Back to School during the pandemic ...a discussion thread

I don't consider this a rant. This is my point with all those that declare COVID has a low mortality rate, and testing=more positive cases. The lingering effects are something that need to be talked about and understood. And, as the disease is so new, we don't have all the information on it yet. Part of the problem is that a majority of people today don't remember things like the results of outbreaks of diseases like polio in the 40's/50's. Those who didn't die were scarred for life. Or, measles, which ended up causing heart problems. Until we have a viable and effective vaccine, the best recourse, in my opinion, is to do our best not to get COVID. (so....limit contact, wear your mask , distance yourself, wash, wash and wash like the kidlets in the schools) there! got it back on topic ;)

Very true. My mom was one of the kids who had polio and didn't die from it. There were several kids from the street she lived on who weren't so lucky -- either dying or being placed in iron-lung machines. My mom recovered, finished school, graduated from university and had a normal life. But there is something called post-polio syndrome that is pretty well documented... for my mom it kicked in at some point when she was in her late forties - weakness, breathing difficulties, etc.... this is something viruses can do -- who knows how Covid-19 will behave.

Also certain viruses remain dormant in the body and can re-activate --- Covid-19 hasn't been around long enough to know whether it will be one of those. For those of us who've had chicken pox as kids -- when that virus re-activates many years down the road it causes Shingles. Will Covid-19 do the same?

Not getting Covid-19 really is the smartest option --- so we'll wear our masks, social distance, wash our hands, and sanitize things regularly.
 
Our family WILL NOT be putting the covid app on our phones. We already disable all tracking through apps on our phones and enable it when we actually want to use GPS. That is just opening a Pandora's Box for the government in the years to come. NOPE....not happening. I know exactly where I have been just by how I use my debit or cc cards. The government is already sticking their noses into our lives too much. Like Dr Tam making suggestions for people's sex lives and other areas...NOPE....stay out of my personal life.

At least the schools have some control over sick kids coming to school. If the child is show symptoms, or if the schools knows that a sibling is being tested, those children are required to stay home.

Businesses do not have the luxury. Our small city is now on a " watch list " :furious: as our local Walfart... was not properly enforcing proper mask wearing for customers and EMPLOYEES. So there are now 5 employees who have tested positive for covid...and numerous others who were customers who picked up the virus while at the store. Walfart has handled is extremely poorly. They should have had to close once more than 2 employees tested positive and the store deep cleaned. This INFURIATES me. If it was any other business, it would have been forced to close until it was safe for all employees and customers to return. THIS....this example is exactly what I was afraid of. Corporations NOT handling it responsibly.

I was never a big walfart shopper anyways...but this will stop me from walking into there over my lunch to pick up the odd item now.

Edited to add...that we went from 12 active cases to 41 in a week...due to the Walfart outbreak.
 
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Our family WILL NOT be putting the covid app on our phones. We already disable all tracking on our phones and enable them when we actually want to use GPS. That is just opening a Pandora's Box for the government in the years to come. NOPE....not happening. I know exactly where I have been just by how I use my debit or cc cards.

At least the schools have some control over sick kids coming to school. If the child is show symptoms, or if the schools knows that a sibling is being tested, those children are required to stay home.

Businesses do not have the luxury. Our small city is now on a " watch list " :furious: as our local Walfart... was not properly enforcing proper mask wearing for customers and EMPLOYEES. So there are now 5 employees who have tested positive for covid...and numerous others who were customers who picked up the virus while at the store. Walfart has handled is extremely poorly. They should have had to close once more than 2 employees tested positive and the store deep cleaned. This INFURIATES me. If it was any other business, it would have been forced to close until it was safe for all employees and customers to return. THIS....this example is exactly what I was afraid of. Corporations NOT handling it responsibly.

I was never a big walfart shopper anyways...but this will stop me from walking into there over my lunch to pick up the odd item now.

That is infuriating... I know where we are my little neighbourhood has one of the highest rates around, no idea why! There are a lot of older people here so it's odd since cases seem to be highest among younger people. Which is why I have the app. I love it, if someone is exposed and has the app they get a code to put in and it would alert me that I was exposed (if I was near them for 15 minutes). If everyone had it, we'd be able to actual contact trace so much easier. It doesn't track my location at all... maybe you mean a different app? It uses bluetooth to "ping" nearby phones with the app. It has no idea if I'm at walmart or anywhere else. All it stores is a random code for 14 days, that isn't connected with your identity at all.

Just to make sure you understand how it works, and others as well. There is no location information stored or tracked. I'd suggest you check the Canada website for more information if you are interested in the details. In your situation, if you had the app and the person who was infected does as well, your app would let you know that you were exposed and should get tested. To me, that seems like a great thing.
 
Just to make sure you understand how it works, and others as well. There is no location information stored or tracked. I'd suggest you check the Canada website for more information if you are interested in the details. In your situation, if you had the app and the person who was infected does as well, your app would let you know that you were exposed and should get tested. To me, that seems like a great thing.
I understand it. It just give the government and other more power in the future to do more " things " like that.

If they don't track...how does that app know you were by that person? IT is tracking where you go!!!! It is using your footsteps...or that your phone was in that area at a certain time. I understand that no information is " stored " ....but it is just the algorithms that the phones use. It is a pandoras box for what " powers that be " in the future can use for areas that they should not be getting into. What seems like " a great thing " now....can take a turn very fast. For our family...we are VERY UNCOMFORTABLE with that ability to " know we were in this area where someone tested positive " There may be" a good" side to it..............but that can turn VERY FAST into something darker that people will use in the future.

Anyways...time to step off the soap box and get back to the topic of covid in schools.
 


That is infuriating... I know where we are my little neighbourhood has one of the highest rates around, no idea why! There are a lot of older people here so it's odd since cases seem to be highest among younger people. Which is why I have the app. I love it, if someone is exposed and has the app they get a code to put in and it would alert me that I was exposed (if I was near them for 15 minutes). If everyone had it, we'd be able to actual contact trace so much easier. It doesn't track my location at all... maybe you mean a different app? It uses bluetooth to "ping" nearby phones with the app. It has no idea if I'm at walmart or anywhere else. All it stores is a random code for 14 days, that isn't connected with your identity at all.

Just to make sure you understand how it works, and others as well. There is no location information stored or tracked. I'd suggest you check the Canada website for more information if you are interested in the details. In your situation, if you had the app and the person who was infected does as well, your app would let you know that you were exposed and should get tested. To me, that seems like a great thing.
This is exactly why I installed it on my phone too. The day after I installed it I went to a Starbucks and placed an order. I waited outside (socially distanced) for 20 mins and then was told to go inside as a 'dot' had opened, and there I proceeded to wait an additional 25 mins for our drinks!! It crossed my mind more than once as I was there that the app was doing its thing and sharing a code (without any personal information attached to it) with the others around me who also had the app. All of these people (probably 10+ in total who I was near for at least a 15 min period) were complete strangers to me and I would have zero chance of knowing if I'd been exposed....except for the app. It's more the random strangers I feel it's helping me with as well as store employees whom I may have come in contact with.

Thankfully nothing came of it as this was more than a month ago but I'd hazard to guess the number of times my phone has exchange anonymous codes with other strangers since I installed it.

My brother is super cautious (will not use the finger scanners at WDW) but he installed the app the week it came out as it does not store any personal information.

When I think of it, I'm THANKFUL for the app as it is helping to keep me and my family safer when around strangers which is just a part of day to day life. Each time I wait for a take-out order or SD in line for groceries, the little app is doing it's job and I am thankful!
 
I understand it. It just give the government and other more power in the future to do more " things " like that.

If they don't track...how does that app know you were by that person? IT is tracking where you go!!!! It is using your footsteps...or that your phone was in that area at a certain time. I understand that no information is " stored " ....but it is just the algorithms that the phones use. It is a pandoras box for what " powers that be " in the future can use for areas that they should not be getting into. What seems like " a great thing " now....can take a turn very fast. For our family...we are VERY UNCOMFORTABLE with that ability to " know we were in this area where someone tested positive " There may be" a good" side to it..............but that can turn VERY FAST into something darker that people will use in the future.

Anyways...time to step off the soap box and get back to the topic of covid in schools.
If you think this information isn't already being tracked, I beg to differ. The only way to not be tracked these days is to not own electrical devices. It's just the world we live in. Not saying I agree with it, I just see it as reality.
 
Our family WILL NOT be putting the covid app on our phones. We already disable all tracking through apps on our phones and enable it when we actually want to use GPS. That is just opening a Pandora's Box for the government in the years to come. NOPE....not happening. I know exactly where I have been just by how I use my debit or cc cards. The government is already sticking their noses into our lives too much. Like Dr Tam making suggestions for people's sex lives and other areas...NOPE....stay out of my personal life.

At least the schools have some control over sick kids coming to school. If the child is show symptoms, or if the schools knows that a sibling is being tested, those children are required to stay home.

Businesses do not have the luxury. Our small city is now on a " watch list " :furious: as our local Walfart... was not properly enforcing proper mask wearing for customers and EMPLOYEES. So there are now 5 employees who have tested positive for covid...and numerous others who were customers who picked up the virus while at the store. Walfart has handled is extremely poorly. They should have had to close once more than 2 employees tested positive and the store deep cleaned. This INFURIATES me. If it was any other business, it would have been forced to close until it was safe for all employees and customers to return. THIS....this example is exactly what I was afraid of. Corporations NOT handling it responsibly.

I was never a big walfart shopper anyways...but this will stop me from walking into there over my lunch to pick up the odd item now.

Edited to add...that we went from 12 active cases to 41 in a week...due to the Walfart outbreak.

Wait, wait wait. So you were expecting WAL-MART to do the right thing? There are literally award documentaries showing how evil that company is.
 


I understand it. It just give the government and other more power in the future to do more " things " like that.

If they don't track...how does that app know you were by that person? IT is tracking where you go!!!! It is using your footsteps...or that your phone was in that area at a certain time. I understand that no information is " stored " ....but it is just the algorithms that the phones use. It is a pandoras box for what " powers that be " in the future can use for areas that they should not be getting into. What seems like " a great thing " now....can take a turn very fast. For our family...we are VERY UNCOMFORTABLE with that ability to " know we were in this area where someone tested positive " There may be" a good" side to it..............but that can turn VERY FAST into something darker that people will use in the future.

Anyways...time to step off the soap box and get back to the topic of covid in schools.

You really don’t understand how the app works. It doesn’t track you. It uses your Bluetooth to tell if you are close to another app user. It has no idea where you are.

But you seem closed minded to this and not willing to actually learn how it works. So I won’t waste my breath.
 
I understand it. It just give the government and other more power in the future to do more " things " like that.

If they don't track...how does that app know you were by that person? IT is tracking where you go!!!! It is using your footsteps...or that your phone was in that area at a certain time. I understand that no information is " stored " ....but it is just the algorithms that the phones use. It is a pandoras box for what " powers that be " in the future can use for areas that they should not be getting into. What seems like " a great thing " now....can take a turn very fast. For our family...we are VERY UNCOMFORTABLE with that ability to " know we were in this area where someone tested positive " There may be" a good" side to it..............but that can turn VERY FAST into something darker that people will use in the future.

Anyways...time to step off the soap box and get back to the topic of covid in schools.

I understand your fear, but the app doesn't track my location, or anyone else's. As I said, it "pings" the bluetooth on other phones that are near you for more than 15 minutes, sharing a code. If a person with whom your phone has shared a code enters the code that they tested positive, your phone alerts you. Again, I'd suggest you look up how the actual app works.
 
School related - looks like the Ottawa Catholic School Board has cancelled all high school exams... apparently the Ministry gave schools this option. Makes sense to me, cramming so many kids into a gym to write would not be a good idea.
 
School related - looks like the Ottawa Catholic School Board has cancelled all high school exams... apparently the Ministry gave schools this option. Makes sense to me, cramming so many kids into a gym to write would not be a good idea.
Yes, many in the Toronto area announced the same today.

A friend of mine is a teacher and she said one of the challenges with all this is how to monitor tests and exams virtually. She had a student in the spring who was averaging 30% in her class and after students began learning virtually this same student got 100% on every single test. :rolleyes1
 
School related - looks like the Ottawa Catholic School Board has cancelled all high school exams... apparently the Ministry gave schools this option. Makes sense to me, cramming so many kids into a gym to write would not be a good idea.
Interesting, but it is possible to do exams online with invigilators. That's how DS wrote some of his Uni exams last spring. You are required to sit at your computer in an open chat session with the invigilator who watches to ensure you are not cheating. Your eyes need to remain fixed on or near the screen, and basically your lips not moving. A bit harder with HS classes, but not impossible. Other exams were just set as open book with a tight deadline. You had to complete in the allotted time. Other coursework shifted to a more substantive summative project.
 
Interesting, but it is possible to do exams online with invigilators. That's how DS wrote some of his Uni exams last spring. You are required to sit at your computer in an open chat session with the invigilator who watches to ensure you are not cheating. Your eyes need to remain fixed on or near the screen, and basically your lips not moving. A bit harder with HS classes, but not impossible. Other exams were just set as open book with a tight deadline. You had to complete in the allotted time. Other coursework shifted to a more substantive summative project.
I would guess the challenge with this in publicly funded schools is the cost. There are approx 700,000 secondary students in Ontario. That is a lot of invigilators to hire to watch exams. I believe their funding is already heavily taxed right now without having to hire additional resources.
 
I think the point is that exams aren't the only way to ensure a student understands the material and assign a grade. But it will mean more culminatings and more assignments to get the information for grades. Tests are a great way to find out what a student knows, but not the only way. This is a good move.
 
So our little pandemic school world fell apart yesterday. First case in both kids schools. And the case in DD's school is her best friend's little sister. So DD is still in school, the best friend is home waiting for test results, if they are positive DD's class will be sent home, as her friend is in her class. DS's school there are 2 cases now, with 2 classes home. Neither is his class, but a bunch of people in his class were sent home yesterday as they had "close contact" with at least one of the cases. DS was up half the night sick with worry, we are all exhausted and just waiting for the next bit of news....
 
Interesting, but it is possible to do exams online with invigilators. That's how DS wrote some of his Uni exams last spring. You are required to sit at your computer in an open chat session with the invigilator who watches to ensure you are not cheating. Your eyes need to remain fixed on or near the screen, and basically your lips not moving. A bit harder with HS classes, but not impossible. Other exams were just set as open book with a tight deadline. You had to complete in the allotted time. Other coursework shifted to a more substantive summative project.

That is how DS's entrance exam for private school was done in June but I can only imagine how hard it would be to manage it when there are dozens of students in each class taking an exam!
 
Interesting, but it is possible to do exams online with invigilators. That's how DS wrote some of his Uni exams last spring. You are required to sit at your computer in an open chat session with the invigilator who watches to ensure you are not cheating. Your eyes need to remain fixed on or near the screen, and basically your lips not moving. A bit harder with HS classes, but not impossible. Other exams were just set as open book with a tight deadline. You had to complete in the allotted time. Other coursework shifted to a more substantive summative project.

How is that even possible? I couldn't manage that and I'm in my 30s. Poor kids who have to sit through these exams just staring at a screen for 3 hours :(
 
Sometimes the hardest exams are open book. :)

Haven’t heard anything here about exams . The first octomeister ended and I’m pretty sure the kids just wrote in their classes . My daughter had outdoor Ed so no exam .

krista - yikes that’s scary and close to home . Fingers crossed . I feel for your poor son . I know my daughter just had a sore throat and she was a mess waiting for results . Again prayers to you guys ..
 
****here's the Duck eating crow!!**** I didn't actually take the time to do a deep dive into the entire Alberta website and open every single FAQ, it appears that their app is very similar to the Federal one. I stand corrected.
 
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She's in Alberta no? It's the same app, theirs started sooner but is the same technology and last I heard was going to switch over the federal one... however it doesn't seem to have been switched yet. So not sure what you found.

And to be perfectly honest, given how many people have no idea where they contracted COVID because the tracking and tracing is not doing it's job, it would be nice if someone was tracking the information.
 
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