As an athlete and the parent of athletes, I know first hand how important the sports season is to our teens. I fear what will happen if the winter season is canceled. Our teens are already at the brink and many haven't been in a classroom for over 9 months. Parents and coaches, this is a good segment on WAVY to watch.
VBCPS is planning to cancel the winter sports season, a final decision will be made tomorrow. It is my viewpoint that our youth athletes are safer in school and safer playing their sports. Physicians advising our Board told us that it is causing harm keeping our kids out of school. I have read about teens around the country committing suicide after their sports seasons were canceled. If you believe our youth should still have a winter sports season (even if you don't have a HS athlete), please email (ASAP) the VB School Board: vbcpsschoolboard@googlegroups.com Superintendent Aaron Spence: aaron.spence@vbschools.com Chief Schools Officer Donald Robertson: donald.robertson@vbschools.com MOST IMPORTANT: PLEASE HAVE YOUR ATHLETE SEND AN EMAIL!!! click "Please allow Winter Sports to Move Forward" below to send an prefilled email.
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Physician Presentation-- 3 local doctors on our advisory panel (2 pediatricians and 1 ER physician) are strongly in favor of school reopening. They stated that science now shows closings schools causes harm. Childhood obesity caused by isolation will have long lasting negative impacts on health, ER departments are overflowing with mental health patients due to psychiatric facilities being at their highest levels ever (increasing at the highest rate ever). Pediatric mental health problems, suicides and suicidal ideations are at all time high. They felt that students are safer in school and that they are not transmitting the virus to each other or to staff. They also favor keeping the virtual option and continuing with the mitigations that have been put in place. Director of VB Dept of Health- Dr Demetria Lindsay also gave her point of view. She said that she wasn't opposed to reopening schools but felt that it had to be done in a measured approach and was concerned about the community numbers. The Superintendent seems to want to get schools open but also wants the support of Dept of Health. He also presented an idea of having a safety audit team that would monitor schools compliance with mitigation measures. I thought that was a good idea. Several Board members still seem opposed to reopening. Sports: A decision will be made by Dec 22nd regarding whether or not to cancel Varsity winter sports. It does not sound promising that they will happen. The next scheduled school board meeting will not take place until Jan 12th. It was asked if the board could meet sooner and the chair is contemplating that question. If you want our kids back to school asap and want winter sports to continue, please email the school board. vbcpsschoolboard@googlegroups.com This is currently a book that is an approved part of VBCPS 9th grade curriculum. This "short film" was used to introduce the book at one school. I've received complaints from multiple parents at multiple schools who have concerns about their children reading this book. I've read multiple reviews of the book but attached is the most in depth literary review. I've also spoken to a teacher who has read this book (but said would never assign it to students) and the teacher said the review is very accurate. Here is one excerpt from the book review: Kids at the harvest camp are thrilled to meet Connor, whose reputation precedes him. Risa is assigned to play with the band, which plays on top of the Chop Shop, the building where unwinding takes place. She feels like it’s unethical to watch kids meet their end, but Dalton, a bass player, insists it’s the only way to stay alive. Lev is at the harvest camp too, but for a very different reason. After leaving the Graveyard on the “work call,” people praised Lev and replaced his blood with explosive liquid. He, Mai, and Blaine are now clappers, and plan to blow up the camp. One evening, Roland tries to strangle Connor, but he can’t go through with it. Counselors take him to be unwound the next afternoon. The experience is horrific: he’s awake and terrified the entire time. Word gets out that Connor is slated to go next. Lev insists to Mai and Blaine that they have to act soon so they can save Connor. Lev is late getting to his spot, however, and the Chop Shop explodes just after Connor steps inside. Risa and the band fall when the roof collapses. Though Lev is in excruciating emotional pain, he can’t bring himself to clap, and instead stanches Connor’s bleeding and leads the rescue effort. Connor wakes up in the hospital and learns that nurses have given him a new identity—that of a member of a wealthy local family—which saves him from unwinding and also made him eligible for emergency transplants for his eye and his arm. To his horror, Connor realizes that he received Roland’s arm. He finds Risa and learns that she refused the transplant surgery that would cure the lower body paralysis she sustained in her fall. Now, as a disabled person, she can’t be unwound. What are your thoughts in the current environment of children struggling with mental health issues? *** Only comments that include a valid name and email address will be approved on the blog. |
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