Peer pressure to mask in elementary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So few of the students are wearing masks, so if there was pressure I would expect or to be the other way. I haven’t seen or heard of any pressure.

ES Teacher (on lunch break).

This is what our kids tell us as well . . . almost no one in their ES classes is wearing masks (our kids dropped them on March 1), so hard to see how there would be pressure to mask.

Both of their teachers also promptly emphasized, to the kids in class and to the parents by e-mail, that masking was a personal/family decision, and that no one would be moved around the room, treated differently, etc. based on mask preferences.

This is very school specific. Our elementary is still about 80% in masks. Teachers in masks too.

Same here and more like 90%.

I envy you. My FCPS school is radically different, with very few staff and students still masking. 😢

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So few of the students are wearing masks, so if there was pressure I would expect or to be the other way. I haven’t seen or heard of any pressure.

ES Teacher (on lunch break).

This is what our kids tell us as well . . . almost no one in their ES classes is wearing masks (our kids dropped them on March 1), so hard to see how there would be pressure to mask.

Both of their teachers also promptly emphasized, to the kids in class and to the parents by e-mail, that masking was a personal/family decision, and that no one would be moved around the room, treated differently, etc. based on mask preferences.

This is very school specific. Our elementary is still about 80% in masks. Teachers in masks too.

Same here and more like 90%.

I envy you. My FCPS school is radically different, with very few staff and students still masking. 😢

Has this had adverse results?

[Anonymous]

In our elementary many students and staff members went mask-free. I was very happy to see my kid’s kindergarten teacher without a mask this week. She wore it last week still, but finally felt comfortable to take it off - most teachers worry about judgment from parents and other staff. Also, and I think that’s true for most schools, the Asian (Korean) kids still wear them and will probably wear next year too…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

You don't care about the cons of masks so you're not caring either.

Hey, I get you. Q sent me. We know the masks are used for the lizard people to identify one another but trust in Rudy Giuliani. He has a plan.

DP. Look, I hear you but please don’t be so dismissive of any idea that there are cons associated with masking. My DC is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids. The masks coming off makes it SO MUCH easier for DC to exist at school. And I say this as a generally pro mask person, who looked carefully at positivity rates, the mitigation strategies to improve ventilation at my DC’s school, and anecdotal info from DC about whether classmates were vaccinated before having a discussion with DC about whether the mask can come off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

FCPS repeated this phrase so many times that you are completely brainwashed by now🤣🤣. Just get over it already. If you need something to worry about, start watching the news. The war in Ukraine is way bigger deal than masks in schools. Channel your worries over there.

One could say the same about being rude to people with differing opinions on social media sites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

Respecting others choices is what the caring culture is about. Transmission risk is low and FCPS agrees.

If you looked at how we got to 'low' status, it was because CDC redefined what high/medium/low meant - it *used* to mean transmission rates, now it means basically, risk of an average, healthy person ending up in the hospital with severe COVID/how crowded are the hospitals.

We didn't magically go from high to low transimission overnight. There's still a lot of transmission going on in the community (even with 80-90% masking at my kid's school, we're getting daily notices of new covid cases, and I'm sure that there are a bunch going unreported.)

If you're an average, healthy family, sure, you can unmask, and yeah, *you* are not likely to go to the hospital. When you get covid, you might just be out for a few days feeling like crap.

But for those of us with kids too young to be vaccinated, or other health risks, we cannot afford to get COVID, and transmission rates are still very risky. So yeah, wearing masks is still part of a caring culture, we've basically just decided that we're done being inconvenienced, and we don't care enough as a society about protecting little kids and immunocompromised people who we don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

Respecting others choices is what the caring culture is about. Transmission risk is low and FCPS agrees.

If you looked at how we got to 'low' status, it was because CDC redefined what high/medium/low meant - it *used* to mean transmission rates, now it means basically, risk of an average, healthy person ending up in the hospital with severe COVID/how crowded are the hospitals.

We didn't magically go from high to low transimission overnight. There's still a lot of transmission going on in the community (even with 80-90% masking at my kid's school, we're getting daily notices of new covid cases, and I'm sure that there are a bunch going unreported.)

If you're an average, healthy family, sure, you can unmask, and yeah, *you* are not likely to go to the hospital. When you get covid, you might just be out for a few days feeling like crap.

But for those of us with kids too young to be vaccinated, or other health risks, we cannot afford to get COVID, and transmission rates are still very risky. So yeah, wearing masks is still part of a caring culture, we've basically just decided that we're done being inconvenienced, and we don't care enough as a society about protecting little kids and immunocompromised people who we don't know.

Little kids who can’t get vaccinated are the group that is least likely to have any ill effects from covid. In fact, they aren’t even recommending vaccinating kids that young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

Respecting others choices is what the caring culture is about. Transmission risk is low and FCPS agrees.

If you looked at how we got to 'low' status, it was because CDC redefined what high/medium/low meant - it *used* to mean transmission rates, now it means basically, risk of an average, healthy person ending up in the hospital with severe COVID/how crowded are the hospitals.

We didn't magically go from high to low transimission overnight. There's still a lot of transmission going on in the community (even with 80-90% masking at my kid's school, we're getting daily notices of new covid cases, and I'm sure that there are a bunch going unreported.)

If you're an average, healthy family, sure, you can unmask, and yeah, *you* are not likely to go to the hospital. When you get covid, you might just be out for a few days feeling like crap.

But for those of us with kids too young to be vaccinated, or other health risks, we cannot afford to get COVID, and transmission rates are still very risky. So yeah, wearing masks is still part of a caring culture, we've basically just decided that we're done being inconvenienced, and we don't care enough as a society about protecting little kids and immunocompromised people who we don't know.

This is very curious to me. We are 2 teachers who both teach in elementary schools. My class has had about 20% masked over the past 2 weeks and I'd say the school as a whole is a bit higher, but not much. Spouse's school is probably around 50/50. My school's last notification came out on Feb. 25 and the other school hasn't had one since before March 1. I have yet to have any students on pause (knock on wood). It's just interesting how things vary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

Respecting others choices is what the caring culture is about. Transmission risk is low and FCPS agrees.

If you looked at how we got to 'low' status, it was because CDC redefined what high/medium/low meant - it *used* to mean transmission rates, now it means basically, risk of an average, healthy person ending up in the hospital with severe COVID/how crowded are the hospitals.

We didn't magically go from high to low transimission overnight. There's still a lot of transmission going on in the community (even with 80-90% masking at my kid's school, we're getting daily notices of new covid cases, and I'm sure that there are a bunch going unreported.)

If you're an average, healthy family, sure, you can unmask, and yeah, *you* are not likely to go to the hospital. When you get covid, you might just be out for a few days feeling like crap.

But for those of us with kids too young to be vaccinated, or other health risks, we cannot afford to get COVID, and transmission rates are still very risky. So yeah, wearing masks is still part of a caring culture, we've basically just decided that we're done being inconvenienced, and we don't care enough as a society about protecting little kids and immunocompromised people who we don't know.

This is very curious to me. We are 2 teachers who both teach in elementary schools. My class has had about 20% masked over the past 2 weeks and I'd say the school as a whole is a bit higher, but not much. Spouse's school is probably around 50/50. My school's last notification came out on Feb. 25 and the other school hasn't had one since before March 1. I have yet to have any students on pause (knock on wood). It's just interesting how things vary.

Sounds like PP’s school is full of families who engage in risky behavior but then signal virtue by masking up in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

Respecting others choices is what the caring culture is about. Transmission risk is low and FCPS agrees.

If you looked at how we got to 'low' status, it was because CDC redefined what high/medium/low meant - it *used* to mean transmission rates, now it means basically, risk of an average, healthy person ending up in the hospital with severe COVID/how crowded are the hospitals.

We didn't magically go from high to low transimission overnight. There's still a lot of transmission going on in the community (even with 80-90% masking at my kid's school, we're getting daily notices of new covid cases, and I'm sure that there are a bunch going unreported.)

If you're an average, healthy family, sure, you can unmask, and yeah, *you* are not likely to go to the hospital. When you get covid, you might just be out for a few days feeling like crap.

But for those of us with kids too young to be vaccinated, or other health risks, we cannot afford to get COVID, and transmission rates are still very risky. So yeah, wearing masks is still part of a caring culture, we've basically just decided that we're done being inconvenienced, and we don't care enough as a society about protecting little kids and immunocompromised people who we don't know.

This is very curious to me. We are 2 teachers who both teach in elementary schools. My class has had about 20% masked over the past 2 weeks and I'd say the school as a whole is a bit higher, but not much. Spouse's school is probably around 50/50. My school's last notification came out on Feb. 25 and the other school hasn't had one since before March 1. I have yet to have any students on pause (knock on wood). It's just interesting how things vary.

Sounds like PP’s school is full of families who engage in risky behavior but then signal virtue by masking up in school.

That actually sounds like most of the people I know!

[Anonymous]

Oh please. There is not longer “risky behavior” at this point. You live your life or don’t but it’s not risky anymore to live.

I don’t wear a mask outside of teaching so being able to drop it for teaching aligned with how I’m living my life normally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

Respecting others choices is what the caring culture is about. Transmission risk is low and FCPS agrees.

If you looked at how we got to 'low' status, it was because CDC redefined what high/medium/low meant - it *used* to mean transmission rates, now it means basically, risk of an average, healthy person ending up in the hospital with severe COVID/how crowded are the hospitals.

We didn't magically go from high to low transimission overnight. There's still a lot of transmission going on in the community (even with 80-90% masking at my kid's school, we're getting daily notices of new covid cases, and I'm sure that there are a bunch going unreported.)

If you're an average, healthy family, sure, you can unmask, and yeah, *you* are not likely to go to the hospital. When you get covid, you might just be out for a few days feeling like crap.

But for those of us with kids too young to be vaccinated, or other health risks, we cannot afford to get COVID, and transmission rates are still very risky. So yeah, wearing masks is still part of a caring culture, we've basically just decided that we're done being inconvenienced, and we don't care enough as a society about protecting little kids and immunocompromised people who we don't know.

This is very curious to me. We are 2 teachers who both teach in elementary schools. My class has had about 20% masked over the past 2 weeks and I'd say the school as a whole is a bit higher, but not much. Spouse's school is probably around 50/50. My school's last notification came out on Feb. 25 and the other school hasn't had one since before March 1. I have yet to have any students on pause (knock on wood). It's just interesting how things vary.

Sounds like PP’s school is full of families who engage in risky behavior but then signal virtue by masking up in school.

Or one of the schools has mostly families where parents can wfh and get groceries delivered and the other has parents who are working face to face cleaning bathrooms or changing sheets in nursing homes.

[Anonymous]

Obviously it really depends on the demographics of your child's school. Both of my kids (K and 4th) say that about half the kids in their classes are still wearing masks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

Respecting others choices is what the caring culture is about. Transmission risk is low and FCPS agrees.

If you looked at how we got to 'low' status, it was because CDC redefined what high/medium/low meant - it *used* to mean transmission rates, now it means basically, risk of an average, healthy person ending up in the hospital with severe COVID/how crowded are the hospitals.

We didn't magically go from high to low transimission overnight. There's still a lot of transmission going on in the community (even with 80-90% masking at my kid's school, we're getting daily notices of new covid cases, and I'm sure that there are a bunch going unreported.)

If you're an average, healthy family, sure, you can unmask, and yeah, *you* are not likely to go to the hospital. When you get covid, you might just be out for a few days feeling like crap.

But for those of us with kids too young to be vaccinated, or other health risks, we cannot afford to get COVID, and transmission rates are still very risky. So yeah, wearing masks is still part of a caring culture, we've basically just decided that we're done being inconvenienced, and we don't care enough as a society about protecting little kids and immunocompromised people who we don't know.

Which school is sending out daily notifications about new cases?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is part of a caring culture. You know, trying to keep others safe. Not just caring about yourself, etc.

Respecting others choices is what the caring culture is about. Transmission risk is low and FCPS agrees.

If you looked at how we got to 'low' status, it was because CDC redefined what high/medium/low meant - it *used* to mean transmission rates, now it means basically, risk of an average, healthy person ending up in the hospital with severe COVID/how crowded are the hospitals.

We didn't magically go from high to low transimission overnight. There's still a lot of transmission going on in the community (even with 80-90% masking at my kid's school, we're getting daily notices of new covid cases, and I'm sure that there are a bunch going unreported.)

If you're an average, healthy family, sure, you can unmask, and yeah, *you* are not likely to go to the hospital. When you get covid, you might just be out for a few days feeling like crap.

But for those of us with kids too young to be vaccinated, or other health risks, we cannot afford to get COVID, and transmission rates are still very risky. So yeah, wearing masks is still part of a caring culture, we've basically just decided that we're done being inconvenienced, and we don't care enough as a society about protecting little kids and immunocompromised people who we don't know.

This is very curious to me. We are 2 teachers who both teach in elementary schools. My class has had about 20% masked over the past 2 weeks and I'd say the school as a whole is a bit higher, but not much. Spouse's school is probably around 50/50. My school's last notification came out on Feb. 25 and the other school hasn't had one since before March 1. I have yet to have any students on pause (knock on wood). It's just interesting how things vary.

Sounds like PP’s school is full of families who engage in risky behavior but then signal virtue by masking up in school.

Or one of the schools has mostly families where parents can wfh and get groceries delivered and the other has parents who are working face to face cleaning bathrooms or changing sheets in nursing homes.

I’ll wait for PP to come back and confirm that.