WWTBAM Bored

You can't make this up: we just got two emails from Buffettina's middle school:

1) There is another positive COVID case;

2) Asking us for our 2nd quarter preference between in-person and remote learning.

Really begs the questions--with multiple positive cases now why are they even asking? Easy call for us (and Buffettina totally agrees) but the sad part is most will opt to send their kids back (ground I've already plowed here.)

Reminds me of 2009's Bruno--where he asks parents if they'd consent to a modeling gig for their kids if it involved, among other things, live bees. They all said yes.

Your post raised some questions for me :

1. You stated "with multiple positive cases now", which leads me to believe that this is the 2nd case at the middle school. If so (or if there have been many, many more):
a. How many weeks since the start of school?
b. How many students in the middle school?
c. How many students in her grade? Do they break students into "teams"?
d. Of the 2 (or more) positive tests, how many were in her grade/team?

We decided initially to have our youngest child do her first hexter of 8th grade via remote learning. Thought about sending her back to school for the 2nd, based on only a few positive tests out of 400 students, and none from her team) but didn't pull the trigger. She likely will go back for the remaining school year, depending if the number of cases remain low.

With our older two, they would have gone back in a similar situation, for socialization reasons, but our youngest really is less impacted because she was going to have social interaction issues either way. (Both of our older kids are in college, where they live on campus and have a mix of in-person, hybrid, and remote classes. Both schools have done a good job limiting exposure risks, requiring masks and social distancing when appropriate, and quarantining/isolating students based on test results and exposure. Both are waiting for the day when they will finally have the cafeteria choices that were supposed to be covered by room & board. )

Physical health is only part of the equation for people, particularly children and senior citizens. I have seen and experienced it personally, and my wife certainly is concerned as a Early Childhood teacher.

Might as well update from my previous post. Daughter did start in-school education yesterday. [I noticed that I provided bad numbers in my last post. Close to 400 students in 8th grade. About 1100 in entire middle school. 3 positive tests among students, none in 8th grade, none on her team. Each grade has a wing of the building.]

Daughter has never liked school lunch, and certainly not the pared down choices left, so will be taking her lunch. Students currently eat outside. Will eat in classroom when cold weather hits. Two clean masks for each day, and personal Purell, so she is prepped as she will be.

Her big disappointment is that they had to essentially scale down choir and show choir, which was her outlet at school. Has joined the school's team for one of those problem-solving competition, so maybe that will help with socialization.