MCPS will now send kids home for ten days based on symptoms only

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:cough
difficulty breathing
new loss of taste or smell
fever ≥100.4°
sore throat
severe headache,
diarrhea
vomiting

Those seem perfectly reasonable.

Not really. difficulty breathing could be due to allergy attack, asthma etc. Why do you need to quarantine entire classroom for that?

You don't - have a doctor's note saying asthma - honestly, if the child has asthma that bad, they probably have an inhaler or rescue medicine with the nurse anyway and it's known. They won't get sent home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:cough
difficulty breathing
new loss of taste or smell
fever ≥100.4°
sore throat
severe headache,
diarrhea
vomiting

Those seem perfectly reasonable.

Not really. difficulty breathing could be due to allergy attack, asthma etc. Why do you need to quarantine entire classroom for that?

Most allergies are not new except if you are new to the area. With allergies, asthma, its easily documented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh and no one cares if your “careful” family is sending their kids in N95s, they’ll be treated like everyone else in the class.

so whats the big deal? why are you so annoyed at kids wearing masks? Masks are part of the fashion in COVID times

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here, and it's just a matter of time before some sixth grade kid decides to be funny and impress his or her friends and get them all out of class by claiming they have a "sore throat" or, even better, "diarrhea." Anyway, this policy is designed to make sure schools have the staffing to teach quarantined kids without having to ask multiple teachers to work on Zoom with those kids during their planning periods. I smell an ulterior motive. Not cool. These kids need to be in school.

Interesting how some prempt their comment with Teacher here. MCPS leadership and parents will decide where the kids need to be considering the safety of everyone. Everyone has different circumstances and you fail to consider these very facts.

MCPS leadership decided. Parents are sending their kids to school sick and pretending its nothing. That's how covid spreads. Your lack of concern for other people's safety and health is shameful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It'll be interesting (and probably sad) to see what the BoE says about this. Unfortunately, the whole BoE is old as dirt and isn't going to remember what young kids are like.

Why do you sound so insulting as anonymous? Can't you contribute to discussion in any meaningful way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the dumbest policy in a long line of many. Allergies, asthma, chronic headaches, cold season coming up. It's utter nonsense. Seriously, how stupid can people be and feel like they need to one up the CDC and state officials?

+1 I feel for you ES parents.

my kids are in MS/HS, but DC gets migraines, have had them since 6 yrs old, DC also has asthma. Other DC has terrible allergies, including in the fall.

I have stated before.. MoCo leadership, including the BOE are waaaay too conservative and are driven by fear rather than science.

You mean MoCo leadership and MCPS BOE put children's safety first?

If that were true wouldn't you guys be using the testing money you have?

Did you consider the false positivity of tests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:cough
difficulty breathing
new loss of taste or smell
fever ≥100.4°
sore throat
severe headache,
diarrhea
vomiting

Those seem perfectly reasonable.

Not really. difficulty breathing could be due to allergy attack, asthma etc. Why do you need to quarantine entire classroom for that?

I agree and that is very logical. Yes Asthma action plan and the inhailer will be at the health room. However these guidelines from school is unclear and the fear is that when kids show these symptoms, they are going to just say quarantine everyone else.


You don't - have a doctor's note saying asthma - honestly, if the child has asthma that bad, they probably have an inhaler or rescue medicine with the nurse anyway and it's known. They won't get sent home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here, and it's just a matter of time before some sixth grade kid decides to be funny and impress his or her friends and get them all out of class by claiming they have a "sore throat" or, even better, "diarrhea." Anyway, this policy is designed to make sure schools have the staffing to teach quarantined kids without having to ask multiple teachers to work on Zoom with those kids during their planning periods. I smell an ulterior motive. Not cool. These kids need to be in school.

Interesting how some prempt their comment with Teacher here. MCPS leadership and parents will decide where the kids need to be considering the safety of everyone. Everyone has different circumstances and you fail to consider these very facts.

MCPS leadership decided. Parents are sending their kids to school sick and pretending its nothing. That's how covid spreads. Your lack of concern for other people's safety and health is shameful.

I agree - teacher's comment shows shameful attitude towards everyone's safety

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:cough
difficulty breathing
new loss of taste or smell
fever ≥100.4°
sore throat
severe headache,
diarrhea
vomiting

Those seem perfectly reasonable.

Not really. difficulty breathing could be due to allergy attack, asthma etc. Why do you need to quarantine entire classroom for that?

I agree and that is very logical. Yes Asthma action plan and the inhailer will be at the health room. However these guidelines from school is unclear and the fear is that when kids show these symptoms, they are going to just say quarantine everyone else.


You don't - have a doctor's note saying asthma - honestly, if the child has asthma that bad, they probably have an inhaler or rescue medicine with the nurse anyway and it's known. They won't get sent home.

I'm not worried, and my child has asthma and coughs. MCPS has a history of being lenient on all fronts, so it's a given that medical exceptions will be made.

[Anonymous]

Y'all ready to rise up about this are crazy. And not very good readers.

What this policy says is, your kid's in class with Joey, Joey throws up on him, we're not allowed to test Joey because he's showing symptoms, just for screening, so *every* possible social and logistical lever will be used to make sure Joey gets tested before he returns to school, including his parents' desire to be able to send him back here AND your outrage about the effect it would have on your kids if Joey doesn't get tested.

So. No sick kids come to school, but also, parents of well kids spend as little time as possible *ever in our lives* wondering whether our kids have been exposed to COVID, despite the fact that we're in the middle of a Delta surge. That's a huge upside.

[Anonymous]

For everyone saying we are being alarmist and you're sure there must be exceptions for pre-existing, chronic, etc., I have kids in two separate schools, elementary and middle. Principal updates sent out over the past hour contain the same information, word for word. There is no mention at all about any of that. Just says "any" of the following symptoms. And the only thing qualified with "new" is loss of taste or smell.

What morons. This is an absolute disaster for kids and their peers with headache problems, IBS, allergies.

Again, before everyone says alarmist, there is absolutely nothing about new/chronic, etc. being communicated. Nada. This is the guidance going to families and to school staff. So my child's migraines mean their class has to quarantine. Brilliant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:cough
difficulty breathing
new loss of taste or smell
fever ≥100.4°
sore throat
severe headache,
diarrhea
vomiting

Those seem perfectly reasonable.

Not really. difficulty breathing could be due to allergy attack, asthma etc. Why do you need to quarantine entire classroom for that?

Most allergies are not new except if you are new to the area. With allergies, asthma, its easily documented.

Do you even have allergies? Allergies can be very seasonal. They can be triggered by a variety of things. And the symptoms can linger for hours or days after exposure to an allergen.


e.g., You might go to a house with a dog or cat over the weekend, and have a slight cough or sore throat on Monday/Tuesday from post-nasal drip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For everyone saying we are being alarmist and you're sure there must be exceptions for pre-existing, chronic, etc., I have kids in two separate schools, elementary and middle. Principal updates sent out over the past hour contain the same information, word for word. There is no mention at all about any of that. Just says "any" of the following symptoms. And the only thing qualified with "new" is loss of taste or smell.

What morons. This is an absolute disaster for kids and their peers with headache problems, IBS, allergies.

Again, before everyone says alarmist, there is absolutely nothing about new/chronic, etc. being communicated. Nada. This is the guidance going to families and to school staff. So my child's migraines mean their class has to quarantine. Brilliant.

Symptoms sent from my school include new onset severe headaches. It’s an imperfect communication in many ways and I am sure it will get updated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Y'all ready to rise up about this are crazy. And not very good readers.

What this policy says is, your kid's in class with Joey, Joey throws up on him, we're not allowed to test Joey because he's showing symptoms, just for screening, so *every* possible social and logistical lever will be used to make sure Joey gets tested before he returns to school, including his parents' desire to be able to send him back here AND your outrage about the effect it would have on your kids if Joey doesn't get tested.

So. No sick kids come to school, but also, parents of well kids spend as little time as possible *ever in our lives* wondering whether our kids have been exposed to COVID, despite the fact that we're in the middle of a Delta surge. That's a huge upside.

You're actually not a very good reader if you missed the more common symptoms like headaches, cough, diarrhea. Of course if a kid throws up (not to mention on another kid) that should trigger. But not if lunch didn't sit well because someone has a sensitive stomach, or they regularly get migraines. No exceptions are being communicated out from the schools.

Also, let's not forget this is inconsistent with CDC guidance. Once again, I am curious to know why Gayles is smarter than the CDC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It'll be interesting (and probably sad) to see what the BoE says about this. Unfortunately, the whole BoE is old as dirt and isn't going to remember what young kids are like.

Why do you sound so insulting as anonymous? Can't you contribute to discussion in any meaningful way?

This is the problem with having having a Board of Education that isn't affected by its own decisions. Except when they go against MCEA and lose their money and ground game.