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

[CanadianKrista]

We got our negative covid test for DS yesterday, so DD could go back to school. Just got called to pick her up for a headache, now she needs a test before going back. 1 day of school this week, and tomorrow will be another 4-5 hours in line for her to get tested. This is unmanageable.

 

[damo]

We got our negative covid test for DS yesterday, so DD could go back to school. Just got called to pick her up for a headache, now she needs a test before going back. 1 day of school this week, and tomorrow will be another 4-5 hours in line for her to get tested. This is unmanageable.

Yes, something is going to have to change if every time a child gets a covid symptom (which kids get all the time) they have to have a test to go back to school. That type of testing capacity is going to be astronomical.

 

[Pumpkin1172]

Not only that...but parents needing to be away from work. Now employers will need to be understanding about needing time off for sick kids and everything that comes with that. Some employers will be fantastic....others....we know won't. It is going to be a very tricky tango for everyone as we learn to dance our way through cold/flu season.

 

[siren0119]

Yes, something is going to have to change if every time a child gets a covid symptom (which kids get all the time) they have to have a test to go back to school. That type of testing capacity is going to be astronomical.

Hopefully the answer to that is a rapid test, that can be administered easily from the school nurse's office, and then a vaccine. A better understanding of whether herd immunity is possible will help too (I'm fortunate to know a nuclear biologist who is actually working on one of these studies, so I know there's a ton of effort being put into that). No idea how close we are yet.

 

[CanadianKrista]

I think the rapid test really is going to be key, but health canada isn't happy with any of them. Really we should have had one avaialble before sending the kids back to school, especially in provinces where there are still many cases daily.

 

[hdrolfe]

I think the rapid test really is going to be key, but health canada isn't happy with any of them. Really we should have had one avaialble before sending the kids back to school, especially in provinces where there are still many cases daily.

This for sure. Given the waits for tests, and the increases due to schools starting, with a second wave either under way or coming soon... seems foolish to me to not have planned this better.

I heard there are 3 "pop up" testing sites coming to the Ottawa area, given the lines are at max capacity before the places even open currently... this is not at all hopeful! I doubt 3 more sites will be sufficient. And appointments can't be made at most of them.

 

[wdwmom3]

A student in her child's kindergarten class got COVID-19. Now their family is in self-isolation
Five-year-old Olivia Ristovski made it through a week of kindergarten before COVID-19 interrupted her classes. After a classmate tested positive for COVID-19, the whole family began self-isolating.

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/a-stud...w-their-family-is-in-self-isolation-1.5109409

 

[ottawamom]

I feel for all the parents of school aged children out there. All that testing and waiting for results. There has got to be a better way. The symptoms of Covid are the same symptoms of a lot of other "common" ailments. I know if I was in school I would be in that line for a test each and every day (I have allergies, hence, headaches, runny nose, sneezes etc)

I can't imagine how this is going to work.

 

[badiggio]

4 schools in ottawa closing for 14 days quarantine

 

[wdwmom3]

4 schools in ottawa closing for 14 days quarantine

Hopefully it’s just a quarantine and no cases from the schools arise. A quarantine still sucks but better then others getting sick.

 

[hdrolfe]

4 schools in ottawa closing for 14 days quarantine

It's 4 classes at 3 schools who are being asked to stay home for 14 days, not the whole schools.

15 schools in Ottawa have confirmed cases though. Not a good start since most have only been back a week or two.

 

[badiggio]

It's 4 classes at 3 schools who are being asked to stay home for 14 days, not the whole schools.

15 schools in Ottawa have confirmed cases though. Not a good start since most have only been back a week or two.

you're right;this became more clear as more details came out
it's only a matter of time,imo

 

[hdrolfe]

you're right;this became more clear as more details came out
it's only a matter of time,imo

Oh, I totally agree with that... based on the progression so far, it will happen sooner or later. When dealing with my son's school and moving him to home school they mentioned that the teachers are setting things up so that if they have to shift to online only it will be much more seamless than it was in March. Even the few days he was there they did most of their work in the online site the board uses. Not that it will be any easier on parents who may have to take 2 weeks or more off to be home with young kids.

 

[isabellea]

My kids went back to school on August 27th. Last week, one class went in isolation for two weeks. The school said it was one case but rumor is that there are two cases (twins) in that class. So far, no other student or staff from that class or the rest of the school tested positive so no outbreak/transmission in the school which is what is very important imo. The teacher had already started using Google Classroom when it happened (Grade 3) so apparently the transition to online teaching went very smoothly. I thought the school managed very well. Now I just hope the student(s) who tested positive won't be ostracized because of that.

 

[Bossy22]

I'm a teacher in rural Alberta and the return to school has been excellent. Do I love all the rules? Not really but being back in school has added some normalcy to the students lifes. It is far from normal but it feels normal!!! Mental health of the students has greatly improved being back. I know I am lucky to be in a rural setting and if covid hits the school it will not be fun, but the students needed to be back. It is a good thing in my books.

 

[pigletto]

I feel for all the parents of school aged children out there. All that testing and waiting for results. There has got to be a better way. The symptoms of Covid are the same symptoms of a lot of other "common" ailments. I know if I was in school I would be in that line for a test each and every day (I have allergies, hence, headaches, runny nose, sneezes etc)

I can't imagine how this is going to work.

A dear family friend is a Dr who is working at our local Covid testing clinic and has been since the beginning of the pandemic. She posted on Facebook yesterday that she had a beast of a day with huge lines and wait times all day, and it was all children . She felt awful because all she did was make kids cry all day. (The test is uncomfortable).It didn’t look anything like this a few weeks ago.

I’ll say it .. this is not sustainable. You can’t have parents taking off a week waiting for results every time one of their kids gets ill or shows symptoms of something. It‘s going to happen over and over .., and many parents have multiple kids. They will be missing work all the time or relying on grandparents who shouldn’t be around these kids . We need quicker turn around times for results or reliable rapid testing.

There was one reported case at a local high school confirmed today. And people of course are losing their minds on Facebook. Were they thinking that Covid was gone ? Of course there are going to be outbreaks and we are going to have to handle them as they come. It feels like nobody takes responsibility for their own choices anymore .

 

[Jrb1979]

First I will say I am so glad my child is only a year old so I don't have to deal with the school thing yet. I knew there would cases once school started back up again. This was bound to happen. I have a feeling it will be shutdown within a few months anyways with the fact that our numbers are rising again. I am still of the belief that school should have continued online til we get Covid more under control. I just don't understand what parents expected. They were the ones pushing for kids to go back for their well being but now are upset that kids are getting sick. You can't have it both ways.

 

[scrappinginontario]

My child is back in school. She may get sick or someone in her class or school may get sick which is a known risk we are willing to take. The same thing can happen each time we leave our home to go to a store, church or anywhere else.

After 2 partial weeks in class my daughter’s spark is back!! She’s happier, singing, dancing around the house, calling her friends after school and eager to get up in the morning to go to school. She’s working hard and coming home willing to do her homework after a quick shower followed by some down time.

Is it without risks? No. But today those are risks I am willing to take and I will reevaluate each morning and decide from there.

For our family, returning to school was a leap of faith and I’m glad we jumped in with both feet!!

Will she return to learning from home at some point this year? I fully expect so but I truly believe the teaching, fun, normalcy, joy and more that she’s experiencing now will aid her when that time comes.

Not judging anyone who chose virtual learning or homeschooling for their child(ren), just sharing our experience.

 

[wdwmom3]

First I will say I am so glad my child is only a year old so I don't have to deal with the school thing yet. I knew there would cases once school started back up again. This was bound to happen. I have a feeling it will be shutdown within a few months anyways with the fact that our numbers are rising again. I am still of the belief that school should have continued online til we get Covid more under control. I just don't understand what parents expected. They were the ones pushing for kids to go back for their well being but now are upset that kids are getting sick. You can't have it both ways.

Because being at home isolated from away from school has been very damaging to some kids. It’s not just covid, there are many others factors parents consider.

i know my son was starting to get withdrawn, snapping at people, not himself. We saw his mental health take a dive. This is a kid who always comparing about how boring school was, who kept saying he just wanted to be back in school. He’s only been back for 3 days and he’s more like himself.

Other kids just don’t do well with things online and need to back or fall really far behind.

 

[Jrb1979]

Because being at home isolated from away from school has been very damaging to some kids. It’s not just covid, there are many others factors parents consider.

i know my son was starting to get withdrawn, snapping at people, not himself. We saw his mental health take a dive. This is a kid who always comparing about how boring school was, who kept saying he just wanted to be back in school. He’s only been back for 3 days and he’s more like himself.

Other kids just don’t do well with things online and need to back or fall really far behind.

I do understand all of that. What I was getting at is that many parents pushed for school to return but there is has been upset that kids are getting sick from going back. @pigletto was saying how it's not sustainable having parents have to keep taking time off every time a child has symptoms and has to get tested. Its why I said you can't have it both ways.