Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 9-4-20

Local
Keep Your Children At Home
s former teachers
and parents of seven children, grand- parents of thirty grand- children, and fourteen great grandchildren, we feel obligated and com- pelled to advise parents to keep their children at home for home-school- ing or virtual learning. We make this suggestion based upon the recent experience of a Coron- avirus outbreak in schools in Mississippi, Georgia, and Indiana that required the closing of schools and the quar- antine of more than 1,500 students, teachers and staff.
The main reason for making this suggestion is because Governor Ron DeSantis failed to show wisdom or any knowl- edge of critical thinking when he ordered all Florida schools to open for in-classroom learn- ing without considera- tion of several key issues.
The first concern is that DeSantis refuses to issue a mandate for all Floridians to wear masks. We hope the local and county re- quirement to wear masks will be enforced by all schools.
Moreover, issues of availability, accessibility, and financial capacity of parents or the schools to provide five or more masks each week for
210,000 students, 5,000 teachers and staff, more than one million masks per week. This concern is raised because hospitals, doctors, and nurses con- tinue to complain about the scarcity of masks, wearing the same masks for two or three days and other equipment.
Secondly, to our knowledge, there is no plan to require more than the minimum six square feet of space for each student in class- rooms, hallways, and lunchrooms. We have al- ready seen pictures of school hallways packed when students change classes. Most classrooms are built to house 25-30 students, all in close proximity. An average 900 square feet room should hold no more than ten to fifteen stu- dents.
Thirdly, to our knowl- edge, there are no plans for limiting bus rider- ship for students when buses usually only have 300 square feet of space without seats. The num- ber of children riding on a bus should allow them to practice social distanc- ing as well.
We understand the challenge for parents who must work or who have concerns about their ability to help their children with their schoolwork and their
homework. However, we suggest families pull to- gether with parents and dependable friends, or other individuals close to them to help in solving the problem of childcare for working parents and the monitoring of chil- dren who are kept at home. This is a time for all family members to come to the aid of family members who have school age children.
By the way, Michigan State University, Perdue University, and Harvard have all conducted stud- ies that show virtual learning is just as good as or better than in-class- room learning if it is done properly. We hate to believe that the rush to place our children in classrooms under dan- gerous conditions have anything to do with the 7 billion back-to-school buying generate.
Money spent for clothing, shoes, books, book bags, gasoline, uni- forms, electronics lunches, breakfasts, sup- plies, school and gym uniforms, and rental of musical instruments. . . Your child can catch up during summer school, but he or she cannot overcome the risk of per- manent illness or death. Protect your children. Keep them home until a vaccine is created and is available.
JAMES and JOANNA TOKLEY Tampa, FL
Sumner High School Receives Prestigious
Cambridge AICE International School Status
First Hillsborough County School to receive this recognition.
Sumner High School, the district’s brand new high school, has been awarded the distinction of becoming an official Cam- bridge AICE school, one of the first ever in Hillsborough County Public Schools. This innovative curriculum will be available to a cohort of students beginning this academic year as well as through Academy 2027, the 6th grade program at Sumner.
This is the first year the Cambridge International Program will be offered within Hillsborough County Public Schools. A Cambridge AICE diploma is recognized by the world’s best uni- versities, setting a global standard for education. The curriculum is flexible, challenging, and inspiring.
“This style of curriculum will unlock incredible potential within our students, cultivating a love of learning that will carry on even after high school. The Cambridge AICE program will provide another high-quality choice for families as we continue our quest to prepare our students for life,” said Superintendent Addison Davis.
“I am excited to begin a new tradition of excellence with the Cambridge AICE program at Sumner. This is another tool we will use to develop our students’ critical and independent think- ing skills, along with producing graduates who are immediately ready for college or the workforce,” said Principal Dave Brown.
The Cambridge AICE Diploma signifies that a student has mastered an in-depth knowledge of selected subjects including a variety of math, science, languages arts and humanities. The Cambridge experience allows learners to focus on their individ- ual interests, while developing transferable skills to be career and college ready.
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDA PAGE 7-A