Pandemic At School
Week 36
Day 244 – Sunday, November 15, 2020
We had a very relaxing Sunday where we did very little. Between a storm blowing through and a cat puking at 1am, I needed to sleep in a bit. I got up at 7am.
I went to Schnuck’s to get a couple of things that Walmart didn’t have yesterday. I got the last 12 pack of Diet Dr Pepper, but they didn’t have green enchilada sauce either. Who knew there would be a shortage??
I finished my 29th book of the year. My goal is 36, but unless I read some short books, I don’t know if I’ll make it. I’m certainly not reading the two new, 1000 page books on my list until 2021. I’m about halfway through book 30 (I set it down when #29 became available at the library).
I did some number crunching on Hannah’s college costs, but we don’t have offers from IU or Butler yet.
I called my mom, who is apparently re-staining/painting her kitchen cabinets. I had no idea. Big project!
We get to wear jeans to school all week, so that makes me happy.
Day 245 – Monday, November 16, 2020
I woke up from an almost nightmare at 4am. I dreamed that I got pulled into the Superintendent’s office on the way to some other meeting. He said, “I’d like to offer you the opportunity to be a self-employed speech pathologist”. I argued that I had more seniority than most of the other therapists. Then he brought up my previous evaluation which must have not been great in dream world. I remembered that I had to get back to my office (and building) for my current observation, and wondered why I would bother. I wasn’t sure if I was being fired, or if they wanted me to do my own billing. At that point I woke up and was surprised that it had been a dream and remembered that my actual observation really was today. I didn’t really get back to sleep after that, but the cats did snuggle with me.
Daniel Wertz teachers are participating in American Education Week’s spirit week. Today was Wear Yellow – “Improve working conditions. For years educators have been asked to do more with less – during the pandemic, this is at an all time high.” I work my yellow and blue tie-dye shirt that I got on our last trip to Gulf Shores and jeans
My school day was pretty uneventful, though I did have my observation around 2:00. I got to choose the time, so I picked a couple of students who generally behave and we did one new activity and one that we practiced last week. It was practically perfect, and I already know my scores because I opted to use last year’s (one perk of school during a pandemic).
Elijah decided to stay for Science Club (mostly tutoring), and opted out of tomorrow’s Business Club, so I had to flip my menu for dinner. We had chicken tikka masala in the instant pot over rice and broccoli. It was amazing, and I just used the Aldi “simmer sauce”, so super easy.
At dinner, Leah mentioned that she had homework in science, math, and ELA. She invited me to turn on some Christmas music and join her, lol. She did get the science and math done without any help. In ELA they are reading The Legend of King Arthur, and she’s convinced she “can’t read”.
Day 246 – Tuesday, November 17, 2020
The way my work schedule is set up, I see all of my students for three weeks in a row and then I have a consultation week to work on the rest of the parts of my job. Because of Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving, I get this Thursday, Friday, and next Monday for consult. But my Tuesday morning kids (and my virtual kids), I’d already seen enough times since my last consult week. So, I spent the morning on paperwork. All three of my virtual students who are scheduled for Tuesdays on regular weeks either logged into my WebEx “room” or their parents emailed to confirm therapy was today. It was not. Also, the emailers had missed a combined 5 out of 6 sessions this month. I send out WebEx/Google calendar invitations to therapy…. Maybe next month I will get away from scheduling everything in my “personal meeting room” and go back to individual meetings with unique logins.
I had to write an IEP from scratch for a new student whose meeting is Friday. I’m glad that I normally just have to update previously written IEPs.
We have two faculty bathrooms that are really unisex bathrooms, but they do have men’s/women’s signs on the doors. We have 30 women and 5 men in the building, so everyone uses the “men’s” room when necessary. Really, they should just take down those signs. I promised I wouldn’t tell the story, but there was a little kerfuffle today. The moral of the story is LOCK THE DAMN DOOR when you go in the bathroom.
We got the word that our kindergarten class of 29 kids will be split back into two classes. Making one giant class was one of the most ridiculous decisions ever made. Even worse than when Leah’s 5th grade class, which had always been split between three teachers became two classrooms. Then ten new kids moved in and each 5th grade class had 35 kids. There was hardly room to breathe in those rooms.
I got more information on the speech meet I volunteered to judge on Saturday. I hope it’s fun… I suppose we’ll see if it’s something I volunteer to do again, lol. It’s a virtual meet, but the Sig kids will all be AT Sig competing virtually against kids from Memorial. I get to judge from my own, empty classroom.
Day 247 – Wednesday, November 18, 2020
I started my day a little early, when I woke up from a dream where I was having trouble breathing (I was on another planet, and when you left the ‘pod’ you had to put some powder in your mouth so you could breathe. My powder ran out, and my companion was carrying me back to the pod when I woke up.). I felt like I had pressure on my chest when I woke up. I was halfway on my side, Oliver was curled up in my right armpit, Georgia was snuggled up on the left side of my legs, and I was pretty much trapped. I got up and checked my O2 level. It was 99%, but my heartrate was 118! That may have been from the exertion of detangling myself from the cats because it quickly dropped to 75. I propped myself up on my pillow and dozed for an hour.
Wednesday is my day to see my middle and high schoolers. I decided to check my middle school students’ attendance before I left my office. On kid was out for “remote learning”, so I was glad I checked. I saw my first three kids, the fourth was out, and I went to find the fifth… and he was out too, but the 1st period teacher hadn’t marked him absent. One of my students is new to the school (though he was at Daniel Wertz in 3rd and 4th grade, so I know him), and when I went to pick him up the music teacher didn’t recognize me in my mask, and thought I was a “kid” because I was dressed in jeans and a hoodie for Red for Ed Wednesday. I told her “thank you”, lol.
Our occupational therapist spent the morning Velcro and taping a “sensory walk” in our Commons. It’s to take the place of our Minds in Motion course in a “no touch” fashion… due to COVID.
This whole COVID thing is out of control. The death rates in Vanderburgh county are crazy. On average (based on 2017 rates) 5 people die in Vanderburgh County every day. Adding just ONE COVID death a day is a 20% increase. Now it’s typical to have 3 or 4 COVID deaths a day! Kentucky’s governor just shut down in-person dining at restaurants moved all the schools to virtual. I will say that I don’t think there is a ton of spread in EVSC schools, but restaurants and bars NEED to be take-out only.
A friend who has already had COVID is having anxiety thinking they have it again, and now their significant other is a close contact…and has symptoms. Another friend has a parent with symptoms. One of Elijah’s good friends at school is sick, sick enough that they didn’t attend class online…. Is waiting on a test result. Elijah sits next to this kid in almost every class and eats lunch with them.
Day 248 – Thursday, November 19, 2020
This morning my dad died. 2020 can go @#$%! Itself.
Will process tomorrow.
It started off like any normal day. Leah hadn’t finished her family crest that was due in ELA today, so I helped color the background while she finished getting ready for school. Elijah’s school had “formal dress” for spirit day, so he wore his new suit. He looked very handsome.
At school, I had to get my computer ready for a 7:45 WebEx conference for and IEP annual case review for a Virtual Academy student with TERRIBLE attendance for V.A.
I finished filing most of my student data sheets for the month. I was a few minutes from a virtual therapy appointment when at 10:33 I got a text from my mom: “call me ASAP”. I don’t get good cell service in my building so I called my childhood telephone number from my office phone. My sister answered, I knew she wasn’t my mom, but I still responded “Mom?”. She put my mom on the phone. Mom had found my dad, and she was pretty sure he was already gone. She called an ambulance, and told them not to resuscitate him because he wouldn’t have wanted that. After the ambulance left, she texted me. My sister and (??? I guess John or my brother, Drew) took mom and followed the ambulance. They were back home about an hour later. That’s all I know.
I immediately went to our wonderful, school secretary and told her my dad had just died. She hugged me and promised to take care of everything on the school end. I got a few hugs before leaving the building. Elijah had a half day, so I had to drive downtown to pick him up. While I waited, I was able to send a few texts. I had a hard time keeping my shit together so I could drive us safely home. But I did it. I told Elijah as soon as he got in the car. I will tell the girls as they come home from school (soon).
Heather brought me something to take the edge off, and I am thankful. Karen is bringing dinner, and I’m extremely grateful for that too.
Day 249 – Friday, November 20, 2020
We got up at our normal 5am and got ready for our trip to Oklahoma City. We left the driveway around 6:15 and the sun was starting to lighten the sky. I had downloaded about 10 episodes of Dear Hank and John to listen to on the drive. I needed something lighthearted to take my mind off the reason for the trip.
We stopped in O’Fallon, IL, just east of St Louis for breakfast. Elijah wanted to eat a real breakfast, so I opted for Cracker Barrel. They were only offering outdoor seating, so I accepted. It was a bit chilly, so I had to go back to the car and open my suitcase for a hoodie. The menu was significantly pared down, they only had three breakfast options. Pancakes with eggs and bacon, French toast, or a big breakfast (Old Fashioned?). After breakfast, we put gas in the car and got some sodas for the road. I was happy to find Diet Cherry Dr Pepper which I haven’t had seen since March. Elijah was excited for Sprite Cranberry.
We didn’t stop again until Springfield, MO and we gassed up and got some snacks. The next stop was Momma’s house. I was surprised that the turnpike between Tulsa and OKC now has a speed limit of 80 MPH! That’s just crazy, and semis can’t go that fast so it gets dangerous.
My cousin Diana sent food, but we’re going to eat that tomorrow. My mom’s friend, Betty, must have bought all the sandwich supplies available at Sam’s. We will have some pretty amazing sandwiches for a few days.
My mom had my sister and her family come over at 7pm so she could tell us all what had happened. Up until that point, I’d received almost zero info. Since I had to maintain my composure for 11 hours of driving today, I hadn’t called to get more information.
Yesterday morning, around 9:45, Mom was driving to the store when she got a call from my dad. She pulled over to call him back. He didn’t answer. She called the land line. He didn’t answer. She sped home, and found him, sitting in his chair with his phone in his hands setting in his lap. No pulse. She called 911, who told her she had to start CPR. The paramedics arrived, she told them he was DNR, they attempted anyway. They took him to the ER where they also attempted to resuscitate him.
The preacher will visit tomorrow and the funeral details will be ironed out. He will have a military color guard which means the funeral can’t be before Wednesday. So, it looks like it will be Wednesday morning. None of us have any desire to view the body, and his remains might not even be at the funeral. We are not sure what the restrictions are for the size of the funeral, but will find out tomorrow.
The plan is to scatter some of his ashes in the backyard and the rest will be interred at Ft Sill in the military cemetery in the summer.
Day 250, Saturday, November 22, 2020
Hannah and I got up and around by 7am and had breakfast with my mom. Over the course of the morning, Leah got up, and I woke Elijah up around 10am so he could eat before the preacher came over to talk to the family.
At 11am, my parents’ preacher, Mark Bradford came to talk about the funeral service and get to know the family a little better. He was very kind, and he provided a lot of information that we just didn’t previously have. The funeral will be Wednesday, November 25th at St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City, and due to COVID will also be live-streamed on Facebook. Surprisingly, there is no limit to the number of people who can attend in person, but they will be socially distanced by family groups.
For lunch, we had more amazing sandwiches provided by Betty Gresham (like I said previously, I think she bought all the sandwich fixings at Sam’s and brought them over on Friday). After lunch, my siblings and nephew went to take care of other parts of their lives, and mom went to the store to finish the shopping trip that wasn’t from Thursday.
Mom’s trip was supposed to be short, so when the kids mentioned that they felt like she should have been home, I ran to get my phone that I had plugged in next door. She had texted to let me know that she was stopping at Dulcey’s house to pick up a loaf of beer bread that she’d made for dinner.
Drew, Parker, and Bailey came over for dinner and we had BBQ that my cousin, Diana sent. It was good! None of us, including Diana, is sure where it was from, lol.
The lot of us played a round of BANG! and I was the sheriff for the first time. The law enforcement team won! However, my team played it really close to their chests and I was unaware of who they were for most ot the game.
We watched The Trouble With Angels with Mom before heading to bed. It was a nice day with the family.
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