1. What's happening where you live in terms of schools opening? How do you feel about it?
Believe it or not....teachers start back today (August 5th) in my county. The students were scheduled to return to school August 10th but that has been pushed to August 20th. My county is doing a hybrid schedule. If your last name begins with A- J you are schedule for A days which will be Monday and Thursday and if your last name begins with K-Z you are schedule for B days which will be Tuesday and Friday. There will be no in school instruction on Wednesday. Wednesday will be used for deep cleaning and remediation. Parents have a choice to send their children to school or virtual learning. At first, I was concerned why A days were Monday and Thursday instead of Monday and Tuesday and why B days were Tuesday and Friday. But after talking to a few other people (school board personnel) I completely understand. Bruises Heal....I truly understand with some children living at home and the physical and emotional trauma the child has probably had to be a victim of it hasn't been easy for them. Teachers do more than teach academics; they provide that emotional support that a child needs.
I am on the fence of sending students back to school. As a retired teacher, I know students need to return to school and I know teachers want to return to school. On the other hand, I know teachers who will be using their sick days because their doctor has told him/her it is too risky because of health issues for him/her to return to the classroom. I know teachers who are scared because they are taking care of their spouse, who has a terminal illness, or taking care of their aging parents. Man, this is such a difficult decision to make and I pray daily for all school personnel. And for the parents who are struggling with this decision.
2. What's something you still do 'old school'?
I still do not do any banking on-line. A few years ago, hub and I had our identity stolen. SHEW!! what a nightmare. We had just returned from hub's surgery at Duke and was dealing with his cancer diagnosis only to discover our identity had been stolen. The IRS was very helpful with our situation. Because of this, I prefer doing all my banking in person and with a paper copy of everything. I also will not order anything on-line.
3. August 4th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Will you/did you celebrate by baking a batch? Eating a batch? Nuts or no nuts? Homemade or store bought? Soft and chewy or do you prefer your cookie to snap when you bite into it?
But the main reason for not baking any cookies is I am trying to lose a few pounds. I am a big stress eater and with the quarantine I have eaten much more (not healthy foods/snacks) than I should!!
4. What are you starved for?
I like smooth sailing and less drama.
5. Anything new and interesting on your August calendar? What is one thing you're looking forward to this month?
With all the negativity on Facebook, I have decided to limit my time on Facebook to only my devotions through my church. I started this on Saturday and so far I am doing it and surviving!.
The who school thing is so difficult. My husband and I are both retired from the school system and so thankful that we are already gone! So glad I don't still have children in school too and no grands yet to worry about *whew* I stepped away from Facebook years ago, it always seemed to be filled with the negative things. Hope you have a great week :)
ReplyDeleteSocial media just isn't very social these days. It's taken on a whole new twist. Hope the rest of your week goes well.
ReplyDeleteSocial media is something I am stepping away from more and more as well. I am also in prayer for all school personnel and the parents. Such a hard decision for everyone involved and when others seem to judge whatever decision you make, it proves to be even more stressful.
ReplyDeleteWe do almost all banking/bill paying etc. online, basically because of its convenience since we travel (used to) and because there are not many open banks any more with real people. But we do recognize the possible flaws in doing so. I chose to social distance from FB several months ago, and am not missing it. A BIG YES to your kindness comments.
ReplyDeleteSocial media is a cesspool lately and I think you're wise to minimize time there. I hop on to link my blog, send my birthday wishes, and then move on. I read a statistic that abuse reporting is down about 50% and I know it's due to school's being closed and teachers not having the ability to report. So many hard things every which way you turn. Take care!
ReplyDeleteYes, kindness!!! Don't see much of it today. So sad! I've blocked several on FB. Have a good rest of the week.
ReplyDeleteI've not made a complete break with FB just yet, but agree with Joyce's assessment. What a terrifying experience to have had your identities stolen -- especially in light of the cancer diagnosis. How nice to learn the IRS was of help. Must confess, I was surprised to read that.
ReplyDeleteI agree that social media is just a mess of negativity and nastiness. I simply won't engage even if I read things I don't agree with--like Joyce.
ReplyDeleteIs a smile really that hard to show? Is kindness really that hard to do?
My dil is a teacher. I wish she didn't have to go into the classroom since her father has so many health issues and lives in the home with them.
More peace and kindness -- yes, we certainly need that!! I don't know that things will get appreciably better, but we can each do our part and that's really good.
ReplyDelete