Face-To-Face Class Is Approaching: I'm Excited and Nervous

Wednesday, March 3, 2022

My mood has been positive today. Despite of the Pandemic, I wasn't worried when I heard that students would be attending the face-to-face classes soon. I just read DepEd's announcement about face-to-face classes this morning. Earlier February, the Department of Education allowed schools in locations with alert levels 1 and 2 to hold face-to-face classes. There were 6,145 schools ready for the upcoming face-to-face classes as of February 22, 2022. But, it was said that these schools has been assessed and evaluated. So, it means that it's all safe. But before students can participate in face-to-face classes, they must still have parental consent.They must be completed and meet the requirements of the school. With these criteria the school will know how well prepared the students are for face-to-face classes. As of March, there are 4,239 public and 76 private schools that have begun to initiate partial face-to-face classes.

Why I feel excited? There are many reasons behind my excitement(s):

Since the schools will be reopened, it means that some restricted areas will be reopened too for children.

Kid's Independence (Year 2022)

After a few years of being at home, I'm sure my kids will be even more excited because they have been waiting so long to get out and glimpse things they can't see inside the house. The children can eventually leave and attend their respective schools. They can now communicate with their peers and teachers. Most importantly, kids will get the opportunity to learn as students from their real teachers.

Children's Socialization

I want my kids to be able to socialize with other kids. They haven't had any other children to play with or chat with since they were small. They had the experience of meeting playmates when we were on vacation in the province, but only for a few months because we returned to Laguna right away. The Taal Volcano erupted around the time we returned here in Laguna, where we had rented an apartment. I wouldn't let kids out of the house since the ashes produced by the Taal Volcano eruption near our area were dangerous to human health. The Pandemic struck whilst the Taal Volcano continued to erupt. So, from December 29, 2019, to March 20, 2022, my children were unable to go off to school or even see the parks.

We can visit our loved ones from the other places!

Back then, we used to go to my siblings and my children's cousins ​​to bond. But everything changed because of the Pandemic. Last December 2021, our relatives visited us here. I can see the fun and excitement of everyone. After they left, we made a video call, the children were crying because they didn't want to be separated. To this day, they still ask when they will meet again.

The kids can visit Church and Parks occasionally.

Even though we are now on alert level 1, I will not let them out very often. I'm aware that it's not completely risk-free. I will occasionally allow them to attend locations such as churches and parks. I want them to have fun doing things that kids do at their age.

Why do I feel nervous? It's because of my kid's health.

My two children had asthma when they were toddlers. They don't experience severe asthma very often, although they are frequently allergic to dust. They experience an allergic reaction to the dust every time they leave the house. So I was worried that their allergic reaction would reoccur sometime at the school. I'm also worried about other negative aspects of childhood, such as bullies, changes in adolescents, and other child-related issues. Please don't; I hope not, I'm just overthinking it.

"Let us be strong and trust in God despite life's challenges, negative thoughts, and various speculations about reopening schools. Above all, take precautions and ensure our health's safety at all times."