Our state department of instruction just published their guidelines this week. They are saying no more than 10 kids per class, and none of the options seem to have kids going for a full week. Either 1 week on and 1 week off, or 2 days on and 2 days off per week, or totally online. Our school district is still figuring out what to do with this. What is your district/ state saying?
The university I work for said that we will be in person in the fall. All students must wear face masks and I as an instructor will have a personal face shield and microphone. They are also going to move some classes to the weekend, in order to accommodate the need for larger spaces to social distance in. Which compounds my anxiety over the fall opening schedule for the kids' schools.
phdmomma, I'm in the same state as you. There was another guideline of 4 days in person and using Friday to do a deep clean. There has been a lot of uproar in our community and it has only been a day of them being published. It's up to each district to make a plan so it's absolutely going to be chaos.
Our district sent a letter out today saying they are only guidelines and they will be using them to come up with a plan that works for our local community. They will be working on three options - all in school, hybrid and all virtual. They are waiting to send out a parent survey until the end of July because the environment is constantly changing so how can they decide which option to go with now when September may look completely different. They will get us information as soon as possible in August.
The uncertainty and confirmation that we won't have much time to prepare is making me feel very overwhelmed. At best, we will get 4 weeks notice to line up child care or alternate arrangements. DH's attitude is we can't control it so don't worry about it until August.
Our district pushed back to the end of August. But they are acting like completely in school. Adding 15 minute to the end of the day. Keeping fall, Christmas, and spring break. The recommendations are social distancing, masks, etc... But there is no word yet on how that is going to happen. I am a little surprised that there is not some sort of hybrid in place or a long winter break.
Our district will tell us about their plans 7/1. Earlier this month, there were no plans or ideas of how things will work. There is no money to do anything. I basically want to find a little hidey hole and cry.
We will most likely be on a hybrid schedule as far as I know, with at least 60% of the time spent distance learning. I am (telling myself right now, anyways) that I will not be the one to coordinate all the distance learning again. I'm not sure who's going to do it. I'll just leave it up to my 7 year old.
Our superintendent presented a plan to the school board at the June meeting and they will announce the decision at the July meeting. From what I gathered watching the video, he wants us back in school full time, masks for everyone, including kids, all day, with plexi shields around every single desk. They've purchased enough washable masks that every student would receive 5. Lunch would be in the classroom. Not sure what recess or specials would look like. He didn't specify during the meeting. We live in a land of "no masks, personal freedom" so I really don't understand how this plan will work out. A lot of parents will lose their minds.
They investigated the partial schedule options and didn't like it because of transportation, working parents, etc. So are trying to avoid that at all costs. ETA - if we go to this kind of schedule at all, we have to just our custody schedule to coordinate with it, so I'm dreading those logistics. I'm fine with my kids wearing masks all day. They'll learn to deal.
They also emphasized that distance learning will be ready to go at a moment's notice and they've purchased the additional chromebooks needed to get us to full 1 to 1 with technology for all kids. We were short during the spring so older kids used home computers if they had them so they could re-allocate school computers to families that needed them in lower grades. They are prepping that curriculum and plans so that if we have to do any kind of shut down again we are ready to go.
mellym, Thanks, I missed that one in my reading (that's what I get for skimming on a conference call). I have to admit, the 4 days on and 1 day off per week would be my ideal. But, based on our normal class sizes I don't know how they would handle that. In my son's school this year there were 5 2nd grade classes, each with about 20 kids. Which makes me think that it would be unlikely that we would go 4 days a week. But I could see one of the split schedules, in order to get class sizes down to where they need to be. We are in a clustered school set, where 2 elementary schools are given additional funding to pair with one that is significantly different from itself based on demographics and income. So the first school is k-2, and the second is 3-5.
1. full distance learning that you already had to elect (apparently only 13 families picked this option at our 450-kid school)
2. Hybrid, which will be Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs every week. Divided alphabetically. There would be no live distance learning on the other two days, just homework packets. Fridays would be ‘off’ - teacher prep days. There would likely be aftercare type childcare on the off days, either at our school or a centralized location for the district (like the district’s farm).
3. Full in person. The district says that’s their goal and they’ll do it if the health department allows it. The overwhelming majority of parents want this option.
I think hybrid is most likely. In that case we will likely do some of the aftercare-type childcare on the off days (depending on cost I may pay to have it all the non-school time just to have the backup) and also plan to hire some sort of educator to help the kids with the homework packets. DS1 had a kindergarten teacher sub this year who doesn’t have a job as far as I know for next year. So I may try to hire her to help the kids. DS1 is our challenging kid so it would be nice to have someone he knows already. She’s young and not that experienced so likely wouldn’t be super duper expensive and would hopefully have a flexible schedule because no kids. I need to send her a year end gift and throw out this idea.
Post by mustardseed2007 on Jun 23, 2020 12:25:00 GMT -5
Texas has not published rules, but our private school is currently coming up with a plan.
It sounds like they will require masks for all kids and in the younger classes (3s and 4s) may require face shields rather than masks.
Classes within the school are capped at 12 kids per class. Both of my kids are in classes with fewer than 12 as far as I know.
They used to have all the kids sitting at tables but they have desks that they will be getting out of storage. Kids always ate outside and will likely continue that. They are struggling with what to do when there is a positive kid or teacher. How far should the quarantine go and what will that do to instruction.
Post by supertrooper1 on Jun 23, 2020 12:32:42 GMT -5
Our district is planning week on/week off M-Th schooling. The off week would be online learning. There will also be an option for full time homeschool online learning. Each class would have 10-15 students with their desks 6 feet apart.
I would most likely be the parent with the off week and trying to do online homeschool while trying to work since exH will be working full time. I wish they would go back full time, but this is unlikely at the start of the year.
I've got two different districts to pay attention to: the one where I live and DD attends, and the one where I work, 45 minutes away.
The State DOE just published their guidelines Friday but individual districts have to announce specific plans by at least 20 days out from the first day of school (would normally be August 18 here). It has been suggested that district consider pushing back the first day.
My biggest concern is that our home district and my employment district will not do the same thing and that I'll be stuck attending work full time in person while DD only attends partial time under a crazy hybrid schedule. If that turns out to be the case, I will likely unenroll DD at our home school and enroll her at my school of employment (assuming MY students actually attend full time). She'd be crushed to do that but we'd make it work for a year until we return to normal.
If both my district and the home district do online/hybrid schedules, we will likely need in-laws to move in with us to provide childcare.
Post by librarychica on Jun 23, 2020 13:10:01 GMT -5
vasc I really feel for teachers and college instructors who are waiting to hear if they’re on conflicting schedules.
Our state has recommended that all districts open 5 days a week with a bevy of safety requirements/suggestions and a lot of flexibility for the harder-hit areas to do differently (example, be open 5 days but work on tracks, have elementary open in person but middle/high hybrid). Our district hasn’t said anything yet. We go back August 10 so I hope they have some communication in early-mid July.
Post by sandandsea on Jun 23, 2020 13:12:18 GMT -5
We are seriously considering private school. The district is a disaster and looks like it will probably be 60% distant learning which doesn’t work for ds. There are issues with switching to private but I don’t think I can let him miss 60% of a school year and don’t have the capacity to DIY or find a good tutor.
On 6/10 they governor gave out guidelines which seems very unrealistic and the ability to close schools without any notice. The governor has also enacted a task force to help school districts figure things out. We start school 9/8. High school sports are supposed to start 8/17 and I really doubt that will be happening. Our district just said they would let us know as soon as they figured it out but to be patient because it was going to take time. I'm guessing we won't know anything until mid August so I'm trying not to stress over it yet.
186momx, We don't go back until after Labor Day, which gives the district some more time to figure it out. But at the same time, that is when the university goes back as well.
vasc,I don't know what I am supposed to do with the kids while I am teaching in person at the university and running a research lab. That is what is really making me anxious. Also, when I asked the principal at DD's school during the zoom welcome to K night, she said that they haven't talked about trying to get siblings on the same schedule.
Texas has not published rules, but our private school is currently coming up with a plan.
It sounds like they will require masks for all kids and in the younger classes (3s and 4s) may require face shields rather than masks.
Classes within the school are capped at 12 kids per class. Both of my kids are in classes with fewer than 12 as far as I know.
They used to have all the kids sitting at tables but they have desks that they will be getting out of storage. Kids always ate outside and will likely continue that. They are struggling with what to do when there is a positive kid or teacher. How far should the quarantine go and what will that do to instruction.
One of the teachers of a camp at the same facility of DD1's camp tested positive last week. The teacher was asymptomatic and was tested because her parent tested positive. They worked with the Public Health Dept and closed the entire camp down for 2 weeks with no alternative care options for the kids. How will that ever work with schools!?
The state released guidelines. It sounds like they are pushing it to the individual school districts. They want in person as much as possible, but that may not be possible with guidelines. Masks are required for everyone.
ETA- music class to be held outdoors (challenging since winter is 6 months here), no close contact sports in PE should I assume this is also the case for school and recreation sports (i.e. no rec soccer in the fall, no school football)?
Other extra curriculars can run. Parents are strongly encouraged to drop and pick up their children instead of bussing. They encourage a survey of who really needs the bus. Priority for in person instruction to children under 13 and those with IEP/ 504.
Meet the teacher and beginning of school year events will be virtual.
Middle-public school kid: I expect a mixed in-person and virtual program. I am guess 2 days in and 3 at home but the school has told us nothing. Private elementary: No idea. I hope for in person and they are so small that it might be possible several days week (like 4). Busing is more of a concern than the school itself.
I WAH and DH doesn't think he'll go back anytime soon so for now transportation to and from school is our biggest challenge. Last year we hired someone to help afterschool but i am just not sure I could find someone now though who knows. I had a really hard time last year finding someone and I offered a pretty high wage per hour for the sort of help we needed.
My fear isn't I really won't know until 5 days before school starts. I can make a plan for anything if I have a month to sort it out but I probably won't and it might change over the year.
So far our district isn’t saying other than they are looking at the 3 options every district is looking at: virtual, in person and hybrid.
But, 2 neighboring districts have so far announced 100% in person for grades K-5 with a virtual option available for families who don’t want to send their kids in person. Those districts aren’t announcing 6-12 yet because of the movement of the kids during the day, they haven’t figured it out.
Our old charter school also announced their plan. Technically it’s a hybrid. K-5 will attend every day except every other Friday night when they will do virtual learning. They also got rid of early release on wednesdays. Kids will stay in their home room class which will be math group grouped (normally kids go to different teachers for lit and math based on ability level) and then they will differentiate for lit within the classroom. Specials will occur in the home room classroom as will lunch and recess will be grouped by grade. They will deep clean every other Friday on the virtual day. They are undecided on masks at the moment.
For 6-12 they will go every day except Fridays and also not have early release in Wednesdays. They will have live online learning every other Friday and posted assignments on the alternate fridays. They aren’t saying how passing periods, masks, lunch, electives and such will work yet.
Our district is supposed to release plans on July, but I am willing to bet good money those plans will have to change before school starts. This whole thing sucks.
The guidelines here include recommending parents do carline if at all possible. That will make carline in the AM and PM around 2 hours each if most of my population does that (700 students).
I signed DD to take the AM bus so far, can probably convince her to wear a mask while on the bus (maybe?).
DH and I just filled out our district's survey on options for the fall. We could muddle along with any option, but DH doesn't feel confident that he could manage DS1's learning. I believe the school will provide chromebooks for grades 1 and 2 for the fall (before covid, only grade 3 and above received them). We're also waiting to hear what will happen for DS2's preschool. I'm not too worried about DD and online learning. She did really well with managing her time. I just wonder how much she is retaining.
I was talking to a local teacher in a neighboring school district. She said they are leaning towards K-8 attending full time in the school buildings, while grades 9-12 will be online.
Our tentative first day of school is 8/27, so I hope we hear something soon!
The guidelines here include recommending parents do carline if at all possible. That will make carline in the AM and PM around 2 hours each if most of my population does that (700 students).
I signed DD to take the AM bus so far, can probably convince her to wear a mask while on the bus (maybe?).
Our school had 1200ish kids and no busses and only a handful of kids walked or biked and they got all the cars through the loop in about 20 minutes. It can be done, it wasn’t always pretty and parents complained heartily about it and the other entitled parents, but it didn’t take that long really.
Unfortunately I think there will be a lot of mad dashes next year even if we go back normally, as case counts change and when we find out someone associated with schools has been exposed or infected
My sister’s kids in Maryland also started ymca day camp on Monday and then Monday night there was a thunderstorm that downed trees and power lines and they let them know at 9 pm that the second day of camp was cancelled. She was like ‘seriously, what are the odds!’ DH said normally the odds are low but they’re much higher for crazy stuff during 2020! Luckily they were able to go back today.
She was like ‘seriously, what are the odds!’ DH said normally the odds are low but they’re much higher for crazy stuff during 2020!.
Yeah. A few weeks ago someone said from their calculations of 2020 thus far, we are just about three natural disasters away from the apocalypse.....that evening there was a wildfire (thankfully contained later that night but still).
She was like ‘seriously, what are the odds!’ DH said normally the odds are low but they’re much higher for crazy stuff during 2020!.
Yeah. A few weeks ago someone said from their calculations of 2020 thus far, we are just about three natural disasters away from the apocalypse.....that evening there was a wildfire (thankfully contained later that night but still).
There is an unusually large Saharan dust cloud heading my way. #apocalypsenow
I’m laughing at the 2020 apocalypse talk. We’ve been counting ourselves lucky that my parents live within walking distance to a nice sandy ocean beach that usually has 3-4 ft rolling waves for boogie boarding. Except now they have these freakish jellyfish with super long stinging tentacles that no one has ever seen around here before. Kids keep getting stung.