Diocese of Arlington Schools - Covid closings?

[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..

+1!
I was very sick the entire break. I’m pretty certain I caught it from the 7-8 noticeably sick students in my classroom during the days before break. One told me he felt “like crap” but didn’t want to miss out. I do all the things the PP listed above, yet I don’t see any level of responsibility coming from some of the families.

I’ll head into work tomorrow and will continue to spray down desks 6 times a day. I’ll give up lunch and plannings to cover sick teachers’ classes. I’ll make individual plans for the students who are out sick and I’ll correspond with their families. All I would ask in return? If your kid has symptoms… keep them home!

[Anonymous]

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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.

We are leaving St James in Falls Church because of this. So many parents are sending their kids to school sick. There’s no testing. No mask wearing outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are any schools recommending vaccines? Our school has a hands off approach. I wish they would at least encourage them. So frustrating!

I’m really frustrated with our school, St. Luke in McLean, about this as well. The school does not mention vaccines at all, or testing. It’s odd and every e-mail feels like they try to thread a needle of concerned but not pissing anyone off. Candidly the middle of the road approach misses the mark. We received an email today that school is planned as scheduled next week (good), the priority is in person school (great), and they are following the CDC guidelines (good). But, there is not a single mention of vaccinations, either requiring or recommending them (odd and disappointing), no testing required to come back to school next week (cringey), and not a mention of what the plan will be if a sizable number of children or staff are out with positive cases (shortsighted).

I hope the “please do not send your kid to school if they are sick” ask will work, but I am skeptical without a firmer approach, and concerned that we don’t know what the plan is if that falls apart.

We are also embarrassed by the school’s response and plan. There’s been no school-wide transparency on cases this year either in addition to no communication about vaccinations or testing. We came to the school because of how they handled 2020, and they have somehow flipped into no transparency and executing the minimum. Appalling.

[Anonymous]

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 wish every Diocese or Arlington principal would read this. Leadership starts at the top.

[Anonymous]

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 wish every Diocese or Arlington principal would read this. Leadership starts at the top.

These schools' mission is not to keep children safe from a pandemic. If they would like to fulfill their core mission, they need to scale back on their mitigations. I hope the principals are reading this! And the Bishop!!! He needs to provide leadership to these Pastors and Principals. The schools are all over the map.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

We are leaving St James in Falls Church because of this. So many parents are sending their kids to school sick. There’s no testing. No mask wearing outside of school.

I’m sorry to hear this. We are also a St James family, and we certainly wear masks outside of school and haven’t sent our kids to school sick. It’s not everyone, I promise! I do feel better now that my kids are fully vaxxed though.

[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 wish every Diocese or Arlington principal would read this. Leadership starts at the top.

These schools' mission is not to keep children safe from a pandemic. If they would like to fulfill their core mission, they need to scale back on their mitigations. I hope the principals are reading this! And the Bishop!!! He needs to provide leadership to these Pastors and Principals. The schools are all over the map.

Horrible take. Nobody is suggesting that schools have a mission to keep kids safe from the pandemic. But indeed providing safe environments where learning can occur is CORE to their mission of educating our children. If they don’t implement and enforce mitigations, learning will be disrupted and our children will be home. Removing mitigations is the opposite of what they should be doing right now.

Similarly, I do not think it’s the school’s “mission” to prevent school shootings. But do I expect strong mitigations and investment to prevent against them. Scaling back these mitigations would similarly detract from their ability to provide a safe environment that facilitates learning.

[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 wish every Diocese or Arlington principal would read this. Leadership starts at the top.

These schools' mission is not to keep children safe from a pandemic. If they would like to fulfill their core mission, they need to scale back on their mitigations. I hope the principals are reading this! And the Bishop!!! He needs to provide leadership to these Pastors and Principals. The schools are all over the map.

What is wrong with mitigation efforts in keeping our community safe? And how is that against the teachings of the Catholic Church, which is a core mission of Catholic schools?


Your attitude and mindset is part of the problem. You are part of this minority that posters keep referring to—and your insistence to keep complaining to the Pastor and Principal is not helping your cause. If you don’t like the strategies in place to keep people safe in your community, perhaps you should homeschool so you can have the control you desire?

[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 wish every Diocese or Arlington principal would read this. Leadership starts at the top.

These schools' mission is not to keep children safe from a pandemic. If they would like to fulfill their core mission, they need to scale back on their mitigations. I hope the principals are reading this! And the Bishop!!! He needs to provide leadership to these Pastors and Principals. The schools are all over the map.

^This is why we cannot have nice things!

[Anonymous]

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

Horrible and sobering. I hope the parents in this thread asking for fewer mitigations take a moment to reflect — how did we go from Catholic schools leading the way to show all schools, public and private, how to get back to the classroom safely, to this, where we argue that simple measures like testing are bad because then we’ll know if our kids have COVID and thus should stay home. That’s not the Catholic Church I am part of.

[Anonymous]

Everyone keeps using this word "safe". Omicron isn't a meaningful threat to children. Cases are up, but hospitalizations are flat. Your children are safer today than they were a year ago when no one was testing, we knew less about the virus, the virus was more deadly, and we lacked treatments for it. Your kid is more likely to die on the walk/drive to school than from COVID at this point.

We can have discussions about appropriate mitigations (I'm for them). But it's important to keep things in perspective here. Failing to do everything possible to mitigate omicron in school isn't actually going to meaningfully threaten your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone keeps using this word "safe". Omicron isn't a meaningful threat to children. Cases are up, but hospitalizations are flat. Your children are safer today than they were a year ago when no one was testing, we knew less about the virus, the virus was more deadly, and we lacked treatments for it. Your kid is more likely to die on the walk/drive to school than from COVID at this point.

We can have discussions about appropriate mitigations (I'm for them). But it's important to keep things in perspective here. Failing to do everything possible to mitigate omicron in school isn't actually going to meaningfully threaten your kids.

Except hospitalizations are up.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/child-covid-hospitalizations-are-5-states-are-rise-rcna10089

[Anonymous]

Our school delayed the start by a day. They should probably go ahead and delay by at least a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone keeps using this word "safe". Omicron isn't a meaningful threat to children. Cases are up, but hospitalizations are flat. Your children are safer today than they were a year ago when no one was testing, we knew less about the virus, the virus was more deadly, and we lacked treatments for it. Your kid is more likely to die on the walk/drive to school than from COVID at this point.

We can have discussions about appropriate mitigations (I'm for them). But it's important to keep things in perspective here. Failing to do everything possible to mitigate omicron in school isn't actually going to meaningfully threaten your kids.

Except hospitalizations are up.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/child-covid-hospitalizations-are-5-states-are-rise-rcna10089

Not in DC brainiac. But keep fear mongering

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone keeps using this word "safe". Omicron isn't a meaningful threat to children. Cases are up, but hospitalizations are flat. Your children are safer today than they were a year ago when no one was testing, we knew less about the virus, the virus was more deadly, and we lacked treatments for it. Your kid is more likely to die on the walk/drive to school than from COVID at this point.

We can have discussions about appropriate mitigations (I'm for them). But it's important to keep things in perspective here. Failing to do everything possible to mitigate omicron in school isn't actually going to meaningfully threaten your kids.

Except hospitalizations are up.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/child-covid-hospitalizations-are-5-states-are-rise-rcna10089

Fauci himself said not to read too much into that figure because 1) the base rate is so low minor variations create large percentage increases (we're talking between 300 and 400 kids per day), and 2) "with" isn't the same as "because of"

https://www.newsweek.com/fauci-children-hospital-covid-omicron-1664676

International news media have also noted the increase in pediatric hospitalizations but downplayed the idea of additional risk to children:

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211231-pediatric-hospitalizations-up-under-omicron-but-it-s-not-more-severe

Furthermore, you heard that pediatric hospitalizations are up, but did you hear that deaths are down?

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-covid-19-deaths-hospitalizations-comparatively-low-despite-omicron-surge-cdc-2021-12-29/

Which is consistent with what happened in South Africa:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/30/world/omicron-covid-vaccine-tests

I'm not saying COVID is nothing, but I dispute the notion that things are materially "less safe" for children today than they were at previous points in the pandemic when we decided school was still "safe". If the risks to children were low enough to make school feasible in August 2020, when there were no vaccines, no protease inhibitors, and a more lethal form of the virus, then it is assuredly still "safe" today. The only obstacle to in-person, in my mind, should be staffing.