Missing graduation: Essential workers crossing border for work told they can't go to children's graduation
Modified grade 12 graduation ceremony won’t allow essential workers who cross the border for work
Tori Weldon· CBC News· Posted: Jun 11, 2020 12:16 PM AT
Jennifer Loucks' daughter is graduating from Tantramar Regional High School later this month. School district rules could keep some parents who are essential workers from attending. (Tori Weldon/CBC)
A heath care worker who lives in New Brunswick and works in Nova Scotia said essential workers are being unfairly targeted after being told by her daughter's school that she won't be allowed to go to the graduation ceremony if she continues to go to work.
Jennifer Loucks' daughter Anna is graduating from Tantramar Regional High School in Sackville later this month.
Loucks said she found out last week that she can't cross the provincial border for 14 days if she wants to be at the ceremony to see her daughter graduate.
"It's been a real rough year for them anyway, and they're not experiencing things like you and I would have," she said.
"It's important to be there for her."
COVID-19 restrictions mean graduation ceremonies at the high school are happening individually. Each graduate can bring up to four people, and is asked to arrive at a set time. The graduate will cross the stage, receive their diploma and have pictures taken, then leave the school.
Loucks' daughter is graduating from Tantramar Regional High School. (Tori Weldon/CBC)
"I don't feel that I'm at risk or a risk to anyone," said Loucks, who offered to wear a mask and gloves and says there are no known active cases of COVID–19 in Cumberland County, N.S., where she works.
She applauds the school for implementing a safe experience for the graduating students, but feels there is a way to allow for parents who are essential workers.
"Sackville is a border town and there are people that are constantly going back and forth for work because that's what they have to do every day," said Loucks. "If they have a family member that's graduating next week and they really need to consider that."
The school principal sent out a screening questionnaire to parents, with one question jumping out at Loucks: Have you returned from travel outside of New Brunswick within the last 14 days?
The next day, June 5, just 14 days before her daughter's graduation ceremony, Loucks followed up with the school to ask if, as an essential worker, she'd be allowed in the building.
She received an email four days later from the principal, reiterating : 'permission to enter the building cannot be approved should the answer be "yes" to any of the screening questions.'
"Well because my daughter was smart enough to ask a question last Thursday...14 days prior to graduation I made sure I made arrangements with my work to say, 'look I'm going to work from home for the next two weeks'," said Loucks. "But I know there are people that will definitely be impacted by this that are having to go to work every day in Nova Scotia."
It's really important that we recognize that those people are still going to work and they have to go to work.- Jennifer Loucks
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health, said Wednesday at the regular COVID-19 briefing that especially in the case of health care workers, "if they work on one side of the border and they live on the other side of the border they are allowed to go back and forth without self isolating on a daily basis."
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health, said essential workers crossing the border don't have to self-isolate on a daily basis. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Anglophone East School district, director of communications said, "As is the case with every Government building/event in the Province, all those who enter must currently answer this questionnaire honestly and act accordingly based on their answers."
But Loucks said it's putting people who have to go to work and want to see their children graduate in a difficult position.
"It's really important that we recognize that those people are still going to work and they have to go to work," said Loucks.
Methinks Higgy et al knows why I will try to reach out to Jennifer Loucks as well N'esy Pas?
David Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @David Amos: Nobody can say that we didn't talk
Lou Bell Sackville , like Sussex , as shown with their E.R.'s , is Special !
David Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @Lou Bell: Methinks you are in fine style today Higgy must be awfully proud of his spin doctors N'esy Pas?
Mack Leigh Once more an individual is putting their own personal feelings and supposed " needs " ahead of those of the province as a whole.....
SarahRose Werner
Reply to @Mack Leigh: It's not even the individual's own needs. If you read further down the story, this particular individual made arrangements to work from home 14 days before the graduation ceremony. Yet she's still complaining.
Mack Leigh
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: It is apparent that for some no matter how many concessions are granted, no matter how many exceptions to the rules are given nothing is ever enough.. The old damned if you do and damned if you don't.
David Amos
Reply to @Mack Leigh: Don't you???
Michael John
Reply to @Mack Leigh: we are assuming that she has covid19....if she is symptom free, she is probably fine
SarahRose Werner What I'm seeing is that if you give people an inch, they complain that they're not getting a mile. This high school is working hard to do something more for their grads than just sending diplomas out in the mail. I hate to imagine how many hours school personnel are going to put in doing individual graduation ceremonies instead of the usual mass event. But instead of thanks, they're getting complaints.
David Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: I repeat Who made you a Queen's Counsel???
Tyson McGee I'm under the impression all graduations are outside events. Why would she need to be screened if no one enters the building?
SarahRose Werner
Reply to @Tyson McGee: None of the graduations I've been to have been held outside? The weather in June is still pretty variable.
David Amos
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: So?
David News Wondering if this person that is crossing the border daily is going home to the same place where the daughter resides in NB. If she is, then why is the daughter able to attend? Sounds a bit like bureaucratic nonsense. As a worker in NS she would be exempt from self isolation provided she followed the rules for the exemption on the NB website. It also qualifies the exemption "All such workers and individuals who are exempt from self-isolation must travel directly to and from work and/or their accommodations, self-monitor and avoid contact with vulnerable individuals, and follow the guidance of the Chief Medical Officer of Health." Typically her daughter would not qualify as a vulnerable individual so this just doesn't make sense.
Anglophone East School District short $2M for educational assistants
Officials searching for ways to cover 60 EA positions in the fall, says superintendent
CBC News· Posted: Jun 21, 2019 6:00 AM AT
Anglophone East Supt. Gregg Ingersoll said growth in the district over the last couple of years has outpaced the amount of funding. (CBC)
David Amos Surprise Surprise Surprise
It sounds like the education system has become a BOTTOMLESS PIT in which to throw taxpayer cash . The article mentions that some classrooms of 20 students can have up to FOUR EAs , plus they have the teacher . Govt. should be providing essential services , and not be used as a MAKE WORK PROJECT . The student population has dropped heavily province wide over the last 20 years , yet the school system seems to be on a hiring blitz . Is it any wonder that the prov. debt has doubled to over 14 BILLION over the last TEN years when this type of wild out of control spending is going on......something needs to change !« less
11 months ago
Reply to @Matt Steele: you are forgetting that the raise of special needs students has risen. Eas are hired to help with those needs.
11 months ago
Reply to @Matt Steele: You obviously don’t understand the system, so let me try to explain in simple terms. You have a train with 2 engines up front, pulling a load of 100 small cars which is the maximum they were designed for. You add an extra 20 BIG, HEAVY cars to the line. The 2 engines rev up, struggle, but are capable of pulling the load with the extra effort. You add another 20 more cars to the line. These 20 are even BIGGER and HEAVIER then the last 20! The 2 engines rev up more, and are still able to pull, but the stress on the motors is obvious and definitely not sustainable; they were not designed for that kind of load and going to blow soon. The 2 options are to remove the extra cars (which isn’t really an option, otherwise the cars don’t go anywhere), or add an extra engine up front to spread the load. Those EAs are the engines.« less
11 months ago
Reply to @Reggie Sinclair: ......or maybe the EAs sit at the back of the classroom looking at , and texting , on their personal phones ; and do next to NOTHING OTHER THAN TO COLLECT A PAYCHECK . Maybe it is you who does not understand !
11 months ago
Reply to @Matt Steele: BINGO. Lots of Daycare staff in the school system as EA's that have minimal training in Mental Disabilities (man made or just biological) and in some cases none at all.
11 months ago
Reply to @Matt Steele: That is the most ignorant and unsubstantiated statement I have seen on here in some time. Most EAs work very hard at their jobs and are greatly appreciated by the teachers in the classrooms. If it wasn't for the EAs a lot of classrooms would be chaos and absolutely no learning would take place. Have you considered that the problem may be the idea of "full inclusion". I am sure a different model could be a lot more effective, both financially and in the terms of every student getting a proper education. P.S. No, I am not directly involved with the school system. just an outsider with a bit of common sense, looking in.« less
11 months ago
Reply to @al hubble: .....If you are not directly involved in the Education system , then it is doubtful that you have any idea what is going on in the classrooms . If you were aware of what is going on in the classrooms , then you would know that it is the teachers who are responsible for classroom management and teaching ; not EAs . Many classrooms are in chaos regardless of how many EAs are sitting at the back of the class , and streaming caused by FI and inclusion is the problem . The teachers are overwhelmed ; and hiring endless EAs is NOT THE SOLUTION !« less
11 months ago
Reply to @Matt Steele: I think you’d be happy if education were perhaps be abolished altogether? And what’s up with the “screaming” (caps) in your comments?
11 months ago
Reply to @Matt Steele: If your snarky comment is indeed true, it would provide an made to fit opportunity for you: spend all day SCREAMING at forums such as this. Go for it.
11 months ago
Reply to @Matt Steele: "Maybe it is you who does not understand !"
It is apparent that for some no matter how many concessions are granted, no matter how many exceptions to the rules are given nothing is ever enough.. The old damned if you do and damned if you don't.