@GKUnion wrote:
That seems to be the case. At Wesleyan, in-person classes have been pushed back a week to September 7th, that being the earliest most students would begin emerging from a potential two-week quarantine (or, two consecutive negative test results) - assuming they arrive by August 24th. Online accommodations would be made for kids arriving after that date and until they complete quarantine.
The announcement was posted yesterday.
@“Cardinal Fang” I hear you; in my previous home’s public school district (in the South, where cases are skyrocketing), they keep making these happy-go-lucky videos on their Facebook page showing janitors sanitizing and disinfecting schools and basically saying how “safe” it is going to be with the sanitizing and disinfecting. ** It’s idiotic! ** Makes me glad we are sending our S22 to boarding school this year, where they have a robust testing protocol with the Broad Institute (I don’t want to start a debate on whether they can deliver what they’ve promised).
It looks like most (if not all) of the Catholic schools are inviting students back?
The “nimrods” are multiple counties in Florida in charge of K-12. Every county school board has to submit their plan to the state and get it approved. Our county modeled their plan on larger counties in the state that have already been approved.
It’s all ludicrous planning. In this case, the argument the school board makes is that they can’t leave kids at the bus stop. So then the poor bus drivers (among others) get to deal with symptomatic kids.
What is the point of having a class in person if the room is so big? Not so intimate. Aren’t asking questions. Those classes should just be remote.
[quote=“123Mom123, post:12505, topic:2088334”]
Well true, you can’t leave the child at the bus stop. We all remember the stories of kids getting kidnapped etc. But pivoting back – the “right” action is for parent to take their kids’ temperature before even sending them off. But we know many (?) won’t do so.
Other option is no school bus. Or bus can only take X number so that the back area is only for the kids with temp etc but even that is fraught with issues. And run more school buses. Or a bus that follows the other bus that takes the children with temps.
As for taking temps being theatre – I thought that was a method that proved useful in the Asian countries/places that smashed this thing - Taiwan, HK, Korea. Taking temps of people everywhere. People taking own temps. Stores taking your temps. Wherever. (of course they probably didn’t let said person then get on school bus 
)
(sorry having trouble with how this quote thing works)
@vpa2019 - D20 is attending BC this year so I too am interested to see how things go. I have been hearing rumors that we should be prepared for some changes. D20’s schedule has already changed several times and she has gone from almost all in person classes, to almost all remote classes, right now ending up with 2 in person, 2 hybrid, and one synchronous on line.
I think BC’s approach to testing is lacking when I compare it to S18’s school. Also, I am concerned by the decision to return students to campus after Thanksgiving.
I have several friends with kids at BC. I personally know 4 current students, 3 of which tested positive for Covid 19 in March. They all have several friends and/or roommates who also tested positive. All of these students had very mild symptoms or were asymptomatic and no family members became ill.
northeastern and BU are also returning all students to campus and both of these schools have a large off-campus student population. I am hoping for the best, but I think Boston is in for a tough fall.
Really, when are we going to hear from the communities around these large public unis? there are 3 ICU beds in the medical service area that services College station, when 10s of thousands of students move into their off campus housing, this is going to get real. I am sure Tempe and areas of California and Florida will be feeling nervous. The people that live here all year round will be watching this show unravel and need to be heard from. There is no plan B to relocate the young people that are in paid up leases, this is their home. They are not going back to their parents. Such colleges have made it all but impossible to have an exit plan that would protect the community.
Lots of classes are that big. They are run as lectures not interactive discussion classes. I realize your kid goes to an LAC but large classes like this are pretty normal for intro classes at state universities.
If you mean why are they having a class so large in person under these conditions - they are aiming to have all classes in person. It is the plan. I hope this holds because my son much prefers the structure of going to class at a certain time and hearing the lecture in person. The online watch the lecture on your own at any time did not work well for him in the spring.
@5050100 My BC boys friend at Georgetown found out class online. Trinity I believe in person, Rutgers online. I think more friends online. They know Broad is pre-testing, guidelines are in email updates we receive. One will be tested more due to campus job.
Why does it have to be intimate with 150 people and yes you can hear the questions.
I guess I mostly mean during Covid. The reason is because “they are aiming to have all classes in person” but WHY? What’s the upside to that during a pandemic?
I saw a photo of a “new” Tulane classroom. It was so crazy big with kids in desks six feet apart. At that point, sitting in the back of that classroom is worse than being able to log into a live lecture remotely. It could still be synchronous. It’s like the school just wants to say “class is live!” but it’s not even the best way to learn in these giant ballrooms and now it’s also risky.
My son signed his school’s “community agreement” today. His opinion on the expectations? “There are two kinds of kids…ones that will follow the rules, and ones I’ll be picking up in the ambulance.”
There is NO WAY! See my comment above. I wish we could post photos. The Tulane classroom was a joke. I’ve also been in an auditorium at BC and those seats in the last 1/3 of the room are so far away from the professor. No way to hear a student way in the back if they ask a question. I can’t even hear the check out person at Whole Foods well when we are both in masks and have a plexiglass between us. We are one foot apart.
Isn’t there a third type – the ones not following the rules, getting lucky in not getting (too) sick, but being vectors to spread virus to others?
Not to mention the ones he’ll be picking up (at the school and in the community around it) who DID try to follow the rules, and got infected by those who didn’t (the latter, of course, will tend to be the ones who don’t actually get very sick; the former will include people who are more at risk for becoming ill enough to have to be picked up).
For me, I would much rather walk to the building, attend a lecture at a designated time in person, spaced out from others (assuming high quality audio and I can hear the lecturer from wherever I sit) than log on and watch via Zoom. There is something about seeing the professor in person, for me, and fellow students, and the feeling of being in a room with them. Especially if we are talking about 4 classes a day. I find Zoom to be completely draining and exhausting. Maybe once a day is ok, but all day is dreary. Attending in person is far more compelling to me (although I’m not making a political point about whether or not classes should or should not be in person during COVID–I’m merely saying that I would personally prefer to attend in person, even in a large, socially distanced room).
Even if you are sitting in the back of a 400 person lecture hall (in a class with just 75 students), you should be able to hear just fine–this room was designed for people to be sitting in the back row, after all! (in some cases, there may be microphones in use, and maybe even more so than usual with masks involved–but I would guess they have been working on how to make it work). I admit it seems weird and otherworldly to have two empty seats between students in every other row, or whatever, but I’d still rather go in person. I believe that is true for my kids as well (although, unfortunately they will be taking all of their classes online). I can see that this is a matter of personal preference, though. Obvious advantages of online taped lectures–you can rewind if you miss something, you can pause for a break, etc.
@EmptyNestSoon2 ok I get it. I guess I just hate big classes period. Lol.
And lots of colleges aren’t just zooming class. They are doing synchronous classes with discussions and break out sections. It isn’t just watching a lecture.
@3sonsmom - Oh right! I did know about Gtown - I forgot. So much for my Catholic theory… 
I agree. Walking the campus, seeing friends, establishing a schedule and rhythm, it should make a difference emotionally for most kids. It certainly won’t be “normal,” but it should be less monotonous than the alternative. Hopefully many schools will manage to keep students on campus.