Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

FCCPS changed their distancing guidelines so that unmasked children had to seated 6 feet away from classmates rather than 3 feet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

DP. I raised this question a week ago. Right now, I think vaccinated children aren't considered close contacts if they are fully vaccinated and masks are being used. If a child tests positive and is in close contact where it appears that at least one of those kids wasn't masked, does that change things? Does the exposed child now have to test-to-stay which looks to be a real pain in the ass since you have to take your kid to Syphax before school for testing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

The lawsuit also argued the school districts believe it is unconstitutional under VA state constitution to not allow School Boards to have authority over their own buildings/students, etc. So more a question of whose right is it to set this kind of policy/law.

No idea the merits of that argument.

So maybe the lawsuit doesn't go away.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

There is no way this is going to happen. Masks optional starting March 1. LCPS already started today and FCPS starts March 1.

Who said this besides one teacher in the FCPS forum on one thread? FCPS has been radio silence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

There is no way this is going to happen. Masks optional starting March 1. LCPS already started today and FCPS starts March 1.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

The lawsuit also argued the school districts believe it is unconstitutional under VA state constitution to not allow School Boards to have authority over their own buildings/students, etc. So more a question of whose right is it to set this kind of policy/law.

No idea the merits of that argument.

So maybe the lawsuit doesn't go away.

The option rests with the parents, right? Or are the kids free to choose? I know some private schools are requiring parents to formally give their kids permission to go maskless (so, a form). Also, does the law cover extended day? I’m just curious here - not interested in debating the wisdom of the law.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

Cases have been really low this week (only ~10 per day), so I'm hoping that the mask policy can be relaxed soon.

Can kids still wear them? Of course. There is no ban on masks. The teachers wear them? Would you like to poll the thousands of them? It’s a personal choice.

There are people here on DCUM who already know what APS plans to do, PP. I was hoping to hear from one of them, not from you.

Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

What's the word on APS's new mask policy? Can kids still wear them? Will teachers keep wearing them?