SCHOOL: Protect kids, families

I am reaching out to tell you what I see Monday through Thursday every week at lunchtime occurring at Ponderosa Elementary School in Post Falls.

Children exit the lunch room and, with a teacher directing them, they gather on a walkway in the front of the school before being permitted to walk to the playground. On this walkway, I observe the children horse-playing, standing a few inches from each other, yelling to friends/teacher un-masked for a good five minutes. The teacher in charge stands away from them (in the parking lot, a good 8-10 feet distant).

The children are not being protected from COVID. The children are highly increasing the risk of COVID for themselves, and more importantly, increasing the risk of bringing the virus home with them (as asymptomatic carriers) thus putting family members at greater risk.

To hear the school personnel tell parents how they are using safety precautions, then observe the lack of safe distancing is alarming.

I am certain the majority of parents of these K-6 grade kids are unaware of this and would be shocked to learn how “at risk” they and their children are, thanks to the school failures in something as simple as safe distancing.

Could the school do better? I think so. Especially since the children are being released from the lunch room to the play yard.

There is no reason for this “gathering” on the walkway. Placing a teacher on the walkway to monitor the children walking to the play yard directly would eliminate the close contact mess.

A. ANDERSEN

Post Falls