Back to School during the pandemic ...a discussion thread

[TammyLynn33]

I’m at a total loss right now and decision is due by Sunday. Throw a special needs kid into the mix and gets so much more complex.
Had his transition meeting yesterday and got the ball dropped virtually on me , had a really rough year last year and when asked to switch teachers was told she was his best option the other teacher was Not a good fit at all.. and guess whose class he’s in as of yesterday ? like it’s not a stressful enough time you tell me how awful the one teacher is and a few days later tell me ohh well.. I guess it’s one way to lower numbers for kids that aren’t easy.

 

[Disneylover99]

I’m at a total loss right now and decision is due by Sunday. Throw a special needs kid into the mix and gets so much more complex.
Had his transition meeting yesterday and got the ball dropped virtually on me , had a really rough year last year and when asked to switch teachers was told she was his best option the other teacher was Not a good fit at all.. and guess whose class he’s in as of yesterday ? like it’s not a stressful enough time you tell me how awful the one teacher is and a few days later tell me ohh well.. I guess it’s one way to lower numbers for kids that aren’t easy.

I’m so sorry. These are such frustrating times for parents, students and teachers. And there is so much confusion and uncertainty for everyone.

Getting the right teacher is critical for many children.
Getting the wrong teacher is detrimental for many children.

 

[Silvermist999]

I can’t decide whether to send my kids or keep them home. The school board will have a special meeting sometime next week for questions to be answered. But it is AFTER our survey deadline which is this Sunday. Makes absolutely no sense to me.

 

[bababear_50]

I can’t decide whether to send my kids or keep them home. The school board will have a special meeting sometime next week for questions to be answered. But it is AFTER our survey deadline which is this Sunday. Makes absolutely no sense to me.

I have been thinking about this
Well you are the parent and have the right to say what you feel is best for your child.
Do the survey but reserve the right to change your mind should circumstances change.
I mean this is what the government is saying right? Circumstances are ever evolving and changing and we have to accept that so they need to accept that from parents also.
Ok off my soap box for now
Hugs
Mel

 

[bababear_50]

Latest information from my area. Peel Region.
26% of all students will be Online Distance Learning so far.

Plus only 80% so far have chosen,,thus leaving another 20% undecided.

School starts date may be delayed but no indication when.

Another update is expected early next week.

Hugs
Mel

 

[SleeplessInTO]

Toronto District School Board delayed start of school by at least one week. Reducing class sizes for some classes in “high risk” areas (as determined by certain metrics).

We have withdrawn from TDSB for the year but I can’t seem to stop watching the news and reading about it ...

 

[pigletto]

I can’t decide whether to send my kids or keep them home. The school board will have a special meeting sometime next week for questions to be answered. But it is AFTER our survey deadline which is this Sunday. Makes absolutely no sense to me.

Just don’t answer the survey in time. The deadline is so that they can plan properly for your return . They can have the decency to give you the pertinent information you need to make this critical choice in time, or they can wait.

 

[reliev]

I can’t decide whether to send my kids or keep them home. The school board will have a special meeting sometime next week for questions to be answered. But it is AFTER our survey deadline which is this Sunday. Makes absolutely no sense to me.

I think they are using the survey to present it to the board. My kid's school doesn't have online but they have where you can enroll (they are not in a public school in child development due to their age) I asked how many kids were enrolled they said all 10 then I said how many are going to class it was 2 now its 1 kid. I wonder if the one kid is going to be thinking why are they the only one in this class with all these webcams everywhere. we are waiting a month to see how it goes then re-asses.

Edit I forgot to add my child is able to learn online but technically there is no online enrollment, I think this is because some parents must have asked for a discount on tuition and some arent paying at at all.

 

[hdrolfe]

It seems to be fairly consistent that 25% (give or take) are doing online, it's more than the school boards here were expecting any way. We were asked to submit a new form by yesterday if we changed our minds after seeing their plans. However, in the FAQs they have been posting it was asked if parents could decide not to send kids and switch to online and the answer was "yes", but for sending them back to class it was "speak to the principal". So we'll see what happens I guess! The principal sent an email saying more details would follow, like who the teacher is, where the kids should meet the teacher on the first day and stuff like that. It's all very nerve wracking to be sure. I am sending him, because he wants to go, but I am fairly sure it won't last long. He hates school to begin with, and the changes are not going to make that better. I'm prepared to do anything at this point, in class, online or fully homeschooled. And I can't think about it any more or I drive myself crazy!

 

[wdwmom3]

I get the difficulty parents are having making decisions with limited information. But how can school boards give you information without having an idea who is coming and who is not.

What information are parents waiting to hear? If it’s what their class size will be etc, they can’t give you that until they know who is going. I’ve read a lot of parents plan on keeping the kids home but answered they were attending to “save a spot”. Well how are school boards supposed to plan properly with that?

 

[FigmentSpark]

I just got an email from my son's Taekwondo instructor. His wife is a retired teacher, so they are opening the dojang and will take 14 elementary aged kids. Children will do fully remote at their school, but will be able to get help from a teacher. Also, they will provide the after school care. It's a perfect set up for parents that aren't comfortable with the 25+ kids in a classroom, have to go to work and would need after school care anyway.

I wonder if we will see a lot of these pockets of alternative remote learning?

 

[quandrea]

Toronto District School Board delayed start of school by at least one week. Reducing class sizes for some classes in “high risk” areas (as determined by certain metrics).

We have withdrawn from TDSB for the year but I can’t seem to stop watching the news and reading about it ...

I’m the same. It’s like a car wreck and I can’t look away. I must say, I do find myself irrationally irritated by the late start. I feel as a taxpayer that my money is getting squandered.

 

[Silvermist999]

Just don’t answer the survey in time. The deadline is so that they can plan properly for your return . They can have the decency to give you the pertinent information you need to make this critical choice in time, or they can wait.

I wish we could take the risk and not reply on time, but this is likely the only chance for us to submit our decision. Logically they would have held the info session first so questions about the plan could be answered, but guess they never thought of that as being useful. Deadline is 4pm tomorrow...

 

[Silvermist999]

I have been thinking about this
Well you are the parent and have the right to say what you feel is best for your child.
Do the survey but reserve the right to change your mind should circumstances change.
I mean this is what the government is saying right? Circumstances are ever evolving and changing and we have to accept that so they need to accept that from parents also.
Ok off my soap box for now
Hugs
Mel

Yes we can change our minds at the end of the 1st quadmester in mid Nov.
I know many kids are going back now but plan to switch to online in Nov, during flu season or if there’s a second wave. We were thinking to do online only but then they came out with their new virtual model which raises so many questions. My head hurts from trying to decide, lol.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

I just got an email from my son's Taekwondo instructor. His wife is a retired teacher, so they are opening the dojang and will take 14 elementary aged kids. Children will do fully remote at their school, but will be able to get help from a teacher. Also, they will provide the after school care. It's a perfect set up for parents that aren't comfortable with the 25+ kids in a classroom, have to go to work and would need after school care anyway.

I wonder if we will see a lot of these pockets of alternative remote learning?

It seems like a lot of people are looking at school 'pods'. We're sending our oldest to school and youngest to home daycare but something like this would be great IMO, especially if you are sending multiple kids.

 

[TammyLynn33]

So it’s official my 6 and 8 year old are home for the year. 8 year old doing remote to keep all his special needs services in place and 6 year old and I going rogue.
its 430 am I can’t sleep I work at 8 and have to tell the family i work for.. been with them for 4 years.
I hate 2020

 

[Madame]

So it’s official my 6 and 8 year old are home for the year. 8 year old doing remote to keep all his special needs services in place and 6 year old and I going rogue.
its 430 am I can’t sleep I work at 8 and have to tell the family i work for.. been with them for 4 years.
I hate 2020

I was serious with my offer for Immersion help. If you need anything just DM me.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

@TammyLynn33 Sorry to hear of all your woes. Who would have thought we would still be dealing with the ramifications of COVID-19 still in Sept. Know that you are not alone!

 

[vegs1]

This is an interesting read from CTV news. They speak often with Dr. Sharkawy, an infectious disease specialist and he is always very down to earth, factual, no scare tactics. Just the science. This was posted on CTV ......

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...-school-activities-by-covid-19-risk-1.5073993

 

[Debbie]

This is an interesting read from CTV news. They speak often with Dr. Sharkawy, an infectious disease specialist and he is always very down to earth, factual, no scare tactics. Just the science. This was posted on CTV ......

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...-school-activities-by-covid-19-risk-1.5073993

Love Dr. Sharkawy. I shared this as well as soon as I saw it. It is going to be a different year, and teachers will be pulling out the stops to be sure learning is happening for every child, in as safe a manner as possible. I know that my daughter (ON) is reading and planning to be outside teaching for as long as possible. Best of luck, whatever everyone chooses.