Posts by Susan James

mellownomad7 said:I can already see the tiny bioterrorists getting blamed for today's growth numbers. 🤦
Total lockdown, everyone's heading straight to the basement until next season. ☕

Cheers

Exactly.
All those weddings happening over the last few Fridays and Saturdays have absolutely nothing to do with Covid. 🥳

I’m expecting an even bigger surge, especially when I hear how many people are planning to attend weddings this weekend or over the next two weekends in September. Some folks are actually struggling because they can't get their Covid clearance; they've already had it, but while they're waiting on their doctor to send over that little piece of paper, their best friends—the newlyweds—are trying to convince them that nobody is going to check anyway and it's not a big deal to show up without it.

Weddings and baptisms are usually once-in-a-lifetime events.
So when people show up, if they have a tiny sniffle or a slight headache, they aren't exactly going to skip it—it only happens once! Everyone is happy, dancing, sweating, hugging, and kissing. It's maximum closeness, and of course, there are no masks, because that would just ruin the makeup and the whole vibe.

Then some of them head straight back to work on Monday (some even go to school or daycare). It isn't really an issue for those who are vaccinated or have recovered, but there are plenty of people who aren't. And honestly, hosting a wedding for fewer than 100 people just doesn't make sense financially, neither for the couple nor the caterers.
But we won't be reopening nightclubs because the younger crowd hasn't been vaccinated, 🥳
and we'll probably close schools because the kids haven't been vaccinated either.
The fact that a large group of 60 to 80-year-olds doesn't want to get the shot doesn't seem to matter; they can do whatever they want, including attending weddings. 🥳

mellowskipper said:Well, why wouldn't it be negative? It's not like every other virus just vanished from the face of the earth, I suppose.

Sent from my JNY-LX1 using Reddit

🤣

Of course they don't exist anymore 🤦

boldotter2 said:Why don't we just start letting kids do self-testing, like they do over in Canada or Mexico? You get results in 15 minutes, it’s just a quick swab in the nose, way less invasive than a PCR, and I guess the accuracy is more than enough. They only cost about 50-$20.
Instead, they'll probably just let everything spiral out of control so we can have that classic showdown again—the geniuses in the emergency headquarters versus the geniuses on the internet. Just endless nonsense and pointless arguments.

If they would just test the kids who show up to school with symptoms, I think they’d actually see better results in slowing down the spread than all those other measures combined.
I honestly get the feeling they want to trigger maximum chaos over the next month just to ramp up the fear factor for people who aren't vaccinated. It's happening through the kids again.

But why would we bother testing kids who don't even have symptoms?
And who's picking up the tab for all those tests?

$50-$20 isn't exactly pocket change.

coastalorca43 said:Bringing these exams back after two whole school years were completely trashed by online learning is pure idiocy.

Why though? I actually think this could be pretty helpful. We’ve had a massive pile of straight A's lately—mostly because grading was so loose before, and then it became super inconsistent during the pandemic.

For the kids, this acts as a reality check before they head into high school entrance exams. Plus, it gives teachers and school administrators a clear look at where students actually stand.

Personally, I’m really hoping all high schools implement an entrance exam.
All these top grades combined with the current system just don't make much sense.

jadetinker85 said:Is there a specific reason why you’re avoiding looking into this?

https://mobile.twitter.com/RanIsrael...22271503028228
It suits you to have everything open because your husband, Chloe Sanchez, plays weddings for a living. It doesn't matter to me. So be it.

The idea of forced vaccinations being implemented elsewhere by other countries appeals to me even less.

I'm just pulling for online stimulus and direct aid, that's all. Besides, I'm not going into the restricted sections of a cafe anyway.

Getting my news from some random guy on Twitter?😂
No thanks.

Vaccinations should be for those on the front lines, the elderly, and high-risk groups. As for whether the government should make it mandatory? That's a whole other debate.
As for the people who want to work from home, they can just grab some big monitors, get fast 5G internet, and give instructions to the kids whose parents prefer online schooling.🍿

mellowskipper said:With COVID, people have finally been introduced to basic scientific concepts like washing hands, proper ventilation, using humidifiers, and maintaining nasal hygiene... I guess it makes you wonder where we actually were and how we even functioned before Corona arrived.

Oh, for sure, 🤣
🙂

That’s why I find it so interesting whenever people start complaining about those new, highly contagious variants popping up in places like India or Brazil...

jadetinker85 said:So, 50% vaccinated, but immunity only lasts three months? In Israel, 85% of hospitalized patients are those who were double-vaccinated.

Are you really such a huge fan of lockdowns and moving everything to online classes?
🤣
🤦

mellowskipper said:I mean, what would even be the argument or justification for doing things online at this stage?

They didn't even cover the whole alphabet there. 🥳

Right now, you've got the Delta variant spreading among kids, combined with some pretty irresponsible adults who seem to think being vaccinated makes them invincible. They’re hitting up concerts and restaurants, potentially exposing their unvaccinated children in the process.
It’s funny how they can only spread it when schools are open; it’s almost as if kids are only safe when they're stuck at home. 🥳

coastalorca43 said:I would love to see what kind of evidence they could actually produce to back up such a fraudulent theory.

Nobody’s going to show up here because everyone on both sides of the aisle is just going to claim they're exempt—either because their administrative immunity is still active or because they’re hiding behind their masks. 😬
If you ask me, AI needs to be phased out. We should just be telling people that if a child or a parent tests positive at home, they need to follow up with testing, monitor their temperature and symptoms, and otherwise just carry on with their lives normally.
Whether you've already been vaccinated or you've already fought through the virus, there really isn't much to be afraid of anymore—and honestly, there shouldn't be. For those who decided against the shot, they probably feel even less anxious about the whole situation. 🤷

jadetinker85 said:Look, we didn't have any technical glitches over here, so you could have just coordinated with the students to find a time that actually works for everyone. Staying late for a 6th or 7th period when we're all already dead on our feet isn't exactly doing you any favors.

So, what's stopping you? If things are working so smoothly for you, why not just keep running everything exactly the way you are now?

jadetinker85 said:It's not that I haven't "stepped foot" in a school; I've been doing this all year without a single issue. Wasting too much time sharing screens? That's one mouse click. Come on, find a better excuse.🙄

"Staring at a screen isn't it"? I'd love to hear a student say that just once🤣. You can always write the problem out on paper and just hold it up so everyone can see.

And where exactly is this 99% of people with bad internet living??? Unless you're tucked away in some remote mountain range, it's hard to buy.

It’s actually surprising how many people living in apartment complexes in Washington, D.C. struggle with decent internet, especially when everyone tries to log on at once.
I know of at least three different companies—and there were probably more—where employees were practically begging to head back into the office. When schools went fully online, the bandwidth hit such a breaking point that their connections went from being mediocre to absolutely disastrous, making it impossible to get any real work done from home.

Teachers aren't the only ones dealing with this.

And yeah, there are plenty of students out there who just don't have high-speed internet at home either.

jadetinker85 said:I don't see the issue here. Communication goes both ways. They get an assignment, the kid finishes it, shows the work, and then you walk through any sticking points together.
Of course, it feels weird for folks nearing retirement if they don't have a chalkboard and some chalk in front of them.

Who exactly is doing the "together" part? The parent and the child? 😂

Tutoring isn't meant to be a way for parents to make teaching their kids easier; it’s supposed to help students catch up on what they missed in school or give them another shot at understanding a concept.
That should be the professor's job, not the parent's. Honestly, if a parent is doing all the heavy lifting, then there's probably no need for tutoring in the first place.

jadetinker85 said:Take a look at what our fellow forum member Smotanog2 went through after being discharged from the hospital a few days ago. Talking about relaxation is way too early. And don't even get me started on how they were mixing groups during tutoring sessions just to accommodate certain math and physics students who apparently find it impossible in the 21st century to handle a tutoring session over a video call.

It’s not that mathematicians can't handle a tutoring session over a video call; the real issue is the kids who actually need that extra help to catch up on their coursework. Expecting them to follow along through a screen is a much bigger hurdle.

Given how many tourists we've let roam freely across the country over the last two months, any talk of relaxing is at least six months behind schedule.

Matthew Jackson2 said:https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57766717

I'm firmly against vaccinating kids.

The only thing that feels unfair is how they aren't allowed to travel freely without constant testing once they hit 12. Some countries recognize exemptions up to age 15 or 16, but that doesn't really matter when you're flying back home to the States and facing our own requirements.

Christian Lee13 said:It’s actually incredibly easy to mess this up if the teacher isn't being objective, or if they’re just green and don't really know what they're doing yet. Or maybe they just sit there during the school concerts instead of walking around and actually listening to how the other kids are playing. Sometimes they fall into that trap of thinking, "Oh, my students aren't really that bad," and then they go ahead and start handing out participation trophies or participation grades halfway through the first semester. Then, by the second half of the year, reality hits them like a ton of bricks—either the kid isn't putting in the work, or they're falling way behind the curriculum, or they simply lack the skill, or one hundred other things could go wrong—and suddenly they've dragged an unprepared student right into the middle of a big exam.

That's exactly why I was asking about personal motives; I was thinking along the lines of what you just mentioned.
If there's a mountain of "participation grades" while the student objectively hasn't mastered the material or practiced at all, and three different teachers all reach the same conclusion, then it's clearly not just one teacher's personal bias.

Personal bias would be more about handing out higher grades than someone actually deserves throughout the school year.

(Though, honestly, I don't really see the point of grading music at all. To me, it should just be a matter of whether they know the piece or they don't, and whether they're improving or they aren't.)

frozenpilot29 said:Does this mean if a student has mostly A's and C's all year long, without ever getting an F, they could still end up with a failing grade at the end of the term? I'm asking because, from my perspective, it feels a bit off. If a teacher decides to give a failing grade for personal reasons, even if the kid never actually earned an F during the school year, is that legally allowed under our school district rules?

I honestly don't know how they handle grading for music classes—and frankly, I don't really care (I actually think music should be pass/fail anyway)—but I am genuinely curious about what kind of "personal reason" would lead someone to give grades like A, B, or C all year, only to slap a failing grade on the final report card.

Wouldn't that professor basically be making a fool of themselves? I don't know how else to put it, but if they were giving out A's for performances throughout the semester, wouldn't it look ridiculous to their colleagues if the student suddenly plays a "failing" piece right at the end?

HoD said:This is actually a great chance for all the altruists on this sub to step up. When everyone was busy trying to shut down work and restrict movement, they certainly weren't quiet about it. Now, why not take the kids by the hand and head straight to the nearest stadium or whatever? I'm sure you'll be feeling incredibly grateful for the government and the taxpayer-funded budget.

Most of these folks didn't even get vaccinated themselves, let alone their kids.
But I bet they'll be the first ones making noise about vaccinating other people's children.🐔

"Good luck" with that—even those who are vaccinated can still carry the virus. Honestly, it seems like the people shouting about how dangerous kids are or how schools are breeding grounds for infection really just wanted an excuse to work from home, using "little bioterrorists" as their perfect cover story.🥳

I honestly don't know what I'd even do with these messages if I read them all at once. I’d probably end up talking a mile a minute out of pure nerves, and we all know that wouldn't end well.

Anthony Gray said:From what I’ve seen, though... it’s an uphill battle. A tiny fraction of people actually choose a different path than the one laid out for them—especially the women. Honestly, I think we're looking at several generations before we see a real shift in the culture. Right now, more of them are getting an education than ever before, which helps—they're becoming more literate, and hopefully, their kids and grandkids will reap the benefits. But the real game-changer? Getting out of those specific neighborhoods. People who live outside those tight-knit areas tend to fare much better because they aren't constantly being pulled back by all that local tradition and social pressure.
Younger siblings can be a great example of this, too. Take the firstborns in these families—when they start school, they often have zero grasp of English, or it's incredibly weak (I can only imagine if I were dropped into a place where everyone spoke a foreign language; I'd have to master the tongue just to survive, let alone function). So, once they get to school, they learn the language there, and then they go home and practice their English with their little brothers and sisters just so they can keep up in class.

That’s exactly why I say it’s better for them to start early, even if it involves PPP, rather than delaying their education. By then, it's often too late.
And the girls, especially when they hit that age around 7th grade—which feels like they're turning 15 already—they often drop out of school to "start a family."

Regarding the question about language, all ethnic minorities have the right to be educated in their own native tongue. Most schools generally arrange for language lessons alongside the standard curriculum.
In practice, the organization varies from place to place, but it does happen.
We shouldn't forget that kids pick up languages at lightning speed; if they're exposed to it, they can easily grasp a language that isn't their mother tongue.

mellowskipper said:I’m assuming this is about Indiana. Personally, I’d probably vote for them by default—strictly because their social welfare programs are such a disaster. Those kids deserve better, I guess.

Sent from my JNY-LX1 via Reddit

Between delaying school or going straight to preschool, I’d definitely vote for preschool. My biggest worry is that if you push school back until they're 8 or 9, they'll just finish up at 15 and then be out on the streets. Once kids start causing trouble in class, schools often look for any excuse to move them along, and legally, they can do that once they hit 15.
The earlier they get started, the better their chances of actually getting an education.
These kids have real potential, and it feels like such a waste to just keep pushing school back indefinitely. With a warm, dedicated teacher, they could truly thrive.
Plus, getting them into the system early might help pull them away from uninspiring environments and give them a chance to be moved somewhere more supportive.

They're a perfect example of why delaying school makes zero sense unless you're actively working on building the skills they need to succeed both in class and later in life.