarians and elective teachers.

Our system we live in is huge and every week the meetings with staff resulted in strange or no information on how anything was going to work. Not until the last few weeks have they put possibilities out there to the staff. To parents all that has been shared is delayed opening by one week. You can return to school as usual OR you can do virtual learning but it is a full year commitment, no returning in January. They have to plan for teachers and they are working on assumption they will lose some of them so can't take on students in January.

At beginning of the summer there were some extreme ideas on the table that would have been a massive undertaking. I think once it gets down to what can they afford to do it changes everything, especially when the state cut their budgets because COVID reduced state tax income.

Discussions on table ...
- Busing as usual with assigned seats. I suppose for contact tracing later since usually 2-3 to a seat.
- Arrival at school gets you temperature checked before entering building.
- If you fail temp check you are sent to a location (might be trailers) to wait until someone comes for them.
- All staff wear masks.
- Kids are to stay in one classroom as much as possible with teachers moving.
- Desks will be moved apart but 6 ft is not possible.
- High school kids move but reduced number of times ...
- No electives; no art, music, PE, engineering, etc.
- No cafeteria; kids eat in classroom bag lunch from home or school provided.
- Lunch hour will be monitored by the teachers who no longer have classes to teach.
- No substitutes, no one comes in school other than staff and kids.
- Substituting will be provided by the teachers who no longer have classes to teach.
- Teachers get crazy number of COVID days for WHEN they get sick.
- Unknown how sports will be handled but right now summer practice is happening with restrictions.
- The protocol for when positive tests happen has a VERY LOW threshold.
- The threshold is so low I can't imagine they can stay open very long.
- If they can't stay open for in class, teachers will still go to school and teach from classroom.

I asked what happens to students who chose virtual school but compete in sports ... will coming on campus be a problem??? Another thing they have to figure out.

I expect all of this to be fluid right up until they actually do start. That makes it harder for parents especially since they have to choose virtual this week ... without knowing how in-class school will work.

Administrators say they anticipate many teachers may put in paperwork to not come back in the spring.

I'm terrified about my adult son being in a classroom full of ..... basically COVID carriers. There is no argument that oh we are in the grocery store, we got our haircut, we went to Home Depot .............. the difference is we are in those locations no more than 20 minutes mostly moving and I detour away from people, especially if they have no mask on. But that is not the same as being in a tight classroom for 7 hours with the same 25 kids who don't have masks on, or worse in high school 125 kids.

Just so sad that a full failure at the handling of this has us even having a conversation that kids might not be able to go back or stay in school. There is no money to make school safe, no public school system has that kind of money. And rather than offer money to help them, the government is threatening to withhold what they get now. This situation didn't have to be black and white, open or close. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MASK MANDATES in March, there should have been plans in place to open school safely in this fall, there have been NONE! So because no planning, support or funding has been offered many school systems are just doing their best and for many it will be bare minimal.

It's really sad that as a country we value our children's lives and their education so little. The estimate from the Dept of Education is that 14,000 children will die of COVID when they go back to school. Schools are going to open and get ready .... schools are going to close. Everyone needs their backup plan for their kids, don't get caught off guard like last time. This time businesses will not close, many parents will have to go to work ... they need to have a backup plan for where their kids will go or who can come in and help.


DD went back to work and her office is already a flurry of positives ... her boss, her team member and many others. She has had her first test and expects many more because ......... even with all these positives the office will not be closing again. Stay at your desk, sanitize everything, wash your hands, wear a mask and see you tomorrow.

OH SORRY this is so long, didn't realize it.

TLTR: Gonna be a rough ride for everyone so have a backup plan for your kids.

My daughter has done fifty per cent of her high school education online due to being an elite athlete. The online courses are by far better than the in class counterparts. She gets more out of them and enjoys that there is no wasted time. We will be opting for home learning. If she is not offered an online option, we will pull her out and she will complete her final year as a homeschooler.

I completely agree that school is for education. Childcare should not be part of the discussion.

 

[godisney14]

Then we shouldn't be doing that either. It's not like there isn't data to support opening schools. Germany, Sweden, South Korea, all opened, no spike from the schools opening. Yes, South Korea in particular did close the schools later, but that was because of a spike in community cases OUTSIDE the schools. If you really aren't comfortable sending your kids back to school, then don't. Hand's up, everyone who thought the distance learning was working and you want to go back to that though? Anybody? Bueller? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Think of it this way; If the rest of the age groups saw the rate of asymptomatic and mild cases that we have seen with school age kids, and we had the same rate of deaths (ZERO for anyone under 18 in CA), would we be doing ANY of these shutdowns? Would schools have any restrictions? Of course not. Then what are we doing here?

Who would’ve imagined distance learning to work superbly with zero notice and preparation?

You cannot just simply compare what might or might not happen to children in the US regarding infections with peers from other countries. Unfortunately, due to long-standing lifestyle and dietary habits, children in the US are at a much higher risk of infection and complications than those other countries that you (and someone else) mentioned.

And if you’re going to compare schools with other successful countries, do it on an even basis by having the same precautionary standards in place. Many of those other countries have not only spaced desks, but they also have put up plexiglass on all 3 sides of desks. In South Korea, they’re also using 3-sided plexiglass at every seat in the cafeteria. Children are also spaced out on marked surfaces during recess and everyone plays with their own sports equipment. That is the level of restriction on interaction between students in these other countries.

Can, or will, schools in America do this?
I’ve heard from some people here that their districts are not even taking temperature of students and staff.

 

[VandVsmama]

All these posts basically saying "too bad so sad - schools aren't for childcare so parents need to figure it out" are just sad. I bet if the posters were the ones facing eviction if they can't work, they would be singing a much different tune.

I agree.

 

[HeatherC]

All these posts basically saying "too bad so sad - schools aren't for childcare so parents need to figure it out" are just sad. I bet if the posters were the ones facing eviction if they can't work, they would be singing a much different tune.

It IS sad, but that’s also the harsh reality of it. Schools are NOT childcare. They are there to educate. What part of that makes us uncaring? No matter what tune someone is singing, that is simply stating the truth. I’m not saying they don’t serve as childcare for so many, but that is not their purpose, currently.

One can have empathy for others (and I do), but that doesn’t mean I can change what a school‘s purpose is. Doesn’t mean I don’t care because I do. We are simply saying that is not their ultimate purpose, so please don’t twist it around that people don’t care. That is NOT the case.

 

[pxidst119]

Even if the guidelines look good on paper it will be so hard to actually follow in real life. Then there are exposures that happen outside of school so it’s not a bubble. As others have mentioned, the experience will be different with less ability to actually socialize. But most of all, it will be disruptive if a school has to open and close or if some have to quarantine etc.

I hate to say it because I so badly want my kids back in school but there would be much more consistency if they would just go online full time. This way we can just have a plan and know what to expect for the year. There has been so much uncertainty since this all started. I think it would be good for everyone to just come up with one plan vs not know if the kids will be in or out of school on a day to day basis as the virus spikes or declines etc. It would be easier for working parents to have one plan they can figure out before school starts and count on it. If teachers and families know ahead of time, they can plan for it. Maybe the schools could set up after school care type programs during the school day for students/families that need that option (child care, technology etc) and they can do their online schooling there. It would be smaller groups of students and not a whole a school full. I feel like a lot of time has been wasted this summer with planning for every possible scenario leaving teachers and parents up in the air. Even if they decide that school reopens, one little outbreak will send everyone scrambling again. I think students, parents, and teachers need something consistent when it comes to schools. Either they go and don’t shut down for outbreaks (obviously not realistic) or go online.

 

[quandrea]

Even if the guidelines look good on paper it will be so hard to actually follow in real life. Then there are exposures that happen outside of school so it’s not a bubble. As others have mentioned, the experience will be different with less ability to actually socialize. But most of all, it will be disruptive if a school has to open and close or if some have to quarantine etc.

I hate to say it because I so badly want my kids back in school but there would be much more consistency if they would just go online full time. This way we can just have a plan and know what to expect for the year. There has been so much uncertainty since this all started. I think it would be good for everyone to just come up with one plan vs not know if the kids will be in or out of school on a day to day basis as the virus spikes or declines etc. It would be easier for working parents to have one plan they can figure out before school starts and count on it. If teachers and families know ahead of time, they can plan for it. Maybe the schools could set up after school care type programs during the school day for students/families that need that option (child care, technology etc) and they can do their online schooling there. It would be smaller groups of students and not a whole a school full. I feel like a lot of time has been wasted this summer with planning for every possible scenario leaving teachers and parents up in the air. Even if they decide that school reopens, one little outbreak will send everyone scrambling again. I think students, parents, and teachers need something consistent when it comes to schools. Either they go and don’t shut down for outbreaks (obviously not realistic) or go online.

As I said upthread, once put into practice, these safety measures take all the authenticity and fun out of social interactions, rendering them unsatisfying. An interesting related example occurred on Canada day for us. The government allowed small gatherings of ten by that point so long as social distancing was enforced. We had another family over for a picnic and swim in our pool. My friend’s two girls got one side of the pool, my three kids got the other side. There was zero social interaction or fun together as a group. The distancing made it impossible. And these are kids who’ve been friends for their entire lives (10-18 years). Back to school will help parents’ day care woes, but we are kidding ourselves when we cite the social benefits.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Now the folks who likely will be on extended furlough are the bus drivers, cafeteria workers and the specialists like therapists, librarians and elective teachers.

You made a lot of good points in your post - very thoughtful! I do want to correct a misconception, though, regarding the above.

As a school librarian during COVID-19 online learning, I and those in my field taught our regular load of classes (yes, school librarians do teach!), provided access to and support for ebooks and other online resources for both teachers and students, acted as tech support for teachers, students, and admin, and performed a ton of other activities in support of our school. Luckily, I am in a district that values those contributions, although sadly some do not. It is frustrating, though, to have read elsewhere that people thing that librarians have little to do if the physical library is closed. It simply isn't true in any form.

Therapists were working overtime, too, handling not only their regular caseloads, but also helping a huge number of students now struggling with the sudden and drastic change to their world, trying to ensure our special ed students still had access to whatever services were allowed under the stay-at-home orders (and getting creative in finding solutions to those important problems), finding resources for low-income students to have access to internet and other necessities (especially since the number of students facing financial hardship increased significantly during this time), and a host of other responsibilities. That won't change even if school is fully remote in the fall.

Teachers of electives didn't see their classes disappear, nor are they anticipated to in many districts this year. Many cafeteria workers prepared meals for delivery by bus drivers to students who receive free and reduced-cost lunches. Again, not all districts took this path, but I hope more will as it serves the students and preserves jobs.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

As I said upthread, once put into practice, these safety measures take all the authenticity and fun out of social interactions, rendering them unsatisfying. An interesting related example occurred on Canada day for us. The government allowed small gatherings of ten by that point so long as social distancing was enforced. We had another family over for a picnic and swim in our pool. My friend’s two girls got one side of the pool, my three kids got the other side. There was zero social interaction or fun together as a group. The distancing made it impossible. And these are kids who’ve been friends for their entire lives (10-18 years). Back to school will help parents’ day care woes, but we are kidding ourselves when we cite the social benefits.

The scenario you provided is exactly the reason my kids want to distance learning. My teens especially say it will be harder to be in the same area as a friend but not actually be around them than it would be to just stay home. They can do the socially distanced thing on their own if we feel it’s safe enough and limit it to a controlled group of their actual friends.

 

[Orion Nebula]

My DS works for the school system (100,000) and has a huge group of friends who are long term and newer teachers in elementary, middle and high school, administrators, special ed teachers, coaches, bus drivers ..... and they are all very concerned about going back.

I haven't heard of a school employee that hasn't been at least somewhat concerned. Anyone who is familar with the little germ factories knows how monumental this will be. If not impossible to keep the kids following the guidelines. Kids are not diligent about being clean, they don't usually respect personal space and have a hard time standing still as it is. There is absolutely now way this is going to work. I place money that within 2 weeks of opening they will have outbreaks and close again.

As a parent I don't feel comfortable with them going back and they are older. My wife and I pretend the mandates were never lifted and my wife also suffers from chronic illness. I will not risk my families lives based on "some people" trying to convince everyone that it's safe. I don't roll the dice when it comes to my loved ones.

We are seriously considering homeschooling.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

A school district in Missouri is requiring parents to sign a waiver in case children become infected with COVID-19 and die.

The “waiver of liability” from Hazelwood School District was shared on Tuesday by attorney Natasha Scruggs.
“I feel sick reading it,” Scruggs said.

The document asks parents to acknowledge that COVID-19 is a public health crisis and to relinquish their rights to hold the district responsible even if a student’s death is “caused by the negligence of carelessness” of school staff.

 

[Orion Nebula]

I live in Missouri and that district is only about 20 miles from me. I am speechless and now feel sick to my stomach.

 

[gwynne]

A school district in Missouri is requiring parents to sign a waiver in case children become infected with COVID-19 and die.
The “waiver of liability” from Hazelwood School District was shared on Tuesday by attorney Natasha Scruggs.
“I feel sick reading it,” Scruggs said.
The document asks parents to acknowledge that COVID-19 is a public health crisis and to relinquish their rights to hold the district responsible even if a student’s death is “caused by the negligence of carelessness” of school staff.

“I feel sick reading it,” Scruggs said.
The document asks parents to acknowledge that COVID-19 is a public health crisis and to relinquish their rights to hold the district responsible even if a student’s death is “caused by the negligence of carelessness” of school staff.

No humanity. It's like the kids are widgets in a factory.

 

[Hikergirl]

I have no idea what my HS student will be doing. Supposedly schools here in areas that are in phase 4 of opening (pretty much the whole state except NYC) will be able to open. That of course depends on the next month and a half and where our numbers go. Schools are supposed to be coming up with 3 plans- one for all in person classes, a hybrid in person and online and one for fully online.
All I know is that if there is any portion online the teachers need to step up their game. What passed as online distance learning over the spring was pathetic.

 

[firefly_ris]

I have no idea what my HS student will be doing. Supposedly schools here in areas that are in phase 4 of opening (pretty much the whole state except NYC) will be able to open. That of course depends on the next month and a half and where our numbers go. Schools are supposed to be coming up with 3 plans- one for all in person classes, a hybrid in person and online and one for fully online.
All I know is that if there is any portion online the teachers need to step up their game. What passed as online distance learning over the spring was pathetic.

My kids' district did a really great job. It was stressful for me juggling the 3 kids and my own work, but they offered a ton and expected participation. But from some ladies in my book club, several of the larger surrounding districts didn't have the same fortune. However my kids are younger and not high school age. But they had live scheduled class lessons twice per week, pre-recorded Math and ELA lessons every day, and open classroom/help times every 30 min all day every day, rotating between all the teachers in each grade. They also received live band instruction, music classes and assignments, art classes and assignments, and phys ed videos and assignments. Towards the end we fell off the wagon with the general music and art a little bit but we did try to participate. Math, ELA and reading had new material and assigned material which had to be handed in as well as online quizzes.

Several friends work in a couple of the area districts and they are frustrated because yes, their superintendents are supposed to come up with all these plans, but we won't hear anything from the Governor until August 7th and they'll just have to do whatever he says anyway so they feel like they're going to be coming up with all these plans for nothing, and then have basically no time to prepare for whatever he ends up saying.

 

[mrs. magoo]

You have to remember that schools especially in the inner city are places where kids get breakfast and lunch; we wash their clothes for them; we provide them with extended child care; we provide mental health sessions for them and the list just goes on and on. Do you see where I am going with this? School for these kids is a whole lot more than just classes. Everyone who is opting for online must have a great internet connection. My students do not have any internet connection or they have been given a free hot spot that will work for 1 kid but not the multiple kids who need to use it. Many of my teacher friends have had to pay to upgrade their band with to support multiple devices. And there will be layoffs..

 

[Ellie008]

My kids' district did a really great job. It was stressful for me juggling the 3 kids and my own work, but they offered a ton and expected participation. But from some ladies in my book club, several of the larger surrounding districts didn't have the same fortune. However my kids are younger and not high school age. But they had live scheduled class lessons twice per week, pre-recorded Math and ELA lessons every day, and open classroom/help times every 30 min all day every day, rotating between all the teachers in each grade. They also received live band instruction, music classes and assignments, art classes and assignments, and phys ed videos and assignments. Towards the end we fell off the wagon with the general music and art a little bit but we did try to participate. Math, ELA and reading had new material and assigned material which had to be handed in as well as online quizzes.

Several friends work in a couple of the area districts and they are frustrated because yes, their superintendents are supposed to come up with all these plans, but we won't hear anything from the Governor until August 7th and they'll just have to do whatever he says anyway so they feel like they're going to be coming up with all these plans for nothing, and then have basically no time to prepare for whatever he ends up saying.

My experience was more along the lines of Hikergirl. My kids got 1-2 short online sessions per week, starting only several weeks into the closure, and ending well before the official last day. If I had your experience with online schooling, I would likely be all for continuing that in the fall. It sounds lovely and interactive. What we got was NOT. It was horrible, and all the students will be exceptionally far behind where they should be simply because the school chose NOT TO COVER NEW MATERIAL! It was infuriating.

If I had any confidence that my districts online schooling in the fall would contain actual learning I would have less fear about how this year will progress.

 

[Hikergirl]

My experience was more along the lines of Hikergirl. My kids got 1-2 short online sessions per week, starting only several weeks into the closure, and ending well before the official last day. If I had your experience with online schooling, I would likely be all for continuing that in the fall. It sounds lovely and interactive. What we got was NOT. It was horrible, and all the students will be exceptionally far behind where they should be simply because the school chose NOT TO COVER NEW MATERIAL! It was infuriating.

If I had any confidence that my districts online schooling in the fall would contain actual learning I would have less fear about how this year will progress.

We didn't even have any online sessions with teachers, each day my ds got his assignments and that was that. They were mostly practice Regents exams, which were cancelled anyway. There was zero instruction from any of his teachers. He was responsible for teaching himself and as a junior that meant Chemistry and Trig. It was a horrible experience and I certainly expected teachers to teach even though it was online.

 

[billlaurie]

You have to remember that schools especially in the inner city are places where kids get breakfast and lunch; we wash their clothes for them; we provide them with extended child care; we provide mental health sessions for them and the list just goes on and on. Do you see where I am going with this? School for these kids is a whole lot more than just classes. Everyone who is opting for online must have a great internet connection. My students do not have any internet connection or they have been given a free hot spot that will work for 1 kid but not the multiple kids who need to use it. Many of my teacher friends have had to pay to upgrade their band with to support multiple devices. And there will be layoffs..

It is not just inner city schools. In my area of the burbs they provide all of the above, plus clothing and even eyeglasses for children in some of the elementary schools. The reality is that school has evolved to be much much more than education, whether we like it or not.

 

[Heather07438]

It's very complex. Keeping transmission rates down would've made it easier. Epidemiologists are trained not only for health aspects as some positions try to allude, the top dogs are also highly trained in sociology. That's why their advice was keep transmission down, they were also considering societal function. Around the world this has been the most common path for getting back to life. It's much easier to follow simple spread reduction protocols than deal with alternative, getting communities that do not have spread under control to function.

NJ released their 104pg Road Back to Education on June 26
https://www.nj.gov/education/reopening/NJDOETheRoadBack.pdf
The local public school district here is having their meeting next Tuesday to discuss how school will resume on the normal Sept 8 open date. Since our Highlander Marching Band starts training for the Fall Season over the summer on July 16, they had to jump ahead. This is how they plan to resume with 100+ student marching band in person:
https://www.wmhighlanderband.com/
Most notably they are doing daily health checks, staggering arrivals, no car pooling, grouping kids into permanent bubbles of 10 or less. Normally marching requires adapting to 5 foot intervals as second nature, this year will be 7.5'. Protocols will be loosened or strengthened as we continue to get more experience and understanding. There are no guarantees but they continue to give it their most thoughtful plan to succeed.

Of course there are many different considerations between communities and even within. What they all have in common is that keeping the R0 closer to 1 makes it much less challenging to proceed and everybody benefits. Try not to get or spread infection by distancing, wear a mask when unable to distance, reduce interactions, maintain hygiene. If you get sick, isolate and notify. Listen to the epidemiologists. Sure we can nit pick over a couple misconstrued statements but overall the advice has been the most solid planning anybody has yet committed to offering.