We have just finished the first week of school. In case you haven't seen the news lately, things are not going well in Florida. I'll start with my own tiny corner of the universe. At my school, we had 12 teachers out on Friday for COVID. 8 have already tested positive and the other 4 are still waiting for official results. They had to send in staff from the district office to act as substitute teachers because we don't have enough. Our first student came to school positive which has lead to a round of student quarantines. I bought at home antigen test kits because the wait for a testing appointment is currently 3 days without a doctors order. Nobody has died yet in our county, so that is better than others who are near. We have over a thousand students quarantined district wide and have identified 700 positive case this month. Those numbers don't include Friday when things really started to get messy. My friend texted from her school where they had 132 kids out on quarantine and decided to have a pep rally. I'm still standing though. I'm starting to adjust to the absolute horror of standing in a room full of unmasked children during a global pandemic as if it was a normal thing. The school board meeting on Tuesday ended in the wee hours of the morning with a vote against mandating masks. It is ironic to add that one of the school board members voting against masks wasn't physically at the meeting because he had COVID.
Anna is home this weekend sleeping in my sewing room, so I'll enjoy a bit of handwork on the balcony in between rain from Fred. Please stay safe! Sewing is the perfect socially distanced thing to do when outside is scary.
I am so sorry of your school allowing no masks, in a pandemic. wow...but I can believe it, because people wander around in my hospital with no shoes and no mask either!! (I am a nurse). Just wow!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you and your students and fellow teachers have to deal with a literal pandemic and a pandemic of misinformation and crazy politics on top of it! Take care.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you are going through this, I have no children in school now nor grandchildren but there are a lot of school age children and teachers in the extended family. I am so hoping all stay safe this year - I can not believe how people will not do a simple thing like wearing a mask - I hope you are allowed to wear a mask at least that should help you a little bit
ReplyDeleteJust cant believe the mentality for not mandating masks - insane! Stay safe and well and thank you. xx
ReplyDeleteI hope you can stay safe through all this craziness
ReplyDeleteWe got a call yesterday - day 4 for Emily... but when I mentioned on the phone she was vaccinated they SENT HER BACK TO CLASS! It makes no sense. It is a real mess in Marion County too - hospitals had 270+ COVID patients. In Jan 171 was toppling the staffing so I can't imagine this amount. Wishing you a peaceful and safe weekend of stitching to the sounds of the ocean.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry Angela. It's so hard when you care about kids and see so many mistakes being made which put them in danger. I hope many of them are vaccinated, at least. Hang in there and please stay as safe as possible under the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteDitto on what everyone else is saying in previous comments! We're thinking of you and hoping you stay safe, too. I'm glad you're vaccinated - that will help!
ReplyDeleteSending you hugs (virtual, it's ok), stay safe and healthy...
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you are dealing with this situation. Please stay safe.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Angela that is unbelievable! Our semester starts in September so we shall see what happens here. It does seem like covid is here to stay!
ReplyDeleteI’m too am so sorry! I can’t imagine! My little great grandson are in Florida, but they are at home in virtual school! Hopefully they will be safe! I’m hope you Governor “pulls his head out”, as they say! Kids here start on 24 th, teacher are back in the classroom Monday the 16th. No masks mandated here either! Our Gov. says each school board can make its own decision ! *huge sigh*
ReplyDeleteOh my! My heart goes out to you and those who are living through that nightmare. Florida’s government “leadership” is a big cluster-foxtrot. Science should not be politicized, and common sense shouldn’t be confused with “freedom”. *sigh* Stay as safe as you can. ((Hugs))
ReplyDeleteI am so sad for you. We are marginally better here, but not by much. Our kids start next week… no mask mandate, my kids will be the only ones with masks on. My husband is also a teacher and it’s been rough with his fellow teachers all in denial. I don’t understand why this is so difficult.
ReplyDeleteOMG!! I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with this situation. And that the students in your state are having to go through this as well. I'm actually surprised that our governor hasn't written an executive order yet to stop any school districts from mandating masks. The district I live in did that all of last year - and had very low numbers all year. In spite of parents protesting at board meetings. But so for here the masks are optional.
ReplyDeleteI guess I don't know what it will take now for some people to wise up.
omg what is it going to take for people to see this as a real health crisis
ReplyDeleteOh, Angela, please know that we are thinking of you as you brave that classroom full of unmasked teens!!
ReplyDeleteStay safe Angela! So glad my district is mandating masks. Hopefully we will be safe. School starts this week.
ReplyDeleteI just can't understand how people can be screaming "no! no! don't protect the children! let them die!" and tell themselves they're the good guys.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're able to stay safe.
And I hope your leaders can finally come to their senses.
Stay safe, Angela. So...is teal the color of the month? There is nothing in either post so far stating so, but I keep seeing teal projects???!!! The RSC 2021 page doesn't say either. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDisheartening, I'm still wearing a mask everywhere and continually sanitizing, although masks are not required in our province. Contact tracing and quarantine no longer required either, yet our numbers climb. It will be interesting to see where this goes.
ReplyDeleteI get so upset with the anti-vaxers and anti-maskers out there. My grands live in Alabama, all are in 5th grade (10 y/o triplets) and one has covid so all are in quarantine - their school is struggling even though it is requiring masks - still triple digit numbers out with entire classrooms shutting down for 10 days! We so need the
ReplyDeletefor our youth!
Feel so bad for you. It’s hard to teach under such stressful environment. DeSantis is a complete idiot and doesn’t care about his state like Trump did with our country. Good luck and be safe. Double mask if necessary
ReplyDeleteI just feel so badly for you. And for how scary it must be. Our school district is mandating masks, our Universities are mandating, but my son is keeping his two at home because his district is not. Continue to be safe and take care.
ReplyDeletePrayers, prayers, and more prayers for you and all the teachers facing this. I'm retired and just read your account to my husband. It's just horrible. I am so very sorry.
ReplyDeleteSending positive thoughts in your direction! I'm a teacher in Texas, and there is an ongoing battle regarding masks. My district is currently "encouraging" masks, but their hands are tied for making it mandatory. I feel especially bad for our elementary & middle school teachers, because the students are too young for the vaccine. Scary times indeed!
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, I am so impressed with your calmness that you reflect. How horrible to be in a field that cares to improve the world through education, and yet reel from the effects of others in our community and our government. Hang in there! You are a good teacher!
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