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

[FigmentSpark]

Our (HS) school day just came out:



So half the week they will be going to school in the morning, then rushing home to sign in for the online afternoon sessions.

I hear you about the focus, but maybe this will be good for some classes, like sciences or shops or foods where they can get into labs/projects that would take longer than a normal class to complete. It will be dreadful for history, math and English, though, unless those are your favorite subjects. Not sure how French (FSL) would be, either. That's a lot to take in for a day with no break. But maybe they can do some conversation, so who knows.

One things' fro sure, this will be a great "experiment" for educators, to see how well students learn in different settings and lengths of school days. I hope someone's doing some analysis.

 

[Jrb1979]

First I will say is I'm glad my daughter isn't school age yet so I don't have to deal with this. My biggest issue at least in Ontario with the whole school thing is the lack of agreement between what parents and teachers want and what the provincial government put out. It feels like parents pushed for back to school so they could go back to work. When the government put out what the plan was to get kids back to school it feels like it's not good enough.

 

[bankr63]

Our (HS) school day just came out:

View attachment 522753

So half the week they will be going to school in the morning, then rushing home to sign in for the online afternoon sessions.

I hear you about the focus, but maybe this will be good for some classes, like sciences or shops or foods where they can get into labs/projects that would take longer than a normal class to complete. It will be dreadful for history, math and English, though, unless those are your favorite subjects. Not sure how French (FSL) would be, either. That's a lot to take in for a day with no break. But maybe they can do some conversation, so who knows.

One things' fro sure, this will be a great "experiment" for educators, to see how well students learn in different settings and lengths of school days. I hope someone's doing some analysis.

Don't recall if you are GTA or Ottawa. If Ottawa note that the change I mentioned was just announced on Friday and probably would not be reflected in anything sent home yet. Apparently the OCDSB 2nd attempt at a plan was mostly accepted by the ministry except that it did not contain sufficient in school time for HS students, so thus the longer instructional time was announced on Friday.

 

[quandrea]

New update for the staff at my school,,a little late for those who already made or purchased their own.............................
:***To ensure that health and safety standards are met, school-based staff are required to wear the medical mask that is being provided by the Ministry/Board. The mask that is being provided is an ASTM Level 1 grade mask that provides a higher level of protection than any cloth or non-medical mask. School-based staff may not wear their own cloth masks or alternative face coverings.
Staff will not be able to work in a school building without wearing a board-provided face mask.




Hugs
Mel

Level 1 masks are the least protective of any mask you can buy. They needed to buy level 3. They literally have it backwards and they are requiring their staff to wear them?!!! Unbelievable!

 

[FigmentSpark]

Don't recall if you are GTA or Ottawa. If Ottawa note that the change I mentioned was just announced on Friday and probably would not be reflected in anything sent home yet. Apparently the OCDSB 2nd attempt at a plan was mostly accepted by the ministry except that it did not contain sufficient in school time for HS students, so thus the longer instructional time was announced on Friday.

GTA. Sorry, I should have said so in the post.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

Shocked at the recent change for high school students at OCDSB (Ottawa). Students will be quadmestered (nothing new there) but will be taking only one subject per week alternating weeks between the two subjects. Instructional periods will be 225 minutes long - yes that is 3 hours and 45 minutes long!
I'm not sure how teachers are going to maintain the focus of a room full of teenagers for 3 and 3/4 hours at a stretch. I know how I get when a meeting runs much more than an hour at work. And this will be every instructional day for them.
https://www.ottawamatters.com/local...students-to-learn-one-course-per-week-2673967

So far the Ottawa Catholic Board is still proceeding with the alternate cohorts (ABABA/BABAB) with full days and doing one course in the morning and the second in the afternoon. I'm actually pretty happy with what they're proposing -- I hope they don't change it.

 

[quandrea]

New update for the staff at my school,,a little late for those who already made or purchased their own.............................
:***To ensure that health and safety standards are met, school-based staff are required to wear the medical mask that is being provided by the Ministry/Board. The mask that is being provided is an ASTM Level 1 grade mask that provides a higher level of protection than any cloth or non-medical mask. School-based staff may not wear their own cloth masks or alternative face coverings.
Staff will not be able to work in a school building without wearing a board-provided face mask.




Hugs
Mel

Had to quote this again as I’m awestruck by it. Many doctors have advised teachers to purchase a minimum of five n95 masks to rotate through the school week. To have the choice of wearing a better mass taken away is shocking to me. I’m a teacher by profession. If I were still in the classroom, I’d at a minimum be filing a grievance, but more likely, I’d be leaving my job.

 

[Madame]

Had to quote this again as I’m awestruck by it. Many doctors have advised teachers to purchase a minimum of five n95 masks to rotate through the school week. To have the choice of wearing a better mass taken away is shocking to me. I’m a teacher by profession. If I were still in the classroom, I’d at a minimum be filing a grievance, but more likely, I’d be leaving my job.

They simply don’t care. They are betting on kids not getting really sick & do NOT care about the adults in the buildings.

 

[quandrea]

They simply don’t care. They are betting on kids not getting really sick & do NOT care about the adults in the buildings.
View attachment 522881

You’re right. Watching this whole thing unfold these past weeks has been quite the experience. Such a comedy of errors (but nothing funny about it). This level 1 mask issue is the most egregious disregard for teachers’ and staff’s well being I’ve witnessed. The government and boards deserve to have all staff and teachers walk out en masse.

 

[wdwmom3]

You’re right. Watching this whole thing unfold these past weeks has been quite the experience. Such a comedy of errors (but nothing funny about it). This level 1 mask issue is the most egregious disregard for teachers’ and staff’s well being I’ve witnessed. The government and boards deserve to have all staff and teachers walk out en masse.

Again where were all the teachers voicing concern over their teenage students working full time in April with NO protection? What would you have done if all the grocery store workers just didn’t go to work

 

[bababear_50]

Again where were all the teachers voicing concern over their teenage students working full time in April with NO protection? What would you have done if all the grocery store workers just didn’t go to work

No one here has suggested that store clerks and others don't deserve proper protection.
This is a thread on back to school during a Pandemic though.
We are saying that staff in a room with a group of kids for 6 or more hours should be afforded Proper Protection.
And just a FYI teachers and school staff are 110 % there for their kids and act as their advocates and mentors often!!! Many of us have teeenagers (I have a granddaughter that took 2 part time jobs this summer).I was right there advocating and buying supplies where I could.
I also supply ,one of my sons with extra PPE.

Mel

 

[wdwmom3]

Level 1 masks are the least protective of any mask you can buy. They needed to buy level 3. They literally have it backwards and they are requiring their staff to wear them?!!! Unbelievable!

Level 3 is recommended for cases where there is high risk of aerosols. You know like when a medical professional is treating someone. A teacher does not need a level 3. Yes there is some risk, but can we stop acting like the classroom is somehow comparable to an ICU treating covid patients it’s really not.

 

[wdwmom3]

No one here has suggested that store clerks and others don't deserve proper protection.
This is a thread on back to school during a Pandemic though.
We are saying that staff in a room with a group of kids for 6 or more hours should be afforded Proper Protection.
A just a FYI teachers and school staff are 110 % there for their kids and act as their advocates and mentors often!!! Many of us have teeenagers (I have a granddaughter that took 2 part time jobs this summer).I was right there advocating and buying supplies where I could.


Mel

Well I have heard from many of my daughters friends who were forced (or lose their job) to work full time in April with zero protection. And now they see their “teachers” complaining about the type of male they are being give. It makes the teenagers feel like crap, where was the teachers union calling for protection of everyone? That’s right they weren’t. Where were teachers posting all over social media, standing up for their students they claim they care about? That’s right there weren’t.

My daughter had to receive training on what would happen if someone got mad and spit in her face. And you guys are complaining that you aren’t getting masks that medical professional use to treat covid patients? Seriously?

You know what happened to everyone else who chooses to not go to work cause they think it’s “not safe”. They lose their job and get zero pay and no CERB and no ei. I never liked Ford but I’m starting to share his frustration with teachers unions.

 

[quandrea]

.

 

[quandrea]

Well I have heard from many of my daughters friends who were forced (or lose their job) to work full time in April with zero protection. And now they see their “teachers” complaining about the type of male they are being give. It makes the teenagers feel like crap, where was the teachers union calling for protection of everyone? That’s right they weren’t. Where were teachers posting all over social media, standing up for their students they claim they care about? That’s right there weren’t.

My daughter had to receive training on what would happen if someone got mad and spit in her face. And you guys are complaining that you aren’t getting masks that medical professional use to treat covid patients? Seriously?

You know what happened to everyone else who chooses to not go to work cause they think it’s “not safe”. They lose their job and get zero pay and no CERB and no ei. I never liked Ford but I’m starting to share his frustration with teachers unions.

I would have had my teenager quit.

 

[wdwmom3]

.

Nope. Most were given nothing until mask mandates came out. Now most are given the disposable paper ones we can buy at the drug store.

 

[wdwmom3]

I would have had my teenager quit.

Well I guess then teachers can quit too?

Not everyone has the luxury of quitting work and getting no paycheque

 

[bababear_50]

We as school staff are allowed to advocate for ourselves just as parents and family are allowed to advocate for their children.
We as school staff are advocating for the wellbeing of our students also and I think this needs to be recognized.

Mel

 

[Aladora]

We just went on a school tour and got our son's schedule, at least the one they have so far...who knows what is going to change when the plan is released tomorrow! The school divides the schedule into week 1 and week 2. Even without Covid adding to the confusion, the schedule is crazy! (Blacked out any last names) Also, the school doesn't use typical course names for some of the classes, IB Design is actually Computers and IT, IB Individuals and Societies is Social Studies, etc.

View attachment 522155View attachment 522156

The email from the school came at 5:30pm on Friday. Full time in school learning as set out in the timetable I posted above.

Also released on Friday were the numbers for the previous 24 hours. 124 new cases, the single highest number that we have posted ever.

Yeah, this is gonna go well.

 

[Madame]

I would have had my teenager quit.

My DD did detassling this year. Safety precautions were amazing. Not going back to school though... DoFo’s doc with the stellar LTC record has already said (on YouTube if anyone cares to look) that teachers will NOT get C-19 in schools. It will be their own carelessness in their community

All ed staff want is what everyone working in a retail setting has - limited capacity, masking and proper ventilation (boards are already being blamed for not picking up the pace to rehab ventilation with the pittance they were allotted like 1 wk ago). This situation is not on ed staff, not on boards. This is the provincial gov.