Second Shot

 

          Breaking News! Local public schools will reopen after Spring Break for all interested students. It looks like virtual learning is coming to an end in my school district. Sports, Music and Theater programs will even resume for teens after school. Teachers and parents have mixed reactions. A Kindergarten teacher expressed concern that her students have never been in a classroom before. They must learn to line up, hang up their backpacks, and follow classroom routines.  One teacher said that her ‘Wine of the Month Club’ is getting her through this virtual school year. 

I just got my second vaccine at the Las Vegas Convention Center that holds 7500 people. Currently, it is a center for 2000 daily second doses of COVID vaccines. I arrived early and it still took two hours of waiting in line before I got my shot. I showed my first vaccine card at multiple points in line until I could enter the huge building. Next, I had to wait in line for the vaccine. Just when it was my turn, the Internet went down and I had to wait for the computer to reboot. Then the nurse couldn’t find my name online. I took a deep breath until he realized that one digit had been entered wrong in my reservation number. I slowly exhaled, sat down in the chair, and rolled up my sleeve, The nurse told me to sing Happy Birthday, but I just smiled behind my mask. I was relieved and it hardly hurt. Then I had to sit in a chair 6 feet apart from others for 15 minutes. Finally, I could send out photos to my family that I got my second shot! I almost skipped back to my car and returned to work. I am now officially vaccinated and feel more secure about being in public.

Plan A: The first day back to school parents had tears in their eyes, but the children were happy. Staggered arrival times allowed students to line up by grade level six feet apart at the gates. They were happy to see their teachers in person and the school day began. Students ate school breakfast in the cafeteria and happily went to their new classrooms. Teachers taught students in class while the at-home students attended virtually. 

Plan B: After one month, the decision was made for all students to return to school if they choose. If not, they can continue to attend class virtually from home. The rules will change for social distancing to only three feet apart in the classroom. Plexiglass partitions will be on every desk including the teacher. All sports, music, and drama programs will resume in Secondary Schools. Teachers must complete a daily health app daily to teach. I was randomly chosen for a district COVID test today. I get the results in two days. This time it was a nasal swab from a visiting nurse to the school. I asked the nurse if she does this daily and she shook her head yes. What a job! I would rather be a teacher!