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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 2, 2020 20:17:20 GMT -6
misskilljoy what do you/they mean by isolate? Like everyone at home for 2 weeks/negative test? Or isolating the class within the school setting for two weeks (beyond cohorting measures)? Isolation refers to a 2-week stay at home. Negative test does NOT mean you can come back before the end of the 2 weeks. "Close contacts" (e.g. class cohort) deemed to be high risk of exposure from a confirmed case must isolate for 14 full days. Our classes are already more or less isolated within the school setting - we have assigned doors, stairwells, sections of the yard, equipment, etc. - so there isn't anything more we could do within the building.
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 2, 2020 20:18:42 GMT -6
I told my partner not to bother going back to work in person because guaranteed SOMEONE in this house is going to have to isolate for two weeks between now and December, plus I anticipate my kids being sent home at least once a month with their stupid ass fevers that don't seem connected to anything (four weeks into quarantine, no one had gone anywhere and they had fevers of 106 for a day and a half... which happens 4-5 times a year to each of them).
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Tlex
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Post by Tlex on Sept 2, 2020 20:23:41 GMT -6
misskilljoy what do you/they mean by isolate? Like everyone at home for 2 weeks/negative test? Or isolating the class within the school setting for two weeks (beyond cohorting measures)? Isolation refers to a 2-week stay at home. Negative test does NOT mean you can come back before the end of the 2 weeks. "Close contacts" (e.g. class cohort) deemed to be high risk of exposure from a confirmed case must isolate for 14 full days. Our classes are already more or less isolated within the school setting - we have assigned doors, stairwells, sections of the yard, equipment, etc. - so there isn't anything more we could do within the building. Ah ok thank you. I’m not - at this time - especially in favour of a 2 week home quarantine in the case of a suspected positive in the class. Daycares are not operating like that and they’ve so far been able to manage outbreaks. There’s certainly an argument for doing the quarantine of the class with a confirmed positive, but given how separated the classes will be there’s also an argument to it not being necessary. Of course siblings of an exposed student in different classes needs to be weighed too. I reserve the right to completely change my mind on this as data informs etc etc.
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Tlex
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Post by Tlex on Sept 2, 2020 20:26:56 GMT -6
My son had 1 diarrhea at daycare last Monday, we picked him up within half an hour of it. He was then tested and came back negative, and allowed to return 48 hours after his last symptom. I thought this was reasonable for both keeping the program safe and allowing us to manage our lives based on one potential symptom. If he had enough viral load to have symptoms, he would have enough to test positive, so the negative was considered an “all clear” but we still had to keep him home for the required time past the last symptom. I would be fine with this as the school policy too.
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emma
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Post by emma on Sept 3, 2020 13:39:10 GMT -6
My son got sent home Monday morning for a cough, he was tested monday evening and got the negative result midday yesterday. He's been allowed to return to OSC and school today with his negative certificate. I'm not sure what the purpose of isolating for another 2 weeks would have been?
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 3, 2020 14:01:15 GMT -6
Isolation refers to a 2-week stay at home. Negative test does NOT mean you can come back before the end of the 2 weeks. "Close contacts" (e.g. class cohort) deemed to be high risk of exposure from a confirmed case must isolate for 14 full days. Our classes are already more or less isolated within the school setting - we have assigned doors, stairwells, sections of the yard, equipment, etc. - so there isn't anything more we could do within the building. Ah ok thank you. I’m not - at this time - especially in favour of a 2 week home quarantine in the case of a suspected positive in the class. Daycares are not operating like that and they’ve so far been able to manage outbreaks. There’s certainly an argument for doing the quarantine of the class with a confirmed positive, but given how separated the classes will be there’s also an argument to it not being necessary. Of course siblings of an exposed student in different classes needs to be weighed too. I reserve the right to completely change my mind on this as data informs etc etc. 2 week class isolation is only for a confirmed case. Student with suspected case must isolate at home until 24 hours after symptoms are gone. There's less than a metre between desks in every classroom I've seen, so I think the mandatory two weeks in the event of a confirmed positive case is necessary. They're eating in those rooms twice a day - so masks off, chatting, eating, letting their guard down in packed classrooms. 😬 But I agree that we shouldn't be isolating everyone without a confirmed case.
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 3, 2020 14:04:39 GMT -6
Sorry, I should clarify.
Suspected case: go home, wait until symptoms resolve or get a test, come back when symptoms have been gone for 24 hours or you have a negative test.
Confirmed case: PHU has to clear student to return, not necessarily through retesting, and class will (most likely) be directed to isolate for two weeks due to exposure. Negative tests for those people isolating will not clear them to come back as the virus can take up to two weeks to incubate.
I explained it poorly before, I think.
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 8, 2020 20:12:43 GMT -6
Welp, here we go - the first test of Ottawa's outbreak protocols: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/vera-etches-back-to-school-1.5715040"(Etches) said she'd like to see clearer protocols for assigned seating so entire busloads of students don't need to be isolated because of potential exposure." "All high-risk contacts must self-isolate even if they have a negative test result, said Ottawa Public Health. People who test negative and later develop symptoms or test positive, need to self isolate for even longer than 14 days. The only way a person told to self-isolate may return to school sooner than 14 days is if Ottawa Public Health determines they are no longer a high-risk contact." So I guess if they can determine who actually sat near the kids on the bus, the others might not be required to isolate? If they aren't considering an entire bus to be close contacts, they may not isolate full classes every time there's a positive either. I have to seat my students by who is in contact outside of the school day (e.g. rides a bus together, goes to the same EDP, etc.) to try and limit exposure/assist contact tracing. We'll see how it plays out next week, I guess. At this rate, I'm not sure I'm ever going to be at school... I teach three classes, my own class has four teachers, we all have supervision duty all over the place. Contact tracing will be a MESS.
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danib
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Post by danib on Sept 9, 2020 2:48:01 GMT -6
Our school board made a last minute announcement that kids don't need to wear masks after all (was required in hallways/common areas), because our cases are so low, and it will be re-evaluated if things start to get out of control again. You know, when it's too late and the damage is already done ......
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Post by Notarobot on Sept 9, 2020 7:15:31 GMT -6
Welp, here we go - the first test of Ottawa's outbreak protocols: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/vera-etches-back-to-school-1.5715040"(Etches) said she'd like to see clearer protocols for assigned seating so entire busloads of students don't need to be isolated because of potential exposure." "All high-risk contacts must self-isolate even if they have a negative test result, said Ottawa Public Health. People who test negative and later develop symptoms or test positive, need to self isolate for even longer than 14 days. The only way a person told to self-isolate may return to school sooner than 14 days is if Ottawa Public Health determines they are no longer a high-risk contact." So I guess if they can determine who actually sat near the kids on the bus, the others might not be required to isolate? If they aren't considering an entire bus to be close contacts, they may not isolate full classes every time there's a positive either. I have to seat my students by who is in contact outside of the school day (e.g. rides a bus together, goes to the same EDP, etc.) to try and limit exposure/assist contact tracing. We'll see how it plays out next week, I guess. At this rate, I'm not sure I'm ever going to be at school... I teach three classes, my own class has four teachers, we all have supervision duty all over the place. Contact tracing will be a MESS. I keep thinking about that graphic from early on in the pandemic about the dude on the bus who infected a bunch of other people but they were scattered all over the bus - like the person right next to him didn't get it, but someone three rows down and across did, for example. This virus seems so random I don't see how they would determine who was high risk. I am shocked slightly that they didn't consider assigned seating on the bus to begin with. I can't remember, did they ask kids to get the tracing app? Wouldn't that help slightly?
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dc2london
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Post by dc2london on Sept 9, 2020 7:33:13 GMT -6
i know i've only been here for 8 months and have next to know knowledge about energy but it seems like the perfect place for renewable energy. I mean it's sunny 99% of the time, it's super windy, and there's a massive seam of geothermal judging by the number of hot springs. I'm like "we could be the next Iceland people!!" Omg had they the will, they most certainly have the way. But green energy is the devil because if you invest in that, clearly you anticipate our non-renewable resources drying up and how can you even acknowledge that! You must hate oil fields workers if you want them to have a future industry to work in when this one dries up........ wait what? Oh. Billionaire narrative strikes again. West Virginia? Is that you?
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emma
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Post by emma on Sept 9, 2020 11:49:39 GMT -6
Schools here have been back 1 week and so far 7(i think) schools have reported 1 case each. Assuming these kids picked it up prior to coming back, but i guess our protocols are being tested too. So far they are isolating the class of the kids that tested positive but keeping the rest of the school open. Masks are required for all grade levels.
Other thoughts from my head... i live opposite a middle and elementary school that have basketball courts and there has been a rotation of at least 50-70 teens hanging out there every single day for the last 4 months. Like they start at 9am and the last of them leave at 10.30pm. In the beginning the peace officers would come break up the groups and send them home but they gave up caring, so when i see all the outraged people commenting about how crowded the high schools like i'm very WTF do you think all these teens have been doing since april? They for sure have not been sitting home social distancing
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 9, 2020 14:17:27 GMT -6
In the beginning the peace officers would come break up the groups and send them home but they gave up caring, so when i see all the outraged people commenting about how crowded the high schools like i'm very WTF do you think all these teens have been doing since april? They for sure have not been sitting home social distancing This is what baffles me about Ontario's decision to do cohorts of 15 only at the secondary level. Teens are the ones hanging out with no distancing at any time. I know there's an argument to be made that it's BECAUSE they don't distance outside of school that it's extra important AT school, but... I don't know. I am frustrated that my grade 1 kid will be in a regular-sized class with no real changes when teenagers get safer spaces.
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 9, 2020 14:22:41 GMT -6
I am shocked slightly that they didn't consider assigned seating on the bus to begin with. I can't remember, did they ask kids to get the tracing app? Wouldn't that help slightly? They did think of assigned seating, the bus drivers just... didn't enforce it. Shocking, I know. Much like masks on buses - what's the driver supposed to do? Refuse to drive until kids comply? File a written report about who didn't follow the rules? They have very little authority. Boards are deciding individually re: COVID Alert. I haven't heard anything for my board, but I also teach grade 4-ish, so they're not as likely to have a smartphone on them all the time.
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emma
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Post by emma on Sept 9, 2020 14:24:40 GMT -6
In the beginning the peace officers would come break up the groups and send them home but they gave up caring, so when i see all the outraged people commenting about how crowded the high schools like i'm very WTF do you think all these teens have been doing since april? They for sure have not been sitting home social distancing This is what baffles me about Ontario's decision to do cohorts of 15 only at the secondary level. Teens are the ones hanging out with no distancing at any time. I know there's an argument to be made that it's BECAUSE they don't distance outside of school that it's extra important AT school, but... I don't know. I am frustrated that my grade 1 kid will be in a regular-sized class with no real changes when teenagers get safer spaces. i'm guessing they are basing it on that study that said kids under 9 are less likely to catch and transmit it but yeah it's shaky reasoning and doesn't make much sense when teens are not staying in their cohorts outside of school. I actually have no idea how big my kids class is, how do i find that out? I know the K registration was down this year from anticipated and the school dropped from 5 to 4 classes
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Post by Notarobot on Sept 9, 2020 14:47:04 GMT -6
I am shocked slightly that they didn't consider assigned seating on the bus to begin with. I can't remember, did they ask kids to get the tracing app? Wouldn't that help slightly? They did think of assigned seating, the bus drivers just... didn't enforce it. Shocking, I know. Much like masks on buses - what's the driver supposed to do? Refuse to drive until kids comply? File a written report about who didn't follow the rules? They have very little authority. Boards are deciding individually re: COVID Alert. I haven't heard anything for my board, but I also teach grade 4-ish, so they're not as likely to have a smartphone on them all the time. Ah. True. OC transpo can't even get adults to comply to masking (nor should the drivers have to enforce it) let alone little kids.
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emma
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Post by emma on Sept 9, 2020 14:58:54 GMT -6
The middle school opposite me has been holding a lot of classes outside so the kids get a mask break. It's a nice alternative while the weather is good
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 9, 2020 17:19:02 GMT -6
I actually have no idea how big my kids class is, how do i find that out? I know the K registration was down this year from anticipated and the school dropped from 5 to 4 classes You'd have to contact the school and hope the admin tells you, if it's like my board. My school is sending out class lists tomorrow, though, so at least they'll know ahead of time by... a few days. Not that they can do anything about it. :/ No switching between online or in-person now. We're doing a lot of outdoor learning here, too. Every class is outside at least once a day, if not twice, not counting recess. We have limited space in my stupid inner-city school, though, so it's all tightly scheduled and we have no flexibility.
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Tlex
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Post by Tlex on Sept 9, 2020 20:05:55 GMT -6
We got the sign up for kindy welcome interviews and there are 17 on the list including my DD. Makes me nervous because this is only the JK half of the class, so how many SKs are there? 😣
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 9, 2020 21:15:52 GMT -6
We got the sign up for kindy welcome interviews and there are 17 on the list including my DD. Makes me nervous because this is only the JK half of the class, so how many SKs are there? 😣 Yikes. I hope for your sake it's just a massive JK cohort and then, like... five SKs. Or a bunch of people who don't intend to show up. I'm not optimistic that further reorgs would happen to reduce class sizes. My school's kinder classes are at cap. We're expecting some parents to show up on day one, chuckle, and never bring their kid again. Hoping the classes settle into smaller numbers in a few weeks.
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 9, 2020 21:22:27 GMT -6
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 10, 2020 5:36:18 GMT -6
Tlex Random thought - is it possible your kid's class is doing one set of intakes for the two classes that share a set of teachers? Instead of the French teacher doing one homeroom and the English doing the other, they just do all the interviews together?
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danib
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Post by danib on Sept 10, 2020 6:21:47 GMT -6
My son's grade 2 class has 27. Plus teacher, IRT teacher, and in previous years one of his classmates had a "helper" so I'm not sure if they're in his class this year or the other class.
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Tlex
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Post by Tlex on Sept 10, 2020 7:05:56 GMT -6
Tlex Random thought - is it possible your kid's class is doing one set of intakes for the two classes that share a set of teachers? Instead of the French teacher doing one homeroom and the English doing the other, they just do all the interviews together? Maybe, I’m so confused by how everything works since they made the changes to French Immersion for kindy. Last year D1 had a rotation 5 regular educators in a day... 3 ECEs in the early/core/late shifts, and a French teacher and an English teacher. I have many Private Thoughts but the team itself was excellent. I don’t really understand how things are going to work this year but it’s my understanding that the educators are in the same boat.
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Tlex
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Post by Tlex on Sept 10, 2020 7:14:37 GMT -6
In the beginning the peace officers would come break up the groups and send them home but they gave up caring, so when i see all the outraged people commenting about how crowded the high schools like i'm very WTF do you think all these teens have been doing since april? They for sure have not been sitting home social distancing This is what baffles me about Ontario's decision to do cohorts of 15 only at the secondary level. Teens are the ones hanging out with no distancing at any time. I know there's an argument to be made that it's BECAUSE they don't distance outside of school that it's extra important AT school, but... I don't know. I am frustrated that my grade 1 kid will be in a regular-sized class with no real changes when teenagers get safer spaces. I think the idea is not as much to reduce spread between the teens but rather to lessen risk to the adults in the rooms with them? I don’t know. Who knows?
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 10, 2020 8:21:54 GMT -6
Tlex Random thought - is it possible your kid's class is doing one set of intakes for the two classes that share a set of teachers? Instead of the French teacher doing one homeroom and the English doing the other, they just do all the interviews together? Maybe, I’m so confused by how everything works since they made the changes to French Immersion for kindy. Last year D1 had a rotation 5 regular educators in a day... 3 ECEs in the early/core/late shifts, and a French teacher and an English teacher. I have many Private Thoughts but the team itself was excellent. I don’t really understand how things are going to work this year but it’s my understanding that the educators are in the same boat. She probably had even more that you don't realize, since those English and French teachers also have prep time that has to be covered by a teacher. It's a nightmare. Bilingual kindergarten is... an interesting program. My understanding is that kindergarten is basically the same this year. Still rotating, still a bajillion contacts, except staff are in full PPE (including putting on gowns if they have to get close to or comfort a child, so... all day?)
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Post by misskilljoy on Sept 10, 2020 8:22:24 GMT -6
The question "Who knows?" is an excellent one.
Answer: literally no one, including the people making the decisions
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emma
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Post by emma on Sept 14, 2020 9:45:24 GMT -6
most of my project team is in BC and i'm stunned at what they are saying re not qualifying to covid testing. I knew they were testing at a much lower rate than AB but the bar to get tested hasn't changed since March. One of my team had a slight fever and upset stomach and had second hand contact with someone who tested positive and that still didn't qualify him. Here you can now book an appointment at a pharmacy which no symptoms and get tested, and 1 symptom from the list will get you sent to the drive through test centre.
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emma
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Post by emma on Sept 14, 2020 9:49:12 GMT -6
all that to say i don't trust the reported numbers from BC.
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Post by Notarobot on Sept 14, 2020 10:07:40 GMT -6
Sooooo...when's the rollback to Stage 2?
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