Background: On 8/12/22 new guidance for school came out from both the CDC and ODH (ODH memo 8/12/22 updated COVID guidance. Here is the information that will help you here in LCSD:
Positive cases
5+5 (5 days of isolation followed by 5 days of masking) plan as outlined by CDC/ ODH (Ohio Dept of Health). This is calculated from the first day of symptoms or positive test which is considered day 0. If a student is not ready to come back after 5 days (your child needs to be fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications and symptoms improving), parents would call to tell attendance daily if their child is not ready to return. These are considered non-absence days
Masking is not optional. If you have been positive, you will need to mask for 5 days after being in isolation for 5 days.
There are no online learning links available.
Extracurriculars- able to participate as long as able to mask. Removing mask is not an option
District nurses (DN) make the follow up phone calls to parents once we are notified of a positive case.
Close contacts/ exposures
Quarantine is no longer recommended for people who are exposed to COVID-19 except in certain high-risk congregate settings (not schools). Instead of quarantining if you were exposed to COVID 19, it is recommended that you wear a high quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 5. For extracurriculars, they can mask as able to.
If your child has symptoms or develops symptoms, parents should keep them home and connect with their healthcare provider for further guidance and/ or covid testing. Testing on the same day as symptoms is now recommended.
Parents should tell the attendance person the absence is covid related.
If a student has a pending test and they have symptoms, we support keeping their child home until test results. If asymptomatic, they can be at school masked during that time
We will no longer be monitoring vaccination status
These days are excused absences, but we will continue to monitor
3 . Testing
Any testing except antibody testing is acceptable.
Recommend testing day five per HCPH guidelines for exposures, but not required
4. Vaccines
We encourage everyone to talk to their health care provider for themselves and their children regarding getting vaccinated for COVID. It is the best way to address COVID going forward. Students over 5 are now eligible for the first booster vaccine
LCSD will continue to focus on “The Bundle”- handwashing, cleaning, distancing as needed/ able to, and masking when appropriate/ optional choice. Our entire staff is committed to keeping our students safe and healthy. We need your support by you doing the wellness checks daily with your child(ren) and keeping them home if they are sick. Thanks for partnering with us- we can do anything together!!
Loveland Magazine is one of the 400 news outlets worldwide, with a combined audience of over 2 billion people “Covering Climate Now”, a global journalism initiative committed to bringing more and better coverage to the defining story of our time.
The initiative, was co-founded by The Nation and Columbia Journalism Review
Mihaela Manova is “Covering Climate Now” in Loveland, Ohio as an editor for Loveland Magazine
Today’s article concentrates on the beauty of the nature around us; even if we are currently staying in isolation. In Stephen McClanahan’s article, he reveals an entry about a beautiful variety of bird species and their complexities.
By Stephen McClanahan on May 22, 2020
Stephen McClanahan is retired from P&G and now active in environmental advocacy, search/rescue and emergency medical/disaster response. He lives in Miami Township.
Have you ever seen a more beautiful creature than a blue bird? The blue is beyond blue; this one moved into one of the nesting boxes in the yard and has just emerged to take flight.
Or how about this guy…a red-headed woodpecker? He has visited us for the past few days, so we are hoping there is a nest not far. His hood is the deepest of reds you can imagine.
Red-headed woodpecker
Or several other amazing creatures of flight?
Female Red-breasted Grosbeak
Northern Flicker with an attitude
Gold Finch feeding frenzy.
Morning doves eating what the finches throw them.
Mallards
The Mallards above are nick-named Charles and Verna by our children when they were younger, they have been coming to our little back yard pond for years.
I am thinking either a red-tailed or red-shouldered hawk. (If someone knows better, please educate me.)
These winged creatures and many, many more, are all in one small corner of the earth. Jays, wrens, nuthatches, sparrows, hairy and downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, robins, cardinals, house finches, ruby-throated hummingbirds, grackles to name a few.
A barn swallow was out front late afternoon a few days ago; his darting and jerking and hair-pinned turns in flight left me wanting to break the chains of gravity and join him in his celebration of life. Watch them closely, sincerely and you come away amazed.
As they go about their daily rounds, you will see a host of creatures spending their time eating, nesting and much more. Their singing and chirping are nothing less than a concert playing of Spring from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. They will argue over something but settle it in minutes and move on (humans should be so fortunate). Up with the earliest rays of the sun, disappearing just before sunset, they move with the rhythm of the day.
How they manage to fly in, around, under, over, in-between leaves and branches and trees and each other is a feat of engineering to say the least. With the coming of spring, the gold finches morph from a dull to an almost fluorescent yellow – stunning! There is a cardinal nest just outside a window in one of bushes; these little creatures knew where and how to build a nest sheltered from the weather.
Nature has somehow encoded this knowledge into their brain.
Nature has somehow encoded this knowledge into their brain. The female patiently laid and sat on her eggs for about 12 days or so and as of yesterday, there are 3-4 new cardinals in our world. The male and female are trading off time to feed and guard and keep warm their brood. When you approach too close to try to snap a photograph, she looks at you and you can tell what she is thinking: a step closer and you are dead, mister. The force is strong with them.
These are just a few of the rewards granted when you give nature a bit of space and time and peace. Several years ago, we began the task of converting a portion of the manicured back yard to its original form: a little wild place. Trees, bushes, ground covers, flowers, weeds and more. As it grows, other critters move in as well. Squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, racoons, an occasional fox, deer, opossums. After an evening rain, the tree frogs serenade with such gusto, you laugh out loud which only eggs them on.
We are fortunate to live in Paxton Woods
We are fortunate to live in Paxton Woods; many neighboring homes have lots of mature trees. This provides more of a continuous suburban forest so essential to wildlife. Rather than being an island, our little patch of wild only adds to what is here.
Lessons learned from all this: nature will heal and rebound if given a fair chance. You must care enough to try. There is power in individual actions; there is greater power in the collective.
And while I was penning this short piece, the red-headed woodpecker visited again, as did a hawk, but the jays caused such a ruckus, it moved on to quieter hunting ground.
Since the stay at home order went into place, people are sharing the fact they are drinking more.
Tonya Schaeffer, M.Ed, LPCC-S is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and co-owner of Hope Restored Counseling Services in Loveland.
by Tonya Schaeffer, M.Ed, LPCC-S
April is Alcohol Awareness Month.According to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, people in Ohio bought 1.11 million more gallons of adult beverages than they did last year at this time. The extreme stress, worry, and isolation during the Coronavirus and lockdown are likely leading people to increase their consumption of beer, wine, and liquor.
Stress, anxiety, loneliness, and feelings of depression can be a trigger for drinking. Often while drinking, a person may feel more calm, relaxed and even numb. However, alcohol is a depressant, both mentally and physically. For people who may already be prone to depression or anxiety, these emotions can be increased. Drinking alcohol has an impact on one’s ability to get a goodnight’s sleep.Without quality sleep, the ability to regulate our emotions can be even more difficult.
The use of alcohol to cope anytime isn’t a great choice, but during times like what we are all experiencing now, it can be creating a bigger issue.
The use of alcohol to cope anytime isn’t a great choice, but during times like what we are all experiencing now, it can be creating a bigger issue. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol affects the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain functions. Alcohol can also impact one’s heart, liver, pancreas and increase the risk of a variety of cancers.
Recently, in the medical community, there have been discussions around the use of alcohol weakening a person’s immune system, making your body a target for illness and disease. Since the stay at home order went into place, people are sharing the fact they are drinking more. They have expressed that they are having virtual happy hours through work, and while connecting with friends and family.
Recently, in the medical community, there have been discussions around the use of alcohol weakening a person’s immune system.
It is one thing to have a few drinks, but an entirely different situation if you are finding yourself turning to the use of alcohol to cope. First, be aware of your current consumption of alcohol. Gauge if your drinking is increasing. Pay attention to when you are reaching for that drink. Is it to escape the current reality, numb any feelings you want to avoid, or is it becoming something you are using to make yourself get through the day?
Consider a more effective coping skill such as going for a walk, start an exercise routine, work in your yard, or spend some quality time with your family. If you can’t be with your loved ones, make more of an effort to reach out to them. Take time to read or work on a puzzle, start a craft or work on a project around the house.
If you feel like you are struggling with the use of alcohol, you can go online to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.They offer a variety of options including treatment during physical distancing.
Cassie Mattia lives in Historic Downtown Loveland, Ohio.
If we don’t protect our youth who will? In May, Ohio Paul Zeltwanger and Thomas Brinkman proposed House Bill 658, which states:
“If a government agent or entity has knowledge that a child under its care or supervision has exhibited symptoms of gender dysphoria or otherwise demonstrates a desire to be treated in a manner opposite of the child’s biological sex, the government agent or entity with knowledge of that circumstance shall immediately notify, in writing, each of the child’s parents and the child’s guardian or custodian. The notice shall describe the total circumstances with reasonable specificity.”
gen·der dys·pho·ri·a
ˈjendər disˈfôrēə/
noun
MEDICINE
The condition of feeling one’s emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one’s biological sex. How to pronounce gender dysphoria.
In plainer language House Bill 658, also known as the “Parent’s Rights Bill,” would make any school administrator or teacher who allows or offers gender dysphoria (the condition of feeling one’s emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one’s biological sex) treatment, including resources on sex and gender or counseling, for a minor “without the written, informed consent of each of the child’s parents and the child’s guardian or custodian” they could be charged with a felony in the fourth degree. The parents of the student according to the bill would get the ultimate decision whether their child gets access to treatment, including educational materials, counseling or medical services.
If this House Bill is implemented it could have detrimental consequences for teachers and even more importantly for those students affected. Teachers are there to lend their students a helping hand educationally and emotionally in order to prepare them for what’s to come once they are out on their own, why take this from them?
A teacher’s take on House Bill 658
I spoke to one Loveland teacher who wishes to remain anonymous, a mom of a teenager. I’ll call her Susan. She told me that for many students their home life is a wreck and out of control with issues of poverty, broken families, and domestic abuse. “For many of my students, the only adult in their life that can be trusted may be their teacher. Teachers who lend an ear and can be trusted can be an enormous help that often reflects on their academic achievement. We care for the whole child.”
Susan told me that for many students their home life is a wreck and out of control with issues of poverty, broken families, and domestic abuse. “For many of my students, the only adult in their life that can be trusted may be their teacher.”
Susan told me that she just overheard a conversation between her daughter and a friend about a classmate they thought was transgender. “I wondered, do they know what that means? Are they friends with this young person? How do my kid and others treat her? Because I am a teacher, would I be required to file a report with the District? These are all questions that ran through my head as a mom and a teacher.”
Susan said she wants to protect and support all of her kids, her biological ones and the ones that are “her’s” for a school year. “I want to be able to do that freely and openly and with my heart.” She said that some of her students desperately need someone they can trust in their life and the last thing they need is another person that will let them down because politicians want school staff charged as felons if they don’t report that the student herself, or a classroom teacher, principal, gym teacher, bus driver, or classmate may be questioning her gender identity.
Susan asked, “Just what stereotypes am I going to be expected to police?
HB 658 is a harmful bill that takes aim at some of our most vulnerable — transgender youth — by forcing school officials to serve as ‘gender police’ and out them or risk getting a felony.” – Alana Jochum
LGBTQ advocacy
“HB 658 is a harmful bill that takes aim at some of our most vulnerable — transgender youth — by forcing school officials to serve as ‘gender police’ and out them or risk getting a felony,” said Alana Jochum, executive director of LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Ohio. Jochum told NBC News. “This exposes young people to discrimination, harassment, and bullying.”
Jochum couldn’t be more correct if you really take a look at the alarming statistics. One study done by the Cincinnati Enquirer showed that 64% of LGBTQ youth in Ohio heard “negative comments” about their gender identity or sexual orientation from their family and in result, according to another study done by National Transgender Discrimination, 41% attempted suicide. Though many transgender students
75% of transgender youth have felt unsafe at school after being outed and have lower GPA’s due to missing school in fear of their safety.
have experienced negative comments, violence has become the most popular form of dealing with transgender youth. Disturbingly enough 19% of transgender youth, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality, experience the majority of violent abuse in their home from their own family members. Along with dealing with all the dissension from family members 75% of transgender youth, according to a national survey done by GLSEN (pronounced “glisten”), have felt unsafe at school after being outed and in result have lower GPA’s due to missing school in fear of their safety. With all the facts at hand, The Ohio Education Association who represents 125,000 teachers and support professionals, have openly opposed the bill.
Violence has become the most popular form of dealing with transgender youth.
Kathryn Lorenz is the Loveland Board of Education Vice President
While researching House Bill 658 I managed to only get a response from two local representatives of the Loveland School Board, one being Kathryn Lorenz, the Board Vice President and the other being Loveland School Board Member, Ned Portune. Lorenz’s response was, “In the case of House bill 658, we would have to say that we do not yet have enough information, nor have we met as a board for a few weeks, so we do not yet have a Board statement to make.”
Ned Portune is a member of the Loveland School Board
Portune added that he, “…simply has not been fully informed at this point on HB 658 to have an educated opinion. There are several items in your statement that would certainly give me a gut reaction, and opinion on, if true as presented. But I need time to fully review the Bill, its implications and existing laws to have any formal statement.”
School Superintendent Amy Crouse, High School Principal Peggy Johnson, and assistant principals at the High School did not respond.
Studies show most transgender youth are fully aware of their gender identity by age 4.
After attempting several times to contact both Representatives Paul Zeltwanger and Thomas Brinkman through email and phone about House Bill 658, I, unfortunately, got no response. It wasn’t hard to find Brinkman’s opinion on the issue in several other publications though, voicing to WCPO, “Parents have the right to decide what is best for their children,” and telling WOSU Public Media, “And if somebody doesn’t like it, you’re emancipated at age 18 and you can go do whatever the heck you want.” Seems pretty harsh considering the transgender population represents about 0.3% (700,000) of Americans and studies show most transgender youth are fully aware of their gender identity by age 4. Are we encouraging parents and administrators to discard their students or child’s gender identity in fear of social rejection? Do these children not deserve to live an authentic life?
Fran Hendrick, PCC has offices at Wildflower House in the West Loveland Historic District.
House Bill 658 is expected to be presented to the Ohio General Assembly in the Fall and will be without a doubt one of the most controversial bills to date. Many have opinions on this issue one being Fran Hendrick, a respected and highly educated clinical counselor who specializes in assisting women and girls who are experiencing depression or anxiety triggered by a crisis or major life change. When I presented Fran with House Bill 658 and asked what her opinion was she had a lot to say and rightfully so considering one of her life missions, according to Fran’s website franhendrick.com, is to “gently help you find and shelter your spark (the essence of who you are at your core) and grow it so that it illuminates your person and is radiated through words, actions and decisions, big and small, that make up your daily life.”
In a culture such as ours, it is a matter of life and death for transgender youth to decide if and when to trust another person with their reality. – Fran Hendrick, PCC
“Being a parent takes great courage, even more so when your child presents you with something that you’re unfamiliar with – or even afraid of. In a perfect world, a child who feels somehow ‘different’ from their peers (‘their’ is deliberately gender-neutral), they could consult their parents, who would strive to deeply understand the child’s experience, would provide accurate empathy, and would go on a crash course to learn everything they could about the unfamiliar issue. And, so very fortunate for their children, there are many parents like these.
But in the real world, an adolescent boy saying to his father, ‘Dad, I think I’m a girl’ is very likely to encounter disgust, rejection, rage, or even violence, not empathy and understanding.
While the intent of this bill, giving benefit to grave doubt, could be a deeply uninformed and misguided attempt to protect children, that seems unlikely. My sense is that in truth it is more about attempting to hand parents the power to say no to their child’s gender identity,” Hendrick said, “But gender identity – and sexual orientation, for that matter – are not matters of choice. And in a culture where transgender people are assaulted and even murdered at a rate higher than their cisgender counterparts,where transgender youth are summarily shunned and rejected by their own parents (the rate of homelessness is, not surprisingly, very high), where the suicide rate that results from these atrocious facts is far higher than for other youth – in a culture such as ours, it is a matter of life and death for transgender youth to decide if and when to trust another person with their reality, and, most importantly, whom to trust.
To be “outed” for the choice to trust; or to be prosecuted for trying to be help – these are not protections. Actions like these support bigotry, and increase isolation and despair. – Fran Hendrick, PCC
To be “outed” for the choice to trust; or to be prosecuted for trying to be help – these are not protections. Actions like these support bigotry, and increase isolation and despair. Stopping a teacher from helping such a student, one who is likely alone with the reality of their gender identity, who stands to be emotionally and psychologically rejected, or even physically abused, by their own family is, quite simply, a cruelty. This, I strongly believe, is not what the overwhelming majority of parents want for their own or anyone else’s children. This is bad enough. However, this bill opens the door to much more far-reaching damage than this.”
Is he to be turned in to the gender police?
The talented young male artist who despises sports – is he to be turned in to the gender police? The girl who chooses overalls and a t-shirt rather than a dress and a mani-pedi –what of her? The sponsors of the bill have explicitly said that teachers should be required to inform on them, as well. We have an essential responsibility to ensure that proposed legislation protects vulnerable people from the bigotry endemic in our society.This legislation explicitly deprives them of protection.”
Ultimately what it comes down to is ensuring that our children are and feel safe when going to school. Teachers and administrators are the ones that take on the responsibility of creating that fun, loving and supportive atmosphere so that our children get the best opportunities in life. Passing a bill such as House Bill 658 only presents another obstacle that both teachers and administrators have to overcome. Don’t these professionals have enough obstacles to conquer as is?
Both Justin Haake and Tonya Schaeffer who are Professional Clinical Counselors for Hope Restored Counseling Services in Loveland couldn’t agree more.
Justin Haake is a Licensed Professional Counselor at Hope Restored Counseling Services in Loveland and works primarily with adolescents and adults, specifically during transitional periods in life.
Haake said, “For some, teachers and school administrators may be the only people in schools that feel safe for students to reach out to.Imagine the fear of asking for support, knowing that you’ll either be outed or put the teacher or administrator at risk of a felony.”
Schaeffer said, “From my perspective, this would most likely increase the level of bullying and possible harm to these students.There is already so much shame and stigma attached with Transgender people, and they need as much support as they can get,”
Tonya Schaeffer is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and co-owner of Hope Restored Counseling Services in Loveland.
Schaeffer added, “Support is out there.In fact, we are offering a psycho-educational group starting in September that offers education, support and a safe environment for Transgender students to express themselves.” She said they hope to offer a similar group to parents who are trying to understand what their child is going through, explore what the parents are experiencing and provide support. “We currently serve the LGBTQ community, and we are expanding those services.I recently read a statement that it is estimated that 41% of trans men and women have attempted suicide. I don’t believe this bill would help–it seems like it could only hurt.”
Susan, the mom and teacher said, “I am thankful I live in a community where support services like those provided by Hope Restored, and Fran Hendrick at Wildflower House are nearby for my students and their families.”
Transgender youth have so many mountains to climb within their own scientific makeup and allowing a bill like House Bill 658 to go through in hindsight is taking away their basic rights as Americans and human beings.
“GLSEN (pronounced “glisten”) was founded in 1990 by a small, but dedicated group of teachers in Massachusetts who came together to improve an education system that too frequently allows its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) students to be bullied, discriminated against, or fall through the cracks.”
I am thinking either a red-tailed or red-shouldered hawk. (If someone knows better, please educate me.)
If you would like to explore the topic of Transgender youth and adults even further please check out “
