Fall Student Attendance Concerns - My Letter Shared - Local Classrooms Part 2

This photo is from my local elementary school district's website. (The one my kids didn't go to because we homeschooled.) I was looking up school board member contact info to share my concerns regarding school mask mandates on children, (my email and the board president's email response below, the subject line mispell was from the board pres, not me). The irony of the photo struck me. Given that I would happily wager that the most often asked question of homeschooling parents is "What about socialization?" Over the years I developed a collection of my own potential responses to the socialization question but I won't go into those right now. I'll just let the school website pic below speak to that and wonder if parents and educators will now finally turn that same question back to their school boards. 

"What about socialization?"

D95 Board response

Inbox

Mark Kuzniewski <mkuzniewski@district95.org>
to me, Barb, Jackie, Jessica, Katie, Meaghan, Melissa, Elizabeth

Angie-

Please accept this response to your email to board members on August 12.  I am responding 

on behalf of the Board.

Thank you for expressing your views on masking.  At this time, we are under an executive 

order from the Governor wherein masks are mandatory for all students, staff, and visitors 

to a school.  Once this mandate is lifted, the District will evaluate the local metrics to determine

if masking will be optional for vaccinated people.

Again, thank you for sharing your opinion.

Dr. Mark Kuzniewski

Superintendent

Brookfield-District 95

708-588-8701

Angie Runyan <angielrunyan@gmail.com>
to mmcateer Thu, Aug 12, 6:09 PM

Dear District 95 Schoolboard Member,

I am contacting you as a Brookpark District 95 resident and homeowner.
As an engaged community member, I spent many years as a La Leche League volunteer 

and morecurrently as a lactation consultant supporting new mothers in Brookfield and the

surrounding suburbs.In that capacity, I share evidence based information with mothers of 

newborns as they work to achieve their breastfeeding goals.

My investment in my community may not be as obviously visible as some of the more outwardly 

parent results made by contributions of other Brookfierld and Lagrange Park residents, but to the 

parents who learned about newborn and early childhood care my input has frequently been 

significant at a crucial time in the life of a family. I know that my support during the life altering 

time of welcoming a new baby into a family hasinfluenced many parent/child relationships long 

after I met new parents.

It is with that investment and influence in my community as my catalyst, that I am writing to 

share my deep concerns about any requirements for school age children to cover their faces 

with masks throughout the day in a classroom or other educational setting. Masks, social

distancing and the fear induced by these practices are all hindrances in an educational 

setting, specifically to academic learning and in general to human development in all areas 

of growth and achievement. There are many concerns regarding delayed language skills, 

emotional and social development and more imposed by enforced social obstacles and 

installing excessive fear in children. Socio emotional learning and functioning is jeopardized 

by the restrictions placed on children's ability to read and erceive the expressions of both 

peers, teachers and caregivers.

Add to those concerns that there is ample evidence based on research that there is 

"no reductionin viral transmission with the use of face masks".(1) and I think there is a 

strong case for allowingthe option for families to come to their own conclusions regarding 

the costs and benefits of masking their own children.

Given the concerns of harm imposed on developing young ones and based on a lack of data 

tosupport the efficacy of mask wearing to reduce the spread of the Covid virus, I request that 

the School Board of Brookpark District 95 institute the option for families to choose for their 

own children whether or not they will wear masks during school attendance.

Sincerely,
Angie Runyan


1. Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare 

Settings—Personal Protective and Environmental Measures, Jingyi Xiao1, Eunice Y. C. Shiu1,  

Huizhi Gao, Jessica Y. Wong, Min W. Fong, Sukhyun Ryu, and Benjamin J. Cowling 

(Volume 26, Number 5, May of 2020). 

--

Angie Runyan M.A. IBCLC  PCD(DONA)

A Baby Moon Company                                                                                                        

Every new mother deserves the best company during her baby moon. 

www.ababymoon.com 

Is this learning? Local Classrooms - Part 1

Not my photo.

This is the website cover photo from my local elementary school district. This is meant to be a promotional image for back to school, showing a best case scenerio in the local elementary school in our current fear based culture. How can this be better than days at home or in the backyard?

This photo is so disturbing to me.  It is apparently the current promotional image of a healthy happy public school student. Closed off, free from any human interaction or distraction, "learning" sans human contact. Forced focus on a screen. Only a few short years ago, overuse of screen time was something that we were all concerned about. Parents were warned and encouraged to limit our children's screen time. Now it is being portrayed as the safe effective learning option. 

This child has several devices blocking her from other people and from the world. No air, no sound, no visual distractions. How will she develop the skill of focus without shutting out all stimuli? Is this really safer and what kind of future is it preparing her for? How is this student developing social emotional skills? How will she interact with others? How will she interact with the world? How will she learn to apply whatever information is being promoted on that screen? 

What have we given up?

The most striking irony to me of the photo of the student at the screen, is how the narrative has changed. It was only a few short years ago that homeschooling parents were constantly questioned about their children's socialization. Warned by family, friends and complete strangers that if their children weren't in a classroom filled with peers they'd never be able to function in society. Is this what those questions were getting at? It's a retorical question, of course, this isn't likely what they imagined a student was missing by staying home with family to learn but look how fast our concept has changed.  

As we fumble our way through by refusing to look at reality and take responsibilty for our own children, we are creating a fearful, disengaged society. If we continue down this road, I doubt the destination will be a very fulfilling place to live.