Diocese of Arlington Schools - Covid closings?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

There are a lot of local testing sites. They don’t have to set them up, but require a PCR test administered between Jan. 1 and 2 (or whatever dates) submitted to the school nurse before you can come back. Several area privates doing it this way.

Good lord lady, are you that clueless about the current testing situation? No one’s going to be able to get an asymptomatic test done this weekend.

That’s why many schools are hybrid until tests come back mid to late next week. This isn’t that hard to execute but it requires school administrators to pay attention to what other schools are doing and implement best practices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

There are a lot of local testing sites. They don’t have to set them up, but require a PCR test administered between Jan. 1 and 2 (or whatever dates) submitted to the school nurse before you can come back. Several area privates doing it this way.

Yea, privates with $40k tuitions. Parochial schools don’t have the resources for school-wide testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

There are a lot of local testing sites. They don’t have to set them up, but require a PCR test administered between Jan. 1 and 2 (or whatever dates) submitted to the school nurse before you can come back. Several area privates doing it this way.

Good lord lady, are you that clueless about the current testing situation? No one’s going to be able to get an asymptomatic test done this weekend.

Family of 5. Got PCR tests administered yesterday morning in McLean. Already have our results (all negative).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

There are a lot of local testing sites. They don’t have to set them up, but require a PCR test administered between Jan. 1 and 2 (or whatever dates) submitted to the school nurse before you can come back. Several area privates doing it this way.

Yea, privates with $40k tuitions. Parochial schools don’t have the resources for school-wide testing.

The school doesn’t have to administer them at all. Testing can be done elsewhere and you submit your test results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

There are a lot of local testing sites. They don’t have to set them up, but require a PCR test administered between Jan. 1 and 2 (or whatever dates) submitted to the school nurse before you can come back. Several area privates doing it this way.

Yea, privates with $40k tuitions. Parochial schools don’t have the resources for school-wide testing.

But most parents do. So do it. Easy. The catholic school system needs to stop functioning like a charity - it has lost too many full pay people to continue as such. Act like a business - like the privates do- and demand better of the folks that utilize school services. Keep everyone safe. A win - win.

[Anonymous]

^^ I agree with “test to return” requirements. Our school is already smartly implementing “test to stay” (for vaccinated close contacts with no symptoms).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

I was about to say something similar. We are not in Arlington but in a small Maryland private school, and I just don’t think they have the means for school-wide testing.

Most of the families at Catholic schools don’t believe in Covid and want masks removed. There’s no way that they would agree to testing their kids. I know families that are Covid positive and plan to send their kids to school with a “cold”.

Yeah, no.

It’s possible that it’s not the case in MD. Visit any VA school and ask about the petitions generated to end masking. Seriously.

Absolutely not the case in our K-8 school in the Arlington Diocese.

Agree. My 3rd grader is a class full of vaccinated children.

A lot of my children’s classmates are vaccinated. There is also a strong and small very vocal minority who want no masks, no vaccines, and no mitigation requirements. They are super vocal. It is very strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

I was about to say something similar. We are not in Arlington but in a small Maryland private school, and I just don’t think they have the means for school-wide testing.

Most of the families at Catholic schools don’t believe in Covid and want masks removed. There’s no way that they would agree to testing their kids. I know families that are Covid positive and plan to send their kids to school with a “cold”.

I hope this is not the case but unfortunately it is very accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

I was about to say something similar. We are not in Arlington but in a small Maryland private school, and I just don’t think they have the means for school-wide testing.

Most of the families at Catholic schools don’t believe in Covid and want masks removed. There’s no way that they would agree to testing their kids. I know families that are Covid positive and plan to send their kids to school with a “cold”.

Yeah, no.

It’s possible that it’s not the case in MD. Visit any VA school and ask about the petitions generated to end masking. Seriously.

Absolutely not the case in our K-8 school in the Arlington Diocese.

Agree. My 3rd grader is a class full of vaccinated children.

A lot of my children’s classmates are vaccinated. There is also a strong and small very vocal minority who want no masks, no vaccines, and no mitigation requirements. They are super vocal. It is very strange.

Disappointing if schools would not implement measures in fear of a vocal minority. Let them leave and homeschool if they don’t want to be in a school that implements health and safety measures that can enable them to do what they are there to do — teach.

Testing as a minimum mitigation should be non controversial. If you are negative and stay negative, welcome back. Simple as that.

[Anonymous]

Families who want schools to open should:

1. Wear high quality masks in front of their kids when in public. Children learn by example.
2. Avoid crowded places/socializing with people outside of household.
3. Vax up as much as possible.
4. Not send kids to school with “colds/sniffles/allergies”.

Students with bad mask habits, tend to have anti-mask parents. I see it as a teacher and a parent at our school.

If you want schools to stay open, do your part too.

Teachers quit all the time because they do not feel valued. We see parents schmoozing it up at parties on social media while are spraying down the desks with clorox before students come to class every morning. We keep the windows open in the September heat and the December cold, to increase ventilation in classrooms, We give up our lunch periods so kids can rotate using the lunch room, we alter our lessons when kids cannot work in groups. The list goes on..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Families who want schools to open should:

1. Wear high quality masks in front of their kids when in public. Children learn by example.
2. Avoid crowded places/socializing with people outside of household.
3. Vax up as much as possible.
4. Not send kids to school with “colds/sniffles/allergies”.

Students with bad mask habits, tend to have anti-mask parents. I see it as a teacher and a parent at our school.

If you want schools to stay open, do your part too.

Teachers quit all the time because they do not feel valued. We see parents schmoozing it up at parties on social media while are spraying down the desks with clorox before students come to class every morning. We keep the windows open in the September heat and the December cold, to increase ventilation in classrooms, We give up our lunch periods so kids can rotate using the lunch room, we alter our lessons when kids cannot work in groups. The list goes on..

Good list, but I’d add, 5. Test! It’s the only way we know who has it in some instances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

I was about to say something similar. We are not in Arlington but in a small Maryland private school, and I just don’t think they have the means for school-wide testing.

Most of the families at Catholic schools don’t believe in Covid and want masks removed. There’s no way that they would agree to testing their kids. I know families that are Covid positive and plan to send their kids to school with a “cold”.

Yeah, no.

It’s possible that it’s not the case in MD. Visit any VA school and ask about the petitions generated to end masking. Seriously.

Absolutely not the case in our K-8 school in the Arlington Diocese.

Agree. My 3rd grader is a class full of vaccinated children.

A lot of my children’s classmates are vaccinated. There is also a strong and small very vocal minority who want no masks, no vaccines, and no mitigation requirements. They are super vocal. It is very strange.

Disappointing if schools would not implement measures in fear of a vocal minority. Let them leave and homeschool if they don’t want to be in a school that implements health and safety measures that can enable them to do what they are there to do — teach.

Testing as a minimum mitigation should be non controversial. If you are negative and stay negative, welcome back. Simple as that.

This hasn’t been the case (our school has good mitigation measures), but they are relentless. It is quite something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

There are a lot of local testing sites. They don’t have to set them up, but require a PCR test administered between Jan. 1 and 2 (or whatever dates) submitted to the school nurse before you can come back. Several area privates doing it this way.

Yea, privates with $40k tuitions. Parochial schools don’t have the resources for school-wide testing.

But most parents do. So do it. Easy. The catholic school system needs to stop functioning like a charity - it has lost too many full pay people to continue as such. Act like a business - like the privates do- and demand better of the folks that utilize school services. Keep everyone safe. A win - win.

Wow. That moves the schools further away from their mission. HINT: They weren’t created to serve the wealthy. Mother Seton weeps.

[Anonymous]

Reading this thread knowing that an ADW grade school teacher died from COVID over Christmas break sure is something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools going back next week without testing are showing poor leadership. Leadership involves making hard and sometimes unpopular decisions. Schools prefer to not be viewed as making decisions or imposing “requirements” that some people may dislike. The same goes for schools not strongly encouraging student vaccines for those kids who are eligible.

Instead, they will bring everyone back and when they don’t have enough staff to teach, or when too many children are sick, they’ll shut it down and go virtual. It’ll be a chaotic couple weeks at these schools.

“Our priority is in person learning” (already stated in this thread) seems admirable on its face. But, if the priority truly was in person learning they would be doing everything possible to stay open. They’d be testing, they’d be implementing stronger mitigations, they’d be encouraging every family to vaccinate. That’s how they can actually stay open and fulfill their missions.

I just don’t see how the logistics of testing everyone would work in a K-8 parochial school. Where would the tests come from?

There are a lot of local testing sites. They don’t have to set them up, but require a PCR test administered between Jan. 1 and 2 (or whatever dates) submitted to the school nurse before you can come back. Several area privates doing it this way.

Yea, privates with $40k tuitions. Parochial schools don’t have the resources for school-wide testing.

But most parents do. So do it. Easy. The catholic school system needs to stop functioning like a charity - it has lost too many full pay people to continue as such. Act like a business - like the privates do- and demand better of the folks that utilize school services. Keep everyone safe. A win - win.

Wow. That moves the schools further away from their mission. HINT: They weren’t created to serve the wealthy. Mother Seton weeps.

Sure, that might be a mission for Catholic schools over all. But if you think that all of our local Catholic schools do this, you are kidding yourself. Many of our schools sit in some of the most wealthy areas of our entire country. I’m not saying every family is wealthy, but to imply that we’d be putting a financial burden on people who can ‘t afford tests is a laughable excuse. You know that isn’t true at our local schools. And on the chance schools are concerned about this, they could ask people to let them know and ask the rest of the community to contribute to a fund to cover. I’m not wealthy but would gladly cover any family at our school that could not afford testing.