Going Remote

[hollydolls]

I'm in Northern Virginia and work at the community college. We were instructed to work remotely for a couple weeks, though our public K12 schools planned to go back in person. They actually didn't return on Monday due to snow, so hopefully that slows down the spread a bit. Either way, we're facing similar issues to everywhere else; there are tons of teachers out due to exposure or illness. I'm curious how many we'll see in school this week.

 

[disny_luvr]

I posted a few pages back that my district was returning to in person learning on January 3rd with no mask mandate. We are one week in, and I must say, not as many teachers and students as I was expecting have been absent due to Covid. Don’t get me wrong, we are down students (some of my classes I’ve had five or six students absent while others I have zero students absent) and teachers, but I was expecting much higher numbers. We’ll see how things pan out this week. I was only pulled to cover on Monday and Tuesday during my plan period, so again, better than I was expecting.

 

[Christine]

I'm in Northern Virginia and work at the community college. We were instructed to work remotely for a couple weeks, though our public K12 schools planned to go back in person. They actually didn't return on Monday due to snow, so hopefully that slows down the spread a bit. Either way, we're facing similar issues to everywhere else; there are tons of teachers out due to exposure or illness. I'm curious how many we'll see in school this week.

I think the snowstorm was a blessing in the disguise! Pretty much gave the schools a week to let the post-holiday infections bear out.

 

[shoney]

The week before Christmas our private school decided to go remote the week after the break. So it was scheduled. Even then we had about 60 out of 200 kids out each day. Staff had it but were working anyway as not lose pay or PTO days.

we have always had to wear masks at school but on Friday they announced that it must be n95 or surgical. No more fashion masks.

yesterday got an email we are remote again next week. No reason as to why the change.

 

[cmarsh31]

The week before Christmas our private school decided to go remote the week after the break. So it was scheduled. Even then we had about 60 out of 200 kids out each day. Staff had it but were working anyway as not lose pay or PTO days.

we have always had to wear masks at school but on Friday they announced that it must be n95 or surgical. No more fashion masks.

yesterday got an email we are remote again next week. No reason as to why the change.

Interesting on the masks... what state are you in? I have stupid sensitive skin and I have yet to find a non-cloth mask (that I wash carefully at home in safe detergent) that doesn't cause me to want to claw my skin off immediately (and the rash is attractive too...). This is a concern of mine for the future, especially for travel etc (I'm vaxxed and had covid last month... so currently I'm not overly concerned about contracting or infecting others).

 

[shoney]

Interesting on the masks... what state are you in? I have stupid sensitive skin and I have yet to find a non-cloth mask (that I wash carefully at home in safe detergent) that doesn't cause me to want to claw my skin off immediately (and the rash is attractive too...). This is a concern of mine for the future, especially for travel etc (I'm vaxxed and had covid last month... so currently I'm not overly concerned about contracting or infecting others).

Long Island, New York.

 

[Christine]

Interesting on the masks... what state are you in? I have stupid sensitive skin and I have yet to find a non-cloth mask (that I wash carefully at home in safe detergent) that doesn't cause me to want to claw my skin off immediately (and the rash is attractive too...). This is a concern of mine for the future, especially for travel etc (I'm vaxxed and had covid last month... so currently I'm not overly concerned about contracting or infecting others).

Just wear a thin, cloth mask against your face and then get something like a KF94 (which isn't as suffocating as the KN95) and put that overtop of the cloth.

 

[cmarsh31]

Long Island, New York.

I'm in Albany - I was assuming you were nearby. I've been trying to order other brands of n95/kn94 whatevers to see if I can find one that doesn't bother my skin, but that's basically impossible...

 

[cmarsh31]

Just wear a thin, cloth mask against your face and then get something like a KF94 (which isn't as suffocating as the KN95) and put that overtop of the cloth.

The suffocating isn't the issue... and I've contemplated that. I will if it's required for sure... but can I teach through that? I'm already "projecting" a lot more than I used to, in order to teach through my regular masks. Is anyone else teaching through double-masks? How's the 6 hours of talking?

 

[Christine]

The suffocating isn't the issue... and I've contemplated that. I will if it's required for sure... but can I teach through that? I'm already "projecting" a lot more than I used to, in order to teach through my regular masks. Is anyone else teaching through double-masks? How's the 6 hours of talking?

Yeah that would be tough. I always feel like I'm yelling all the time!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Interesting on the masks... what state are you in? I have stupid sensitive skin and I have yet to find a non-cloth mask (that I wash carefully at home in safe detergent) that doesn't cause me to want to claw my skin off immediately (and the rash is attractive too...). This is a concern of mine for the future, especially for travel etc (I'm vaxxed and had covid last month... so currently I'm not overly concerned about contracting or infecting others).

In CA and our rules are the same for staff & students. Surgical, KF94, KN95 or N95 only.

 

[h518may]

I'm in Kentucky, same district as DisneyHardin, Had a snow day Friday and just got word we go remote for the week. They are giving everyone Monday off, and then NTI for Tuesday to Friday. Doesn't really affect my family because we decided to keep our DD virtual for this year, we will stay with the same schedule we've been doing.
And DD dance studio just went virtual also. The whole studio is virtual for this week, special needs classes virtual for the rest of the month.

 

[monsterkitty]

Yeah that would be tough. I always feel like I'm yelling all the time!

Our principal bought all of us a mic with a mini amp that we wore. I already had been using one for years because talking over instruments wasn't great for the voice. He got them on Amazon.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I don’t know if this has been shared yet, but it’s a good laugh. Because if we don’t laugh, we cry, right?

3 of the 6 of us are now close contacts. 3 different schools

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles...strict-regarding-our-updated-omicron-policies

 

[HopperFan]

Interesting on the masks... what state are you in? I have stupid sensitive skin and I have yet to find a non-cloth mask (that I wash carefully at home in safe detergent) that doesn't cause me to want to claw my skin off immediately (and the rash is attractive too...). This is a concern of mine for the future, especially for travel etc (I'm vaxxed and had covid last month... so currently I'm not overly concerned about contracting or infecting others).

Some are beginning to sell mask covers on Etsy. You can get for the regular disposable or for the 95/94s. You can wear them on the outside for fashion or on the inside against your skin. I just ordered a couple to use for patterns to make my own.

 

[mrs. magoo]

In CA and our rules are the same for staff & students. Surgical, KF94, KN95 or N95 only.

I find this so interesting that the districts tell students and teachers what kind of mask to wear. Do the districts provide these masks? All the reputable kn95s have doubled in price and I am not paying $50 or more to buy them. I wear a surgical mask and usually a cloth mask over the top. My district gave me 3 kn95 masks for the rest of the school year. What am I doing with that?? My students do not even have surgical masks as they come everyday without masks and then expect us to provide them with one. I have bought 1 box so far this year but I am not buying them anymore. If the district wants me to wear a certain kind of mask they can provide it otherwise I will wear what I deem to be safe. By the way in my district teachers are not close contacts at any time and as long as you are fully vaccinated and have no symptoms you are to report to school. You do not even have to test unless you have symptoms.

My county has adopted the CDC 5 day rule so the district will only cover the 5 days now so if you have symptoms still you need to use your own sick time.

Oh since we are now on remote learning for at least today but the teachers have to report to the building the district turned the heat off. It was 52 degrees in my room on Friday and it is currently 55 this morning. I fully expect it to be freezing as the day goes on.

 

[cmarsh31]

We are also all on the 5-day rule, my kids & my school. 2-hour delay for my kids, snow day for me, because of yesterday's ice storm. My daughter said she felt "icky" last night - we did a quick rapid test, negative, but I'm waiting to see how she wakes up.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I find this so interesting that the districts tell students and teachers what kind of mask to wear. Do the districts provide these masks? All the reputable kn95s have doubled in price and I am not paying $50 or more to buy them. I wear a surgical mask and usually a cloth mask over the top. My district gave me 3 kn95 masks for the rest of the school year. What am I doing with that?? My students do not even have surgical masks as they come everyday without masks and then expect us to provide them with one. I have bought 1 box so far this year but I am not buying them anymore. If the district wants me to wear a certain kind of mask they can provide it otherwise I will wear what I deem to be safe. By the way in my district teachers are not close contacts at any time and as long as you are fully vaccinated and have no symptoms you are to report to school. You do not even have to test unless you have symptoms.

Our district gave us 1 N95 mask per teacher, but we do have a basically unlimited supply of surgical masks that we can use and can give out to the kids. I would say about 25% of our kids come in every day without a mask, so we hand them out at the door. Also they play with them so much that they break the elastics non-stop all day, so every teacher has boxes in their rooms for replacements, but luckily, we weren't expected to buy those ourselves.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I'm in Kentucky, same district as DisneyHardin, Had a snow day Friday and just got word we go remote for the week. They are giving everyone Monday off, and then NTI for Tuesday to Friday. Doesn't really affect my family because we decided to keep our DD virtual for this year, we will stay with the same schedule we've been doing.
And DD dance studio just went virtual also. The whole studio is virtual for this week, special needs classes virtual for the rest of the month.

I didn't sleep a wink last night trying to figure out how to adapt things for virtual starting on Tuesday. You are lucky that you got your kids into Pathfinder. The demand for it was so much higher than anticipated that the waitlist is basically never ending. I am anxious to see if Pathfinder sticks around after everything goes back to "normal".

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I find this so interesting that the districts tell students and teachers what kind of mask to wear. Do the districts provide these masks? All the reputable kn95s have doubled in price and I am not paying $50 or more to buy them. I wear a surgical mask and usually a cloth mask over the top. My district gave me 3 kn95 masks for the rest of the school year. What am I doing with that?? My students do not even have surgical masks as they come everyday without masks and then expect us to provide them with one. I have bought 1 box so far this year but I am not buying them anymore. If the district wants me to wear a certain kind of mask they can provide it otherwise I will wear what I deem to be safe. By the way in my district teachers are not close contacts at any time and as long as you are fully vaccinated and have no symptoms you are to report to school. You do not even have to test unless you have symptoms.

My county has adopted the CDC 5 day rule so the district will only cover the 5 days now so if you have symptoms still you need to use your own sick time.

Oh since we are now on remote learning for at least today but the teachers have to report to the building the district turned the heat off. It was 52 degrees in my room on Friday and it is currently 55 this morning. I fully expect it to be freezing as the day goes on.

Yes, our district provides surgical masks to both staff & students if needed. There are boxes in the copy room we are free to grab for our classrooms. I’d say 97% of our families are providing their own right now.

I am considered a close contact for contract tracing, but because I am fully vaccinated, boosted & asymptomatic, I am free to go to work. There isn’t a requirement to test - at least the district hasn’t said anything - but I chose to follow CDC guidelines. I tested negative this morning. We go back to pool testing at school this week, so hopefully that helps.

*knock on wood*My school has such few cases, contract tracing is completely doable. At the secondary level, it’s not. They tested everybody who’s given permission at the junior high on Friday and at this point, everybody at the high school is considered a close contact.

Our county office of ed has not updated to the 5 day isolation, so our schools can’t yet. But they anticipate that will change in this next week.