Thread by @MegHegarty

Our family caught Covid last year, and our youngest now has Long Covid. Masking indoors is non-negotiable for us, but our 14 yo was struggling with being the only masker so much that we removed her from school. Last week we met with school admin to discuss next steps.

https://twitter.com/barryhunt008/status/1636782547987316746

The principal had met with @kprschools board staff to discuss options. His first suggestion was for us to either pay for e-learning courses or to homeschool her. Both those options would mean she would no longer be a KPR student. She would miss out on the IB and FI programs.

He did not ask how she was doing, what she wanted, or how she learns best. She thrives in person and has been struggling academically and emotionally learning from home. We shared this and expressed that removing her from the school was not an option we wanted to consider.

The academic support teacher stepped in and asked how we would feel if she talked to our daughter’s classes about why she needed to wear a mask. She suggested a well-ventilated area where 14 yo could take mask breaks safely. Not one adult offered to wear a mask in solidarity.

No one offered to ask students who felt comfortable to show their support by wearing a mask while in class with her. The school did not offer to provide masks to her classrooms so that students who wanted to wear one had immediate access.

When we contacted our son’s @PVNCCDSB school earlier this year after realizing he would not be able to safely return to his grade 1 class after his Long Covid diagnosis if no students were masking, the response was the same. We had to sacrifice a second income to homeschool.

Our 12 yo, who attends the same school as her brother, is the only one in her class who wears a mask. She is a tough kid, in a small class where students have known each other since forever and are mostly very kind, yet even she has struggled with the social implications.

The current messaging around masking is that students should respect the choice to wear a mask. Think about the impact if, instead, we encouraged students to wear one, or explained that wearing a mask is an act of allyship that supports and protects vulnerable people.

Our children feel judged for protecting their brother because of the culture that has been created around masking at school. During parent teacher interviews, one teacher admitted that even he stopped masking despite being high risk because he was the only staff wearing one.

If even adults are struggling with the current school culture around masking, then we are doing something wrong. The science on the risks of Covid infection is clear, as is the positive impact masking and ventilation have on prevention. Our children and staff deserve better.

To be clear, I am not asking for a mask mandate. I understand the political implications (and parent rage) that school boards wish to avoid. But that does not excuse school boards from their duty to protect children and create safe, inclusive learning environments.

I expect more from @PVNCCDSB @kprschools #onted and society in general to protect our kids. I am calling on you to change the messaging around masking, to be transparent about/improve ventilation, and to put ‘inclusive policies’ into action so that ALL kids can attend school.

No child should have to choose between attending school and protecting those they love. @ONSchoolSafety @parentaction4ed @maritstiles @DavidPiccini @twpiggott @OntEdWorkers @ONeducation @ONT_Dad @osstf @OECTAProv @ONTSpecialNeeds @JustinTrudeau