Masks in the Wind
March 16, 2020 is a date that will be remember throughout California for generations. 14 months ago the Shelter in Place Order was declared. The next time I left my home I wore a mask and my collection of Face Shields and Masks started to grow.
It was a struggle the first few weeks at Pier 1 Imports to wear the mask in June when we reopened the store. I got the Face Shields and that made it easier to breathe plus the glasses didn't fog as bad. Wearing a mask was a struggle for all of us at Pier 1 Imports through the summer months. When it was 110+ degrees and we had to close the store for local forest fires; wearing a mask or shield just seemed to add insult to injury. We were a sad crew as the "Going out of Business" signs were installed.
Then in mid August school started and one of my nieces got married in Grass Valley during the heat of the month. I made an "Auntie of the Bride" for me and "M.O.B". (Mother of the Bride) face shield for my sister. It was 5 months into the pandemic and starting school without children on campus was a new adventure.
The kids were in their homes. My Google Classroom schedule on campus had 6 different classrooms! There were 5 grades plus an ESL (English as a second language) group on my roster. Five days a week and 5.25 hours a day were spent hopping around in Google classrooms. Then the powers that be decided to bring the kiddos back to campus...
In September the schedule changed as the students returned. The state had reduced our educational hours required so that we could have minimum day schedule. To keep the students in cohorts (with their own classroom group) we added an extra recess and lunch period. My new in-person schedule included three reading groups plus my ESL group, two recesses and three lunch periods.
New vocabulary was added to our daily environment. "Mask over the nose please." "Hands to yourself." "6 feet distance between classes." "Wash your hands as you enter the classroom." "Hand Sanitize as you leave class." The kids made up their own words like "handisizer" and teachers were still drinking "Quarantinis" at home after school.
Our district decided to reduce spread by going back online after Thanksgiving break until January 11th, 2021. 
The students left campus with their Chromebooks under their arms and the leaves on the trees. We came back from Thanksgiving Break and returned to the old schedule for three weeks. After Christmas break we had two more weeks of online classrooms before the kiddos returned with their masks on and Chromebooks back to the in-person classes.
Since then there have been the occasional breakouts when a classroom (Cohort) has to go on distance learning for 2 weeks of quarantine. I have never been close enough to be quarantined, so I continued on campus and became arms and legs for teachers who are quarantined. My on campus schedule would remain the same, but I would "pop" online during that Cohort's reading group time if they were my class.
Then before Easter Break we reopened the cafeteria for breakfast. My schedule changed again. This new schedule began a half hour earlier and ended with no prep period when the students left. I get to greet the children and make sure everyone has a disposable mask if they forget their reusable masks. (I think the district has given three to five washable masks to each child.)
Every Sunday our principal gives a phone call (dialer) to every student with regular reminders to wash masks and make sure your child has them in the backpack. We have worked hard to make it not punitive if they forget. So many of the students have two parent households and it is a challenge to keep track of the masks with baby-sitters, grandparents and others picking up and dropping off the next day.
There are masks in the lost and found. There are masks left in the parking lot. There are masks left in the cafeteria and sadly along the road to school there are the disposable masks that get dropped too. I usually give a dozen masks out a day, which isn't that many considering our student body is about 400.
This last week one of our "Guest Teachers" (substitute) gave me a great compliment. She said that I was the most cheerful greeter of all the schools she visits. I told her that the "Cheerful Lady" of A Christmas Carol was my role model. Every child and adult that enters the school should be greeted with a smile even if they can't see my smile. I also work hard to memorize the names of all the students.
I went to the Grocery Outlet, Target, and Trader Joe's in the past two days. Once I got into Grocery Outlet and Target I ditched the mask and wore it on my wrist. I felt lightheaded. Was I lightheaded from not wearing the mask? Or was I lightheaded from wearing the mask? Today as I entered Trader Joe's I saw the "Mask Required" sign was missing. I asked the clerk about masks. He informed me that masks were optional. I decided to try again. I was not lightheaded today, but still felt odd. Mask anxiety can go both ways. I found it hard to breathe with the mask a year ago, now I felt weird without the mask. I have spoke to friends and family that are experiencing the same effects.
I dream of a day when I will see all the children's smiling faces. We will get to hug in greeting. The playground will not have missing masks flying around in the wind. Children can chose where they will play and not be contained to their Zone for the day. (Each cohort rotates to a different zone each day.)
For now I will drink lots of water, eat clean food, wash my glasses with Anti Fog and put on my shining eyes smile for each child. 😷 Three weeks left of 20/21 school year and we will finish strong.
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