Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[anniemae]

I’m having huge trust issues with the football programs around here. Coaches pushing to have games even if the school is closed, parents berating the school board about the crowd limits, blatantly hiding positive cases... this is the prelude to a disaster.

What is it with football? I keep seeing tons of kids practicing at our local school. Nobody wearing masks, tons of kids on the field, parents in the stands. Someone told me these practices are not organized by the school. I don't know if the school has made a decision on the sports season for fall.

 

[kymom99]

What is it with football? I keep seeing tons of kids practicing at our local school. Nobody wearing masks, tons of kids on the field, parents in the stands. Someone told me these practices are not organized by the school. I don't know if the school has made a decision on the sports season for fall.

Hamilton county in Ohio (Cincinnati area) pushed really hard for sports. The governor gave in. No school in person but yes, let’s have sports. Parents are out of their minds. All this #LetThemPlay nonsense going on. It’s not going to end well.

 

[mjkacmom]

What is it with football? I keep seeing tons of kids practicing at our local school. Nobody wearing masks, tons of kids on the field, parents in the stands. Someone told me these practices are not organized by the school. I don't know if the school has made a decision on the sports season for fall.

Here there are daily football, soccer, xc and cheer practices, I’m a soccer parent, we don’t watch practices.

 

[kymom99]

Here there are daily football, soccer, xc and cheer practices, I’m a soccer parent, we don’t watch practices.

The thing that concerns me, the colleges are testing athletes and finding positives. Are the high schools testing? I would bet they are not. How is this going to go well? The pros are playing in a bubble, the college athletes are partying and spreading it, but somehow the high school kids will be fine. (I’m basing this off the fact that the university where my husband works had several positives among the basketball team )

 

[mjkacmom]

The thing that concerns me, the colleges are testing athletes and finding positives. Are the high schools testing? I would bet they are not. How is this going to go well? The pros are playing in a bubble, the college athletes are partying and spreading it, but somehow the high school kids will be fine. (I’m basing this off the fact that the university where my husband works had several positives among the basketball team )

I agree with you, I doubt there is going to be a season. My kids also play club which usually starts up again in November, but they are watching the situation closely, thinking of having a fall season if the high school season is canceled.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

A teacher at a local high school created a spreadsheet that has been tracking schools with cases (includes athletes, summer activities, school year, etc). Her spreadsheet is continuously updated and she said she uses news stories (vetting them for credibility) for her collection of data. It's data from all states and comprises of presently approximately 800 schools and counting from March-present. Looks like she and then later on her volunteers have done an incredible amount of work into this and she also breaks it down to where there's no article to back up the information (ETA: a cautionary note for this part regarding my earlier discussion regarding rumor mills and telephone game--just keep that in mind; I appreciate that she at least calls out and details that there is no corresponding article to back it up)

For those who are interested this may be a LOT easier to look at than getting the information from (or having posters) posting articles on the DIS here every day of this school or that school.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...kMB0ZFsmFBL5orqjIq22mjFNZ7n-11ObCylGn/pubhtml
You can also submit an article to her for her to review and add to her list.

Interesting, she's saying exactly what I said about our district - few details, many students quarantined.

Thank you for the link, I've bookmarked it. It does appear to be a good resource.

My son isn't feeling well, I took him to be tested yesterday. He's home at least until the results come back. I don't think it's covid, it's probably just the stomach crud.

 

[RamblingMad]

What is it with football? I keep seeing tons of kids practicing at our local school. Nobody wearing masks, tons of kids on the field, parents in the stands. Someone told me these practices are not organized by the school. I don't know if the school has made a decision on the sports season for fall.

Do you really want to risk your kid having to go to the ER during a pandemic with a sports injury? I don’t get it. Hospitals are likely to get crushed in January and February with hospitals dealing with both the flu and the pandemic. Here in AZ hospitals are at 80% capacity up from 60% in March. I can’t imagine bringing a kid into that environment with an injury.

 

[Mango7100]

The thing that concerns me, the colleges are testing athletes and finding positives. Are the high schools testing? I would bet they are not. How is this going to go well? The pros are playing in a bubble, the college athletes are partying and spreading it, but somehow the high school kids will be fine. (I’m basing this off the fact that the university where my husband works had several positives among the basketball team )

It’s also all the younger kids playing sports too. I see all the time parents posting pics of their kids travel baseball or soccer tournament with tons of teams from all over. They do these weekend tournaments, posts pics of the kids hanging all over each other and going out to eat during breaks between games, come back home, have their kid go to school, and potentially bring something along with them.

 

[kymom99]

It’s also all the younger kids playing sports too. I see all the time parents posting pics of their kids travel baseball or soccer tournament with tons of teams from all over. They do these weekend tournaments, posts pics of the kids hanging all over each other and going out to eat during breaks between games, come back home, have their kid go to school, and potentially bring something along with them.

I’ve seen the same. I posted a while back about a teacher I know who traveled to golf shores for her daughters softball tournament. Pics and video of girls hanging all over each other. I don’t get it.

 

[Colleen27]

When a student at a school gets the measles, the health department requires the school to notify all parents and staff members. When the daughter of one of our teachers got whooping cough about 5 years ago, the health department required the school to notify all parents that someone had been exposed to whooping cough.

If schools are required to notify parents about whooping cough or the measles, why not COVID 19?

Part of the difference is going to be diagnostics. There are very clear diagnostic criteria for measles or whooping cough that allow them to be identified with an office visit, so it is possible to provide timely notification to parents about those cases. The same doesn't apply to COVID19. You can't go see your doctor and find our immediately whether or not it is COVID, there are enough shared symptoms with other viruses that it would be irresponsible to report to families based on symptoms alone, and test results to confirm the illness are lagging by several days to a week at this point. And that, of course, assumes the person who is sick is tested.

COVID protocols are more likely to resemble those relating to the flu. Our school does send a letter if they're notified of a confirmed case of influenza.... but since most people don't get their kids tested for flu, those letters don't even come close to notifying families about most or all cases. In fact, I think I've only seen two of them in 9 years at the school, and I know we've had more kids get the flu than that!

What is it with football? I keep seeing tons of kids practicing at our local school. Nobody wearing masks, tons of kids on the field, parents in the stands. Someone told me these practices are not organized by the school. I don't know if the school has made a decision on the sports season for fall.

Our state athletic association "postponed" (why can't we just say cancelled? they're not really going to run football at the same time as baseball and track in the spring!) football specifically because of this problem. It is very, very hard to accommodate either masks or distancing in football. Other fall sports - cross country, swim - are going forward, but football specifically is such that even the minor breathing hindrance of masking and the minor interference with the range of vision is a problem, and obviously there's no distancing in a contact sport. The kids have to have a certain number of full-contact practices, to focus on safe hitting techniques and other rules of the game aimed at reducing injuries, before the season starts, so they can't practice at a distance and limit contact to competitions either. And since football tends to attract a particular sort of coach and parent, there's been little interest in compromising or thinking outside the box to save the season, at least among the powerhouse programs in my area. At least two head coaches in the area are pretty much COVID-deniers (Kids don't get it, it is just a flu, that kind of thing).

Do you really want to risk your kid having to go to the ER during a pandemic with a sports injury? I don’t get it. Hospitals are likely to get crushed in January and February with hospitals dealing with both the flu and the pandemic. Here in AZ hospitals are at 80% capacity up from 60% in March. I can’t imagine bringing a kid into that environment with an injury.

I think that's something that's bound to vary from place to place. I'm not worried about injury when it comes to our sports/activities, but the hospitals in my area are pretty much normal. My kids are still doing their usual risky things - skateboarding and biking and such - and the possibility of injury doesn't concern me. The problem with football right now, as I see it, is that in our state the rates of spread vary pretty extremely from county to county. My rural county has a current rate of 14 cases per 100K (weekly), which puts us around 65th in the state right now; the neighboring county where most of our football opponents come from has a current rate of 98 cases per 100K, the 3rd-highest in the state. Why in the world would we want to hold football games that would increase the mixing between our two populations right now?

 

[monsterkitty]

Part of the difference is going to be diagnostics. There are very clear diagnostic criteria for measles or whooping cough that allow them to be identified with an office visit, so it is possible to provide timely notification to parents about those cases. The same doesn't apply to COVID19. You can't go see your doctor and find our immediately whether or not it is COVID, there are enough shared symptoms with other viruses that it would be irresponsible to report to families based on symptoms alone, and test results to confirm the illness are lagging by several days to a week at this point. And that, of course, assumes the person who is sick is tested.

COVID protocols are more likely to resemble those relating to the flu. Our school does send a letter if they're notified of a confirmed case of influenza.... but since most people don't get their kids tested for flu, those letters don't even come close to notifying families about most or all cases. In fact, I think I've only seen two of them in 9 years at the school, and I know we've had more kids get the flu than that!



Our state athletic association "postponed" (why can't we just say cancelled? they're not really going to run football at the same time as baseball and track in the spring!) football specifically because of this problem. It is very, very hard to accommodate either masks or distancing in football. Other fall sports - cross country, swim - are going forward, but football specifically is such that even the minor breathing hindrance of masking and the minor interference with the range of vision is a problem, and obviously there's no distancing in a contact sport. The kids have to have a certain number of full-contact practices, to focus on safe hitting techniques and other rules of the game aimed at reducing injuries, before the season starts, so they can't practice at a distance and limit contact to competitions either. And since football tends to attract a particular sort of coach and parent, there's been little interest in compromising or thinking outside the box to save the season, at least among the powerhouse programs in my area. At least two head coaches in the area are pretty much COVID-deniers (Kids don't get it, it is just a flu, that kind of thing).



I think that's something that's bound to vary from place to place. I'm not worried about injury when it comes to our sports/activities, but the hospitals in my area are pretty much normal. My kids are still doing their usual risky things - skateboarding and biking and such - and the possibility of injury doesn't concern me. The problem with football right now, as I see it, is that in our state the rates of spread vary pretty extremely from county to county. My rural county has a current rate of 14 cases per 100K (weekly), which puts us around 65th in the state right now; the neighboring county where most of our football opponents come from has a current rate of 98 cases per 100K, the 3rd-highest in the state. Why in the world would we want to hold football games that would increase the mixing between our two populations right now?

My district goes in-person with kids tomorrow. Parents who choose 100% in-person signed an agreement with the district. The agreement states if any staff or student has the following symptoms, they are not allowed to come to school until they are tested and receive the results of the test. If the test is negative but the symptoms persist more than 48 hours then they must get retested before coming back into a building. Students and staff with allergies will need documentation from their health care provider that the symptoms are not COVID related.

COVID symptoms OR a positive COVID test OR been in Close Contact/Exposure* with someone suspected or confirmed to have COVID Major Symptoms
 New or Worsening/Unexplained Cough
 Feeling Feverish, Having Chills or Fever of 100.4o F or higher
 Shortness of Breath or Difficulty Breathing
 Loss of Taste or Smell

Minor Symptoms
 Congestion or Runny Nose
 Sore Throat
 Headache
 Muscle Pain or Fatigue
 Diarrhea
 Nausea or Vomiting

Close Contact/Exposure is a person who fits any of the following criteria:
 Was within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 (even if they did not have symptoms) for at least 15 minutes total.
 Provided care for someone who is sick with COVID-19.
 Had direct physical contact with someone who is sick with COVID-19.
 Shared eating or drinking utensils with someone who is sick with COVID-19.
 Got respiratory droplets from someone who is sick with COVID-19 on them (through sneezing, coughing, shouting, etc.)
 Was in the same class/cohort (meeting; office; etc.) as a person with COVID-19. No one with symptoms of COVID should be allowed in the building. This includes teachers, administrators, parents/guardians, siblings, staff, visitors, etc.

If parents do not want to follow the guidelines then they were told to enroll their child in the online academy. If parents send the child to school sick they will be called and have 30 minutes to pick up the child. (I have no clue what happens if they don't pick the child up in 30 minutes because teachers were not given that info.

We understand that it is difficult for parents to get their kids tested and get the results in a timely manner. The district and other districts has partnered with a testing company for testing students and staff. All staff was asked to get tested before they reported to school last week. My DH was tested on Wednesday and got his results Thursday afternoon. One of the schools in the district has the testing site. It is in the middle of the district so one can get there very easily, even by walking.

If parents want to keep their kids in school they will need to follow the guidelines so the schools can stay open. If they complain they go online. It's as simple as that.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Looks like pre-testing all students and staff at my college alma mater is working to do its job at the onset at least. They've conducted almost 7,100 tests so far with 89 coming back positive; 87 from students and 2 from staff. (ETA: another article has identified a “large majority” of the student positives came from the fraternity and sorority communities." That makes sense. Another college in the state had 13 cases within one fraternity).

They didn't break it up by campuses but the main campus is located about 30-ish miles from me and the secondary campus is located within my metro about 8 or so miles from me.

Earlier in the week our State Health Director discussed that several of the colleges in the state have had positive cases and with the incubation period and the activities the assumption was more that they were bringing the virus from their homes to the college. This is one of the main concerns I have if the reverse were to happen where students are sent home. At the very least test them before you send them home please or before you take disciplinary action related to COVID if it results in inability to go to campus or suspension from the school--at least that's what I wish could happen.

 

[kdonnel]

Both kids are back in to college in a hybrid model. Some classes for my daughter are 100% online. The rest for my son and daughter are in person but the classes have been split into groups. For Tuesday, Thursday classes, half of the class attends on Tuesday and the other half on Thursday. For the three day a week classes they have been split into thirds. Both are very happy to be back in person.

My wife is set to welcome back her students in person mid week next week unless plans change again. She has been teaching 100% online for almost two weeks now.

 

[KittyKitty]

My wife is set to welcome back her students in person mid week next week unless plans change again. She has been teaching 100% online for almost two weeks now.

How did those 2 weeks go online for her?

 

[KBoopaloo]

NC State just announced making the move to online classes though they say housing will remain open but students can cancel their housing contracts without penalty.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1296516764071866369

 

[kdonnel]

How did those 2 weeks go online for her?

She teaches a level 2 autism class that focuses on life skills. It has not been productive at all for the kids.

 

[KittyKitty]

She teaches a level 2 autism class that focuses on life skills. It has not been productive at all for the kids.

Hopefully it will be better when it is in person. I sub(subbed??) in IEP classes, and there are para professionals in the class working with the students also. Students are so unique in learning that they need to have 1 on 1 teaching most of the time.
Our district opens on Sept. 9 with on line learning till at least Nov. No idea how teachers are going to teach this way.
Best to your wife.

 

[siren0119]

let’s be honest here. If schoolS opens up more kids will die from coming and going and waiting at bus stops. Than the corono virus.
more kids will die from school shootings than corono virus. More kids will die from committing suicide from being bully at school than corono virus.
So our kids will be safe from corono for the most part. Most will recover quickly. Some will die sadly. Of course they will bring it home to their parents which will mean more deaths. Damn if you do damn if you don’t open up the schools.

*Corona*

And your bolded statement? If you have children I hope that you FULLY understand your child is just as likely to be one of those "some" as it is to be some nameless stranger's child. This isn't some abstract concept we are talking about - it is your children, your neighbors' children, your kids' friends and your family members.

 

[siren0119]

Made the decision today - my kids will be starting the year fully remote. The way our district has things set up, the full remote version and hybrid versions will all be taught by town teachers, and we will be allowed to switch between the two with a few days' notice. That was the deciding factor for me. Knowing that I can keep them home for a month or so and see how things play out, then decide to let them go in-person later at least puts my mind at ease for my kids. I respect those parents who felt being in person was important, it was a hard decision for all of us.

 

[EACarlson]

Which of those metrics do you think are idiotic? They seem pretty standard. And as I said above, I'm infuriated that our district isn't publicizing measurable metrics, so I'm really impressed by this chart.

The <10 cases per 100,000 residents. The population of the county is 171,000, so less than 17 active cases in the county in order to move to the next phase. And since an "active case" is considered any positive test result in the previous 14 days, a person with multiple positive tests is one case for each test. There are counties in this state that have had single digit cases for the entire pandemic that are considered "Areas of High COVID Activity."