Co-ops and Covid Safety

[mom31257]

If you are part of a homeschool co-op that plans to meet this coming school year, what safety measures will you have in place? Will temperature checks or masks be required? Will extra cleaning be required? 
 

Thanks! 

[catz]

Our is having individual classes meet online via zoom.  Just throwing that out there.  

[Gobblygook]

We are still awaiting news from our co-op. There is so much up in the air that I don’t think anyone knows yet. Our governor isn’t announcing plans for schools until the end of July and I think that decision will drive other decisions for our co-op. I’m teaching and was planning to bring three of my kids (two of whom normally go to school but will likely be homeschooled this year due to COVID.) 

[historically accurate]

We're not participating. They didn't follow the state law and/or host church's guidelines regarding the 10 person limit, masks, and social distancing for the end of the year pickup (although they claimed they would do so), so I do not trust them to follow them every week this coming year. 

[desertflower]

Previous years, we usually met at my house.

I pulled out, but told them that I didn't mind if they move forward for this next school year. 

I offered to meet online, but we are not sure yet. A lot of our classes were hands on.

[mom31257]

Thank you for all the replies so far. I'm hoping I'll see suggestions we haven't thought of or something.

We are in Georgia where everything is basically being suggested but nothing mandated. Cases are on the rise here, so things could change in the next month. We are scheduled to start August 7th. We are waiting to hear about local schools as well, which all start before us or right after. We haven't got the final word on requirements from the church we meet in, but the pastor is confident that we'll be allowed to meet  and guidelines will be up to us as long as we leave it as clean as we always have. 

My dh's school just announced that masks will be made available and people will be allowed to wear them, which means they aren't going to be required. His school's county (just south of us) has been a very low hit area. The schools closest to the church we meet in haven't announced plans yet. 

We have 36 families and 84 students, and we meet every other week for 3.5 hours. We are academic support for middle and high school but only one class will have homework for the 5th grade and 3rd/4th grade classes.  We are doing a survey about masks, but I feel most families are not going to think we should require them. 

 

 

 

 

[historically accurate]

35 minutes ago, mom31257 said:

Thank you for all the replies so far. I'm hoping I'll see suggestions we haven't thought of or something.

We are in Georgia where everything is basically being suggested but nothing mandated. Cases are on the rise here, so things could change in the next month. We are scheduled to start August 7th. We are waiting to hear about local schools as well, which all start before us or right after. We haven't got the final word on requirements from the church we meet in, but the pastor is confident that we'll be allowed to meet  and guidelines will be up to us as long as we leave it as clean as we always have. 

My dh's school just announced that masks will be made available and people will be allowed to wear them, which means they aren't going to be required. His school's county (just south of us) has been a very low hit area. The schools closest to the church we meet in haven't announced plans yet. 

We have 36 families and 84 students, and we meet every other week for 3.5 hours. We are academic support for middle and high school but only one class will have homework for the 5th grade and 3rd/4th grade classes.  We are doing a survey about masks, but I feel most families are not going to think we should require them. 

 

 

 

 

Don't know if this will help, but these are Illinois' recommendations for schools. Illinois is pretty strict on opening back up, so I'm thinking they're pretty stringent compared to Georgia, so you might find something you haven't thought of. A lot of this will not apply to a co-op, but some will.

 

https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Part-3-Transition-Planning-Phase-4.pdf

[ScoutTN]

Haven't heard from dd's tutorial yet. 120 kids, all academic not enrichment, one day a week, meets in a church in very close quarters, distancing would not be possible. Unless cases drop quickly here, I think they will be all online. Sad. 

 

[Wheres Toto]

Not a coop but I run a business teaching science classes to homeschoolers.  We can't do online since our classes are all hands-on, younger kids classes are very messy (so people don't want to do at home) and older classes require specialized equipment.  

We will be encouraging but not requiring masks unless required by law.  I have a lot of special needs students and a lot of young students so masks will be difficult, but the teachers will wear some form of clear mask/face shields.   We are getting high quality air purifiers in both classrooms, spacing tables out as much as possible (will probably be 4-5 feet between for older kids, will be harder for younger kids), cleaning tables between every class, each child having their own materials in a class.  Our classes are already small (under 6 for younger, under 10 for older), and we offer everything ala carte so most students will only be there for an hour or two.  Handwashing is always a big thing, and we will have a stricter sick policy (never been an issue for us though).   We will have the doors open when weather permits (we have a front and back door that create air flow through).  All toys and books are being removed or blocked in our lobby and we'll advise people who will be there with younger siblings to bring their own toys and books.  

We're not going to do temperature checks because it's not an accurate screening tool, people who would sneak in a sick kid will just dose them with advil anyway (again, not really an issue for us anyway) and many people will consider it invasive (more of an issue for us). 

[sassenach]

As someone who ran a co-op for years, I can’t imagine taking on this liability. I would shut it down for the school year. 

[KungFuPanda]

Ours went online for the full year. It’s just too many moving parts to play it by ear. 

[rebcoola]

I haven't heard anything from homeschool fine arts place.  But they use the city rec center.  So I'm sure they will have to do masks, social distancing and smaller occupancy.   Our church hosts a private school that also offers homeschool enrichment.  They will have to follow the same rules as the public schools since the mandates are from the health department.  But their is some leeway in how they handle it. 

[BusyMom5]

Ours recently made the decision to not have fall classes.  With so much uncertainty, who knows what guidelines we would have to enforce- temperature taking, distancing chairs and desks, bathroom and lunch timing to ensure distance, cleaning procedures,  and where I am making has become political,  so I'm betting most families will not.  It was more responsibility and liability than I could accept.  Even if classes were in progress, my family wouldn't have attended.  I dont want to be responsible for another family getting very sick- either from my kids or from a teaching perspective.  My family has kids in most of the classes, so lots of exposure.  I am planning to get together in a smaller group, but 2-3 families meeting is a much lower risk than 100 kids from 30-40 families!

Once we know more, we may decide to have Spring classes, but for now we are pausing until we know more.

[athena1277]

Ours is still in limbo for fall.  We are enrichment based, so kids aren’t missing schoolwork if we don’t start back for a while.  The big hold up is the church we meet at (about half of our coop worships there).  The church is only meeting in person for Sunday morning worship, socially distanced and online for those who choose to stay home.  There are no Bible classes or other activities allowed right now.  The coop director said she will not even approach the church leaders until we are having regular Bible classes again.  One thing she said that I really appreciated is that if we start back, if your family isn’t comfortable starting then, you will be allowed to join in at whatever point you want to.  Normally if you don’t sign up to start weeks before we start, you are out for the year.  

[Lori D.]

Not sure what will happen here. I had heard something about wiping everything down in the classroom between classes...

I finished teaching the last half of my spring semester classes via Zoom, since everything had shut down (and, I would have anyways, because I didn't want the exposure for myself or my family). Our state reopened mid-May, and virus numbers are shooting up -- at an all-time high right now. 😩

While I've been planning to run classes next year, I really don't know if that's going to happen. It was super-hard to get kids to discuss online via Zoom (and very hard on me to try and convert, as my classes are designed for in-person). Even if our homeschool group puts measures in place, I can't see it working well -- the church where we have been meeting has tiny classrooms, and I don't want to be cooped up with 8 kids + a parent assistant, trying to maintain distance between bouncy high schoolers, and trying  to teach/get people to discuss while wearing masks properly... I find I personally have about a 30 minute max. on mask-wearing before I have to pull it off and air out my face in a safe place or I feel like screaming... 

I've considered the idea of holding class outside at a park, BYOC ("bring your own chair") style, but we'd still have to wear masks. Which means I'd still have to figure out if I could manage to teach for 3-4 hours in a mask, when I can't stand wearing it for more than 30 minutes. And also, what would we do about bathrooming needs... ??

I may be dropping my plans for the full-year class in favor of possible doing a spring semester-only class, depending on what's going on with the virus.

Edited June 28, 2020 by Lori D.

[strawberries]

I am also in Georgia. Our homeschool group announced in May that our fall semester will be entirely online. I live in the county with the highest number of cases in the state and our group is in the county with the third highest number. 

[TheReader]

I teach K, 1st & 2nd at a local homeschool co-op type setting. We offer everything from K through Calculus; past 2nd grade, everything is a la carte, so some kids are there all day, some are there for one class period (1.5 -2 hours). We meet in classrooms in a church. 

So far, co-op wide guidelines that I know of include:
...extra cleaning between every class (in addition to the regular before/after school cleaning we do already)
...closing the water fountains (so, either taped off, cup over the spicket, something so that the kids aren't tempted to use them)
...extra distance between seats in classrooms (we have the space & small class size to do so)
...stricter sick policy, which our families are pretty good about already
...each teacher is working on ways to have/make their class available during the year online in addition to in person, so that those who stay home due to the sick policy won't miss out, or those who want to participate without attending
...breaking up our lunch groups a bit more to allow more space during lunch 
*(it was discussed to have each class eat in their own classroom, but various teachers have commitments at the end of their class at lunchtime that makes this not work well, so instead we'll have K/1st lunch together in one room; 3rd-5th lunch together in one/maybe 2 rooms; 6th-8th lunch together in one room; 9th-12th lunch together in one room; possibly using 2 rooms for each of those groups)

We will not:
...require masks unless a mandate comes down to do so (they will be permitted, of course)
...do temp checks (not reliable)
 

Things I am doing in my own classroom, b/c of having the little kids:
...buying individual rug seats to replace my group rug for "rug time" so I can designate spots for each kid more easily
...separating supplies into "kid packs" instead of "class packs" (not just the crayons and things, but anything we'll use in class)
*(ex: play dough cutters will be in packs of 3-4 cookie cutters each and kids will have to come swap me for a new bag vs just swapping cookie cutters with their seatmate)
...empty seat b/w each kid (having them hang/place their own backpack on the seat next to them to maintain this)
...hand washing between activities as needed
...trying to figure out a way to limit contact at drop-off/pick-up
(*my kids get dropped at my classroom; I'm thinking I'll wait in the entry hall, line the kids up until everyone gets there, then reverse that for pick-up) (or put "socially distant" markers for the parents in the hallway)(or something)
...mats for each kid to put on the table; will mark them so that one side is the K side, one side is 1st grade (2nd meets on a different day), and flip it over between plus clean/sanitize between
...trays for lunch (already have/use these) to help enforce NO SHARING (and will have an adult helper during lunch, though also my class sizes are low this year so that will help)
 

Other things:
...we'll need to figure out a way to minimize contact on our name tag system, maybe assigning one "Student" tag to each teacher and encouraging kids to bring back/forth each day or something instead of our drawers/bins that we use right now (or having the door monitor find/pass out the tags so all the hands aren't in there at once all the time)
 

Most of the guidelines for schools are already things we do: 
...small class sizes
....meet on alternate days
...no large group areas
...extra cleaning
So that's the reasoning for all of the above. 

Oh, I will also sanitize the bathroom between each kid; I may institute "bathroom breaks" instead of just "go whenever" (we have a bathroom adjacent to the classroom) to facilitate this, not sure yet. Already I sanitize at the start of the day/change of class. I can envision that the teacher in charge of bathrooms might do a cleaning at each period break as well vs just at end of day (especially after the lunch break). 

We're well stocked on wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, paper towels, etc. already, and plan to clean not only tables but also chairs. 

I think that's about it. 

[cintinative]

Thanks for this. 

I still don't know what our co-op is doing. Because of that, I checked into another a-la-carte type co-op for one class and they said they are not requiring masks.  That makes me uncomfortable right now.  I don't know where our state's numbers will be in September and they said "State and CDC Guidelines recommend that they be worn, but **** and the church will not require them."

[TheReader]

13 hours ago, Patty Joanna said:

And I would be concerned if I were the owner of the building where the co-op meets.   how can you possibly sanitize it all for your normal purposes?  
 

Such a loss. 

The place where ours meets, we clean after our use (with sanitizing wipes) already, and then they have cleaners who come in between us and their normal next use as well. But we are responsible for cleaning our areas, for sure. 

I have no idea what our co-op insurance covers, though; I assume the directors have looked into it. I hope. 

[mom31257]

We meet in a part of the church that isn't used as much as other parts. The church used to have a much higher attendance than now. Only two of the classrooms we actually use get used on a weekly basis, so that helps a lot. The fellowship hall and the nursery are the other areas that we use that they would as well, except they aren't having children's classes right now. We meet this Thursday at the church with the pastor, so we'll see what he says is the current status. 

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by mom31257

[mlktwins]

One of our local enrichment groups currently plans to meet in person, but I wasn't comfortable with that and opted out on the 1st day of registration.  The class we really wanted to take was wait listed within an hour.  We ended up blessed because the director and teacher opened up a 2nd full on-line (for the whole year) class and we are in.  It is a 1 full year high school US Government and Politics course.

Another local enrichment group is planning to meet in person at this time.  We are signed up for Spanish 2 Honors, but don't think we will not attend if in-person.  I will need to decide by August if they aren't offering on-line and figure something else out for foreign language.  That meets 2 days a week.

[cintinative]

Can anyone share their COVID policy (or information about it)? 

Our co-op just put out their policy but it is "subject to change at any time without notice" and there is no detail in it regarding what will happen if someone is actually diagnosed with COVID-19. For example, it doesn't appear that anyone but the family who has COVID will need to quarantine. There is nothing there regarding quarantining of classes, etc.  Or what will happen if multiple people come down with COVID.  

 

[Wheres Toto]

For those with coops not requiring masks, are they not required in your area?    I've been getting some push-back about masks but they are required by law here for all indoor activities.  I'm a business so it may be a little different but I can get fined or lose my license if I don't follow the law so I've been surprised at people who think I should just blow it off.     I'm actually a firm believer in the benefit of masks so I wouldn't blow it off even if there weren't any penalties but I still find it surprising.

[TheReader]

Update to my situation:
Our directors are still meeting to determine if we will/won't actually open in person or not. (I really hope we do, honestly).

I have purchased a pair of clear face shields, acquired one mask with a clear panel to try out, and will make/get more if that works. I will wear just the face shield when at the board away from the kids (20 feet or more), and mask + shield when up close (sitting on our rug squares). 

I will have kids in every other seat only, and every other rug square only. 

I have rearranged all materials for zero sharing, at all. 

I will sanitize all the things. 

I have been asked, and more than happily complied b/c I was trying to figure out how to ask permission to do this anyway, to not have my normal K/1st share lunch b/c I can't social distance it. So instead, I think, K will have 15 mins recess, then I'll have a 30 min break to clean/disinfect/eat my own lunch, then 1st will have a 15 min recess. No one will have lunch at school (in my classes). 

The elementary grades (there are 2 other classes/groups) will eat lunch, but have it in their own rooms. I don't know yet if they are planning to overlap recess or, flip flop their lunch/recess. 

The directors did say that, assuming we meet in person, they will (probably)(hopefully) ask the teachers for middle school/highschool to also keep their 2nd period kids in the classroom to eat lunch vs gathering in one big room. This is an improvement over just splitting middle school/high school. 

Still waiting to hear on in person, online, both, etc. and masks or not (I have been told that my classes will not require masks, since the state mandate excludes kids under 10). 

I know they are planning extra cleaning as well still. 

I don't know the plan for if someone ends up with Covid; hopefully that will be in our email too. I would assume that the whole class would need to self quarantine just in case, but whether or not we'd send everyone online at that point, or just that class, or what....I don't know. 

[Guest]

I don't know if the co-op that has met at my rec center is meeting, but the requirements for Group classes are. 

 

All students go to the office for a health check and to get a mask if they don't already have one on, go to the bathroom, wash hands, sanitize at doorway. Materials are assigned to a single student or are cleaned in between students. Students have assigned seats and are spaced out, and if possible, all sit in the same direction. The center staff clean bathrooms and high contact surfaces at least once an hour, and keep supplies stocked. At least 30 minutes between groups.

 

I am teaching in person piano lessons 1-1, cleaning the piano between students, and each student has their own bin of materials, plus brings their own books. I am scheduling in person lessons on Tuesday and Thursday, with virtual lessons on Monday and Weds. Friday is reserved for makeups. If someone cannot come to lessons due to quarantine or illness, but is feeling up to it, we will do a zoom lesson in their regular lesson time. 

 

I am teaching small groups Monday mornings. All students bring their own set of materials to use and a yoga mat or similar to sit on. We will meet outside if at all possible, or in a large room that allows for social distancing. There will be a camera set up so students can zoom in if they cannot attend in person. (DD will be assisting me and managing remote students-it only seems fair since I moderate the classes she teaches 🙂 ) 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheReader]

Just now, Where's Toto? said:

For those with coops not requiring masks, are they not required in your area?    I've been getting some push-back about masks but they are required by law here for all indoor activities.  I'm a business so it may be a little different but I can get fined or lose my license if I don't follow the law so I've been surprised at people who think I should just blow it off.     I'm actually a firm believer in the benefit of masks so I wouldn't blow it off even if there weren't any penalties but I still find it surprising.

In our area, the county and state are currently requiring it, but the orders expire before our classes start. If the orders are extended, there is confusion about whether or not the mandate does or does not apply, because it's worded that "all building open to the public" and technically we lock our doors during the school day. I did not get a clear answer from our directors when I asked this question, b/c one teacher friend said she thinks no, another said she thinks yes, and when I asked, the directors just said the order expires before then. 

Also in our area, the state mandate excludes kids under the age of 10, so none of the younger grades would be required. 

The public school that is starting up near me has the younger grades (PreK through 2nd) with a requirement to wear masks while in the hall transitioning to/from class, but otherwise not (for those opting for in person). I would love to see our co-op add something like that at least for the big kids, too, if not requiring masks full time. (but I'm equally glad I won't have to try and enforce mask wearing in my K'ers.....). 

[cintinative]

18 minutes ago, Where's Toto? said:

For those with coops not requiring masks, are they not required in your area?    I've been getting some push-back about masks but they are required by law here for all indoor activities.  I'm a business so it may be a little different but I can get fined or lose my license if I don't follow the law so I've been surprised at people who think I should just blow it off.     I'm actually a firm believer in the benefit of masks so I wouldn't blow it off even if there weren't any penalties but I still find it surprising.

 

They weren't going to require it for ours, but presently the county that co-op will be held in is under a mask mandate. I think this is why the policy is written with "masks required for 10 and up" but the front page says that the policy is subject to change at any time without notice.

[TheReader]

Our directors came out with the policy, but have asked us not to discuss it until the teachers all respond and they distribute to parents; I'll come back and share the Covid plan portion (if someone tests positive) after that; I'm comfortable with what they've decided. 

[vonfirmath]

On 6/30/2020 at 6:36 PM, cintinative said:

Thanks for this. 

I still don't know what our co-op is doing. Because of that, I checked into another a-la-carte type co-op for one class and they said they are not requiring masks.  That makes me uncomfortable right now.  I don't know where our state's numbers will be in September and they said "State and CDC Guidelines recommend that they be worn, but **** and the church will not require them."

This is probably what our AHG group is going to do.

It's a volunteer run group. This policy avoids a lot of controversy and "policing" of masks.

If masks are required in the area, then we'll enforce. But we aren't going to take it on ourselves to be the enforcers. Especially in a group that is really split over the wearing of masks, etc. We are there for AHG, not to argue about masks and coronavirus, etc.  Honestly we will likely lose members as it is because SOME of us want to wear masks. (And will no matter what others say)

 

OTOH the church we meet at has not opened up their church for groups to use yet (though they keep assuring us they are doing it soon and they expect to let us use it -- with more cleaning requirements)

 

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by vonfirmath

[cintinative]

On 7/20/2020 at 6:29 PM, cintinative said:

Can anyone share their COVID policy (or information about it)? 

Our co-op just put out their policy but it is "subject to change at any time without notice" and there is no detail in it regarding what will happen if someone is actually diagnosed with COVID-19. For example, it doesn't appear that anyone but the family who has COVID will need to quarantine. There is nothing there regarding quarantining of classes, etc.  Or what will happen if multiple people come down with COVID.  

 

 

So apparently they do not plan to require anyone but the affected family to quarantine. I can see why this would be problematic to do otherwise. We change classes every hour, plus there is lunch, so there could be many, many families impacted if all of those who were with the kids for that day had to also quarantine. 

[ktgrok]

9 minutes ago, cintinative said:

 

So apparently they do not plan to require anyone but the affected family to quarantine. I can see why this would be problematic to do otherwise. We change classes every hour, plus there is lunch, so there could be many, many families impacted if all of those who were with the kids for that day had to also quarantine. 

Or another way to see it is that there could be many, many families impacted by the actual virus. Either way, it will cause issues. 

[historically accurate]

We are choosing not to attend this coming year. It's a pretty anti-mask crowd, and they didn't follow their own guidelines back in May, so I don't feel comfortable. 

Their plan is 

• temp taking (over 100.4 not allowed)
• breaking up lunch between 3 rooms (high schoolers in one area, middle schoolers in another, younger & moms in another)
• wiping down door knobs, bathroom counters throughout day
• chapel split into 2 (age 12+ in one, younger and moms in another) - sounds like there is singing as they specifically mention worship team will be with the 12+ age
• no sharing supplies in class
• Own water bottles recommended rather than drinking fountains
• signage posted about safe hygiene practices in bathrooms and kitchen
• signed waivers required
• parents normally wait in one area if they are not teaching/assisting. They recommend you go outside to your car if you are not comfortable with the spacing there.

Masks are optional. No mention of what will happen if/when somebody gets the virus. 

[rebcoola]

No word from the two co-ops we are on the mailing list for.  I think they just won't be open unless something drastic changes.  The rec center and churches are still closed.  

[cintinative]

32 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Or another way to see it is that there could be many, many families impacted by the actual virus. Either way, it will cause issues. 

 

We have a unique situation as a family. Three of us have autoimmune diseases (Transverse myelitis, Sarcoidosis, Celiac) and the remaining person has asthma. My mom is very unwell and goes to the hospital weekly for wound care, and my dad, who is her primary caregiver, teaches my kids art (normally).  So yes, this is what is going to convince me not to return. Also, the masking being optional if the mandate drops, and that it will be super hard to distance the kids six feet in the tiny church classrooms. 

[TheReader]

All of these posts are making me more & more grateful for what ours is doing (which I promise to come detail as soon as they email the parents, but just on the random off chance anyone figures out where I teach, we aren't supposed to be sharing details yet. 

I feel really comfortable going back. 

[Lori D.]

Updating: Well, covid-19 numbers are still running very high here, so I officially sent out word that I would not be teaching a class this fall. I just couldn't figure out a way to make online work for us (finishing the spring semester via Zoom was incredibly painful for me and for the students, and the material we were going to do this year is more complex and needs to happen in person). And the in-person risk is still too high, what with elderly relatives, and some families having children with health issues. Perhaps I can pull together something for the spring semester, if numbers drop way down. 

I also felt it was important to make a decision early enough to give families enough time to find alternatives to my classes for their high school English credit, as I am seeing many online options are filling up fast. 

Very very sad. I will miss all my students and families. 😢

I have not heard anything from the other co-op teachers/parents or the lady who is our liaison with the church whether anybody else will be meeting for co-op this year. They may be waiting for another month to make the decision.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Lori D.

[Shellydon]

Our co-op is meeting as usual. Everyone k-12 we'll need to wear a face shield or a mask. Our group is pick/choose for classes, so nobody's there for a full day. Wiping down tables in between each class, HEPA filters and all the rooms, masks, health checks.  We will be running virtual classrooms for all academic classes but not for enrichment classics. That way if somebody needs to quarantine for any reason they will stay at home and do their work.  We live in the area with a high number of cases right now, so we are definitely taking extra precautions. However our group decided that our kids needed co-op for their mental health. We are a large group of well over 150 families, too many have decided it's not worth the risk to them which is perfectly fine, but those that have kids that really need to be around others in order to thrive have opted to meet with precautions in place. kind of one of those things were mental health is as important as physical health. 

[KungFuPanda]

Seeing co-ops opening elsewhere is just surreal to me. This is such a bazaar time.  I feel like I’m in full protective gear in a bunker the middle of a forest fire while a mile away my neighbors are setting up lawn chairs and busting out marshmallows because their fire is still small. 
 

The reality is that we’re all really far apart and the situation is different everywhere. Still, what IS is about this thing that nobody quite gets it until it’s really bad and too late to keep it in check?

[Shoeless]

39 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

The reality is that we’re all really far apart and the situation is different everywhere. Still, what IS is about this thing that nobody quite gets it until it’s really bad and too late to keep it in check?

 

It's like everyone is standing on the beach, wondering where all the water suddenly went. 

[PeterPan]

On 6/28/2020 at 11:21 AM, mom31257 said:

Cases are on the rise here, so things could change in the next month.

Yeah your state is now on the list we have to quarantine if coming from. Seems like your co-op would be better off with a plan for outdoors that ends as the weather turns. We have schools (autism) meetly safely here this summer in situations that would replicate yours (9 or less in the classroom),so it can be done yes. But im pretty sure EVERYONE is masked. Obsessively. And if ASD2-3+ kids can do it, well anyone can

[PeterPan]

7 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Seeing co-ops opening elsewhere is just surreal to me.

not here. mood is somber.

[TheReader]

7 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Seeing co-ops opening elsewhere is just surreal to me. This is such a bazaar time.  I feel like I’m in full protective gear in a bunker the middle of a forest fire while a mile away my neighbors are setting up lawn chairs and busting out marshmallows because their fire is still small. 
 

The reality is that we’re all really far apart and the situation is different everywhere. Still, what IS is about this thing that nobody quite gets it until it’s really bad and too late to keep it in check?

 

1 hour ago, Arctic Mama said:

Except making different choices does not necessarily mean someone is ignorant of what is going on. That the kicker, you can’t assume someone who isn’t reacting like you is stupid, misinformed, careless, etc. People are just different in their risk assessment and values and it is entirely possible for two people to see the exact same situation and evidence and come to completely different conclusions on how to feel and act.

That is humans 101.

ours is opening, and we are in a hot spot, but we are taking a LOT of precautions, following the CDC Guidelines very closely. I'll elaborate this weekend once the directors send out the info to the parents, but I feel pretty good with the plans in place. 

 

There's a LOT of variety in "open for business" that really does make a difference. 

[mom31257]

29 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Yeah your state is now on the list we have to quarantine if coming from. Seems like your co-op would be better off with a plan for outdoors that ends as the weather turns. We have schools (autism) meetly safely here this summer in situations that would replicate yours (9 or less in the classroom),so it can be done yes. But im pretty sure EVERYONE is masked. Obsessively. And if ASD2-3+ kids can do it, well anyone can

We did a survey of our group and overwhelmingly everyone thinks masks should be up to the families and not mandated. We have key teachers who will leave if we require them. 

We have eliminated our group gathering in the mornings and lunches there. Most classes are not a large number of kids and they will stay in the same room the whole day. Some of the counties we are from have had low cases and very low numbers of deaths. In our 36 families, one family had it early on in March, and one had it in June. 

My husband is going to back to in person classes, so we are about to get exposed more through that, too. 

[ktgrok]

7 minutes ago, mom31257 said:

We did a survey of our group and overwhelmingly everyone thinks masks should be up to the families and not mandated. We have key teachers who will leave if we require them. 

 

I find it absolutely fascinating how this is a thing - not just in school settings but businesses, etc. 

I mean, to me it is like people saying, "we've decided that following abuse safety guidelines should be up to the teachers and not mandated" or a restaurant saying, "we've decided washing hands after pooping should be up to the individual kitchen employees and not mandated". 

Given the strict dress codes so many co-ops have, I find it sort of amusing that requiring closed toed shoes and that midriffs be covered is acceptable but requiring teachers wear facemasks in a pandemic would prompt resignation.

[Wheres Toto]

In addition to local mandates, have any of your coops checked with the hosting location to see if they are going to requiring anything?  Around here I'm seeing some places requiring full compliance with CDC guidelines and local mandates.   Usually groups meet at libraries or other "government" buildings or at churches around here.

ETA:  or insurance companies.  Have all your groups checked with their insurance companies on what they want done?

Edited July 23, 2020 by Where's Toto?

[Wheres Toto]

2 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

I find it absolutely fascinating how this is a thing - not just in school settings but businesses, etc. 

I mean, to me it is like people saying, "we've decided that following abuse safety guidelines should be up to the teachers and not mandated" or a restaurant saying, "we've decided washing hands after pooping should be up to the individual kitchen employees and not mandated". 

Given the strict dress codes so many co-ops have, I find it sort of amusing that requiring closed toed shoes and that midriffs be covered is acceptable but requiring teachers wear facemasks in a pandemic would prompt resignation.

I'm finding it interesting too, but I guess a lot of places don't have actual mandates so the decision is up to individuals or individual organizations?    In addition to having to follow guidelines as a business, I also run 4-H clubs and have to do training every year on working with minors so that's also a factor for me - I'm expected to follow specific rules whenever I'm working with children and by starting the clubs/running the business, I'm indicating that I will follow those guidelines.   I think for 4-H, I'm only protected by their insurance if I'm following those rules.

[ktgrok]

10 minutes ago, square_25 said:

What do you mean about the density being low? 

I think she said there are only a few kids per class - like 5 or 6, and they have big rooms so can spread way out. 

In an area with few cases, and small numbers of kids who can be widely spaced, I don't have the same level of "what the heck are you thinking" as I do places with 30 kids in a small room, you know?

Don't get me wrong, y'all know I'm about minimizing the risks, especially in areas of high community spread. I personally wouldn't send my kid to even a small class here in my area. But if we weren't drowning in cases and it was small like that, with lots of air space, I can see the risk level is different. And if it meets once or twice a week versus daily, it will be less viral load (important) and easier to catch and contain versus hundreds of people exposed. 

Would I do it? Not now, not in my situation. But even as I want to smack some people upside the head for their barbecues and birthday parties, I can see how someone might decide an educational class with 5 kids in a big room, with distancing, for not a whole day, might be worth it - depending on the situation. In her situation, she has other kids needs including special needs kids, so a greater reliance on outside help in a setting with lower risk makes sense. 

Same goes for parents that have to work, and are forming pods with a few families rotating childcare during this. If the need outweighs the risk, or it is the least risky option, do it. 

But I think for a lot of people, the problem is they don't really need it, they just want a break from their kids, a chance to hit the gym (ARGH!!! WhY ARE THEY STILL OPEN?) and hang out with the other moms for coffee at a table together. In that case? Especially in an area of high spread? Nope. 

(see, I'm sort of reasonable!)

[TheReader]

13 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

I find it absolutely fascinating how this is a thing - not just in school settings but businesses, etc. 

I mean, to me it is like people saying, "we've decided that following abuse safety guidelines should be up to the teachers and not mandated" or a restaurant saying, "we've decided washing hands after pooping should be up to the individual kitchen employees and not mandated". 

Given the strict dress codes so many co-ops have, I find it sort of amusing that requiring closed toed shoes and that midriffs be covered is acceptable but requiring teachers wear facemasks in a pandemic would prompt resignation.

Yea, as I've been sharing my own personal "these are the guidelines I've implemented for my classes, because I take my responsibility to the health of your children very seriously..." I'm hearing a whole lot of "oh, we aren't too worried about all of that, but thanks for thinking of the kids" (with an unstated "we think you are over-reacting, but we like you so we'll accept that"). 

I'm honestly expecting some push-back when I tell the parents that I will be wearing a mask under my face shield when in close proximity to the kids. One parent said "oh, yes, good idea" but I'm expecting some will find it overkill. 

12 minutes ago, Where's Toto? said:

In addition to local mandates, have any of your coops checked with the hosting location to see if they are going to requiring anything?  Around here I'm seeing some places requiring full compliance with CDC guidelines and local mandates.   Usually groups meet at libraries or other "government" buildings or at churches around here.

ETA:  or insurance companies.  Have all your groups checked with their insurance companies on what they want done?

I know that ours has checked with/is following state mandates, local mandates, and guidelines of the church we use. I assume they've checked with the insurance co. as well, but I don't know that for sure. 

I personally for my classroom have read through the CDC guidelines for schools reopening, and a Harvard study/document, and what the local public schools are doing and am implementing all the same things. 

5 minutes ago, square_25 said:

Oooh, I see. So the idea is that the kids will stay really far apart and socialize like that? 

So, for me, PERSONALLY, it's more appealing to have a small number of kids together who can actually interact normally. Because it just seems sad forcing kids to stay far apart :-(. But if you do enforce physical distancing, and you have few kids in a room... yeah, that doesn't seem so bad. 

This is the crux of our plan.  

[Guest]

In many respects, I am very glad that I am in a city owned facility, where masks have been mandated even before it was a county-wide mandate, and where there is NO argument that we’re a public building. The only exceptions do not apply to me because we aren’t swimming, doing aerobic exercise, or eating. It’s made my job easier because I can look at what is being required and decide if and how I can make it work-and I feel reasonably safe coming back as a result. And, I am also fairly confident that if numbers are too much higher, we will be completely online again even before the schools are. 
 

 

[vonfirmath]

15 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

But I think for a lot of people, the problem is they don't really need it, they just want a break from their kids, a chance to hit the gym (ARGH!!! WhY ARE THEY STILL OPEN?) and hang out with the other moms for coffee at a table together. In that case? Especially in an area of high spread? Nope. 

(see, I'm sort of reasonable!)

In our area, a lot of families DO need schools for the reasons you consider "acceptable" -- I don't know what makes you think there are a lot of families with a stay at home parent at home in schools in general. We have a lot of troubles getting volunteers from the parents because we have so many single parent homes who are just stressed and stretched trying to keep food on the table and a house over their heads.