In person learning is a critical part of human development...development that is needed and essential to be a functional part of society and to be our future leaders. I reference and stress in person learning for a multitude of reasons but especially because we are denying our students just that at this very moment with the decision made at the October 26th School Board Meeting. The interactions students receive at school with their peers far surpass what they would receive at home. Students are introduced to various cultures, ethnicities, races, and opinions which differ from their own and this is the point in life where they learn to embrace those differences and value them. If we want to move our society forward when it comes to acceptance of others different from ourselves, we have to take into consideration that we are depriving our students of this important life skill that will cripple our society in the future.

Aside from the social interactions our children need to thrive, we must also consider the damage we are doing to our children; our future leaders, might we add. A parent shared something very frightening in a private message to me; a statement made by her child that no parent should ever have to hear come from a child's mouth. She stated when she broke the news to her child about school moving back to virtual, her little girl looked up at her, tears in her eyes and said " I wish God would hurry and come back to take us all to heaven so we wouldn't have to be stressed so much with school anymore." This little girl is 8 and in third grade! Does anyone see a problem with that? Other parents have shared the tears shed by their students, many of them elementary age, as well as statements of doubt, lack of self confidence, and lack of self worth. The mental damage that is being endured by these children is setting them up for a lifelong battle with depression, suicidal thoughts, self esteem, the list goes on. All qualities our society needs much work on now. Are we really going to continue to make decisions that set up future leaders up in such a way? We are seeing children that genuinely loved learning and going to school who have turned to hate, dread, fear of failure. And why? Because 51% of Rockingham County School's teacher said they prefer virtual. Correct me if I'm wrong, but school is for the student's not the teachers. This is a profession they CHOSE to be in as many of us have had the opportunity to choose our career...a career that many of us are getting up for, getting ready for, and leaving the house to go do in person. To my knowledge, teaching is the only essential profession that has been given the choice to do their jobs remotely, and yes, they are essential!

Many children are falling behind academically. I was told at the beginning of the school year, my child is right in line with his peers, which was about 25% behind where they should be. This is a direct result of being "virtual" the last three months of school. This was just three months. How far behind will they be after all of this. Are we willing to accept this? Are we willing to accept that our future leaders, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers are not going to be better than what we have today. We often complain and demand better of those previously mentioned professions yet, here they are...learning virtually and already 25% behind where they should be. These children are our future! They are our LEADERS! Why are we not looking at the disabilities we are putting on our children with having them virtual, because this is exactly what we are doing. Additionally, medical professionals have even offered their input on the amount of screen time we allow our children. In fact, we are constantly told that parents need to decrease screen time for their children, but what you have just forced on them does the exact opposite and in fact, sets them up for failure! Studies have shown that cutting down screen time can have a positive effect on kids' physical, social, and behavioral well-being, and it can even improve their academic performance, but your stance is to increase it.

Many parents, such as myself, have seen much growth over the last month, even with having their children in the classroom only 2 days a week. This growth will now be erased or crippled as we move them back into virtual. Several parents, such as myself, were finally starting to see improvements in grades, cognition, mood, that will now be stripped away. We have parents who are being told by teachers their child is going to "fail the second grade" and admits if they were in school fulltime, this would not be the case. Another parent was told today they would be receiving a retention letter due to being behind where they should be, keeping in mind, they may not be as behind had they had in person learning. There are numerous children who need in person learning due to learning disabilities; disabilities that can be overcome by receiving proper in person instruction. Disabilities that can be overcome by receiving proper instruction from a trained professional. Disabilities that have been improved over the last month because these students are receiving the instruction that is needed to see improvements and can simply not be done through a virtual structure.

Just below are some quotes I have received from parents either from themselves or from their children. Please take these into consideration.

"My 9 year old loves school and has always been A/B honor roll. He now has C’s and he is very upset!"

"All 3 of my kids talk about how much they miss their friends and their teachers. It's hard when your kids need help with an assignment and you have demanding work tasks with tight deadlines that keeps you from being able to stop right then to help them when they ask. It makes them feel defeated and it makes me feel like I'm neglecting my kids."

"I have a first grader and she told me herself she can pay attention better at school, and it’s easier to know what she’s supposed to do as far as instructions"

"My son cries on a daily basis when he's having to do virtual. He comes home so happy when he gets to go to school. He has told me he hates sitting in front of a computer to do work because he can't focus on it."

"Two of my children have IEP’s and are struggling so hard. Me and my husband work full time and my father that watches them knows nothing about computers. We have to do the online after we get off work and that’s hard. They can’t get on zoom and get help because they do that in the mornings. We need to go back to school!!"

"My son is 13 years old in the EC program. He says “He doesn’t like doing Virtual because he isn’t learning. He wants to go to school to learn and get his education. He wants to be able to see his best friends.”

"My 7th grade child cried this morning and said “mama I’m going to start failing again”.
It broke my heart! She has always had straight A’s.
This year she has struggled beyond belief."

"My fifth grade child:
Me: You’re doing fine, it’s a hard year and you are doing great.
Her: “No mama I’m not! I don’t understand any of this anymore. I don’t know what I’m doing, what I’m supposed to do, or what any of this means, I don’t want to start middle school next year, I’m not going to be ready”
Also a straight A student every single year, never had a B before."

"My child who is almost 8 just said yesterday “I can’t do this. I want to be in school. I was happy.” Even though it was only 2 days she was happy, and learning so much more. She also has said “I do not learn anything on the computer.”

"Senior year from the point of view of a Rockingham County Senior.
I wake up, roll over to grab my computer to get ready to stare at a screen for hours on in. Just listening to one person speak for an hour and then repeat that course. Now, it’s lunch time. Instead of sitting with my friends laughing, studying for a test in the next class, or planning the plans for the weekend, I sit in my bed and rest my eyes for a moment. When schools finally over, I get ready to go to cross country practice wondering if we will ever actually get a season and waiting on the day they say “gigs up no sports” because we all have that in the back of our minds. I get home after practice thanking God for the opportunity to just socialize with other teenagers. And then the course repeats, day after day.
Remember when you used to come home and your parents would ask you, “What’d you learn today at school?” And you’d say “Nothing much.” That’s the reality today we haven’t learned a thing all school year, not because teachers aren’t teaching. It’s because it’s NOT THE SAME. I cannot learn without the perspectives of others. I cannot learn without days when classes are so loud teachers are yelling at us while playing Kahoot. I cannot learn without one on one conversation in person with peers that I don’t hang out with outside of school.
Seeing senior in the past post about homecoming these last few weeks really made it real to me that the schools have done absolutely nothing to make it feel like we’re seniors. I understand that they can’t do much but to not even try at all, wow. I question graduation knowing that the schools spent so much money on the seniors last year that they might just leave us with the end of the stick.
So to whoever this may concern, please think about us seniors who haven't had a real day of senior year at all this year. Who also didn’t get their junior prom and probably won’t get a senior prom either. The students who are trying their best but are at their last straw with online school and just want to give up, but know they can’t.
To the seniors who may read this. We’ve got this."

"My 3rd grader cried when I told him they were doing all virtual again. He said but we kept the stupid mask on."

From a first grader: “I can’t do this, I feel stupid ,I want to quit school. I just don’t understand”

"My 1st grader says that he loves going for the two days there he can ask questions. He goes to bed every night asking mommy do I get to go to school tomorrow or do I have to do computer. If I say computer he gets so sad says he doesn’t want to. He learns more when he can ask questions. The zoom is great because of the ability to ask his teacher but that is only for maybe 45 minutes a day! Everything else is prerecorded. From a kid who is so smart and did amazing in kindergarten says he just isn’t that smart anymore and that breaks this mommas heart!!"

"My A/B middle schooler is Struggling!!! He submits assignments but it shows up that it wasn't submitted. So he can either redo the work or say screw it!!! My A/B 4th grader who absolutely LOVES school has cried almost every day because she has trouble figuring out how to do some of the sides. Her sweet loving personality has changed into an anger filled demon!! She lost it again last night when I told her she has to go back to all virtual.
My highly intelligent 1st grader is struggling too! They just started his testing to try see if he had some emotional problems (autism/Asperger's) the LAST day they were in school in March. So he has been in limbo since March. No further testing has been done so we have no answers or solutions to the problems he was having in school. So, naturally, he is suffering trying to sit and comprehend what is being done on virtual.
I think I will have to take my kids out of ROCO and just homeschool until things get back to normal"

"My daughter got her report card...she has always been an A honor roll student...she has no A's..a couple B's...and a C...never ever had a C...even on a test or quizz prior to virtual learning....she said "mommy, I'm sorry I'm getting dumb"....and I can't stop crying"

"Austin is in EC class at Douglass we Love his teachers and staff. This change is going to rock his world and ours because he will not be in his routine... he will regress and from him being non verbal he has ALOT of emotions
1. He LOVES going to school and I am talking when it snows outside he cry’s because he knows school will be closed
2. He HATES virtual learning/speech it is literally impossible for him to sit down and watch a computer screen or do speech in his 20-30 mins sessions."

This is just a small sampling of comments of concerns from parents, a very small sampling.

We are submitting this petition to the Rockingham County School Board for consideration of finding another alternative to Plan C. An alternative that will not put such a strain on teachers having to do virtual and in person but will assist in meeting the needs for those that require in person instruction to prosper. An alternative that allows for those student/parents who do not feel comfortable returning to the classroom the option to remain virtual. An alternative that allows those teachers who do not feel safe coming back in the classroom an option to remain a virtual instructor. An alternative that gives and allows the parents signed on this petition an opportunity to join those teachers who feel the same, back in the classroom and giving these kids the educational opportunities they deserve. We realize this is risky, but we are begging you! Don't let these kids, our future, our leaders, get further behind. We beg you to please explore other alternatives that meet the majority of student's needs and not the wants/concerns of only teachers. Remember, these children who we are holding back, intentionally or not, will be our caregivers one day in which we will rely on for our medical care. Do we really want them to be 25% subpar what we have today?