2021/2022 School Year

Alex Roberts4 said:Honestly, grades 1 through 4 shouldn't even be wearing masks. They shouldn't have been required to last year, either.

That’s exactly what I realized. My little one told me his teacher forced some kind of mask onto his face today. It's even more heartbreaking knowing all the other kids had their masks ready too—and they're only in first grade.

amberrider said:I am not finding it in these documents.

Of course you aren't finding it—it isn't in there because it doesn't need to be. Seriously, if anyone is out here claiming otherwise or hunting for things that aren't part of the plan... just report them.

nimbleranger17 said:Well, looking at these specific guidelines, it technically says they aren't required to—and sure, on paper, that might be the case. But honestly, having spent a good chunk of last school year bouncing from one campus to another, my experience was a bit different. Everywhere I went, the administrators were quite adamant, telling me that their policy actually mandates masks in all the hallways and common areas, not just inside the classrooms. At least, that’s how it played out in practice in every single school I stepped foot in.

Who gave them those instructions?

amberrider said:That’s exactly what I realized. My little one told me his teacher forced some kind of mask onto his face today. It's even more heartbreaking knowing all the other kids had their masks ready too—and they're only in first grade.

From what I’ve seen firsthand, when the teachers tell the students to put their masks on, they just do it without a single word of protest. It’s almost like when you tell them not to pick their noses; it's just an automatic response now.

It honestly caught me off guard how compliant everyone is being, especially the older kids in seventh and eighth grade. Everywhere I look, if a teacher mentions masks, everyone pulls one on immediately.

Even at the high school level, it's wild. 🙏I walked into a classroom full of seniors recently, and literally 100% of them were wearing masks, pulled right up over their noses. 🙏

I never realized our students had become such model citizens, so eager to follow every little rule.

Alex Roberts4 said:Of course you aren't finding it—it isn't in there because it doesn't need to be. Seriously, if anyone is out here claiming otherwise or hunting for things that aren't part of the plan... just report them.

I am going to call the principal tomorrow to find out if this was his decision or the teacher's. I'm genuinely curious.

amberrider said:That’s exactly what I realized. My little one told me his teacher forced some kind of mask onto his face today. It's even more heartbreaking knowing all the other kids had their masks ready too—and they're only in first grade.

Mine did the same thing last year, coming home asking if he needed a mask. When I asked him why, he just said they told them they could wear one if they wanted to. So I told him, "Look, little kids don't need to be wearing masks because of this and that," and told him to pass my regards along to his teacher. Most of the other parents followed suit. Honestly, it feels like rock bottom when you try to push stuff like that through using children as pawns. It’s no wonder there aren't these kinds of mandates for the younger kids.

EDIT: And then those kids see the older students doing it, and suddenly they want in on the action too... what a mess...

It’s honestly pathetic. Am I really supposed to be fighting for justice regarding his education for the third day in a row?

Alex Roberts4 said:Mine did the same thing last year, coming home asking if he needed a mask. When I asked him why, he just said they told them they could wear one if they wanted to. So I told him, "Look, little kids don't need to be wearing masks because of this and that," and told him to pass my regards along to his teacher. Most of the other parents followed suit. Honestly, it feels like rock bottom when you try to push stuff like that through using children as pawns. It’s no wonder there aren't these kinds of mandates for the younger kids.

EDIT: And then those kids see the older students doing it, and suddenly they want in on the action too... what a mess...

It's wild how in Canada, kids are wearing masks starting in first grade.

Clearly, Canadians are just a bunch of idiots compared to us. 🤦🤦🤦

Larry Walker24 said:It's wild how in Canada, kids are wearing masks starting in first grade.

Clearly, Canadians are just a bunch of idiots compared to us. 🤦🤦🤦

Honestly, just plain dim. It's tragic. And look, I won't even get started on the whole mask thing... I wouldn't dream of making my eight-year-old kid wear one. No thanks.

Alex Roberts4 said:Honestly, just plain dim. It's tragic. And look, I won't even get started on the whole mask thing... I wouldn't dream of making my eight-year-old kid wear one. No thanks.

Nah, that was sarcasm. Obviously Canadians are smarter than us.

You just explain things to kids—depending on how old they are, obviously—about why they need a mask, and that’s it. No one complains when they realize it's for their own safety.

Alex Roberts4, you're still just acting like you know everything.

Larry Walker24 said:It's wild how in Canada, kids are wearing masks starting in first grade.

Clearly, Canadians are just a bunch of idiots compared to us. 🤦🤦🤦

By that logic, Swedes are the dumbest of all... But regardless, everyone follows their own agenda. Still, if I expect schools to actually follow the guidelines and recommendations from the Department of Education and the CDC, then I expect them to do so.

I truly have to hand it to those folks who think these little scraps of cloth are anything more than tools for training people from a young age to obey authority without a second thought or any sense of critical thinking... It feels like we’re all being treated like dirty, irresponsible idiots. Any reasonable person will do absolutely everything in their power to protect themselves and the people they love, and if they are presented with a logical, well-argued explanation—weighing the pros and cons—most will arrive at the right decision.

That is how you actually build trust between citizens and the government.
You don't do it using totalitarian methods straight out of the Naza kuhinja—cheap propaganda, emotional manipulation, fearmongering, blackmail, and censorship. Not to mention the arbitrary imposition and selective enforcement of rules, which has created this general social atmosphere where little Hitlers are popping up everywhere in the form of various officials managing the Covid crisis...

Now, I am certainly not saying anything against N95 or N99 masks, provided they are worn correctly—fitting snugly against the face, not being constantly touched or adjusted, and being tossed after about six hours... in that case, they are a worthwhile means of protection.

But expecting children to take simple pieces of fabric, touch them with dirty hands, put them on and take them off a hundred times, carry them around in bags and pockets, cough and sneeze, and wipe their noses with them—and then expect those disgusting rags to be held against their faces for hours every single day?!
That isn't protection; it’s quite the opposite—it's a vehicle for spreading infection... not just Covid, but bacterial infections like sinusitis, skin issues, and more.

At the very least, it's pure stupidity, and in the worst-case scenario, a crime against health and common sense. I’ll say it again, just so the local authorities don't label me a flat-earther: I am not saying masks don't protect you—I am saying that greasy rags are not masks!

Why hasn't the government ensured affordable pricing or even provided high-quality, serious medical masks for free and in sufficient quantities?
Please, don't tell me there's no money; on a global scale, money is being printed like never before, and we’re taking on debts we'll never repay, yet we can't find a few cents per child per day to provide that much-vaunted "virus protection." Why is hundreds of millions of dollars being handed over for some "strategic" resale of Korean robotaxis instead of using that money to secure enough N95/N99 masks for the entire nation from now until spring...

Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me, and when you look at that alongside everything else, it naturally leads to doubts about the supposed "axiom" of the government acting with good intentions toward its own people...

Alex Roberts4 said:Seriously... So, classes start, but there’s actually no instruction on day one because??? Did they seriously fail to organize book pickups even a week in advance? How many vacation days does a parent even get? We stretched our time off out—me first, then my husband, then my godmother—we even paid for a sitter for a week, and suddenly school starts and we're just expected to pivot? Out of nowhere, three days before the notice, we find out the first day ends at 9:25 AM. And at the last PTA meeting, we specifically asked, and they told us everything would be back to normal, including after-school care, just that there wouldn't be lunch provided on the first day so we should pack something.

I’m not talking about kindergarteners, where it’s totally fine if they don't stay long during those first few days. But everyone else? What gives? They haven't even started yet and they're already cutting things short. It feels like this whole COVID-19 situation is being used as an excuse way too often.
Honestly, I am so done with this lazy, "work-shy" mentality.

Summer break and all the other holidays are for the kids, and obviously, the staff uses their vacation time, but otherwise, they’re supposed to be working. If you run a school, act like a professional and realize parents can't just stop working whenever it suits your schedule. Why is it so hard to organize things so that parents with fewer kids aren't left scrambling? It's just ridiculous. Bravo. I didn't have any choice but to beg for a day off, and I'll probably get chewed out for it, even though my family and I asked about this well in advance.

And don't even get me started on picking up books. Give me a break! If 6th grade starts, then school starts. We could easily grab the books beforehand, and honestly, it would be nice to know what supplies are needed, which notebooks to buy, if we need extra art supplies, the class schedule... but no, they call us at the last minute expecting us to deal with it right after work because everything needs to be ready "by tomorrow." I'm not doing it. I'll just order everything online and wait for it to arrive—if they even bother to notify me. Should I really have to cause trouble at my job because of these idiots? Seriously, I’m going to ask some pointed questions, because this is pathetic.

Then there are the COVID-19 vaccination records. I have mine, but if they’re making a thing out of it, I’d be the first to demand they require them for the school staff, too. I’m considered high-risk, so if I need proof because of you, you should need it because of me. Talk about double standards... If vaccination isn't mandatory, then it shouldn't be required for parents either. It’s just pure audacity, incompetence, and laziness. Total zero.

Our school received textbooks and workbooks on Thursday, September 2nd, and the second batch arrived on Friday. My point is, we do the best we can with the circumstances provided, because usually, the school isn't to blame when "something is late," whether it's a notification or a delivery. I've looked through plenty of directives from the Department of Education and local government. 🤦
And after-school care is organized from day one for those who want to use it.
Additionally, the school website must list by July 15th which work materials parents are responsible for purchasing themselves. Everything else is covered by the Department of Education or local authorities.

It is impossible to finalize the class schedule before September 6th because schools have to coordinate schedules among themselves; some staff members work at multiple schools, and specifically in my school, 15 substitute teachers started working on September 6th. The Department's policy is that substitutes cannot work over the summer, so everyone starts on the first day of school. How could anyone finalize a schedule when you don't even know who is showing up to work until two hours before the bell rings?

I understand the frustration, but here is a little perspective from someone working in school administration...

neonfox11 said:Sure, maybe... but on what actual basis, though? And honestly, why even push this school thing right now, given everything else going on?

What exactly is being forced? You just don't sign the consent form and the kid stays home—it's not like anyone's going to drag you there. I guess personally, those short outdoor school trips were actually pretty great for my kids. I almost feel bad that we don't do those anymore. Besides, requiring a PCR test for that seems completely pointless.

coastalorca43 said:Ahahaha, today at a high school, a professor gave his students a full lecture on "lizard people and the pandemic."
They're tearing them apart from the inside. In your face Fuchs!

That's grounds for termination right there.

And it’s not even because he’s an idiot—it's just that he isn't being paid to spout his own personal delusions at the kids.

mellowskipper said:What exactly is being forced? You just don't sign the consent form and the kid stays home—it's not like anyone's going to drag you there. I guess personally, those short outdoor school trips were actually pretty great for my kids. I almost feel bad that we don't do those anymore. Besides, requiring a PCR test for that seems completely pointless.

I feel for him..
It's totally normal that they aren't doing it—besides, if anything, an antigen test is plenty good enough, you don't need a full-blown PCR.

amberrider said:It’s honestly pathetic. Am I really supposed to be fighting for justice regarding his education for the third day in a row?

Maybe this will help you out. They finally released the documents today that you can send directly to the principal as a parent.
https://cijepljenje.info/vazno-upozorenje-obavijest/
"This document was drafted in accordance with:

the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the United States and in accordance with fundamental and natural human rights,
as specified by international conventions which form part of the domestic legal order and hold supreme authority over national laws,
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and in accordance with the Family Act."

coastalorca43 said:Maybe this will help you out. They finally released the documents today that you can send directly to the principal as a parent.
https://cijepljenje.info/vazno-upozorenje-obavijest/
"This document was drafted in accordance with:

the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the United States and in accordance with fundamental and natural human rights,
as specified by international conventions which form part of the domestic legal order and hold supreme authority over national laws,
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and in accordance with the Family Act."

Man, I wish I could just have the principal hand that over to me—without having to mention my name for nothing!—so that during the next PTA meeting, I could just give them a little pointed look, smile sweetly, tear the notice into tiny pieces right in front of them, and toss it in the trash. Honestly, I wouldn't even mind if they recorded me doing it and sent the footage straight to the local news.
I’ve always had a bit of a dream about being popular. : fixes hair: ☕

So, my little one just called me from her break—she’s practically gasping for air under that mask, struggling to catch a breath, and says her head is absolutely throbbing. I told her she should just pull it down to her chin for a bit, and that I’ll handle the communication with the school district.
I think I might try to coordinate with her doctor to see if they can write up a medical note so she won't be required to wear a mask.

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