APS - did you decide to homeschool?

[Anonymous]

DD is a rising 3rd grader with anxiety issues, having done virtual learning last year. We have opted for in-person this coming year, but the rise in Delta variant cases, and the potential risk to unvaccinated children is making us rethink about what's best for our child, who is asthmatic. I'd like to hear from families who opted to homeschool. We are at ATS, and pulling out would mean no longer having a spot after DD leaves. If you've made the decision to homeschool, what're your main reasons?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is a rising 3rd grader with anxiety issues, having done virtual learning last year. We have opted for in-person this coming year, but the rise in Delta variant cases, and the potential risk to unvaccinated children is making us rethink about what's best for our child, who is asthmatic. I'd like to hear from families who opted to homeschool. We are at ATS, and pulling out would mean no longer having a spot after DD leaves. If you've made the decision to homeschool, what're your main reasons?

I'd talk to your principal. It seems really unfair to loose a spot in these circumstances.

I sympathize with you OP. I have an asthmatic kid so we're doing virtual again this year. Even if we did in person DC would be out a ton. Her coughs linger for at least a week with each cold and in this environment I can't imagine any school welcoming her with her hacking cough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is a rising 3rd grader with anxiety issues, having done virtual learning last year. We have opted for in-person this coming year, but the rise in Delta variant cases, and the potential risk to unvaccinated children is making us rethink about what's best for our child, who is asthmatic. I'd like to hear from families who opted to homeschool. We are at ATS, and pulling out would mean no longer having a spot after DD leaves. If you've made the decision to homeschool, what're your main reasons?

I'd talk to your principal. It seems really unfair to loose a spot in these circumstances.

I sympathize with you OP. I have an asthmatic kid so we're doing virtual again this year. Even if we did in person DC would be out a ton. Her coughs linger for at least a week with each cold and in this environment I can't imagine any school welcoming her with her hacking cough.

If summer school is any indication they aren’t going to be that strict. Half my class is coughing.

[Anonymous]

My rising fourth grader started acting really weird about half way through the year. He is ordinarily so sweet and happy to lucky but he started getting angry about the smallest things and kicking chairs and stuff. It was so weird. After thinking it might be the age and working on all sorts of discipline techniques, I decided it was related to being on the computer all day and dealing with the total hit to his confidence that came from online learning (he was constantly getting in trouble for not muting, for not finishing his independent time assignments, etc.).


I pulled him out and homeschooled him and I saw a change in his behavior right away.

Anyway I don’t know if that’s relevant but we had a great experience homeschooling and we are doing it again this year. I am a stay at home mom so i don’t have to also work during that time, so homeschool was much less stressful for me than supervising online learning.

[Anonymous]

We have a rising kindergartner who is high risk. We were already on the fence between public and homeschooling. The main pros for us are being able to choose the curriculum and being able to tailor her education to her individual strengths and needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is a rising 3rd grader with anxiety issues, having done virtual learning last year. We have opted for in-person this coming year, but the rise in Delta variant cases, and the potential risk to unvaccinated children is making us rethink about what's best for our child, who is asthmatic. I'd like to hear from families who opted to homeschool. We are at ATS, and pulling out would mean no longer having a spot after DD leaves. If you've made the decision to homeschool, what're your main reasons?

I'd talk to your principal. It seems really unfair to loose a spot in these circumstances.

I sympathize with you OP. I have an asthmatic kid so we're doing virtual again this year. Even if we did in person DC would be out a ton. Her coughs linger for at least a week with each cold and in this environment I can't imagine any school welcoming her with her hacking cough.

With masking, my kid didn't catch a single cold during the in-person days last year. I was certainly bracing for it, but nope not one. If you DD is good about wearing a mask, it will cut her risk for all the normal viruses too.

I also have a 4 year old in preschool who doesn't wear masks. The teachers do, and they cohort them. Rigorous cleaning and hand washing. In the 4 months he's been there, he's had one little sniffle. A far cry from what it was like with my older one who had a cold every few weeks it seemed.

[Anonymous]

I would send your kid to school. If you can have a doctor document her coughing as allergies, and maybe do some regular testing (there are lots of free places now) you should be fine.

My kids have intense allergies, that kicked in at the exact time hybrid started this past year. No issues at all.

[Anonymous]

We are at one of the immersion schools. They will hold our spot if we go to the APS virtual school until 2022.

ATS doesn't have that option?

[Anonymous]

We have decided to homeschool indefinitely. Our HS student will remain in APS (his choice — wants to be with his friends), but our MS and ES kids will be homeschooled. APS doesn’t deliver a quality education. We are doing much better on our own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at one of the immersion schools. They will hold our spot if we go to the APS virtual school until 2022.

ATS doesn't have that option?

OP here - there is the virtual learning option, but virtual learning has been pretty damaging for her, physically and mentally. Her eyes have deteriorated with the need for corrective eyeglasses now, and needs to be treated for dry eyes. She also developed severe anxiety issues and was very frustrated with the online learning experience. We noticed that her focus and attention deteriorated significantly after virtual learning.

[Anonymous]

OP my kid has asthma as well. We are doing in person schooling and she will be attending ATS. Home schooling is an option for us so we did consider it but decided against it. Our doctor recommended two puffs of asthmanax in the morning and then she will have albeterol. My friend’s daughter was in person all year last year at a private school and did well despite having asthma.

[Anonymous]

I love homeschooling and I would recommend it to anyone who had the flexibility to do it, but not in your case because I wouldn’t think it was worth losing a spot.

I think APS has and will continue to be overly cautious. If there is an outbreak, they will send everybody home. And we should get vaccines for young ones soon.