Masking policy Arlington Diocesan Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here’s a question I have: if a kid who wears a mask at school sits next to a kid who isn’t wearing a mask, and the unmasked kid tests positive for Covid, is the masked kid now considered a close contact when before they wouldn’t have been (because before both parties were wearing masks)?

I hope the anti mask and anti vax parents (many of whom are the same) are really thinking through what this means for their kids. It’s going to result in their kids having a higher chance of being sent home for several days at a time, perhaps repeatedly. I am not seeing how that’s better than just wearing a mask to school?

After a year and a half of wearing masks, I can say with experience that masks didn’t make any difference. In the context of your questions, if a MASKED student was sitting next to another MASKED student who tested positive for COVID, the student(s) sitting next to them are considers a close contact and asked to quarantine. And that’s with all kids masked.

Kinda shows you how much faith anyone had that wearing a mask did anything …

I imagine it will remain the same now that masks are optional. If a kid tests positive, any kids who were deemed in close contact before will continue to be deemed a close contact, regardless of anyone’s mask decisions. Nothing will change in that regard.

What you are saying goes directly against the FCHD guidelines that the PP quoted. According to the health dept if both kids were wearing masks when the exposure occurred, then the kid near the positive case is not considered a close contact and is not asked to do anything differently. And it seems that masks DO change the equation such that a kid who tested positive and wasn't wearing a mask to school will cause a higher number of unvaccinated kids to have to quarantine than they would if the positive case had been wearing a mask.

What you say also goes against my own experience at a diocesan school. The child who sits next to mine tested positive for Covid and my child was not told to quarantine. Unfortunately my child ended up getting it anyway (my child says the kid was often not wearing their mask properly, so not too surprising). It sounds like your school has not been following the guidelines and was making anyone within 3 ft quarantine regardless of masking. But for other schools that were following FCHD guidelines for schools, this will result in more kids being named close contacts.

It depends how the school is setup.

If the school had kids desk < 3 feet - then masked unvaccinated kids would be quarantined (some schools are small so this has been the setup)
If the school had kids between 3 - 6 feet - then masked unvaccinated would not be quarantined
If the school had kids > 6 feet - then unmasked vaccinated and unvaccinated would not be quarantined

the quarantined rules are tied more closely to vaccination status than masks. The CDC just through in the mid level tier as a band aid.

Quite frankly if the CDC wants kids in school they need to drop all the quarantined language and schools should distance kids as most practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the unmasked kids within 6 feet will now be considered close contacts. And if they’re unvaccinated they will be in and out of quarantine more than once, I bet. Have fun with that.

People have had plenty of time to vaccinate. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't. But, these are the consequences. And we can't make everyone mask for ever awaiting for people to vaccinate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here’s a question I have: if a kid who wears a mask at school sits next to a kid who isn’t wearing a mask, and the unmasked kid tests positive for Covid, is the masked kid now considered a close contact when before they wouldn’t have been (because before both parties were wearing masks)?

I hope the anti mask and anti vax parents (many of whom are the same) are really thinking through what this means for their kids. It’s going to result in their kids having a higher chance of being sent home for several days at a time, perhaps repeatedly. I am not seeing how that’s better than just wearing a mask to school?

After a year and a half of wearing masks, I can say with experience that masks didn’t make any difference. In the context of your questions, if a MASKED student was sitting next to another MASKED student who tested positive for COVID, the student(s) sitting next to them are considers a close contact and asked to quarantine. And that’s with all kids masked.

Kinda shows you how much faith anyone had that wearing a mask did anything …

I imagine it will remain the same now that masks are optional. If a kid tests positive, any kids who were deemed in close contact before will continue to be deemed a close contact, regardless of anyone’s mask decisions. Nothing will change in that regard.

Perhaps the kids at your school are <3 feet apart. In that case, the mask doesn't help from a quarantined perspective.

What you are saying goes directly against the FCHD guidelines that the PP quoted. According to the health dept if both kids were wearing masks when the exposure occurred, then the kid near the positive case is not considered a close contact and is not asked to do anything differently. And it seems that masks DO change the equation such that a kid who tested positive and wasn't wearing a mask to school will cause a higher number of unvaccinated kids to have to quarantine than they would if the positive case had been wearing a mask.

What you say also goes against my own experience at a diocesan school. The child who sits next to mine tested positive for Covid and my child was not told to quarantine. Unfortunately my child ended up getting it anyway (my child says the kid was often not wearing their mask properly, so not too surprising). It sounds like your school has not been following the guidelines and was making anyone within 3 ft quarantine regardless of masking. But for other schools that were following FCHD guidelines for schools, this will result in more kids being named close contacts.

Ok well now I’m just ticked off — because on two separate occasions, one of my MASKED kids was asked to quarantine because they were sitting next to another MASKED kid who tested positive. The differentiating factor was whether the contact was “close” — the masks didn’t even enter into it (and again, this was when all students were required to mask).

Maybe that was just the way our Diocesan school did it. But it will remain the same now since they were already apparently over-cautious with their quarantine decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here’s a question I have: if a kid who wears a mask at school sits next to a kid who isn’t wearing a mask, and the unmasked kid tests positive for Covid, is the masked kid now considered a close contact when before they wouldn’t have been (because before both parties were wearing masks)?

I hope the anti mask and anti vax parents (many of whom are the same) are really thinking through what this means for their kids. It’s going to result in their kids having a higher chance of being sent home for several days at a time, perhaps repeatedly. I am not seeing how that’s better than just wearing a mask to school?

After a year and a half of wearing masks, I can say with experience that masks didn’t make any difference. In the context of your questions, if a MASKED student was sitting next to another MASKED student who tested positive for COVID, the student(s) sitting next to them are considers a close contact and asked to quarantine. And that’s with all kids masked.

Kinda shows you how much faith anyone had that wearing a mask did anything …

I imagine it will remain the same now that masks are optional. If a kid tests positive, any kids who were deemed in close contact before will continue to be deemed a close contact, regardless of anyone’s mask decisions. Nothing will change in that regard.

What you are saying goes directly against the FCHD guidelines that the PP quoted. According to the health dept if both kids were wearing masks when the exposure occurred, then the kid near the positive case is not considered a close contact and is not asked to do anything differently. And it seems that masks DO change the equation such that a kid who tested positive and wasn't wearing a mask to school will cause a higher number of unvaccinated kids to have to quarantine than they would if the positive case had been wearing a mask.

What you say also goes against my own experience at a diocesan school. The child who sits next to mine tested positive for Covid and my child was not told to quarantine. Unfortunately my child ended up getting it anyway (my child says the kid was often not wearing their mask properly, so not too surprising). It sounds like your school has not been following the guidelines and was making anyone within 3 ft quarantine regardless of masking. But for other schools that were following FCHD guidelines for schools, this will result in more kids being named close contacts.

Ok well now I’m just ticked off — because on two separate occasions, one of my MASKED kids was asked to quarantine because they were sitting next to another MASKED kid who tested positive. The differentiating factor was whether the contact was “close” — the masks didn’t even enter into it (and again, this was when all students were required to mask).

Maybe that was just the way our Diocesan school did it. But it will remain the same now since they were already apparently over-cautious with their quarantine decision.

Is your kid vaxxed? That’s the determining factor at our school.

[Anonymous]

At our k-8, the entire classroom was considered a close contact if someone tested positive. If vaccinated, the close contacts (ie, the rest of the class) did not have to quarantine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As much as I hate the cold, I plan on holding more lessons outside if kids are unmasked in my class. Please send your kids with masks and quality outerwear, just in case! I know it sounds extreme, but I have to take care of myself (cancer survivor) and my elderly mother.

Threatening to abuse our children by freezing them in the cold over this is really sick. You should not be around kids.

Then. Keep. Them. Home.

Problem solved.

How frigging DARE you say that to a cancer survivor trying to protect her elderly mother, you entitled witch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do glad I don’t have to subject my young kids to the BS below. So sad that kids have to be embroiled in an idiotic policy debate instead of being care-free kids. Great decision Diocese!!!! If someone doesn’t like it, let them go elsewhere. Let the rest of us live our lives.

https://maskoffmonday.com/take-action-now-1/f/contact-your-school-today?embedded_webview=true&fbclid=IwAR0Vm3STgOQI5FquaDzkT1w9efkQrpe0MrmU3yT7EPpm5X4wOTtZmJt7wUk

You’re an idiot. Your poor kids.

[Anonymous]

There’s an online petition for parents who want the mask requirement reinstated by the Arlington Diocese. Please sign!

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-diocese-families-and-community-members-re-instate-the-mask-requirement-at-arlington-catholic-schools?fbclid=IwAR1Vt3-QtYKi8ZJP2UDDV-8gUnAOYQoDdEa7zHpUUoBw16cvSWiVV98RG8Y

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As much as I hate the cold, I plan on holding more lessons outside if kids are unmasked in my class. Please send your kids with masks and quality outerwear, just in case! I know it sounds extreme, but I have to take care of myself (cancer survivor) and my elderly mother.

Threatening to abuse our children by freezing them in the cold over this is really sick. You should not be around kids.

Then. Keep. Them. Home.

Problem solved.

How frigging DARE you say that to a cancer survivor trying to protect her elderly mother, you entitled witch.

I am the teacher who posted this. I am the cancer survivor and parent to two school age children. I do not feel comfortable teaching unmasked students. I don’t see how some people cannot have empathy. I feel like too many in our society think only about “Me, Myself and I”. I taught hybrid last year in a mask. I am also teaching this year. Do any of you know hard it is to teach in a mask. It is one thing to have to wear one for a meeting here or there, or to go to the store. Teachers have had to put up with so much during the pandemic. Diocesan teachers supppied in-person teaching last year. We bent over backwards. Our school has 30 kids per class. Our admin had to find extra space in the bulding to separate kids. We gave up lunch periods, planning periods “for the kids”. Now, when we just want to feel safer during this surge, the true colors of many families are showing. The Bishop’s letter just made it easier for me to quit my job. I will probably push throufh till the end of this school year “for the kids”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here’s a question I have: if a kid who wears a mask at school sits next to a kid who isn’t wearing a mask, and the unmasked kid tests positive for Covid, is the masked kid now considered a close contact when before they wouldn’t have been (because before both parties were wearing masks)?

I hope the anti mask and anti vax parents (many of whom are the same) are really thinking through what this means for their kids. It’s going to result in their kids having a higher chance of being sent home for several days at a time, perhaps repeatedly. I am not seeing how that’s better than just wearing a mask to school?

After a year and a half of wearing masks, I can say with experience that masks didn’t make any difference. In the context of your questions, if a MASKED student was sitting next to another MASKED student who tested positive for COVID, the student(s) sitting next to them are considers a close contact and asked to quarantine. And that’s with all kids masked.

Kinda shows you how much faith anyone had that wearing a mask did anything …

I imagine it will remain the same now that masks are optional. If a kid tests positive, any kids who were deemed in close contact before will continue to be deemed a close contact, regardless of anyone’s mask decisions. Nothing will change in that regard.

What you are saying goes directly against the FCHD guidelines that the PP quoted. According to the health dept if both kids were wearing masks when the exposure occurred, then the kid near the positive case is not considered a close contact and is not asked to do anything differently. And it seems that masks DO change the equation such that a kid who tested positive and wasn't wearing a mask to school will cause a higher number of unvaccinated kids to have to quarantine than they would if the positive case had been wearing a mask.

What you say also goes against my own experience at a diocesan school. The child who sits next to mine tested positive for Covid and my child was not told to quarantine. Unfortunately my child ended up getting it anyway (my child says the kid was often not wearing their mask properly, so not too surprising). It sounds like your school has not been following the guidelines and was making anyone within 3 ft quarantine regardless of masking. But for other schools that were following FCHD guidelines for schools, this will result in more kids being named close contacts.

Ok well now I’m just ticked off — because on two separate occasions, one of my MASKED kids was asked to quarantine because they were sitting next to another MASKED kid who tested positive. The differentiating factor was whether the contact was “close” — the masks didn’t even enter into it (and again, this was when all students were required to mask).

Maybe that was just the way our Diocesan school did it. But it will remain the same now since they were already apparently over-cautious with their quarantine decision.

Is your kid vaxxed? That’s the determining factor at our school.

Are desks at < 3 feet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As much as I hate the cold, I plan on holding more lessons outside if kids are unmasked in my class. Please send your kids with masks and quality outerwear, just in case! I know it sounds extreme, but I have to take care of myself (cancer survivor) and my elderly mother.

Threatening to abuse our children by freezing them in the cold over this is really sick. You should not be around kids.

Then. Keep. Them. Home.

Problem solved.

How frigging DARE you say that to a cancer survivor trying to protect her elderly mother, you entitled witch.

I am the teacher who posted this. I am the cancer survivor and parent to two school age children. I do not feel comfortable teaching unmasked students. I don’t see how some people cannot have empathy. I feel like too many in our society think only about “Me, Myself and I”. I taught hybrid last year in a mask. I am also teaching this year. Do any of you know hard it is to teach in a mask. It is one thing to have to wear one for a meeting here or there, or to go to the store. Teachers have had to put up with so much during the pandemic. Diocesan teachers supppied in-person teaching last year. We bent over backwards. Our school has 30 kids per class. Our admin had to find extra space in the bulding to separate kids. We gave up lunch periods, planning periods “for the kids”. Now, when we just want to feel safer during this surge, the true colors of many families are showing. The Bishop’s letter just made it easier for me to quit my job. I will probably push throufh till the end of this school year “for the kids”.

Sounds like your school really did a lot. Not all schools in the diocese went the extra mile. Our school was not in person 5 days a week last year.

Sounds like you recognize teaching in a mask is horrible. So, I'm sure you can understand parents feel the same way about it for the kids.

Its a hard situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our k-8, the entire classroom was considered a close contact if someone tested positive. If vaccinated, the close contacts (ie, the rest of the class) did not have to quarantine.

Wow sounds like they didn't have the resources to identify close contacts. That's too bad for the kids.

[Anonymous]

I completly disagree with the Bishop’s decision, but if there is a silver lining, it could be more families will get their kids vaxxed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completly disagree with the Bishop’s decision, but if there is a silver lining, it could be more families will get their kids vaxxed.

I am thinking most Catholics don’t want masks or vaccines for their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As much as I hate the cold, I plan on holding more lessons outside if kids are unmasked in my class. Please send your kids with masks and quality outerwear, just in case! I know it sounds extreme, but I have to take care of myself (cancer survivor) and my elderly mother.

Threatening to abuse our children by freezing them in the cold over this is really sick. You should not be around kids.

Then. Keep. Them. Home.

Problem solved.

How frigging DARE you say that to a cancer survivor trying to protect her elderly mother, you entitled witch.

I am the teacher who posted this. I am the cancer survivor and parent to two school age children. I do not feel comfortable teaching unmasked students. I don’t see how some people cannot have empathy. I feel like too many in our society think only about “Me, Myself and I”. I taught hybrid last year in a mask. I am also teaching this year. Do any of you know hard it is to teach in a mask. It is one thing to have to wear one for a meeting here or there, or to go to the store. Teachers have had to put up with so much during the pandemic. Diocesan teachers supppied in-person teaching last year. We bent over backwards. Our school has 30 kids per class. Our admin had to find extra space in the bulding to separate kids. We gave up lunch periods, planning periods “for the kids”. Now, when we just want to feel safer during this surge, the true colors of many families are showing. The Bishop’s letter just made it easier for me to quit my job. I will probably push throufh till the end of this school year “for the kids”.

Sounds like your school really did a lot. Not all schools in the diocese went the extra mile. Our school was not in person 5 days a week last year.

Sounds like you recognize teaching in a mask is horrible. So, I'm sure you can understand parents feel the same way about it for the kids.

Its a hard situation.

Yes, it is a hard situation. We, as teachers, have had to adapt so many lessons (no group work, no moving around the room, no dancing, dividers separating students, no mixing with other classes). But what is worse, is seeing a class have a sub for two weeks, a sub who may or not be able to follow the teacher’s plans (if she/he as able to leave any plans), students worried if their teacher will be ok, kids out of control because their routine has been altered, parents stressed out because their child does not know what to expect. Please pray your teacher does not get covid. If he/she does get covid, and has to be out for two weeks, please be supportive and understand the sub/subs may or may not know exactly what to do. There might be a lot of coloring and video watching going on.