Anyone sending their kids to school this year?

[lovinmyboys]

I have been mostly keeping up on Covid threads, but I missed it if there is one about going to school. 
 

My older two will be in 9th and 6th and they started school last year and want to continue. That has always been the plan, but school starts in 3 weeks and as it gets closer, I can’t imagine sending them. Each of my kids has been once to the doctor, dentist, and gotten a haircut since the pandemic started. They literally have not been inside a public place other than those three times. Now, in three weeks they are going to go to school all day with hundreds of other kids? I just don’t know how it is going to work. 
 

As far as I can tell, the only things they are doing differently this year are: no going to lockers, wearing masks, one way traffic in the hallways, more cleaning, and lunch in classrooms.  

I really thought either this would be more under control by now or there would be remote learning. 

[Sherry in OH]

mmm.... Maybe?

School was supposed to start the second week of August.   Current plans are to start in late August.   Students will choose their preferred first quarter model later this week: all in person, 2-day/3-day hybrid, or all virtual.  Students may switch to all virtual at any point, but otherwise must remain in their assigned model for the entire quarter.  

My children want to try the 2-day on campus, 3-day virtual model. They really want to be with their peers but at the same time are afraid.  Unless conditions improve significantly within the next three weeks, I suspect the only viable model will be virtual.  

My children's school is small, <400 students total, grades 7-12, but a significant number of those students are international and/or have parents whose jobs involve travel.  

[chiguirre]

Yes, but the "kids" are my adult sons with ASD. GW attends a day program for young adults with ASD2 and ASD3 who are mainly not very verbal. There are also younger kids in the building for a total of about 50 clients and 50 staff. Everyone wears a mask and the staff finally got N95s about a month ago because they are a medical facility and managed to find a supplier. They check temperatures at arrival everyday and we fill out a health questionnaire every morning. They've had to shut down once because a client tested positive but it did not spread, even to his direct teacher (yea!!! for the N95 masks). It's much better for GW to be able to attend in person instead of trying to do telehealth. It's also nice for the rest of us to get a bit of a break from constant supervision.

Geezle is currently enrolled in our ISD's young adult program. They went virtual last spring and I think they'll be forced to start virtually too, but as soon as he can go back in person, he will. This year he is supposed to be matched with an employer and start job training with a coach. He cannot do that virtually and it is critical to his future employment prospects. We're in a hot spot and I'm very worried about him. It's not so much that he has to stay home now but that he will age out of this program when he turns 22 and there aren't many employment training alternatives that are as good as the young adult program.

I am worried that my sons might be exposed to Covid and bring it home. I have much more confidence in GW's program than the ISD given their precautions and performance so far. But, the benefits outweigh the risks for them and the rest of us are willing to run the risk of being exposed in order for them to have better opportunities. I might not feel the same if we had a high risk person in the house.

My dd will be doing everything online. All of her dual enrollment classes have gone online and she has always done her high school classes online (she's doing the diploma program at Memoria Press Online Academy). Her choir is cancelled. Her homeschool orchestra announced they will not require masks, so that's a hard no for us. Her Sea Scout Ship is virtual. Once she finishes her enlistment, her Delayed Entry Program will be online. Her community college clubs have moved online. She's even doing a Young Leaders Institute at the Houston Asia Society online this summer. She hangs out with her friends online. We didn't choose these options, they're all that's available. She misses going out, but at least she can keep doing a lot of things she enjoys online and it won't affect her plans for after high school.

[Arcadia]

Majority of California would be online for Fall as most counties are on the state watch list and not allowed to reopen their campuses. The state universities, CSU system, are going to be online too. UCs are announcing by campus with some already announcing online for Fall.

[kokotg]

My college aged oldest will decide for himself whether to go back; for now he's learning toward going (if his school actually has in person classes). He'll be going from our hotspot state to a state with much better numbers, and his (very small) college has decent safety protocols in place. I'm more nervous on behalf of his professors and people like custodians and food service workers than I am on his (though of course I'll still be a wreck if he does get sick 1000 miles from home). But every professor was given a choice to only offer classes online, hybrid, or in person. My 17 year old is supposed to start dual enrollment this year, and we've decided he'll only do online classes at least for the fall. The others are homeschooled, and any outside classes they're doing have already announced they'll be online only for the beginning of the year at least. 

[Splash1]

Mine are for the most part.  Daughter Senior at UNC will go live in her two person suite with friend who is one of only people she's seen since quarantine.  Most classes are online and they change daily.  She moves in Aug 15.  Daughter Freshman at University of Denver single room, single bath engineering student.  Lots of online lecture with in person labs.  Only freshmen live on campus so they can do singles for most.  Both daughers will come home Thanksgiving week and not return to campus but do finals online.  My freshman son (9th) his school starts week of August 10.  They are doing two days in person/three online so either M/T or W/Th on campus to keep number of kids down in classes.  We will see how long this works for, I anticipate them being online only eventually (which was/is an option) but he wants to go and for the moment I'm okay with it.  Numbers are rising in the area but still pretty low in our county compared to other areas of the country.

My husband works for UPS so he's been working this whole time and we have a pretty good program of decontamination established.  

[Hilltopmom]

My senior is going back- upstate NY rural area, low low COVID numbers. The high school will be in person 2 days a week, remote the rest. She also attends vo tech but I don’t know their plan yet.

my younger children are homeschooling. Staying with my parents during the day while I teach at the public school.

College kiddo has all online classes but is at his own place in his college town. 

 

 

[Tenaj]

Yes, we are doing the opposite of everyone else in the world it seems.  My rising junior, who has only ever homeschooled, has been lobbying hard to go to the small private school where he already participates in the school sports teams.  We finally worked out the finances this weekend and I am taking the paperwork in to enroll him tomorrow.  This has not been an easy decision because of Covid but he is my most social kid. He has an overwhelming need to belong so, he's enrolling and I'm guessing the school will be shut down periodically throughout he year and he'll be home anyway but we're going to make this work for him.  He told me that last school year felt like the longest school year ever because he wasn't happy homeschooling so we're going to give it a try.  I'm concerned about the school's Covid response but I've convinced myself that he is already playing soccer with most of the boys in the school and since they have a social distancing plan that I think is good we're going to risk it.    I'm also convinced that for his mental health and enthusiasm for life we need to give this a try.  To be honest, I'm so relieved!  We butted heads a LOT last year over school work and this removes that stress from my life even though it makes me sad, too.

Edited July 27, 2020 by JanOH

[MEmama]

DS's high school hasn’t told us what their plans are yet. If at all possible we will keep him home; he does not want to return to in person classes this year, and both he and DH are at risk. 
If he has no choice...I guess we would have no choice. 😞 

[Terabith]

We are sending my oldest to a small private school, where kids are divided into cohorts and 30-35 kids attend each week.  Classes are 2-8 kids, and masks are worn all day by everyone.  

[YaelAldrich]

My daughter who went to 8th grade last year is excited to go to (private, parochial, girl's school) high school this year.  My husband is on the reopening committee and is fighting the good fight.  My kids have been habituated to the Totobobo for months now so I would rather not send her but if she really wants to go I hope my husband's work will help them stay in school for a wee bit.  But I honestly think she'll be home by November.  Their switchover is my main worry though.  They did a horrendous job in the spring; and they've done little to nothing to make it better when it happens again.  So I am planning back up work for her in the core subjects.

My oldest is doing online college.  My second son, 11th grade is going back and forth about going back to school or coming home to homeschool.  His school will not require him there, so I'm hoping he'll do it virtually.  His school had planned this out and turned around on a dime and impressed me.  They are ready to do it again.

My youngest is home and staying home.  

[Arcadia]

37 minutes ago, JanOH said:

He has an overwhelming need to belong so, he's enrolling and I'm guessing the school will be shut down periodically throughout he year and he'll be home anyway but we're going to make this work for him.

.    I'm also convinced that for his mental health and enthusiasm for life we need to give this a try.  

DS15 has a strong need to be affiliated to a school too. In his case we went with dual enrollment. By the time the community college had to switch to online only in March, he already felt like a full time student there and it makes having to switch to online emotionally easier. 

[rebcoola]

If it opens, it's just a hybrid school so they only go a couple of days.  Masks are required and ODD will be in the same room the whole time or outside and goes 1 day a week.  MDD will be in one of two rooms or outside and goes a few hours two days a week.  They aren't offering PE, band or choir this year.

Edited July 27, 2020 by rebcoola

[busymama7]

I have two college kids. One has stayed in her apartment in another state this whole time and working although her college was all online. The other is an incoming freshman and is going (different school).  He is a music major and trying to do that all online is not going to work.   There are no large ensembles and most classes including generals have a hybrid kind of set up.  He will be able to take in person lessons though.  All classes online after Thanksgiving.  He is on a full scholarship so can't not go.   

The rest of my kids are homeschooling as they always have.   Debating about co-ops and such.  We are highly social people and only staying home would be really hard so balancing that in my decision. 

[Storygirl]

My three high schoolers will attend our public high school in person this fall. I'm apprehensive about it for health reasons but still feel it is the decision that is best for them academically and for interpersonal relationships. We are former homeschoolers, and there are reasons that we switched to brick-and-mortar school that are still relevant. Two of them have IEPs. I was expecting to have a hybrid option, but our district is not offering that as a choice.

My oldest will be a first-year college student and will live in the dorm. She will be two hours away from us but will be closer to other family members -- her cousins attend the same school, and her aunt works there -- so I know she can receive any help that she might need.

The decisions have been difficult, but no choices are perfect, and going to school is the best option for my particular kids. Only 20% of families in our district chose the online option, so classrooms will be 80% full, and I think outbreaks are inevitable, sadly.

[ScoutTN]

My ds will go back to his tiny, (24 kids) private middle school. He really, really, really needs to be with people. They are prepared for hybrid or all digital, but he does not learn nearly as well that way. Homeschooling is not an option.

Dd has three classes at a local tutorial. One will be digital. 

Not sure if anything will actually be in person, given current trends in my city and state. Hold on loosely.

 

[Melissa B]

I have one daughter in college. She is returning to her dorm in two weeks. Only one of her four classes is in person; the other three have been converted to online.

I have one daughter that is dual enrolled for four classes. Only one is in person and she will go to that class. She is also taking one class at the local high school. She will go to that too.

One daughter and my son are both in high school fall sports. They will participate if sports are not cancelled.

No final decisions have been made by any of the schools so it is hard to make any real plans for fall semester.

[KrissiK]

yes, oldest DD will be a freshman at her Christian School.  They seem to be taking every precaution. I’m not worried, but I don’t think the governor will let them stay open.🙄

[Pen]

Idk. 

Plans of school aren’t yet clear.

 

[DoraBora]

Dd will attend grad school locally and live at home.  It's still not clear how much, if any, will be in-person classes.

Ds will be a freshman and moves into his dorm in mid-August.  His schedule is a hybrid, and unless it changes, he only has in-person labs and such on Mondays and Tuesdays - engineering major.

Edited July 27, 2020 by DoraBora

[PeterPan]

My dd is supposed to go back on univ campus where supposedly all will go well full on campus classes with masking. She thinks it won't last long and the whole school will get sent home, sigh. It's still up in the air whether we'll send her.

[madteaparty]

DS is doing two classes of dual enrollment at a local LAC, which plans to be in person. I've read their plans in detail and I am not worried. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by madteaparty

[SKL]

Whenever my kids are allowed back by the school district, they will go.

I don't know what the final plans will be ... probably won't know for some weeks at least.