What about Monday?

[Anonymous]

This talk about being stir-crazy is amusing: it's only been a week. Hell, most of us lived through the pandemic and there were weeks or months where we barely went out or saw anyone. But then we're anti-social hermits, so that works for us 😏

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just drove by seven locks es and the student drop off lot is still untouched. Can other people report what they're seeing at their local schools here? Yesterday it mentioned only 30 percent of schools were done. Like WHAT?!

Maybe it's time for community to come to the rescue. If one parent of every enrolled child at a school showed up with their ice pick and snow shovel, the parking lots and sidewalks of all schools could be completed in a few hours. Yes, some families have 2 kids enrolled at a school and an infant at home so only 1 parent for 2 students could show up. And yes, there are single parent households with kids in both ES and MS so they shouldn't have to shovel 2x. And I'm sure there are families with multiple children and one parent who has to go to work and cannot help.

My point is, maybe the parents who want kids back in school need to take control. Volunteers could get this done quickly. Many hands makes light work.

“The parents who want kids back in school” — shouldn’t that be all parents?

Some of us are more patient than others. Some of us aren’t foaming at the mouth waiting for school to reopen, no.

Describing wanting your kid to go to school as “foaming at the mouth” is … a choice.

Assuming that most families fit a narrow mold of pickaxe owning families with two able bodied parents, neither of whom work weekends, and who could be trusted to use those pickaxes in tight corner with hundreds of other parents is also . . . a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just drove by seven locks es and the student drop off lot is still untouched. Can other people report what they're seeing at their local schools here? Yesterday it mentioned only 30 percent of schools were done. Like WHAT?!

Rock Creek Forest parking lot is untouched and no work being done on a Friday afternoon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thisshouldbeeasy wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you all helicopter parents who are freaking about their children’s education right now? You have no regard for your own children’s or others safety. Let the kids enjoy some snow days. Its part of childhood..

+1 this will be a time our kids reflect on in adult hood and reminisce about. Some of my favorite memories were the extended snow days and I don't even remember the make up days.

That’s great. Snow days are fun. I had plenty as a kid.

School is important. I remembered what I learned in school AND what I did outside of school.

I feel sorry for the people who claim they forgot everything they learned.

Really?

You remember you learned Algebra in January 1996 or you remember you had fun in the snow in Jan 1996?

Smh

Yep.

I remember in 3rd grade, we did a really fun project about Colonial America where we made a colonial village and then did presentations about the different people in the town (blacksmith, cobbler, etc).

In 2nd grade, we did an assembly line project where we made little cars.

In 5th grade, I did my first research paper. My topic was Incan architecture. We were learning about the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incan civilizations.

I also remember sledding down the big hill near my house with my sister and my friends during snow days. I remember roasting marshmallows in the fire.

This was all around the mid-90s in the NYC suburbs.

You guys sound overly anxious about kids missing a week of school. Trust me, they are not going to become dumber or anything. In fact, they are probably learning life skills. Free play, interacting with friends, shoveling snow, figuring out how to use this time without screens, cooking meals..maybe learning new skills. way more useful than writing research papers. I feel sorry for your kids..

I feel sorry that you don’t see the value in writing research papers.

There is value in school AND playing with friends.

How do you not see that?

There is value in both. However, under the circumstances if you can’t have one you should appreciate the other. This situation is beyond your control. Learn to be flexible and adjust your expectations. Not a big deal if your kid doesn’t write a paper for a week. Have some perspective.

NP here. School is overrated. I remember going to school and 95% of the time I didn't learn a thing. It was mostly repeat of stuff that was previously taught in previous grades. I don't need to be taught the same thing 5 to 10 times during my education. Not that stupid. Everybody chill out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This talk about being stir-crazy is amusing: it's only been a week. Hell, most of us lived through the pandemic and there were weeks or months where we barely went out or saw anyone. But then we're anti-social hermits, so that works for us 😏

Even as an antisocial hermit, the pandemic was horrible.

Plus, except for being short-term, this is harder for parents. Since Tuesday, everyone else has been working basically like normal. Things haven't slowed down. Expectations haven't changed. While the pandemic didn't affect everyone equally, it did affect everyone. Here its basically just parents with kids-- particularly elementary and younger kids-- who have had to uniquely deal with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thisshouldbeeasy wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you all helicopter parents who are freaking about their children’s education right now? You have no regard for your own children’s or others safety. Let the kids enjoy some snow days. Its part of childhood..

+1 this will be a time our kids reflect on in adult hood and reminisce about. Some of my favorite memories were the extended snow days and I don't even remember the make up days.

That’s great. Snow days are fun. I had plenty as a kid.

School is important. I remembered what I learned in school AND what I did outside of school.

I feel sorry for the people who claim they forgot everything they learned.

Really?

You remember you learned Algebra in January 1996 or you remember you had fun in the snow in Jan 1996?

Smh

Yep.

I remember in 3rd grade, we did a really fun project about Colonial America where we made a colonial village and then did presentations about the different people in the town (blacksmith, cobbler, etc).

In 2nd grade, we did an assembly line project where we made little cars.

In 5th grade, I did my first research paper. My topic was Incan architecture. We were learning about the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incan civilizations.

I also remember sledding down the big hill near my house with my sister and my friends during snow days. I remember roasting marshmallows in the fire.

This was all around the mid-90s in the NYC suburbs.

You guys sound overly anxious about kids missing a week of school. Trust me, they are not going to become dumber or anything. In fact, they are probably learning life skills. Free play, interacting with friends, shoveling snow, figuring out how to use this time without screens, cooking meals..maybe learning new skills. way more useful than writing research papers. I feel sorry for your kids..

I feel sorry that you don’t see the value in writing research papers.

There is value in school AND playing with friends.

How do you not see that?

There is value in both. However, under the circumstances if you can’t have one you should appreciate the other. This situation is beyond your control. Learn to be flexible and adjust your expectations. Not a big deal if your kid doesn’t write a paper for a week. Have some perspective.

NP here. School is overrated. I remember going to school and 95% of the time I didn't learn a thing. It was mostly repeat of stuff that was previously taught in previous grades. I don't need to be taught the same thing 5 to 10 times during my education. Not that stupid. Everybody chill out.

I have 4 kids. The last one is in HS. Having seen how it all works out in the end, I'm much more chill about DS being in school. I'm not going to let him skip school and he has to graduate, but a week or two off as a surprise, sure why not. It won't hurt anything. He's taking AP courses. He has the syllabus, the college board resources, and Kahn academy. He's been making a list of questions to ask his teacher when they go back. The break between semesters has been glorious. He's more relaxed than I've seen him in a long time. The mental health break is fabulous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just drove by seven locks es and the student drop off lot is still untouched. Can other people report what they're seeing at their local schools here? Yesterday it mentioned only 30 percent of schools were done. Like WHAT?!

Rock Creek Forest parking lot is untouched and no work being done on a Friday afternoon.

I drove by Quince Orchard high school today and the sidewalk just near the school on QO Road was shoveled but the sidewalks leading up to the school was half done - it was patches of clear sidewalks and mounds of snow in between. I think Monday will definitely be a closure - the streets off of QO Road were like one lane roads with no sidewalk to see, so how can the walkers walk from a mile away? And assuming parents will drop off the kids it will be a mess in that parking lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This talk about being stir-crazy is amusing: it's only been a week. Hell, most of us lived through the pandemic and there were weeks or months where we barely went out or saw anyone. But then we're anti-social hermits, so that works for us 😏

Even as an antisocial hermit, the pandemic was horrible.

Plus, except for being short-term, this is harder for parents. Since Tuesday, everyone else has been working basically like normal. Things haven't slowed down. Expectations haven't changed. While the pandemic didn't affect everyone equally, it did affect everyone. Here its basically just parents with kids-- particularly elementary and younger kids-- who have had to uniquely deal with this.

School is not day care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just drove by seven locks es and the student drop off lot is still untouched. Can other people report what they're seeing at their local schools here? Yesterday it mentioned only 30 percent of schools were done. Like WHAT?!

Maybe it's time for community to come to the rescue. If one parent of every enrolled child at a school showed up with their ice pick and snow shovel, the parking lots and sidewalks of all schools could be completed in a few hours. Yes, some families have 2 kids enrolled at a school and an infant at home so only 1 parent for 2 students could show up. And yes, there are single parent households with kids in both ES and MS so they shouldn't have to shovel 2x. And I'm sure there are families with multiple children and one parent who has to go to work and cannot help.

My point is, maybe the parents who want kids back in school need to take control. Volunteers could get this done quickly. Many hands makes light work.

“The parents who want kids back in school” — shouldn’t that be all parents?

No, some of us prioritize the safety of our kids over free daycare.

[Anonymous]

It's not just school; it's extracurricular activities that are also being missed. Additionally, many local organizations use school facilities for sports, meetings and religious services. People reasonably and necessarily rely on MCPS facilities to be open. What an adult remembers learning in school 30 years ago is irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m from New England and would have no problem having my kid walk to school on snowy sidewalks. These are icy sidewalks and much more dangerous. I’m not going to let my elementary school kids walk to school in the street, where in our neighborhood at least, it is clear.

They should not reopen until people can shovel their sidewalks. It’s a solid brick of ice right now, and it’s clear people won’t be able to do that until it warms up.

CWG said some of these snow banks could be here until March.

You cool with waiting that long?

DP — it’s daunting, but when the temperature is above freezing progress will be possible. That doesn’t mean the snow will be gone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This talk about being stir-crazy is amusing: it's only been a week. Hell, most of us lived through the pandemic and there were weeks or months where we barely went out or saw anyone. But then we're anti-social hermits, so that works for us 😏

Even as an antisocial hermit, the pandemic was horrible.

Plus, except for being short-term, this is harder for parents. Since Tuesday, everyone else has been working basically like normal. Things haven't slowed down. Expectations haven't changed. While the pandemic didn't affect everyone equally, it did affect everyone. Here its basically just parents with kids-- particularly elementary and younger kids-- who have had to uniquely deal with this.

School is not day care.

Phrase it however you want, but certainly school being closed heavily disrupts child care. And MCPS closed many of the child care programs that parents pay for and rely on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m from New England and would have no problem having my kid walk to school on snowy sidewalks. These are icy sidewalks and much more dangerous. I’m not going to let my elementary school kids walk to school in the street, where in our neighborhood at least, it is clear.

They should not reopen until people can shovel their sidewalks. It’s a solid brick of ice right now, and it’s clear people won’t be able to do that until it warms up.

CWG said some of these snow banks could be here until March.

You cool with waiting that long?

DP — it’s daunting, but when the temperature is above freezing progress will be possible. That doesn’t mean the snow will be gone.

It's the middle of winter. Waiting for temperatures to warm up above freezing is a ridiculous proposal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just drove by seven locks es and the student drop off lot is still untouched. Can other people report what they're seeing at their local schools here? Yesterday it mentioned only 30 percent of schools were done. Like WHAT?!

Maybe it's time for community to come to the rescue. If one parent of every enrolled child at a school showed up with their ice pick and snow shovel, the parking lots and sidewalks of all schools could be completed in a few hours. Yes, some families have 2 kids enrolled at a school and an infant at home so only 1 parent for 2 students could show up. And yes, there are single parent households with kids in both ES and MS so they shouldn't have to shovel 2x. And I'm sure there are families with multiple children and one parent who has to go to work and cannot help.

My point is, maybe the parents who want kids back in school need to take control. Volunteers could get this done quickly. Many hands makes light work.

“The parents who want kids back in school” — shouldn’t that be all parents?

No, some of us prioritize the safety of our kids over free daycare.

It’s called caring about my kid’s education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just drove by seven locks es and the student drop off lot is still untouched. Can other people report what they're seeing at their local schools here? Yesterday it mentioned only 30 percent of schools were done. Like WHAT?!

Rock Creek Forest parking lot is untouched and no work being done on a Friday afternoon.

I drove by Quince Orchard high school today and the sidewalk just near the school on QO Road was shoveled but the sidewalks leading up to the school was half done - it was patches of clear sidewalks and mounds of snow in between. I think Monday will definitely be a closure - the streets off of QO Road were like one lane roads with no sidewalk to see, so how can the walkers walk from a mile away? And assuming parents will drop off the kids it will be a mess in that parking lot.

Buses are still covered in ice.