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

[Starwind]

One way is to set up pick-up lockers inside pharmacy. The prescription needs to prepaid by credit card or insurance direct billing. When a patient arrives, s/he phones in and speaks to the pharmacist. The pharmacist advises on the side effects then provide locker number and unlock code for the patient to pick up. The lockers are at the front of store near the new self checkout kiosks. This way, contactless pick up.

If it’s a new prescription, your MD can fax or send it electronically to the pharmacy of your choice.

So it is possible from a technical point of view to arrange contactless medication dispensing.

The pharmacy my Rx are at has two contactless options:

- the Rx can be delivered to your house if you are within the pharmacy's delivery zone [the service is free; they have a delivery service that does the deliveries OR

- you can call the pharmacy and arrange that you will pick it up outside the store; basically when you arrive you would call them back and they would send a pharmacy team member out with it to your car; a version of curbside pickup; it would be paid for by credit card through the first phone call.

When I needed my Rx renewed recently, the "visit" with my Family MD was be telephone due to covid, and she faxed the Rx to my pharmacy.

The pharmacy can also fax your MD if Rx have come time to renew, though your MD may then contact you for an appointment to discuss. Also, some doctors do charge a nominal fee for renewals initiated by the pharmacy, though many have dropped that during the pandemic.

SW

 

[hdrolfe]

For the pharmacy testing, I think also the kids in a class with a case would benefit. In all likelihood they aren't infected but their class would have to be isolated until they have a negative test result, and that could be the whole family. I am happy we will have more options since it has been so hard to get tested here. There are people going every two weeks and when schools reopened I think the testing sites (here at least) simply got overwhelmed. We have people lining up at 4:30 in the morning when the place doesn't open until 9. By 9:30 they are full for the day... It's crazy.

 

[MoreTravels]

Some good news for the parents.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/early-da...potential-coronavirus-transmission-in-schools

 

[bookbabe626]

There is also the example of travelers. Some countries and destinations, including Hawaii, would require a negative test before allowing an asymptomatic traveler to enter. https://www.gohawaii.com/safe-travels

There are LTC employees and visitors that are asked to do weekly test regardless if they have symptoms or not.

All these examples would be a good fit for community pharmacies to perform the test.

This! We have property in Cayman that we haven’t been able to get some essential maintenance done on since January (we were supposed to go in March just as the borders all closed). They have no cases, and the border is reopening for property owners with some fairly strict requirements, one of which is that pre-travel covid test. I am very reluctant to spend a day in line at a testing site surrounded by symptomatic people who suspect they have covid, no matter how much social distancing and masking is going on. I will happily make a pharmacy appointment for testing, though. That sounds much safer to me.

 

[pigletto]

Some good news for the parents.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/early-da...potential-coronavirus-transmission-in-schools

Sorry but no way in heck am I taking that as anything but a sign of the current US administration running their agenda. It can be hard to find an unbiased news source, Fox News doesn’t even pretend to be one.

 

[isabellea]

Today we received an e-mail from the school to fill a survey for our computer needs in the eventuality we could go virtual in the future for a 2-week period or longer. They asked if we had enough computers for each school-aged child so they can assign Chromebooks to the families that need one or more. I thought it was a good sign that the school and school board are planning ahead so they are ready if that eventuality happens. Luckily, we are okay since we have an old Macbook Pro that we got tuned-up at the Apple Store (changed battery and had them do a big clean-up) in July and I just bought a small Chromebook (11.5'' so tiny) with my PC points. Just need to check what kind of cable I need to buy to connect the Chromebook to a bigger computer monitor we have in storage. Both my daughters (Grade 3 and 6) are already using Google Classroom as a virtual platform in class.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We received a similar survey Tues. I requested a Chromebook for my daughter as we only have an iPad at home which won’t cut it for full time schooling.

Fastforward to tonight when I was watching her do her homework and the iPad kept correcting her properly spelled a French words into English (she’s in French immersion) and I was especially thankful I’d requested one!!

 

[wdwmom3]

So just wanted to update everyone about ds’s first full week back at school. He’s not bothered by the masks at all. Says he’s used to it now. Best thing is, I see the spark in him coming back. Even with all the uncertainty he seems happy again, excited to be back with friends and have a routine.

We haven’t sugar coated things for him either. He knows there have been cases in schools around here and he knows he could be back at home soon. But he seems to just enjoy being back for now. I knew he needed it, but didn’t know how much until I saw such a big difference in one week.

 

[vegs1]

We received a similar survey Tues. I requested a Chromebook for my daughter as we only have an iPad at home which won’t cut it for full time schooling.

Fastforward to tonight when I was watching her do her homework and the iPad kept correcting her properly spelled a French words into English (she’s in French immersion) and I was especially thankful I’d requested one!!

I’m sure the iPad won’t work as well for full time learning but you can turn off autocorrect. Just go to settings - general - keyboard - autocorrect. Toggle off.

 

[wdwmom3]

So we also just got an email from our school. I guess a lot of parents have been inquiring about indoor shoes. Especially if it’s raining. Well I guess our school staff asked the board for guidance, but nobody is answering them. So our principal basically said screw it, and has said kids can bring indoor shoes to leave at school.

Honestly I think a lot of school issues are being caused by the school boards lack of ability to act on anything in a timely manner. I mean who can’t make a decision about indoor shoes

 

[scrappinginontario]

I’m sure the iPad won’t work as well for full time learning but you can turn off autocorrect. Just go to settings - general - keyboard - autocorrect. Toggle off.

Thanks for the tip re auto-correct! I'll look into that for sure!

We purchased a Brydge wireless keyboard for the iPad in the spring when she was learning from home and that, coupled with typing.com and learning how to touch-type worked really well for most of her needs. Since the school has been able to acquire more Chromebooks, I won't feel bad requesting one whereas in the spring i knew she could make do with the iPad.

Our board provides Chromebooks to all students in Grades 7 - 12 which is wonderful! This program has been in place for as long as I remember. My daughter is in Gr 6 of a 6/7 split so already has a Chromebook assigned just to her but she cannot bring it home as she is only in Gr 6. The one already assigned to her will be the one she brings home if/when we flip to virtual learning so that works out wonderfully!

 

[MoreTravels]

I would remind parents to pay attention to screen size, light level, and reading posture.
After my kid went through synchronous online learning, his vision has deteriorated from 20/20 to myopia needing glasses just in 6 months. I am not sure what more I can do to slow it down but I am worried about his vision especially when everything is Google Classroom this and Edsby that.

 

[tgropp]

So just wanted to update everyone about ds’s first full week back at school. He’s not bothered by the masks at all. Says he’s used to it now. Best thing is, I see the spark in him coming back. Even with all the uncertainty he seems happy again, excited to be back with friends and have a routine.

We haven’t sugar coated things for him either. He knows there have been cases in schools around here and he knows he could be back at home soon. But he seems to just enjoy being back for now. I knew he needed it, but didn’t know how much until I saw such a big difference in one week.

I have talked to many people who say the same things.....their children are care free once again. We can only hope it lasts.

 

[quandrea]

I got a letter yesterday from the College of teachers in Ontario asking me to come back to the classroom. Haven’t taught in Ontario public schools for seventeen years. They are desperate for staff.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Sorry but no way in heck am I taking that as anything but a sign of the current US administration running their agenda. It can be hard to find an unbiased news source, Fox News doesn’t even pretend to be one.

None of the US news stations are unbiased. CNN is definitely the worst news outlet ever. Most are Democratic stations and they are all fake news.

 

[pigletto]

None of the US news stations are unbiased. CNN is definitely the worst news outlet ever. Most are Democratic stations and they are all fake news.

No, there are unbiased sources but you have to look for them. This is a great place to check the source of the information and what you are reading.
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/
CNN is most definitely left biased, but given that you are calling it the ”worst ever” and referring to “fake news“ it would appear you align more with Republican bias. I don’t read or watch either as I prefer actual fact based information. I most often check the Associated Press but there are plenty of others that don’t fall into the infotainment trap.

 

[pigletto]

We received a similar survey Tues. I requested a Chromebook for my daughter as we only have an iPad at home which won’t cut it for full time schooling.

Fastforward to tonight when I was watching her do her homework and the iPad kept correcting her properly spelled a French words into English (she’s in French immersion) and I was especially thankful I’d requested one!!

There’s also a specific keyboard you can download or switch to for French Immersion. My sons not home but I will ask when he is . I remember him using it in elementary . He must still but I don’t check his work anymore.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

@pigletto DH and I were just saying how we hate watching the news and would rather read articles by other stations ie. AP

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Horror story from out west... After a further 2 1/2 week delay to start the semester for Hub (online students - primarily core subjects), classes finally started this week.

One might have thought with six months to plan, the Calgary Board might have figured this out, but no.

Rather than saying something like Monday = math, Tuesday = science, or math = an hour 3x a week between 8 and 10, science = an hour 3x a week between 10 and noon, etc., Hub teachers have been given the flexibility to schedule classes at their convenience (this is not me bashing teachers...)

So it turns out that online class times for my high schooler’s four classes this semester change from day to day. After two teaching days last week, my daughter has had classes scheduled at the same time on both days.

It’s an easy decision if it’s math vs. French, but she’s already had to make the decision of math vs. chemistry. The message from the Board is essentially “we tried our best, but it is what it is”.

I’m fortunate enough that I can help her with social studies and can afford a weekly online tutor for her in math and chem, but I know that most aren’t in the same position.

Seriously, how could administration not have figured this out at some point since March???

We knew that online wouldn’t be as good as being in every class every day, and that it would mean less instructional time - and given that Alberta Health Services declared an outbreak at her school in the first week of classes, we made the right decision - but I guess my expectation of a minimal level of competence from the decision makers was misplaced.

 

[ottawamom]

Some posts are dangerously close to being political. Dial it back a notch people.