Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of absurd, nonsensical decision making from the school leadership is par for the course. As a former SSMA parent, I’d recommend leaving the school. This kind of ridiculousness is only going to continue. I’m sorry.

No. This kind of decision making is going to prevent a large scale outbreak, which is what is getting schools closed down all over the country, and in overly-cautious DC, will get us switched to virtual for the rest of the semester. This is the right call by SSMA.

The appropriate response in a pandemic should look like an overreaction in hindsight. This is how you keep things safe.

DP. No, you have gone off the deep end like so many people during this pandemic. This is absolutely nuts.

+1 In person learning is the most important thing right now. It should be a priority. Shutting down for non-cases will keep schools closed all year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of absurd, nonsensical decision making from the school leadership is par for the course. As a former SSMA parent, I’d recommend leaving the school. This kind of ridiculousness is only going to continue. I’m sorry.

No. This kind of decision making is going to prevent a large scale outbreak, which is what is getting schools closed down all over the country, and in overly-cautious DC, will get us switched to virtual for the rest of the semester. This is the right call by SSMA.

The appropriate response in a pandemic should look like an overreaction in hindsight. This is how you keep things safe.

DP. No, you have gone off the deep end like so many people during this pandemic. This is absolutely nuts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are going to get COVID. And you know what? They're going to be totally fine. I'd be surprised if my kids didnt already have it, and we never knew it.

45 kids died of Covid in the past 2 weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are going to get COVID. And you know what? They're going to be totally fine. I'd be surprised if my kids didnt already have it, and we never knew it.

45 kids died of Covid in the past 2 weeks.

Anonymous wrote:Kids are going to get COVID. And you know what? They're going to be totally fine. I'd be surprised if my kids didnt already have it, and we never knew it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of absurd, nonsensical decision making from the school leadership is par for the course. As a former SSMA parent, I’d recommend leaving the school. This kind of ridiculousness is only going to continue. I’m sorry.

No. This kind of decision making is going to prevent a large scale outbreak, which is what is getting schools closed down all over the country, and in overly-cautious DC, will get us switched to virtual for the rest of the semester. This is the right call by SSMA.

The appropriate response in a pandemic should look like an overreaction in hindsight. This is how you keep things safe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of absurd, nonsensical decision making from the school leadership is par for the course. As a former SSMA parent, I’d recommend leaving the school. This kind of ridiculousness is only going to continue. I’m sorry.

No. This kind of decision making is going to prevent a large scale outbreak, which is what is getting schools closed down all over the country, and in overly-cautious DC, will get us switched to virtual for the rest of the semester. This is the right call by SSMA.

The appropriate response in a pandemic should look like an overreaction in hindsight. This is how you keep things safe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of absurd, nonsensical decision making from the school leadership is par for the course. As a former SSMA parent, I’d recommend leaving the school. This kind of ridiculousness is only going to continue. I’m sorry.

No. This kind of decision making is going to prevent a large scale outbreak, which is what is getting schools closed down all over the country, and in overly-cautious DC, will get us switched to virtual for the rest of the semester. This is the right call by SSMA.

The appropriate response in a pandemic should look like an overreaction in hindsight. This is how you keep things safe.

Anonymous wrote:I posted this in the wrong forum and just realized this was already a thread. I said:

My son had a great first 2 days in pre-k3 at SS. He is almost 4 with a late birthday so this is his first "school" experience and he is so ready for school. Some tears yesterday and Monday at drop-off but BEAMING in the afternoons, saying he is sad to leave, talking about his teacher, singing the little songs, telling me "we can't be late! I don't want to miss story time!" I have been so thrilled with his reaction to in-person learning and the way he has taken to the school in just 2 days.

Late last night we got an email that a parent had a POSSIBLE exposure with a POSSIBLE positive person, and so the classroom of that specific family would be closed for two days. The email stated that school would remain in session as usual for all other classrooms. I understand the school wanting to be extra cautious, but also want to point out that the school's policy and the OSSE policy for dismissal only discuss a positive case at the school. This was neither a positive case for the parent, the parent's friend, nor the child at SS. But okay, they closed that class, said it would resume on Friday. My son's class was not affected so we went to school.

When we arrived we were turned away at the door by an administrator saying the entire school was closed. Mass confusion and panic, as parents in the drop-off line struggled to understand. I re-checked my email and the last comm I had was from the night before. They would only say "we just found out this morning" and no other clarification, just that school was closed. My son was shell-shocked, started crying, I am scrambling for alternative care, contacting work, etc. Huge cluster.

Finally at 11am they send a follow-up email saying there was a sibling at another school that might have had contact with a positive individual and so they were closing for the rest of the week, reopening on Tuesday, after labor day. No virtual learning during, just closed.

My thoughts are, I get that they are wanting to be cautious, but at what cost? 2 days in-person followed by 7 days off does not make for a smooth, stable, continuous routine. Finding out AT THE DOOR does not decrease the drop-off and separation anxiety these covid kids struggle with. Deviating from their own published policy and the OSSE guidance and operating in an ad-hoc case-by-case basis does not lead to transparency about WTF is going on with schools and COVID risk. And not communicating on top of it?! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

I have contacted OSSE with my concerns and emailed Jenkins, Taylor, and Rodriguez-Garcia and would encourage anyone else who feels like a closure for secondary possible exposure is bonkers to do the same!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you an SSMA parent or did you only hear this?

Either there's a policy that means they never should have opened in the first place because they'll never open again if following this protocol, or there's got to be more to the story.

I'm an SSMA parent. The email from the school said only the affected classroom would close, but when I arrived for drop-off I was informed that the entire school was closed.

This is completely bananas. I'm really sorry. I'm pretty pragmatic about how long it will be for my elem kid's class to quarantine, but I can't imagine the entire school closing because a parent was exposed. I appreciate logical COVID containment and prevention strategies but this is absurd. I'd go directly to the school's Board of Directors and also review the school's covid plans that they had to file with the charter school board to see if this was approved or if they went overboard in response.

It's insane. I mean, what if they have a parent who is a doctor or a nurse working on a COVID ward? They'll be having to close continuously. They need to roll out a virtual school year or change this policy, there's just no way this could work in real life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of absurd, nonsensical decision making from the school leadership is par for the course. As a former SSMA parent, I’d recommend leaving the school. This kind of ridiculousness is only going to continue. I’m sorry.

No. This kind of decision making is going to prevent a large scale outbreak, which is what is getting schools closed down all over the country, and in overly-cautious DC, will get us switched to virtual for the rest of the semester. This is the right call by SSMA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of absurd, nonsensical decision making from the school leadership is par for the course. As a former SSMA parent, I’d recommend leaving the school. This kind of ridiculousness is only going to continue. I’m sorry.

No. This kind of decision making is going to prevent a large scale outbreak, which is what is getting schools closed down all over the country, and in overly-cautious DC, will get us switched to virtual for the rest of the semester. This is the right call by SSMA.