The petition for outdoor classrooms

[Anonymous]

I heard about a petition pushed by outdoor spaces designers. While I totally agree in creating safe and creative outdoor spaces for children, I think the full time outdoor classrooms for FCPS doesn’t make much sense. The people who mostly benefit from these outdoor classrooms are the designers and installers being paid for this kind of job, not our children. One of the absurd ideas (during this Coronavirus times) is that children can sit on a shared blanket.

[Anonymous]

There’s no money for this. It’s a non starter. I can’t even take kids outside on a nice day because the nurse will email us that kids have allergies.

[Anonymous]

Makes me think back to how often kids had indoor recess due to poor weather. We could relax some of the standards for what is considered acceptable but certainly many days wouldn’t be ok.

[Anonymous]

They do need outdoor lunches kids have to take their mask off to eat. But this can be achieved with blankets in the short term and a temporary shelter if it is a rainy day.

[Anonymous]

Terrible idea in this area. We can have hot and humid days well into October, Not to mention thunderstorms and Hurricane season. Autumn doesn’t exist anymore, then it gets cold. The cost to run proper power and network is greater than to an indoor space, and it’s much more difficult to secure items.

People need to give up on the outdoor classroom idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They do need outdoor lunches kids have to take their mask off to eat. But this can be achieved with blankets in the short term and a temporary shelter if it is a rainy day.

I hope you did not pick hybrid on the assumption that is happening because it isn’t

[Anonymous]

Our school was asking for tent/canopy donations from families in order to maximize creativity with space. Even though I don't see outdoor classrooms all year happening, I appreciate that they are doing their best to make things work.

Hope the school board doesn't just yank all this work away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard about a petition pushed by outdoor spaces designers. While I totally agree in creating safe and creative outdoor spaces for children, I think the full time outdoor classrooms for FCPS doesn’t make much sense. The people who mostly benefit from these outdoor classrooms are the designers and installers being paid for this kind of job, not our children. One of the absurd ideas (during this Coronavirus times) is that children can sit on a shared blanket.

Most petitions are stupid or self-interested.

[Anonymous]

I grew up overseas, and we spent a lot of time outdoors.
I don’t understand why American kids can’t be outside more during the school day. No one is saying you have to be outside in the rain or freezing weather. But there are plenty of days they can be outside for a few hours. For now, bring towels or blankets to sit on and even personal fans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Terrible idea in this area. We can have hot and humid days well into October, Not to mention thunderstorms and Hurricane season. Autumn doesn’t exist anymore, then it gets cold. The cost to run proper power and network is greater than to an indoor space, and it’s much more difficult to secure items.

People need to give up on the outdoor classroom idea.

Why can’t they be outside for an hour? Or have lunch outside? I wouldn’t replace an actual indoor classroom with an outdoor one, but surely kids can spend some time outside.

[Anonymous]

I'd rather have the district focusing on long term solutions to better ventilation and disinfection of the air in schools. This will help in more situations than just COVID.

I'm an elementary school mom, and for those grades I expect to just go outside more than usual for class. Our principal (who is an excellent communicator) has already indicated she expects this to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school was asking for tent/canopy donations from families in order to maximize creativity with space. Even though I don't see outdoor classrooms all year happening, I appreciate that they are doing their best to make things work.

Hope the school board doesn't just yank all this work away.

Good for your school. Others should consider following that example (if in-person does happen). Semi-permanent structures or tents bought by the school system sound expensive and they can't be used as much as some might think--as people note above, we have sickeningly hot and humid days here well into Sept/Oct,, allergies are an issue (I can picture some families having to say their child cannot be taught outdoors due to allergies, and that's a very real concern for some kids), etc. Being able to flex quickly and use some tents and canopies as needed, on the day, is a good idea that could assist with distancing and also give kids a fresh perspective for a day or days, which relieves stress.

PP, if the school isnt getting donations -- maybe you can get an initiative going to ask local merchants for donations of tents/canopies. They likely can write it off their taxes. If merchants say, "But if I donate this tent to one school, other schools will expect me to do the same for them, and I can't afford that," point out that they can say they are supporting their nearest elementary school, or the school where their child/their niece or nephew/their neighbor's kid goes, if that's the case. Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school was asking for tent/canopy donations from families in order to maximize creativity with space. Even though I don't see outdoor classrooms all year happening, I appreciate that they are doing their best to make things work.

Hope the school board doesn't just yank all this work away.

Good for your school. Others should consider following that example (if in-person does happen). Semi-permanent structures or tents bought by the school system sound expensive and they can't be used as much as some might think--as people note above, we have sickeningly hot and humid days here well into Sept/Oct,, allergies are an issue (I can picture some families having to say their child cannot be taught outdoors due to allergies, and that's a very real concern for some kids), etc. Being able to flex quickly and use some tents and canopies as needed, on the day, is a good idea that could assist with distancing and also give kids a fresh perspective for a day or days, which relieves stress.

PP, if the school isnt getting donations -- maybe you can get an initiative going to ask local merchants for donations of tents/canopies. They likely can write it off their taxes. If merchants say, "But if I donate this tent to one school, other schools will expect me to do the same for them, and I can't afford that," point out that they can say they are supporting their nearest elementary school, or the school where their child/their niece or nephew/their neighbor's kid goes, if that's the case. Just a thought.

The school had a ton of parents respond, actually. But for schools without those resources, that makes some sense.

[Anonymous]

hurricane season?....seriously people?

On the one hand sometimes its helpful to have Type A parents in Fairfax Co. Those parents push us to have a better school system. On the other, you get people that think kids can't spend a 20 minute lunch outside because hurricanes (in Northern VA!) and humidity in the air.

Good Lord. LOL this is a mess. Poor Brabrand. He must deal with a lot of crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:hurricane season?....seriously people?

On the one hand sometimes its helpful to have Type A parents in Fairfax Co. Those parents push us to have a better school system. On the other, you get people that think kids can't spend a 20 minute lunch outside because hurricanes (in Northern VA!) and humidity in the air.

Good Lord. LOL this is a mess. Poor Brabrand. He must deal with a lot of crazy.

If you're just talking about a lunch period, then you don't need to build an outdoor classroom. But there's an extra-crazy group of parents who think we can just whip up magical outdoor classrooms to alleviate indoor crowding. No doubt these are the same folks who would SCREAM if we'd talked about putting in a trailer classroom prior to March, but whatever.