School in the 2020-2021 Academic Year & Coronavirus (Part 1)

Depends on the college of those extras but get it. I actually do agree with you that 18 year old aren’t adults (no mudslinging here… Lol). I really do think we have to" help" them become adults. But “how” we help them can be telling. Whatever the decisions are give them some room to breathe and they will.

Yes, fall is a mystery for many. Parents told me yesterday for elementary - high school I guess today is the decision day. Many seemed still unsure what to do while others had a plan. Same schools and district.

BTW - since I have your attention and it was sorta discuss prior in this thread… Err… Maybe your other thread… Hmmm. Some dancers still doing competitions and training… Some are getting kids from the neighborhoods and teaching dance to them at a set time a few times a week. It gives the parents some free time also. Not a bad summer activity for the college app. Just saying…?

It is also quite possible that what parents value isn’t exactly the same as what the students value. It may be a catastrophe to you, but far from so for them. Students are often quite flexible in finding the best in a situation.

If finances permit, I would not see it as my job as a parent to convince a student who “really, really wants to go back” to stay home instead. If finances permit, That should be their decision.

At my kid’s school there are very few details available. Nothing about testing, quarantining, meals, dining, dorm life, classes ----nothing. They did say they will give all students one mask with the school logo on it.

The school recently had all kids living in dorms select a new food plan because the food service provider changed and the plans are now structured differently. To read the descriptions of the different plans and how they can be used you would never know there was a pandemic. It sounds like all options are going to be open and available.

They have said they are de-densifying dorms but there isn’t a lot of detail on that. It seems like it is only affecting freshmen.

Classes have been relocated to larger rooms but as far as I can tell from my parents facebook group everything is still scheduled to be in person.

It sounds like they are treating the pandemic as a minor inconvenience that they are working around.

At the risk of quibbling over semantics, I think everything you said, does suggest exactly that (definition of ‘man up’: be brave or tough enough to deal with an unpleasant situation).

Um, don’t we all want to be brave and/or tough enough to deal with unpleasant situations?? Is that actually controversial?

we dont have final plans from either school, but neither school has gotten the approval from the states yet. Just dribbles of info and an idea of what they want to do.
My sons classes that are in person will be broken down into A/B groups for hybrid . (4 of 5 are in person). found out that detail from the parents group.
my daughters classes still have 3/4 in person, but one is missing a professor. One is an acting class, so not sure how that would even go remote. The professors “union” sent an email to the students saying that the university is not communicating enough information to them, and they dont want to teach in person. Its all a mess

@MarylandJOE my niece is going to UMD. As of right now she plans on living in the dorms . Sad that her classes are not in person, but still excited to go. She is from NJ. Is there any mention from your son about kids who are changing their mind, etc.

Tulane had a webinar about their arrival center which is in a city hotel. Day 1, you get tested. You are asked to isolate (not be a tourist) until results come back. Day 2 they are having pre orientation for students and parents in different ballrooms (this is being done for 1/4 of the freshman class per day to allow spacing). This will cover what life will be like on campus and the rules they need to follow. Day 3, move in day. Again, 1/4 of the class per day. No one gets their room key without a negative test. If a student tests positive they will retest and if positive again, they will have to do orientation online from the infirmary dorm. Or, if you prefer you can stay with your covid positive student in a hotel (or home if local) during the quarantine time. I am using this as an extra incentive for my student to isolate now, so that he gets to do orientation along with his dorm mates. Also, this fall no one will be allowed in any dorm they don’t live in, so that’s a change. For a freshman, no big deal since everyone is new. I am again very impressed with Tulane’s approach. They have also promised expulsion for students gathering in groups larger than 15.

That’s because for some people “learning to live with it” means learning to ignore the daily case counts, learning to bypass the obituary section of the Sunday news, learning to nod sagely and tell your kid “that’s life” when he comes home with the news that his best friend’s dad died of COVID, learning to shrug at the latest call that Aunt Mary is now on a respirator, etc. We “live” with lots of things. You know, like school shootings. We’re used to it. Apparently, that’s what we are headed for here since those other lessons were too painful.

ETA: Some posters have mentioned closing churches again. Individual churches may decide to do so, but large scale closing by governors is problematic as the federal government has made clear that they will be acting against any such effort.

just responding to the claim that you were not suggesting that they should do just that.

It’s interesting but first it was 5 days, then 10 and now it’s 14 days recommend. The problem it’s hard to predict. Guess just follow the guidelines set by the state in which the school is on. I wonder about the states that their governors don’t believe there is a pandemic and don’t suggest masks wearing. At those schools my kids would be home

That’s really sad. If your willing to share the school (don’t feel like you have to), it just seems so different from many of our kids experience so far. My sons school has plans in place for everything you mentioned. I am sure it will be adjusted but the plan is on many different sections on their website plus we get parent emails explaining all this on a regular basis. Let your school know that you all need information now. It’s July 17th already. Sorry your going through this.

Some of us figured out that life is far more uncertain and outside of our absolute control well before this pandemic, and that awful things, including natural disasters and health catastrophes, happen to good people often. We take what precautions we can and learn to live through the rest. Not a bad approach, actually, particularly given how the future looks.

I think that is absolutely the case in several circumstances. UMD for one.

Why do you both feel this way? Just curious. I don’t about my kids school (Michigan) or my daughters old Lac (Beloit College). If I truly felt that way then they send your kids there at all. To me, time to transfer schools.

I guess you misunderstood the intent of my post. I’m not really disappointed in this though I would appreciate more information. And I’m not “going through this” so there is nothing to be sorry about. The point I was trying to make is that some schools are not treating this like its the end of the world, but more like a problem to be dealt with. I actually prefer this to a lot of the shut-down and not let kids back on campus plans that many have posted about. I’m really pretty happy that things seem to be moving forward and with only slight modifications.

I have a lot of trouble making the step from “awful things happen to good people” to “and therefore we should cause awful things to happen to good people by opening schools in areas where covid is widespread and lots of students live with their grandparents.”

I believe that many of his local friends are changing their minds. They are mostly all attending to UMD so if they stay home and he goes he won’t see them… This is what I believe made it easier for him to make the decision to stay home. He’ll have his friends to hang out with and they can all form groups among themselves to stidy, etc. We’re a little over an hour away.

From what I’ve seen many are still going to be on campus so your niece will have plenty of company. It will certainly be a unique experience but probably worth it if she thinks so. I was sending my son until he stated he was going to stay home. I think it’s really nature of him but don’t discount others wanting to still go. I hope everyone has a great semester either way.

Although it was terribly disappointing to learn that my daughter’s school would not be inviting the majority of students back (the disappointment is exacerbated by the fact that the two schools that physically flank hers - BU and Northeastern-- plan to resume on-campus classes), I will say it is a bit of relief to just know, for sure, what the fall semester will bring. She can now at least get used to the idea and plan for it. Not so much for her hs friends, whose scenarios seem to change day by day (schedules shifting to remote classes, chosen roommates opting not to return and overall uncertainty that return to campus plans will be scrapped at the last minute).

I’m sure you’re not trying to be condescending, but it sure comes across that way.

The truth is we shall see - time marches on after all. I really hope that there aren’t any serious issues on college campuses with this virus.

I hope if there are issues the colleges react with the faculty, students and surrounding community’s best interests in mind.

Actually, no, I’m not in MD.

I read somewhere yesterday that 5% positivity rate is the basis for determining the virus is controlled (of course, the lower the better). I definitely think that schools in regions with low positivity rates should consider opening, as long as they are going to follow the recommended protocols. If the rural (and poorer?) districts want to open, do they have the necessary resources to follow those protocols? I don’t know; not advocating one way or the other; just trying to understand why the teacher’s union is insisting upon no f2f in an area of lower transmission.