Did you send your kids back to school? That’s the question we asked four Island Parent writers. Here are their answers and how they reached their decision on whether or not to send their kids back to school.

Throughout the summer, every time I chatted with one of my girlfriends, the same question kept popping up: Are you sending your kids back to school?

We couldn’t escape the discussion—it was all over social media and the news. Yet despite all the exposure, no clear answer emerged. It seemed like you were “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

No matter what your decision, I commend your parenting and your choice. I chose to send my children back to school and here’s why.

1. Much of the research says this pandemic is not going away any time soon. If we are waiting for a vaccine, it may be a very long wait. So instead of wishing for the way things were, we need to learn how to function with the way things are.

Truthfully, there are so many reasons to keep our children home from school: they could be hurt, they could be bullied, they could be accosted by a stranger while walking to school, there could be an earthquake, there could be lice, measles, runny noses… The list goes on and on.

As parents, our natural instincts tell us to protect our babies at all cost. Despite this, we cannot live fully, being afraid. And I don’t want to make decisions based in fear.

Yes, I am scared that my children may become ill. I am also afraid of all the other items on my list, yet I choose to push through my anxiety so that my children can see what it looks like to be brave, refusing to let fear hold us back from experiencing a full life.

2. I was a teacher for 15 years and I know that school staff is doing everything to keep our children safe. Teachers love our children and will protect them to the best of their ability. They will diligently remind them to wash their hands, keep their distance, and wear their face masks. I trust our teachers. I also know that they, too, are afraid. They feel pressure. Some feel unsupported. Some feel criticized for decisions over which they have had no control. They, truly, are in this with our children, for better or for worse.

3. I trust my children. Granted, at 11 and 14 years old, they are able to understand the expectations and the reasons behind all of the precautions. I have taught them how to wash their hands properly and supplied them with hand sanitizer and face masks. I need to let go of control and allow my children the space to take care of themselves. They will make mistakes, of this I am sure. I make mistakes! There have been moments when I have left my facemask at home or forgotten to wash my hands. No one is perfect.

My children may succumb to peer pressure, noticing that not all their friends are taking precautions. I choose to view this as a test run, an exercise in doing the right thing and making responsible choices. Very soon, they will be faced with more difficult decisions regarding sex, drugs and drinking. Considering this, I am grateful they have an opportunity to develop their sense of self and integrity before the big stuff hits.

I acknowledge that being able to choose whether or not to send my children back to school is a privilege. I can consider this because we are all healthy and strong. No one in my family is ill. No one is immuno-compromised. We are blessed and I am not oblivious to the fact that, for some, this situation is exponentially more difficult. Even so, it was not an easy choice for me to make.

After sharing my decision with my parents who are in their mid-60s, they wondered if they should continue to see my family once we return to school. Our safety bubbles are about to explode. With one child in elementary school and one in high school, their learning cohorts will, collectively, reach over 100 students and staff.

We are also a blended family, which includes a step-son on my side and two step-sisters on my ex-husband’s side. With all of our children returning to school, our safety bubbles are now over 400. I don’t think we can consider it a safety bubble any longer.

While I understand and support my parents’ hesitation, it still breaks my heart. This will be difficult for all of us, but we need to move forward in our lives. Whatever choice you make, there will be a cost to pay.

No matter what you decide to do with your own children, I know that you have given it copious thought and you are doing what you believe is right. I don’t judge you. I hope you don’t judge me. This is a difficult situation and we need each other’s respect and support.

Did you send your kids back to school? That’s the question we asked four Island Parent writers. Here are their answers and how they reached their decision on whether or not to send their kids back to school.

I decided in March not to send my son, Angus, back to school this fall. I beat the rush for the Distributed Learning programs and applied to a number of them. In May he was accepted into EBUS, out of SD91.

It took a lot of time for me to accept that I’d made the right decision. It was lucky I didn’t venture out of the house much in May, because everyone I ran into heard about how anxious I felt. Would this be detrimental to Angus—socially, emotionally, academically? And what about me and my own mental health? What had I done?!

Angus went to school at South Park, which changed last year from a choice school to a catchment school. We are not in the catchment, so even if we decide we’d like him to return in Grade 5 next year, the chances are there will be no space for him. And he made friends there. He loved his Education Assistant (EA). His classes were small and he’d received support.

But our bubble contains Angus’s grandparents. Mike has asthma. Angus has a hard time social-distancing. He can tolerate a mask for about 10 minutes. He puts things in his mouth when he’s overwhelmed—his hands, objects he finds around him. He needs physical touch—either for comfort, or (at school) to ensure he is paying attention. Unexpected routines and changes are a huge source of anxiety for him. Bricks and mortar school simply didn’t feel like an option.

Also, I wanted Angus to have support if schools closed again. I picked EBUS as an alternative to traditional school because it’s one of 16 Distance Learning (DL) options in BC that will allow students with a designation, like Angus with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the ability to earmark some of their special needs funding. EBUS lets us allocate $10,000 to services we feel Angus needs—an EA who will work with him two afternoons each week at home, occupational therapy, curriculum resources.

From March to June, Angus had two 20-minutes Zooms and one backyard visit with his EA. This year, if schools close again, I know he’ll receive more support than that.

Before the pandemic, I had talked to the school about homeschooling Angus in the afternoons, but they convinced me it wasn’t the right choice for him. When we had to learn from home I realized it was probably what I should have been doing all along. Angus was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and had been prescribed anti-anxiety medication which we planned to start during spring break. While he was anxious at home, at school his anxiety was intense. He had daily meltdowns. We didn’t start the medication, but Angus’s anxiety has decreased considerably these last six months—and we’re in a pandemic!

I like teaching Angus, and he learns well at home. We continued all through the summer. I’m able to focus on the things he needs most assistance with, filling gaps to bring him up to grade level in subjects he finds difficult.

We started a multisensory phonics-based spelling program that has brought him from struggling to spell three-letter words to spelling multi-syllable words with confidence. He’s learned his multiplication tables. Because we can take our time, I rarely scribe for him and the legibility of his printing—which is hampered by his fine motor challenges—has improved considerably.

That said, he’s also learning how to type. I’m proud of his efforts and so is he. He experiences success, can take breaks when he needs to, and the only distraction is Charlie Brown the dog.

I know the option of homeschooling is not open to everyone. We’re lucky. I work from home, and my work is flexible—I am the festival director for the Victoria Festival of Authors, I write, and I edit freelance. I can take on less of the latter if I need to (which I definitely do) and since life during a pandemic doesn’t seem to correspond with flashes of creative brilliance, it’s really only festival work I need to balance with homeschooling.

Before Angus was born, I was an educational assistant. Therefore, I can convince myself—and more importantly my kid—that I know what I’m doing. And though Mike has returned to his job at Camosun College, our bubble is still relatively small—which is exactly how we want it.

Learning from home is definitely not the right choice for everyone, but it’s the best decision we could have made for our family.

This guide for young readers defines the coronavirus, explains why everyday routines have been disrupted, and lays out how everyone can do their part to help. For a free downloadable ebook along with other easy-to-navigate learning resources, activities, podcasts and videos for all ages, visit
stayhome.candlewick.com.

Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey has started a Dav Pilkey at Home resource featuring reading, writing and art activities. Kids can get creative and have fun with some of their favourite characters from Dog Man and Captain Underpants. Check in every Friday for new activities, videos, and more.

kids.scholastic.com/kids/home

World Health Organization’s Back-to-School Re-entry Checklist

1. Monitor your child’s health and keep them home from school if they are ill.

2. Teach and model good hygiene practices for your children:

• Wash your hands with soap and safe water frequently. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water, if hands are visibly dirty.

• Ensure that safe drinking water is available and toilets or latrines are clean and available at home

• Ensure waste is safely collected, stored and disposed of

• Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow and avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, nose

3. Encourage your children to ask questions and express their feelings with you and their teachers. Remember that your child may have different reactions to stress; be patient and understanding.

4. Prevent stigma by using facts and reminding students to be considerate of one another

5. Coordinate with the school to receive information and ask how you can support school safety efforts (though parent-teacher committees, etc.)

Free, Live, Coding Workshops for Kids

From creating online games to building websites, students now have access to free, live online coding workshops through the Ministry of Education website Keep Learning BC.

Canada Learning Code offers free, live workshops that students and educators can access that help students as young as nine years old learn how to code in different forms.

New coding workshops are added each week and can be accessed through the Keep Learning BC website.

www.openschool.bc.ca/keeplearning/

The 5 stages of resuming in-class instruction