As stated in a news release published by the pediatrics group, the AAP also amplifies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for building ventilation, testing, quarantining, cleaning and disinfection in the updated guidance.

“We need to prioritize getting children back into schools alongside their friends and their teachers and we all play a role in making sure it happens safely,” said Sonja O’Leary, MD, FAAP, chair of the AAP Council on School Health.

“The pandemic has taken a heartbreaking toll on children, and it’s not just their education that has suffered but their mental, emotional and physical health. Combining layers of protection that include vaccinations, masking and clean hands hygiene will make in-person learning safe and possible for everyone, ” added O´Leary.

The AAP strongly recommends in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year and urges all who are eligible to be vaccinated to protect against COVID-19. Read more here: https://t.co/58L7GpE1JK pic.twitter.com/0BnvqVFpbh

— American Academy of Pediatrics (@AmerAcadPeds) July 19, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended on July 9 that fully vaccinated students and teachers did not need to wear masks in the classroom. Now, these updated recommendations from the AAP on wearing face masks represent a significant change when considering the students and teachers safety.

AAP recommends face masks because a significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines, and masking is proven to reduce transmission of the virus and to protect those who are not vaccinated.

Emerging variants

Recently, COVID-19 variants have emerged that may increase the risk of transmission and result in worsening illness. Given the effectiveness of safety precautions when used consistently, children are at higher risk of suffering mental health issues and developmental setbacks if they miss out on in-school learning.

You can read: PASHE merges six state universities into two institutions

“There are many children and others who cannot be vaccinated,” said Sara Bode, MD, FAAP, chair-person elect of the AAP Council on School Health Executive Committee. “This is why it’s important to use every tool in our toolkit to safeguard children from COVID-19.”

Bode underlined the protective function of face masks. “Universal masking is one of those tools, and has been proven effective in protecting people against other respiratory diseases, as well. It’s also the most effective strategy to create consistent messages and expectations among students without the added burden of needing to monitor everyone’s vaccination status.”

The post American Academy of Pediatrics urges the use of face masks at schools appeared first on El Sol News Media.

As stated by a Washington Examiner report, Fauci expressed his consideration about Biden´s plan Thursday at a town hall hosted by the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.

“The president is taking very seriously the issue, both from the students’ standpoint and from the teachers’ standpoint, [Biden] believes that the [K-8] schools need to reopen in the next 100 days. … That’s the goal. That may not happen, because there may be mitigating circumstances, but what he really wants to do is everything within his power to help get to that.”

You can read: PA Senate approves $912M COVID-19 recovery aid bill

Fauci said that normalcy will not be achieved until conditions in schools change in a significant way. “We’re not going to get back to normal until we get children back into school, both for the good of the children, for the good of the parents, and for the good of the community.”

Resources needed

“We want to make sure we do that by giving the teachers and the teams associated with teachers the resources that they need to do that. The idea of, ‘Go do it on your own’, that doesn’t work,” he added.

Biden is pushing Congress to approve another $170 billion for K-12 schools, colleges and universities to help these institutions operate safely in person or facilitate remote learning. In December, Congress approved $82 billion in aid for schools, which Biden has considered it as a “down payment.”

The post Fauci: Biden´s plan to reopen schools in 100 days “may not happen” appeared first on El Sol News Media.

A broad coalition of businesses, schools and civic leaders has come together to support the initiative and additional partners are expected to join. Initial partners include:

• City of Philadelphia
• School District of Philadelphia
• Select Charter Schools, including Mastery Schools, KIPP Charter Schools, Esperanza Charter Schools, Boys Latin Charter School, Independence Charter School, Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, and Richard Allen Prep Charter
• Comcast Corporation
• Lenfest Foundation
• Neubauer Family Foundation
• Philadelphia School Partnership
• William Penn Foundation
• Philadelphia Housing Authority

The three core components of PHLConnectED (pronounced P-H-L Connected) include:

• Free wired, high-speed, reliable broadband internet to the home from Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, or a high-speed mobile hotspot for families who are housing-insecure or need a portable option.
• Distribution of devices, such as chromebooks, tablets, or computers. Devices have already been paid for and procured through the School District, some Charters, and private funds.
• Free skills training and tech support for students, families and teachers to ensure they not only get connected, but also stay connected and safely take full advantage of all that the internet has to offer.

PHLConnectED is part of the first stage of the City’s larger digital equity initiative that supports internet adoption and digital literacy skills development for all Philadelphia residents.

You can read: Philadelphia School District proposes virtual learning until November

“Our goal is to identify and implement affordable, simple and reliable digital access solutions for all our residents,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “By focusing on K-12 student households now, we can have an immediate impact in bridging the digital divide, especially to support distance learning for the upcoming school year.”

“The digital divide is an inequity that presents a significant barrier to our goal of helping all students in every neighborhood reach their full academic potential,” said William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D., Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. “So, we at the School District of Philadelphia are pleased to see the City, legislators and business leaders come together to launch PHLConnectED, a program we believe can close the divide and allow for all students to have the access they need, especially now as we prepare for 100 percent digital learning to start the 2020-2021 school year next month.”

“For more than a decade, Comcast has been dedicated to tackling the digital divide nationally, and here in Philadelphia, with our Internet Essentials program. From the beginning of the pandemic, we have been working closely with the City of Philadelphia, the School District and others to help create the ‘PHLConnectED’ program to accelerate connecting thousands more K-12 students online,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. “A problem as vast and complex as this one also requires all of us to work together to ensure these students not only get connected but also stay engaged with distance learning throughout this academic year.”

“Our vision is one where Philadelphia’s future generations have the opportunity to be part of a productive future where they can thrive as part of both a local and global economy,” said Keith Leaphart, Board Chair of the Lenfest Foundation. “It begins with the most basic building blocks of education, and I am encouraged by the leadership and collaboration across our city in support of equitable opportunity.”

Scott Gordon, CEO of Mastery Schools, the largest charter school network in the City of Philadelphia, said of the partnership: “Solving the distance learning challenge faced by educators, administrators, parents, and students requires putting together so many pieces of a completely new puzzle and to do so quickly.  We commend the City and all the partners involved for being at the table early and often to develop a comprehensive, flexible set of solutions for students across the city.”

“With schools, companies and nonprofits coming together, this is an opportunity to make Philadelphia the first city to bridge the digital divide,” said Mark Gleason, Executive Director of the Philadelphia School Partnership. “PHLConnectED will show what a difference we can make for children and families when public and private partners work together.”

“Lack of internet access should not be a barrier to any student’s education or family’s success,” said Janet Haas, M.D., Board Chair of William Penn Foundation. “The pandemic and shift to virtual school have highlighted stark inequities in internet access. This is not acceptable in the 21st century; we can and must do better for Philadelphia students. This shared belief inspired collaborative work to remove a barrier that families have experienced for too long.”

You can read: Philly inicia clases en otoño de forma virtual y revisará el plan en noviembre

“This comes not a moment too soon,” said Joseph Neubauer, Chairman of the Neubauer Family Foundation. “High-speed internet access in school and at home is essential for 21st  century education and to prepare for 21st century careers. This initiative will enable dedicated principals and teachers to stay in touch with their students, to guide them academically and emotionally during these very disruptive times. We commend our civic minded partners for making necessary technology available to enable students to continue their studies and to pursue paths out of poverty. If COVID-19 has illuminated anything in education, it is that connectivity must now be viewed as a right, not a privilege.”

City Council President Darrell Clarke added, “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Philadelphia was grappling with a crisis of poverty and inequality that left far too many of our vulnerable young residents without access to the quality educational resources that they deserve. The events of 2020 have made it clear that internet access is not a luxury, it’s a basic necessity and we should make every effort to provide it to our residents. We’re thankful to the coalition of PHLConnectED partners who have made digital equity a top priority for Philadelphia.”

City Council Committee Chair of Education Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez said,  “We must ensure that all Philadelphians can access broadband internet – essential now more than ever for education, work, and access to vital resources – regardless of their income or housing status. As Chair of Council’s Education Committee I am committed to continued work with all stakeholders to create a new model and an equitable policy for Philadelphia.”

“Beyond where they live, Philadelphia Housing Authority cares about how residents live and whether they have the right tools to create life-changing opportunities,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Housing Authority. “Social distancing is expected to remain the norm for the near future, moving important social and educational interactions and gatherings online. We are proud to work with our partners to ensure families remain connected during these challenging times.”

Eligibility for this program is designed to ensure that families with the greatest need for internet service are prioritized. The first phase is focused on connecting K-12 student households who currently do not have any internet access or who only have mobile phone access and/or who are homeless or housing insecure. These student households are being identified by the Philadelphia School District, the Charter Schools Office, other schools, and internet service providers.

Eligible households will be contacted by their school directly through direct mail, email, calls, and/or text messages later this month. Partners are working to quickly set up PHLConnectED and will share additional details about the initiative within the next few weeks. More information will be regularly updated at phila.gov/PHLConnectED.

This phase of PHLConnectED will cost $17.1 million over two years to implement, this means $9.1 million in year one and $8 million in year two. Philanthropic partners are generously contributing over $11 million, the City is contributing $2 million from CARES Act funding, and the remaining costs will be shared among the School District, charter, independent mission, and private schools, as well as other donations. Individuals interested in contributing to this effort, are invited to donate at www.mayorsfundphila.org/initiatives/phlconnected/.

By: Agencies

The post “PHLConnectED” will connect K-12 students to the Internet next school year appeared first on El Sol News Media.

During a press conference about the state’s coronavirus cases, Wolf was asked about guidance for spectators at high school sports this fall.

You can read: https://elsolnewsmedia.com/tom-wolf-provides/

“The guidance is we ought to avoid any congregate settings,” Wolf said.

He stressed the risk there is in any event that may get people together. “That means anything that brings people together is going to help that virus get us. We ought to do everything we can to defeat that virus. Anytime we get together for any reason, that’s a problem, because it makes it easier for that virus to spread.

“So the guidance from us, the recommendation, is that we don’t do any sports until Jan. 1.”

It is the first time Wolf has called for the remainder of the 2020 schedule to be cancelled. Offseason training is currently taking place under the guidelines distributed by the governor’s office during county-by-county reopening.

The governor’s comments came as a surprise at the end of a morning briefing on the state’s COVID-19 response. In late July, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) had released guidelines for the return of high school sports in the fall that included proposed schedules with timelines to resume activities and competition.

The post Gov. Tom Wolf recommends no high school sports until 2021 appeared first on El Sol News Media.

The announcement of the request is expected during a news conference Thursday afternoon at the Cione Rec Center in Kensington. This will mark the second time the union has urged Gov. Wolf to declare a state of emergency.

You can read: Jason Dawkins announces grant to help Olney Charter High School

The aggravation of the problem can be detected in the announcement made by the school district of two more Philadelphia schools closed due to asbestos. The schools affected are Alexander K. McClure Elementary School on 600 W. Hunting Park Avenue as well as Laura H. Carnell Elementary School on 1100 Devereaux Avenue will be closed Friday. McClure Elementary will also remain closed on Monday.

Asbestos has been an ongoing issue for Philadelphia schools this year. Pratt Head Start on North 22nd Street was closed in November while Benjamin Franklin High School and Science Leadership Academy were closed in September.

So far, ten Philadelphia schools have been shut down during the last several months due to the harmful material.

According to PFT President Jerry Jordan, Gov. Wolf should employ “rainy day” funds to aid in immediate remediation efforts across the district.

You can read: Angel Cruz feeds knowledge and manages the budget for two schools

He said in a press realease that “with a balance of more than $340 Million, the rainy day fund must be utilized for the emergency conditions we are encountering in our schools on a daily basis.”

Referring to the Governor´s proposal that would target the cleanup of lead and asbestos in schools, day cares, homes and public water systems, he said that “the Governor has taken the important step of proposing a $1 Billion plan for lead and asbestos remediation, and the PFT will continue to advocate for its passage.”

The news conference and a later public meeting will be held near Richmond Elementary School, which has not been closed but has had areas of the building blocked off due to asbestos remediation activities.

According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),asbestos is a fibrous material that was commonly used in commercial products such as installation and fire proofing for decades. Its inhalation can cause life-threatening diseases including lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Each year, approximately 50,000 people in the United States die from asbestos-related diseases, and more than 100,000 people perish worldwide.

Ian A. Blair, a scientist at the Perelman School of Medicine explained in an Penn interview that “most of the Philadelphia schools have asbestos-insulated pipes. What happens is as the insulation ages, it becomes very friable and tends to break up, and you see deposits of asbestos fibers on floors and surfaces of rooms.”

The post The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers wants state of emergency declared appeared first on El Sol News Media.

 Demand for bulletproof backpacks increased after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018. Now that the back-to-school season is coming, the recent shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, which caused 32 deaths, have generated renewed attention on these products, The New York Times reports.

In an undesirable development, a growing number of companies are selling bullet-proof backpacks in back-to-school sales, marketing them tp parents who are desperate to protect their children from firearms attacks.

 Some reports show that in some stores the bulletproof backpacks which cost $100 to $200 dollars, have been sold out. Months before the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, a private Christian school in Miami, also sold protective panels that could be inserted charging $120 for the bulletproof shields.

Roman Zrazhevskiy of ReadyToGoSurvival.com, headquartered in Austin, Texas, told the Houston Chronicle that his company has seen a large increase in bullet-proof backpack orders over the past few days.

“We normally sell 100 units a month, but we have sold 300 units in the last few days,” said Zrazhevskiy, who also said that most of his customers are in Florida, California and New York.

This year, ArmorMe, a self-defense company run by Gabi Siboni, a former soldier in Israel, began selling a bullet-proof backpack that can unfold into a larger covering.

Another company, Guard Dog Security, has been selling bulletproof backpacks shortly after the Sandy Hook Elementary Schoo shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012. The firm recently released a model that costs less than $100.

Yasir Sheikh, Guard Dog Security director, acknowledged that backpacks were less effective at blocking gunfire from powerful semiautomatic weapons, like the ones used in Sandy Hook.

Senator Kamala Harris of California, a Democratic presidential pre-candidate, said bulletproof backpacks are a symbol the broader problem of gun violence in the United States. “Parents shouldn´t have to buy a bulletproof backpack for their child just to keep safe in school. This shouldn’t be normal,” she posted on Twitter.

Translated by: José Espinoza

 Leer en español

The post Bulletproof backpacks are the most wanted for back-to-school in the U.S. appeared first on El Sol News Media.