Items

07/22/2021

Research shows COVID-19 link to heart damage

Banner Health experts are encouraging cardiac screenings for student-athletes as new research has revealed potential heart damage as a potential after effect from COVID-19 infection.

2021-07-15

Dr. Marissa Rhodes, Oral History, July 15, 2021

Curator for the JOPTY program, Angelica S Ramos interviews mother of three, Dr. Marissa Rhodes. In this interview she discusses her role as a professor and how COVID-19 halted all the plans she had for her classes. She also discusses her pregnancy with her third baby and the struggles that came with prenatal care and birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Rhodes also relates her birthing experience and how different the pandemic made it from her first two pregnancies; she discusses the complications that she faced and the stresses she dealt with. Dr. Rhodes also discusses how her social life was impacted and the struggle to find a balance between work, children, virtual-learning and a new baby. Lastly, she reflects on her personal silver lining and the lessons that she hopes will be learned from this experience.

2021-06-13

Red ribbons at P.S. 042 Benjamin Altman

I took these two photos in Downtown Manhattan at Public School 42. There were red ribbons tied around the iron fence that appear to have wishes or hopes from students. Some of the ribbons are hard to read, but one says "[Illegible] make homeless people happy by giving them things I don't need" and another says "My [illegible] that COVID-19 will stop forever". All of the ribbons where the grade level is visible indicate that the ribbons were made by fourth graders.

2020-06

Some Graduation Memes and Photos During the Coronavirus Time

Graduations during 2020 were conducted remotely. This meant that the students missed out on an important and memorable ceremony to mark this milestone in their lives. All ages were affected. The students were mostly home, and some had videos either as a live feed or prerecorded. Families tried their best to make the occassion memorable for their kids. Some schoolz had car parades for their graduates to "march" in front of their school or neighbors.

2020-06-15

A Tiresome Year

During this first year of Covid-19 has taken place, I can sum it up in a single word "wearisome". When this pandemic started in the year 2020, the southern part of Texas seemed to be unyielding in the hustle and bustle of everyday life down here. The attitude and lack of being a courteous person continued until about the middle of July. This was the starting point of the pandemic begging to affect people enough to begin to take notice of this "uncertain time" as if a miracle the everyday average Joe wasn't hassling me for being wearing a mask. This tale of endless misery starts at the beginning of Covid-19 and stretches until the middle of June 2020. Some background information about the antagonist of this tale is a religious youth group of about twenty would come to every Thursday and order an obnoxious amount of items all very rudely. This instance in particular struck a chord with me. This one religious group of younger children (probably about eleven to fourteen) and an older gentleman named Moshi. This group I loathed, just for the sole reason that these children would run about with no mask and caring not for social distancing, and this gentleman was pushing these children to not follow CDC protocol. Well about after a good eight months these children and a new gentleman came in all wearing masks and seemingly decent and well-mannered. This new individual had replaced Moshi and lectured this devil-children about the importance of wearing a mask and being just at least a decent human. This religious youth group had come in and sat on our patio every Thursday and seemingly never once did these children follow protocol until Joel the new instructor stressed the importance of being not a walking health hazard. I and all of my co-workers appreciate that man greatly.

2021-04-21

COVID Safety Squirrels

I have an incredibly imaginative six year old son. Since he was three, he has told us each day which identity he is choosing for the day: duck, bird, duckbird, squirrel, bunny, or chipmunk. (This list has grown over time). He doesn’t actually act like that type of animal, or really alter his behavior or personality at all, but will refer to himself as “Duckbird” or “Baby Bird” and expects you to refer to him as such. And every once in a while will respond with a “quack,” or whatever noise is appropriate for that animal identity. For Squirrel (who is now our “house president” - apparently he won an election none of us were privy to), there is an ongoing theme of a Squirrel Parade that shows up and disrupts everything going on. This is not something that came out of COVID, the Squirrel Parade predates it (we live next to Disneyland and in a pre-COVID life went to the park at least once a week - the kid has seen a lot of parades). However, the Squirrel Parade has definitely evolved with the pandemic. It is remarkable how COVID has seamlessly become part of a kid’s imagination. The Squirrel Parade, which always included King Squirrel, the Throwing Nuts Squirrels, and the Trumpet Squirrels among others now includes the “COVID Safety Squirrels.” When we asked my son who they are, he said they’re the squirrels that hand out masks and hand sanitizer and make sure everyone social distances. It wasn’t strange to him, just another part of the parade. I guess for little kids this isn’t strange to them. I mean, it is. But it’s also not. Just another thing to learn along with multiplication tables. Put on a mask and keep your distance, and the parade marches on.

2021-04-05

40,000 children have lost a parent to Covid-19

(NEXSTAR) – In a grim reminder of the death toll from COVID-19, a new study published by the American Medical Association found that nearly 40,000 U.S. children have lost one of their parents to the virus. It’s a heartbreaking new angle to the number of U.S. deaths since the pandemic began – 555,273 as of Monday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University. “This may come as a surprise, since 81% of lives lost in the US have been adults 65+,” study author Rachel Margolis, an associate professor at the University of Western Ontario, tweeted. “However, we are also seeing high mortality among younger adults, many of whom have children under 18.”

2021

Covid-19 in the background of life

I have a lot of photos taken in this spot. Our animals and children are cute and tend to hang out on the sofa. I was scrolling back through my online albums and noticed something the background of my photos from the last year all have in common. The tote bag hanging off the closet door is for used masks as we come in. The little table across the stairs is our home PPE station. It wasn’t there a year ago. The baskets are filled with cloth masks of various sizes and styles (it took a lot of trial and error to find masks that fit both kids) and the drawer has a touchless thermometer, among other things. The top has wipes, hand sanitizer, and a UV phone sanitizer that was on back order for months before it arrived. We will always be able to identify the year these photos were taken thanks to a collection of stuff I couldn’t imagine having eighteen months ago. I wonder how long it will stay?

2021-04-11

Alarm grows over impact of states banning trans youth treatment

Medical experts and LGBT advocates are sounding the alarm over the physical and mental health risks to the transgender community after at least 19 state legislatures, including Arkansas, have proposed or passed bills seeking to ban trans youth treatment. Proponents of the bills have argued that the legislation is in place to protect children from making irreversible decisions about their bodies. But earlier this week, doctors and LGBT organizations defended treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, and warned about a potential increased suicide rate among trans youth if such legislation is enacted.

2020-10-19

3 easy ways to help kids unlearn gender identity & sexual orientation bias during the pandemic

With all of the controversy in my state about our new Social Studies state standards about bringing in more diversity I see that we need to educate more people about the diversity that is in front of every student no matter their background because no matter what you do in life you will meet and interact with people that are not like yourself. I saw this article that gives teachers and parents some ideas on how to help kids unlearn gender identity and sexual orientation bias. Here are the three things you can do: 1. Prioritize Social-Emotional Learning 2.Introduce LGBTQ Characters, Works, and Historical Figures. 3.Start Easy, Start Small. Read the article for more information within these tips.

2021-04-18

COVID 19

what impact covid 19 has had on my son

2021-03-09

#JOTPYSilver from Christine

christinejwong #jotpysilver I’m grateful I got to spend more time with my kids that wouldn’t haven been possible if I was going into the office 5 days a week.

2021-02-22

#JOTPYLesson from Marissa Rhodes

I learned how to enjoy my kids' company. Before COVID and the resultant lockdown, I used to have anxiety about spending long periods of time at home with my kids. I felt like I needed to entertain them the entire time and like I was never doing a good enough job. COVID meant I had to face the fear really quickly. I learned what I loved about spending quality time with them and most importantly, that it's OK to encourage my kids to entertain themselves. #JOTPYLesson Joan Winnie Peggy Christman Mary Biggie-Beyer Jac Que Kelly Tee

2021-03-01

#JOTPYLesson from Robin Keagle

In retrospect, I have learned that the initial stay-at-home order was an unexpected gift to my husband, daughter, and me. Although the reason for it was unfortunate, it turned out to be a blessing in many ways. Instead of rushing to and from school and work, we had time to eat together more, watch movies, and develop a comfortable but temporary new routine. To be sure, not every day was bright and shiny yet we definitely appreciated this unique time together. Our youngest will be off to college in a couple of years which made it even more special to have those moments with her. Family is everything. PS. I also learned that Zoom has a great HD filter that allows me to wear much less make-up, and how to coordinate a work blouse with pajama pants which is a silver lining indeed. #JOTPYLesson Julie Watters Amber Peters Kim Kimberly Rankin Michele Gable Stefanie Thayer Sinanovic

2021-04-13

How does the pandemic affect children?

With vaccines already approved for ages of 16, still clinical trials need to be completed for children younger than 16. There is more thought put into children's vaccine as their body does not react to things the same way that grown adults do. By the looks of statistics, it can be said that the vaccines will be available for children before the start of the 2021 - 2022 school year. This means children will be able to get the vacancies and start living more socially involved lives as it is important for them during these stages of development. Though the vaccine will not be required, it is suggested and each state will make its own laws on what type of rules they want to set. On the bright sight, the vaccine is the best hope to end the pandemic and allow children to start enjoying their lives like before again, it will help cut down children's obesity rates and boost mental health.

2021-04-13

How does the pandemic affect children?

This article speaks about the clinical trials that have begun in Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in hopes of getting a vaccine out for children as young as five years old. At the moment about 3,000 children have been on a waitlist to be involved in the trial. There are sites at which people are working to get dosage limits right for children ranging from 2-4 aswell. Many responses were collected by children on how they felt about being a part of the trial. Lila, a third-grader who is 8, was asked what was the best thing about participating in the vaccine trial, she replied, "knowing I might be able to not wear my mask anymore and knowing that the coronavirus vaccine is coming out." The effects the pandemic has on the children are visible as their hopes are to help the pandemic stop so that things go back to normal for them.

2021-01-21

Corona Culture Products

These pictures are a collection of Corona themed products from summer 2020 to January 2021. As you can see, there was a great variety of products and some of the most unusual appeared starting 2021. Of particular note is the coffee mug and a small wall plaque. Even the infant phrases "Social distancing" and "Healthcare worker" had crept into daily items in real stores. By fall, masks were being advertised in stores on long plastic hangers and had become just as common on random aisles as dish gloves, scrubber pads, and dryer balls. By January 2021, companies had begun to get creative with masks and shields. The final picture shows a set of children's face shields encased with the features of animal heads. This was likely to appeal to children who like to pretend to be animals. One company also began to make masks in small, medium, large, and extra large, to accommodate the variety of face shapes among the public (not pictured). The most important thing about all these products is that they show how deeply embedded Corona had become in United States culture despite the fact that it was not even a year since the virus appeared in the U.S. This indicates that companies were actively involved in both creating and maintaining a COVID consumer culture that tied what people experienced to what they could buy. Although more difficult to determine, it also shows a demand for such items both out of necessity (masks) and for leisure or fun (mug, animal shields). These items also reveal that COVID-19 was a highly unique event in that it was so marketable. No other event in the 21st century generated as much cultural/societal presence as Corona. These products should be further studied to see what better understanding about Corona can be gained from them.

2021-03-17

Is Early Childhood Development Declining?

There are socialization concerns among adults and adolescents, and most are aware of the reasons behind that. However, children still in early developmental stages (infants, toddlers) may struggle in the long-term. The article primarily revolves around the words and expertise of senior scientist at Haskins Laboratories and a professor adjunct at the Yale Child Study Center, David Lewkowicz. There are physical, emotional, and mental struggles that could negatively impact early childhood development. Examples of these struggles are with how they learn languages by visual and auditory associations, which can be difficult with masks. Another related to masks is facial recognition. Lewkowicz isn't filled with bad news, though. More time and direct attention given to face-to-face interactions and more explicit expressions of emotions can help compensate. These early years are when children are very adaptable as they take in the world around them, so there is hope for more perceptive children coming out of the pandemic rather than a decline.

2021-04-10

Gargle Test Provided to Vancouver Schools, Easy & Accessible Testing at Home

In order to relieve some stress for COVID-19 testing, the BC Children's hospital in Vancouver, Canada is supplying 1,200 testing kits to 1,000 schools. It's supposed to be replenished as needed. However, the main purpose is to make testing more accessible (without medical facility visitations). Those who show symptoms, or simply get a runny nose, may be sent home.

2021

Vaccine Eligibility Expanding to Adolescents, Californian Parents React to Schools Reopening

California is soon expanding their vaccine eligibility to 16 and older on April 15, 2021. The plans for expanding it even more aren't expected to be for sometime. However, the announcement from Pfizer-BioNTech stating that the vaccine is safe and effective for 12 and older does give some hope for a quicker time frame. The is a focus on giving children and adolescents back their youth. There are schools opening with hybrid instructions (online and on-site instruction), but there the on-site hours are always rotating students to minimize crowd interaction. The article goes on to include opinions from parents of adolescents, which emphasized the importance of getting everyone (school faculty and students alike) vaccinated. Everyone seems eager to get back to pre-pandemic life as soon as possible, so the eligibility expansion does receive as good news and gives the public hope. Naturally, however, it’s not all good news as people need to remain informed and cautious. The article reminds us that variants of the virus have the potential to harm younger children. Notably, it’s the B117 strain that’s been said by Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, that can be “50% to 60% more contagious than other strains of Covid-19” from his observations of Minnesota schools.

2021-04-10

CDC Science Brief: Transmission of COVID-19 in K-12 schools

(updated March 19, 2021) CDC report on scientific findings in terms of COVID-19, children, adolescents, and the unlikely transmission potential among these two groups (18 or younger). The experiences of other countries opening at various points during the pandemic contribute to the knowledge laid out in the report. One example of a recommended prevention strategy, physical distancing, is explained as a determining factor in preventing transmission. Yet, as the research shows, the prescribed 6-foot distance is less of a stress point when observing children and adolescents. In other words, several US studies have found low transmission rates when children are separated less than 6 feet. The same applies to children and adult interactions.

2021-04-10

Children, School, and COVID-19

This article, from The Atlantic, analyzes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assertion that adequate ventilation, proper face coverings, and social distancing in schools will prevent transmission and a surge in COVID-19. The CDCs argument, which the author of the article fully supports, bases their support for in-person instruction on the "preponderance of available evidence," which includes both US studies and European. According to the CDC, people under 18, and young children especially, are less likely to infection and less likely to suffer severe symptoms. Moreover, one comprehensive plan to return children to the class includes access to vaccinations, high-quality scientific information, and strict COVID protocols.

2021-04-08

How does the pandemic affect children?

This article titled "Coming of Age" is a great article that provides various art pieces from children all around the world. Who, through their art display the feelings they feel during the pandemic, certain stepping stones of their life that they were unable to celebrate fully, and even self-development that was limited. More can be said about the article by looking at the images provided and the unique descriptions below them.

2021-04-08

How does the pandemic affect children?

This article speaks about obesity in children during the pandemic. With lots of parents work being closed as well as schools, parents struggle to provide healthy options to children and are stuck with buying cheaper option that is mostly filled with preservatives and high calories that is causing obesity rates to increase. Effects of diet during youth effects eating habits that a child developss as it grows. As weight plays a role mentally and physically in a person's health, the pandemic affects children in such away.

2021-03-21

Banksy’s ‘Game Changer’ Canvas sells for a record £16.7m in aid of NHS charities, 2021

Banksy will donate the hammer price of £14.4m to help support health organisations and charities across the UK that enhance the NHS’s care and treatment. Christie’s Auction House will “donate a significant portion of the Buyer’s Premium to these causes” too. The Game Changer canvas first appeared in May 2020 at the University Hospital Southampton as a thank you to all the staff and NHS workers across the country during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The black and white artwork shows a little boy playing with a superhero nurse whilst Batman and Spiderman’s usual heroes are now in the trash. A reproduction of Game Changer will remain on view at University Hospital Southampton hospital.

2021-03-23

#JOTPYLesson from Jordan Bizal

I've learned that I wasn't spending enough time with my kids and spouse. I have missed so many things this year, but I realized just how much I've missed by prioritizing life outside of my home. My kids are funny, kind, and so smart. It's been a great opportunity to pay attention to the things that they do while they're still little. I've learned that my extended family care deeply for me. The way people have called to check in and set up regular zoom meetings reminds me that in the same way I was missing small regular moments with my kids and spouse, I was also missing mundane conversations with people farther out in my circle.

2021-02-22

#JOTPYSilver from Kiki

I learned that despite numerous journalists and politicians bemoaning the deep damage quarantine is doing to elementary aged kids, my two kids are thriving. They love having time to roller blade, bike, play legos, build forts, run around the yard, have both parents home to join in the fun, and end the night by watching an after dinner movie or tv show together (currently, the og Muppet Show) - all things our crammed with activities pre-pandemic life didn’t regularly allow for. I guess I learned a slower pace of life isn’t necessarily a bad thing

2021-03-30

Pandemic Lifestyle & Childhood Education, Oral History with Alejandra Diaz, 03/30/2021

Alejandra Diaz lives in Tracy, California with her two children. Throughout the interview, social interaction was brought up frequently. It is a major factor that the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted for herself and her children. As family is an important topic, Alejandra shares how their lifestyle used to be compared to how it was presently. Socialization is prevalent in her common interactions with family, friends, and in her children’s academic lives. As the questions shifts from lifestyle to academics, Alejandra talks about how her children’s education has been like during the pandemic, and about schools reopening in California. Alejandra has good things to say about the teachers as they would help where they could. Even before her children returned, she expresses her support towards in-person schools starting back up. She feels that this is necessary, under the right safety measures, for her children to learn and develop as it can prove difficult in isolation.

2021-01-16

To stop digital ‘redlining’ and help students, make the internet an essential utility

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 98 to help ensure that all of our children are able to successfully continue their education virtually through the Internet. Unfortunately, although this requirement on our educators came with significant funding, the California State Legislature did not couple it with any requirements for internet service providers to actually provide service. We have seen this problem manifest acutely in the many school districts around the state that are scrambling to keep students connected. California’s surge in COVID-19 cases means remote education will continue to be the safest way to continue learning for many students in the weeks and months ahead. But the need for connectivity will not end after the pandemic. If we truly want to level the playing field for students in California — to ensure all students have access to the technology and tools that not only help them access their learning remotely but will be needed for success the rest of their lives — we cannot rest until the internet flows like electricity.

2021-03-29

School Districts in California Setbacks while Reopening

This explains which and how many school districts in California have reopened. Many have remained closed for a year or more. As the article's title suggests, "A majority of school districts are now open. But not everyone wants to return," they share why they're seeing a slow intake of students. They also reported that the Long Beach school district had their teachers vaccinated earlier, therefore was able to open their schools earlier than the rest of the state.

2021-03-01

California Parents' Opinions on Schools Reopening

This provides a general impression of California's parents' thoughts towards reopening in-person schools. Surveys selected from the country-wide populace as well as California district-wide populations were considered. They don't only provide demographics. They also provide some context and reasons for why the participants felt a certain way. One of those responses was "Yes (only if the vaccine is readily available)", another being "No (prefer distance learning)" by an overwhelming amount. It helps inform us of the public opinion while vaccines were still in its early rollout stages.

2021-03-31

How does the pandemic affect children?

This link is a podcast with which talks about a specific family of 4, including 2 girls ages 5 and 7 and the two guardians who have health witnessed changes in their children's behavior due to covid. It is a very interesting read and listen as both the children now have been hearing things about deaths due to covid and because of that say things such as "I don't care if I die". The read goes on to state some factual information, some important things said include, " a sex-abuse hotline operated by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network reported that half its calls in March came from minors, for the first time in its history." This was somthing that I heard for the first time and was shaken. Not only are children going through the stress of their own during the pandemic but they stay home and are potentially being abused. For some children going to school was an escape. I was though was very happy that these minors had information on who to contact for help.

2021-03-31

How does the pandemic affect children?

This link talks about the effects the pandemic has on children's nutritional health and physical activity. With parents already being stressed about managing through the pandemic, the quality of care for children had gone down. According to this site "Families report that during COVID-19 mitigation, time spent in physical activity and sports has decreased while sleep time and screen time have increased." It is understandable that this is an issue as children are limited from going outside as families fear for their health along with the lack of social life has caused children to sleep and use electronics more as a sense of coping from boredom. Not only is this affecting children now but will affect the future of these children as these will become habits, and habits are something that is hard to grow out of when they are developed since childhood.

2020-04-02

College Student in Covid

I wrote about my story through covid. I am a college student studying Early childhood education. I am also a child care worker. My submission is about what it was like going through college during covid. This is important to me because it's my experience and I know many other college students feel the same way.

2021-03-17

Phoenix among U.S. Sites for Moderna’s COVID-19 trials on children

By Jacob Holter/Cronkite News WASHINGTON D.C. – Children from 6 months up to 12 years old could soon start getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Phoenix as part of a trial of the drug’s effectiveness on young people. Drug-maker Moderna announced this week that Phoenix will be one of the cities where it will test smaller doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, which has currently only been approved for adult use, on preteens. The company has already started trials of the vaccine on teenagers. While children have proven to be less susceptible to the disease, health experts say it’s important to have the option of a vaccine for younger kids as schools reopen and to improve the odds of “herd immunity” for the overall population. “The reason we want to make sure that all of these kids get vaccinated is so we can truly achieve herd immunity. We don’t want to have little pockets of people who might be infectious and not be protected,” said Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, director of the American Public Health Association. The preteen trials were announced Tuesday by Moderna, one of three pharmaceutical companies with vaccines approved for emergency use in adults in the U.S., along with Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses, while the newer Johnson & Johnson vaccine has a one-dose protocol. The announcement came the same day that the Arizona Department of Health Services announced that just over 1 million Arizonans have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Overall, the state has administered about 2.6 million doses to a little more than 1.6 million people. Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement that more than 53 million doses of his company’s version of the vaccine have been administered in the U.S., but “this pediatric study will help us assess the potential safety and immunogenicity of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate in this important younger age population.” The statement said the new trials would take place in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Steven Plimpton, the lead investigator for the Phoenix trial, said Tuesday that his office has “already gotten hundreds of calls” from parents interested in getting their children into the trial. He said parents interested in the trial in Phoenix can go to the KidCOVE site for more information or can call 602-368-1928 or 866-913-5454. One University of Arizona expert said it will likely take a little while to get the trials in motion. “I would say sometime in the next several weeks, as they get recruitment on board and they have a critical mass to start with and they have all of the aspects of the trial set up in terms of location, staffing, and everything that they need in place,” said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health and prevention at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Moderna said that children in the first phase of the trial will receive doses of 25, 50, or 100 micrograms of the vaccine – an adult dose is 100 – depending on their age. Results from that phase will be used to determine dosages in a second phase when come subjects will get a placebo. ad1 Ultimately, Moderna expects to include 6,750 children in the latest trials. “The adult dose for the Moderna is 100 micrograms, but they are starting with 25 micrograms and then basically watching folks and kids to see how they react,” Marvasti said. “If that looks good and there are no major issues, then they will have a group of kids in the study with 50 micrograms and then if that looks okay they will have another group that has 100 micrograms.” He added that Moderna’s trust that the vaccine is safe enough to begin trials on kids could have the added benefit of helping to quell vaccine hesitancy among others. “Hopefully, depending on the results, it will help give people more confidence to get the vaccine, especially if it proves to be as safe and effective in children as it has been in adults,” Marvasti said. The announcement of the preteen trials also comes as the state has ordered schools to begin to resume in-person schooling, after a year in which most students have attended class virtually. Benjamin said that with schools reopening, in Arizona and across the U.S., a vaccine for youth would make a definite difference in controlling the virus, as it would prevent kids from spreading it to each other and then bringing it home with them. Vaccination would also expedite kids’ ability to return to normal. “Getting kids vaccinated, I think, will certainly improve their quality of life and their ability to effectively interact with their friends,” he said.

2021-03-24

Dreaming About This Day... But Now What?

Shot 2! After so many sleepless nights and moments of paralyzing fear, my husband, my 65 year old mom, and I are all officially double dosed! The day I have been praying for for months is here and I am in disbelief. But I’m also sitting here like “now what?” Are we really safe? Can I REALLY go safely and run in my canyon aside the maskless? I do trust the vaccine, but it is a huge psychological jump to suddenly trust. There’s also the issue of the two things I love most in this world - my kids. They’re not eligible for vaccines yet and I fear for them. I know, the likelihood of them having a serious complication is low, but as a person who had both the measles and scarlet fever as a kid (no, I’m not kidding), I am a walking example of the “one in a million” chance. What if they’re like me instead of their dad? I feel like I’m in a strange limbo. Definitely more hopeful than I was even a couple of months ago, but also sort of paralyzed in a sense of “what do we do now?”

2021-01-25

How California's Learning Loss Disproportionately Impacts Low-Income Families

This emphasizes how the pandemic has created a "learning loss", particularly among students in grades 4-10. It helps explain what the most challenging obstacles to this dilemma are as California continues to undergo food and housing insecurity. Low-income families are getting the brunt of the learning loss, and this shows just how damaging it can be to childhood and adolescent education as they "may never catch up."

2020-07-22

The Domino Effect of the California Child Care Crisis

This highlights how much the pandemic has affected child care workers and programs in California as health concerns continue to rise. It's yet another industry that was impacted greatly as many were out of a job and struggling financially. Not only does it emphasize the economic impacts on an industry, along with the needs for more health safety measures and the need to increase budgets for that, it’s effectively keeping those who need the child care services away.

2021-03-10

unaccompanied migrant children in US Border Patrol facilities, which are akin to jail cells

The number of unaccompanied migrant children in US Border Patrol facilities, which are akin to jail cells and not intended for kids, has reached dramatic highs, according to internal agency documents reviewed by CNN, underscoring the urgent challenge facing the Biden administration. More than 3,200 unaccompanied migrant children were in Customs and Border Protection custody, according to the documents dated Monday. Of those, around 2,600 were awaiting placement in shelters suitable for minors, but there were just over 500 beds available to accommodate them. The latest data comes on the heels of a trip to the US-Mexico border by senior administration officials to assess the situation on the ground amid an increasing number of arrests and indicates a rapidly increasing trend of unaccompanied children coming into the US. Less than a week ago, there were around 1,700 children in Border Patrol custody.

2021-03-21

Ilhan Omar Thread on Current Border Policy

People who lack empathy to imagine circumstances outside their own two feet is what we’re dealing with. A bunch of folks who have never left America, let alone their own state. If they did it was to the “big city” and their understanding of American politics is that it’s a game and they don’t want to lose. They don’t know why they’re playing they just don’t want to lose. They have no faith in anything other than the American myth of pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. How do we lead a horse to water who isn’t thirsty? Focus the herd towards the water and the stubborn horse will eventually drink

2020-06-01

How COVID-19 exposed challenges for technology in education

The article addresses how challenges in access/use of technology by students and teachers have been highlighted due to the pandemic

2021-03-21

How does the pandemic affect children?

This link provided showcases the severity of the pandemic's effect on children's mental health and it becoming the next "wave" in the pandemic

2020-08-26

Unintended Consequences

Devi Sridhar from the London School of Economics covers some things we don't think about when we think about consequences of the pandemic. She compares outbreaks to black holes, as society focuses attention to the pandemic, other priorities are put to the side. Juliet Bedford talks about the vulnerabilities of poorer communities. This interview covers lots of unintended consequences and outcomes of the pandemic.

2020-06-24

The New Reality of California's Preschools

"Gone are family-style meals and snacks where children serve themselves. And no more sharing toys." If it sounds grim to you, it sort of is. Children are having to stay six feet away from one another just like any other person. The difference is that a lot of these children are still far too young to understand why. Safety guidelines have been provided from the California Department of Public Health, county departments of public health, and the California Department of Social Services. This is in a notable and admirable attempt to grab some semblance of normalcy back while remaining cautious. Some other changes include, but are not limited to, having toys be sanitized after use, physical touch (i.e. hugging) are kept to a minimum, and children cannot play outside (such as the playground structures). A big problem seems to be with the touch, though. A lot of these children, as young as 2 years old, start crying and need some physical comfort. Although some of these new guidelines are straightforward and simple, they're not easily implemented as it can easily hinder a child's development and understanding of the world.

2021-03-11

AM I REALLY SAFE?

Well, my COVID card has now been stamped twice. In one more week, I should be at full immunity. SO…am I going to rush out to a restaurant, rip off my mask, and eat my first restaurant meal that was not delivered, cold, after 20 minutes in the back of a Postmate’s car? It’s tricky! The bottom line is this: I am not there yet. There is still a lingering sense of dread. My children have not yet been vaccinated so they still live with their fear. My daughter has an infant and my son, has a toddler and a pregnant wife. Tonight, President Biden will give a speech about the return to normalcy, and I applaud his efforts to mend a broken nation. But the old normal may never return. Just as a bad fall leaves a scar, we will all be left with a mark, even those of us who emerged relatively unscathed. No one in my family died. Just a few were ill. We are so fortunate. But when I think of hopping on the New York subway this summer, sans mask, I cannot see it happening. I hope time proves me wrong. Truly, I hope.

2021-02-23

Too Much Togetherness

They say humor is the best medicine and they weren't wrong. A lot of couples are spending a whole lot of time together recently with quarantines and social distancing orders. It was really cute at first, working side by side on laptops and having our morning coffee together. That got old real quick though. This funny take on "How to Not Hate Your Partner During a Pandemic" advises couples how to get through issues like working from home and homeschooling kids.

2021-02-24

Zero Options

Through my journey of motherhood, I have often felt like my "superpower" derived from simply having no other option. As a military spouse, a grad student, and a mother of two I often go the "I could never do it" talk from kidless friends and family. I wouldn't say that Covid has created more of these conversations, but I do feel like mothers have been more vocal about this aspect of motherhood. I feel so connected to my role as a mother through this global pandemic. Mothers are coming together and sharing the ups AND downs. It's hard, it's exhausting and draining, mothering during a pandemic seems impossible, but mothers get it done, just as we did a year ago before Covid. This Instagram post says mothers have not been given a superpower to get through this pandemic, I think Covid has shown me my superpower though. My tribe of mom friends encourages me, uplifts me, and grounds me at the same time. We laugh together, we cry together, and on tough days, we drink together.

2021-02-15

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