Innisfil parents are reeling after hearing about the delay to in-person learning announce by the Ford government this morning.
It means schools will not return to in-person learning on Wednesday, Jan. 5. There will be virtual learning until at least Jan. 17. A host of temporary restrictions are being implemented this week including lowering social gathering limits, closing gyms and indoor dining.
Kelsi Eaglen is upset about having to put her five-year-old through online learning once again.
"It's not healthy for these kids, especially the younger ones in Kindergarten," she said. "How much can they really learn looking at a computer screen?"
She believes online learning does not allow students to reach their full potential for the following school year.
"Kids can't socialize the way they need to, and don't get to play with their friends like they would if they were in school," she said.
She is upset about the fact that schools must close, yet personal care services are allowed to stay open (at 50 percent capacity).
"The fact you can get your hair done or nails done, but kids can't go into school and get the proper education is completely unfair," said Eaglen.
Eaglen says the government had plenty of time over the holidays to make a decision about schools reopening, and found the last-minute announcement today frustrating.
Eaglen is an essential frontline worker in a congregate care setting and cannot work from home, putting her in a bind for childcare options.
"The government didn't really give enough time for families to line up child care, especially for those who prefer licensed child care due to waitlists," she lamented.
For now, Eaglen's mother will have to help out with childminding duties.
Elizabeth Goncalves was relieved to hear the announcement by Ford on Monday.
She said she emailed the trustee, local MPP and the Minister of Education yesterday with her concerns about reopening. She had been planning to keep her two children home and do online learning regardless if school opened on Wednesday.
Today, 13,578 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Ontario. Last week, however, PCR testing availability was changed. Only high-risk people who are symptomatic or at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or people living in high-risk settings can get tested.
Goncalves says the skyrocketing number of cases, the lack of testing availability, were just some of the reasons to keep them home.
"That's the most frustrating part," she said.
Stuart Denny is wondering why the announcement about schools came so late.
"We knew cases were going to go up over the holidays so why weren't plans developed ahead of time and announced?" he questioned. "The original plan to delay by two days to distribute masks is a bit of a joke, was the past two weeks not enough to complete the logistics of this to start school on time?"
He says having less than two days for parents to find childcare is "ridiculous".
"Many parents don't have the ability to take that kind of time off on such short notice," he said.
Denny's work varies between on-site and home, and his wife is not able to work from home.
They have two children, age four and two. With the four-year-old in Junior Kindergarten, Denny is unsure how well online learning will work out.
"We're going to try our best and hopefully it works out well," he said.
He says if their current daycare does not have space available for their school-age child, which will be another cost, he and his wife will have to rely on family members to help fill in the childminding gaps.
"But due to their location and other factors it may be difficult," he said.
Jenn Lynn Castellano is a part-time ICU nurse and mom of three who says she has agreed with all the government's mandates, until now.
"Now my perspective has changed," she said. "This is not fair to the children, and I'm not sure I will comply with this new set of guidelines."
She says she is debating if her three children will take part in online learning come Wednesday.
Castellano is mentally preparing for her family's routine to revert back to that of spring 2021, where she would work her night shift, come home and sleep, then wake up to help her children with schoolwork.
"I'm home all day with them, leave the house at 5 p.m, work 7-7, return for 9 a.m.," she said.
She says every time her children have done online schooling it has been "a nightmare" and "chaos."
Castellano admitted that during the spring she was only getting around 25-30 hours of sleep per week.
"I can't count my average hours of sleep nightly because I missed so many full nights of sleep," she said. "It's horrible for my mental and physical health."
Her husband works full-time and is unable to work from home. Her mother lives 15 minutes away, but due to the nature of her job and responsibility to her patients, feels unsure about welcoming her help.
"I am stuck between complete isolation at home and worrying about going out, but needing to get out so desperately," she said.
"People often say to me, 'I don't know how you do it' to which I reply 'Not well!' I am trying my best, but it's not much these days," she said.
-with files from Maja Hoggett
