- Joined
- May 1, 2007
- Messages
- 10,839
- Reaction score
- 2,426
- Location
- St. John, Kansas
- Website
- shakey6wordsmith.webs.com
I haven't checked in for a month or more. Covid hit our small school, Macksville USD 351--google us, early in September. The girls' volleyball team, the coach, also the high school Government teacher; the entire 4th grade and teacher, the school nurse were all quarantined. Now, this school is small and rural. The entire district, from Pre-School to Senior High is in one building. The teachers are doing a good job with masks and hand sanitizing. Our school nurse is on top of things. The teachers are up on virtual learning. Almost every class has a Chromebook or two propped up on the teacher's desk. even I am getting the hang of virtual teaching. It is necessary as quarantine removes and then replaces students.
Most of our students are related or neighbors to each other. There was a county case in September, only one family. One death. In a county this small ( aliitle over 4,000 population in 795 square miles-- 4 small towns.) one death touches many. From that funeral to the next cases was only a few weeks.
I retired 5 years ago but have worked as a sub to help in the ESOL classroom. I believe that teaching kids is the way to make the world better. Macksville is 37% Hispanic. We have 2 Spanish only speakers in the high school and more who are not quite comfortable in all English situations. We also have any who are losing their Spanish--an avoidable tragedy. I am retired but committed to helping non English speaking students. I have taught Vietnamese, Koreans, Laotians, Salvadorans, Cost Ricans, Mexicans. I love doing this but I am 70 years old. I don't want to teach. I just want to tutor high school students.
Early in September the high school ESOL Dept was quarantined. This time the teacher, the only ESOL teacher, caught covid and ended u in the hospital. She is 20 years younger than I am. She was sick, really sick. Like I have said, this is a small school. This lady is not just a co-worker, she is a friend. She could not get her oxygen level past 90. She was sick for 7 weeks. I had to sub for her. Except for the week I had bronchitis--probably the worst bronchitis I have ever had. I did get tested--WOW! That hurts! Like being ten years old and losing your noseplugs as you jump off the high dive and into chlorine water. -- But I seem to be a healthy 70 year old.
My teacher is back now but still not 100%. There are, at this moment, 9 cases in the county. One is a friend. She is sick enough to be in bed but not in the hospital. I notice most people in the county are wearing masks. Still not everyone is and some think it is a Democratic hoax that will blow over after the election but it does make a difference when people know the people who are sick.
Anyway, this is the view from the sparsely populated, monkey ass red, back end of Kansas.
Most of our students are related or neighbors to each other. There was a county case in September, only one family. One death. In a county this small ( aliitle over 4,000 population in 795 square miles-- 4 small towns.) one death touches many. From that funeral to the next cases was only a few weeks.
I retired 5 years ago but have worked as a sub to help in the ESOL classroom. I believe that teaching kids is the way to make the world better. Macksville is 37% Hispanic. We have 2 Spanish only speakers in the high school and more who are not quite comfortable in all English situations. We also have any who are losing their Spanish--an avoidable tragedy. I am retired but committed to helping non English speaking students. I have taught Vietnamese, Koreans, Laotians, Salvadorans, Cost Ricans, Mexicans. I love doing this but I am 70 years old. I don't want to teach. I just want to tutor high school students.
Early in September the high school ESOL Dept was quarantined. This time the teacher, the only ESOL teacher, caught covid and ended u in the hospital. She is 20 years younger than I am. She was sick, really sick. Like I have said, this is a small school. This lady is not just a co-worker, she is a friend. She could not get her oxygen level past 90. She was sick for 7 weeks. I had to sub for her. Except for the week I had bronchitis--probably the worst bronchitis I have ever had. I did get tested--WOW! That hurts! Like being ten years old and losing your noseplugs as you jump off the high dive and into chlorine water. -- But I seem to be a healthy 70 year old.
My teacher is back now but still not 100%. There are, at this moment, 9 cases in the county. One is a friend. She is sick enough to be in bed but not in the hospital. I notice most people in the county are wearing masks. Still not everyone is and some think it is a Democratic hoax that will blow over after the election but it does make a difference when people know the people who are sick.
Anyway, this is the view from the sparsely populated, monkey ass red, back end of Kansas.
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