The new school year is quickly approaching and for some students, it will mark their first return to campus since the coronavirus struck in March 2020.
And while it seemed earlier this summer that COVID-19 was becoming less of a threat, the Delta variant of the disease has sickened mostly unvaccinated people and caused a surge of cases in Florida, just when kids are set to go back to their schoolhouses.
Many parents will have to stock up on face masks as they also gather up new backpacks and uniforms and supplies.
The Archdiocese of Miami welcomes students back Aug. 18; a decision about whether students will continue to wear masks will be made before schools open.
Miami-Dade County Public School students return to class on Aug. 23 and they will have to wear masks while on school buses.
On Aug. 1, M-DCPS Supt. Alberto Carvalho said on WFOR-Ch. 4’s “Facing South Florida” that a panel of experts would advise the district on mask use in classrooms.
The United Teachers of Dade, a union which represents more than 30,000 district employees, says the community is in the same place it was a year ago as far as fighting the virus.
“Let’s be better citizens by following safety guidelines and getting vaccinated,” said UTD President Karla Hernandez-Mats.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on July 27 it was time for vaccinated people to wear masks while “in public in- door settings” where there are high transmission rates of the Delta variant, such as in South Florida.
According to the federal government, vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant can transmit it to others.
The region has seen a rise in hospitalizations among unvaccinated people, officials said.
The CDC’s bottom line for inside schools: Masks should be worn by “all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis said on July 30 he would overrule any mandates by districts for students to wear masks in schools, but that parents may have their children wear face coverings if they wish.
The public school district encourages vaccinations and during the summer, provided sites where kids could get shots.
But a COVID-19 vac- cine was not mandatory to attend its schools.
“We would like to reassure all parents, students, and staff that M-DCPS will continue with all heightened cleaning and sanitation protocols on school campuses and district buses,” said Miami-Dade County School Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman said.
Students and staff who feel sick should stay home until they are diagnosed and if necessary, treated for the virus.
Covid-related anxiety and the ability to deal with it is another coping skill that children and teachers will have to develop as they transition back to the classroom.
“Returning to school after more than a full year of remote learning or half-empty classrooms can require some preparation and adjustments,” said Vanessa Valle, chair of the Reading Department at Hialeah Gardens High School.
Her page on the school website says, “We’re all in this together!”
“While going back will never be the same as it was prior to COVID-19, transitioning back to what will become a new way of learning can be difficult,” Valle said.
She encourages students to follow her tips that are summed up by an acronym, Power: Practice social distancing and self-care; Organize yourself and follow routines to help alleviate anxiety; Welcome new ideas and be open to doing things differently; Encourage collaboration and form study groups and outings and
Reflect on past experiences and set new realistic goals.
Pediatrician Dr. Ruth Schobel has practiced medicine for 37 years in Miami Lakes.
She called vaccines “the single most important invention on earth. I am encouraging all the parents to be vaccinated and all the kids [who are] eligible to get the vaccine.”
Schobel is worried cases of coronavirus will increase once kids return to class.
“Florida is leading the country in the new Delta variant cases,” Schobel said. “The more people we an get vaccinated, the faster we can get through this.” Monsignor Edward Pace
High School parent Cristy Arce said she and her two children survived mild cases of COVID-19.
After they recovered, she said the family was inoculated. Arce said she isn’t concerned about whether her kids may be exposed to the virus in school. “We are not going to live in fear because of COV- ID,” Arce said. While masks aren’t on the list of school supplies offered during the state’s sales tax holiday, there’s lots to choose from and many ways to save money.
Clothing, computers, cellphones, athletic apparel, notebooks, lunch boxes and many other items, with some restrictions on amounts bought or price, are on the list.
The tax holiday ends Aug. 9. For more information, go here.
And for Miami-Dade County’s 19,000 public school teachers, The Education Fund is offering shopping days during the school year at The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials in Medley.
Teachers must sign up online prior to their visits.
Businesses can give back by hosting supply drives.
And for local nonprofits seeking cleaning materials, masks and school supplies for families in need, The Education Fund will help out year ‘round.
To participate in either program email Kirsten Lyon klyon@educationfund.org, call 786-510- 1017 to get more information or to arrange delivery of supplies at the fund’s warehouse in Medley.