2021/2022 School Year

So, they ran an evacuation drill at the high school today. Just a few hundred kids all crammed together in one tiny little park... total chaos. And get this—nobody was even wearing masks. 🙂

I guess one of my kids has already ended up in special education.

So, kid's in elementary school, feeling pretty terrible, having a rough time, but still drags himself to class.
Parents are hovering constantly—he’s an only child, so they're understandably overprotective.

Anyway, one rainy evening he starts coughing, so obviously, they grab some home tests.
Predictably, it comes back positive, and then the late-night calls start... the CDC gets involved, and now the whole class is under quarantine.

Supposedly he’ll head to a clinic for a PCR just to be sure what we're dealing with, but until those results drop, everyone stays home.

If this is how they're going to handle things, they might as well just shut down all the schools right now.

Cheers,

vividstag6 said:Washington, D.C. I'm 36 years old, no other medical conditions—I’d consider myself a fairly healthy individual, actually. I don't smoke, I don't drink. My first bout was caught from a colleague; the symptoms were absolutely brutal, and the recovery was a long, drawn-out process... I’d say I'm still dealing with some lingering effects. The second time, thankfully, the symptoms were much milder—I attribute that to being vaccinated. That instance happened at a wedding, where a massive number of us ended up catching it. Both instances were officially confirmed via antigen and PCR testing. This virus is fundamentally different from the flu; I have no desire to ever relive that first experience... it completely leveled me.

Alright, but what if you get vaccinated?

Covid isn't going anywhere—over the next 40 years, you'll likely run into it at least a few more times.

If your plan is to spend the years between age 36 and 70 living in total self-isolation, then hey, far be it from me to judge. Just let other people live their lives however they choose.

And frankly, if you're genuinely terrified of Covid at 36 while being vaccinated, I might suggest seeing a doctor about some much deeper issues...

mellowskipper said:I guess one of my kids has already ended up in special education.

There's a high school in Washington, D.C. where an entire class has been in isolation since the start of the week. The school year hasn't even officially kicked off yet, if I recall correctly. They weren't even sitting close to anyone, yet here they are, stuck at home in isolation.

I I know a high school class out in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. somewhere,

Gary Cooper3 said:Alright, but what if you get vaccinated?

Covid isn't going anywhere—over the next 40 years, you'll likely run into it at least a few more times.

If your plan is to spend the years between age 36 and 70 living in total self-isolation, then hey, far be it from me to judge. Just let other people live their lives however they choose.

And frankly, if you're genuinely terrified of Covid at 36 while being vaccinated, I might suggest seeing a doctor about some much deeper issues...

Well, I am vaccinated. That’s why my symptoms were milder the second time around—at least, that’s my belief. My fear doesn't stem from the virus itself, but from the fact that the first time I caught it, it absolutely tore me apart, and I'm still dealing with neurological fallout. Why should anyone else have to endure what I went through, or even worse, just because someone finds wearing a mask "inconvenient"? It seems people refuse to grasp that this virus can deliver pure hell to others... clearly, personal comfort is the only thing that matters...

vividstag6 said:Well, I am vaccinated. That’s why my symptoms were milder the second time around—at least, that’s my belief. My fear doesn't stem from the virus itself, but from the fact that the first time I caught it, it absolutely tore me apart, and I'm still dealing with neurological fallout. Why should anyone else have to endure what I went through, or even worse, just because someone finds wearing a mask "inconvenient"? It seems people refuse to grasp that this virus can deliver pure hell to others... clearly, personal comfort is the only thing that matters...

So you got hit hard both times?

How many "carefree" tourists did we invite in, only to end up getting comfortable alongside them? We prioritized counting the cash over accounting for potential sick people. It’s a tired old argument.

I’ll bet anything that most of those rebellious teenagers are pretty relaxed about Covid, masks, and social distancing; I suspect they’re being pretty loose with the rules in school, too.
Still, Covid is mostly a disease affecting older people, right? 🥱

Convenience is everywhere. Some people get lucky, some don't—c'est la vie. But if you keep trying to convince me that being a well-trained little puppy is the only way to protect myself and others from suffering, it’s not going to work.

It’s all the same slow slide... grain by grain, you end up with a total collapse from social cohesion to complete isolation, especially after a pandemic. It's just how things go.

There is an interesting phenomenon when you walk through residential neighborhoods in a place like Washington, D.C.—though I suppose it’s much the same in most major American cities. The common areas, the building facades, the shared courtyards—they all look like neglected ghettos because nobody wants to sink money into them. I was explaining this to my wife, who was looking at it with a bit of dismay, noting that once you step inside, most of the individual apartments are actually beautifully maintained. It seems to me that this specific attitude toward the collective is quite common among Americans, and you can see the fallout in how people react to the very idea of looking out for their neighbors.

Of course, there are exceptions, and I'm sure they exist in plenty, though likely never enough.

Statistically speaking, about 95% of people are going to pull through this nasty illness just fine, so parents can rest easy knowing their kids will be okay. Ln

During World War II, about 97% of the population made it through, so it wasn't exactly a catastrophic event for the nation at large.

slyfox43 said:During World War II, about 97% of the population made it through, so it wasn't exactly a catastrophic event for the nation at large.

I mean, unless we’re talking about the Black Death or some massive eruption of Tobe, it’s just business as usual.🙂

At my local school, they say two entire classes have already been sidelined. In one of them, it feels like they're pulling positive cases out of a hat—it seems like someone new gets flagged every single day. Just take it easy, everyone; I’m predicting things are going to get pretty lively in about two weeks. (P.S. The rapid tests at my neighborhood pharmacy are already sold out; we're just waiting on the next shipment 😂).

Man... Covid really was a gift for the lazy. I’m still standing by that. I’m sitting here reading about how an entire classroom gets isolated, or a whole group—whatever. Why the whole thing? Wasn't the rule supposed to be just the infected kid and whoever they were sitting near? Seriously, is there anyone left who will actually step up and take responsibility? It’s become a joke... the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card.

But then you have these classic school examples of people cutting corners: the elective Computer Science class for the little ones. My kid told me multiple times they didn't want to do it, so I didn't sign them up. It’s an elective! I’m not going to force them, because what is a kid even doing in that class? Learning computer parts? How to sit in front of a monitor? And of course, the school only has a handful of computers for everyone. Give me a break. The kicker is that from fifth grade on, Computer Science becomes mandatory, so... an elective is supposed to be something you *don't* get covered in the core curriculum... but apparently not here.

Once the school year kicks off and the momentum starts, most kids jump on board, a few outliers stay out, and then it's this, that, and the other. What can I say? Only a tiny handful skip Religion class, but nobody puts on the pressure for that elective because can you imagine the outcry? "You're forcing my child! Brainwashing!" Guaranteed. But this is Computer Science—or "Computer Science," if you know what I mean. A kid should choose an elective based on interest, which means having an actual opinion and using their brain, rather than just following the herd like "wherever the crowd goes, we go."

The point here is that typical situation: the kids who don't pick the elective are stuck being shuffled off to do something else. That’s why it becomes a "problem"—not because a kid is being "left out," but because someone doesn't feel like dealing with them. Honestly, if they had actually explained the utility of Computer Science right away—why it’s useful, why it’s good to learn—I wouldn't mind at all. But they didn't approach it that way; they just went with the "everyone does it" mentality. And that's the reason? Great, let's raise a bunch of Borgs without any backbone or identity. And again, the kid said no. Besides, once they pick it, it becomes a requirement and they get graded. If they pick it just to fit in and not because they care, then the drama starts all over again.

Anyway, I am certainly not forcing some damn elective on my kid. Not a single one. I don't care what everyone else is doing. I don't follow the crowd, I don't make life decisions based on what the neighbors think, and I sure as hell won't teach my child to think that way.

And don't even get me started on the Covid protocols where they lock everything down the second someone sneezes... I don't bother with it anymore. There's no point because there's nobody to talk to. It's useless. They're already starting to tally the damage regarding the kids and the fallout from these disruptions, yet they keep doing the exact same thing. They allow it to happen. I’m just lucky my kid isn't in the upper grades or high school yet. Thank God for that... because that’s when you let the weak-willed run the show.

Michelle Nelson4 said:I mean, unless we’re talking about the Black Death or some massive eruption of Tobe, it’s just business as usual.🙂

At my local school, they say two entire classes have already been sidelined. In one of them, it feels like they're pulling positive cases out of a hat—it seems like someone new gets flagged every single day. Just take it easy, everyone; I’m predicting things are going to get pretty lively in about two weeks. (P.S. The rapid tests at my neighborhood pharmacy are already sold out; we're just waiting on the next shipment 😂).

Today, an epidemiologist was asking for Covid documentation and status updates on all the kids in the quarantined classroom—who’s vaccinated, who had it, etc. I just told him that my kid isn't exactly planning on crossing any state lines anytime soon.

Alex Roberts4 said:Man... Covid really was a gift for the lazy. I’m still standing by that. I’m sitting here reading about how an entire classroom gets isolated, or a whole group—whatever. Why the whole thing? Wasn't the rule supposed to be just the infected kid and whoever they were sitting near? Seriously, is there anyone left who will actually step up and take responsibility? It’s become a joke... the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card.

But then you have these classic school examples of people cutting corners: the elective Computer Science class for the little ones. My kid told me multiple times they didn't want to do it, so I didn't sign them up. It’s an elective! I’m not going to force them, because what is a kid even doing in that class? Learning computer parts? How to sit in front of a monitor? And of course, the school only has a handful of computers for everyone. Give me a break. The kicker is that from fifth grade on, Computer Science becomes mandatory, so... an elective is supposed to be something you *don't* get covered in the core curriculum... but apparently not here.

Once the school year kicks off and the momentum starts, most kids jump on board, a few outliers stay out, and then it's this, that, and the other. What can I say? Only a tiny handful skip Religion class, but nobody puts on the pressure for that elective because can you imagine the outcry? "You're forcing my child! Brainwashing!" Guaranteed. But this is Computer Science—or "Computer Science," if you know what I mean. A kid should choose an elective based on interest, which means having an actual opinion and using their brain, rather than just following the herd like "wherever the crowd goes, we go."

The point here is that typical situation: the kids who don't pick the elective are stuck being shuffled off to do something else. That’s why it becomes a "problem"—not because a kid is being "left out," but because someone doesn't feel like dealing with them. Honestly, if they had actually explained the utility of Computer Science right away—why it’s useful, why it’s good to learn—I wouldn't mind at all. But they didn't approach it that way; they just went with the "everyone does it" mentality. And that's the reason? Great, let's raise a bunch of Borgs without any backbone or identity. And again, the kid said no. Besides, once they pick it, it becomes a requirement and they get graded. If they pick it just to fit in and not because they care, then the drama starts all over again.

Anyway, I am certainly not forcing some damn elective on my kid. Not a single one. I don't care what everyone else is doing. I don't follow the crowd, I don't make life decisions based on what the neighbors think, and I sure as hell won't teach my child to think that way.

And don't even get me started on the Covid protocols where they lock everything down the second someone sneezes... I don't bother with it anymore. There's no point because there's nobody to talk to. It's useless. They're already starting to tally the damage regarding the kids and the fallout from these disruptions, yet they keep doing the exact same thing. They allow it to happen. I’m just lucky my kid isn't in the upper grades or high school yet. Thank God for that... because that’s when you let the weak-willed run the show.

I mean, at the end of the day, there isn't anyone—and I really do mean absolutely nobody—who can actually force your hand when it comes to picking an elective. It’s all up to you, I guess.
So, look, saying "no" isn't really enough here, and I honestly don't quite follow why you're getting so worked up about it. If you ended up deciding "yes" after all, then I suppose that's just your situation to deal with, and venting all this bitterness across the forum probably won't change anything or make you feel any better.

And, well, it seems like once again the epidemiologists are just sending entire classrooms into isolation, mostly because it’s frankly impossible to actually follow those Fuchs guidelines about who stays "left" or "right" or whatever. It's all a bit much, I guess.🤦
It seems like kids aren't really bothering with masks much lately, I guess. Some schools have even gone back to that classroom-rotation style of teaching where everyone moves around, so they’re all mixing together constantly instead of just sitting with the same small group of friends. Not to mention the whole situation with them coming and going from campus, or the weekend parties and social gatherings... it just feels like there's a lot of contact happening everywhere.
I guess it looks like we’re heading toward yet another completely fake, remote school year, which seems just perfect since we're still waiting for the entire adult population here in the States to actually get vaccinated. It feels like kids are just going to be passing this plague back and forth constantly, and who knows how many new mutations might pop up from that, or exactly how dangerous they could become for that age group—which, I suppose, is currently considered "safe." Honestly, I doubt there will be any real peace in this situation until scientists start aggressively pushing for mandatory vaccinations for everyone from infants all the way up to eighteen.🙄

It would certainly be quite the dramatic shift if we finally started treating Covid like any other common bug kids pick up constantly, especially now that the adults—who are actually at risk as they get older—have had their chance to get vaccinated, effectively shielding themselves from those little bio-terrorists who spend their time hunting down grandparents.

My oldest—he's a freshman—is stuck in remote learning starting Monday... he was sitting right behind someone who tested positive. The school's rule is that only kids within 2 meters of the positive case have to isolate.

Then there's my daughter, she's in 5th grade, and she *barely* dodged the isolation thing too—but she’s also stuck doing remote learning from Monday. Basically, they sent home everyone sitting close by, plus some kids who hung out with the positive student before school even started.

So, yeah... considering my insane luck where both my kids end up basically sidelined on the exact same day at two different schools... maybe I should just go buy a lottery ticket or something? 🤣

vividstag6 said:Well, I am vaccinated. That’s why my symptoms were milder the second time around—at least, that’s my belief. My fear doesn't stem from the virus itself, but from the fact that the first time I caught it, it absolutely tore me apart, and I'm still dealing with neurological fallout. Why should anyone else have to endure what I went through, or even worse, just because someone finds wearing a mask "inconvenient"? It seems people refuse to grasp that this virus can deliver pure hell to others... clearly, personal comfort is the only thing that matters...

What does any of that have to do with school? I'm assuming you're already done with it.

slyfox43 said:During World War II, about 97% of the population made it through, so it wasn't exactly a catastrophic event for the nation at large.

The war wasn't fought everywhere at once. Most people didn't even realize a war was going on.

From what I’ve gathered, epidemiologists aren't planning to send entire classrooms to remote learning, mainly because some kids are still recovering from being sick (it can take about 9 months to fully bounce back). If you have a class of 25 students and only 5 actually need to stay home, it just doesn't make sense to force everyone else into online classes.

High schoolers who caught everything last school year and were basically spreading Covid everywhere now have built-up immunity, plus we have the vaccinated kids too.
Personally, I think Fuchs made a sensible call by suggesting only those in close contact need to switch to remote learning. I'm not entirely sure how they're organizing the logistics—whether it’s parallel coursework or if they'll be using cameras in the classroom so those few students can follow along remotely—but it seems practical.
In my opinion, only the people who are actually sick should be staying home. Just test the close contacts and call it a day.