Restricting the breathing of our precious children MIGHT cease on February 28, 2022, but it might not, and it might resume. The board voted to delegate the decision on whether or not to mask our children to the Superintendent Scott Grimes beginning on February 28, 2022. Scott is allowed to remove masking IF he believes it is a good idea, and IF positive cases are reduced in our district and in Ottawa County, but he can also re-institute the policy if he feels it necessary.
So our board delegated this decision. Is this because they don’t want to be the ones in the spotlight?
The February 7, 2022 board discussion on whether or not to continue restricting GHAPS student breathing, was eye-opening. Board members talked about their personal interactions with community members scared of covid at the grocery store and Home Depot who wanted masking to continue. They stated they receive more emails from people who want masking to continue than from those who want it to end. They talked about positive case rates as a data point, but not about health risks to children. There was no discussion about the harm of masking, or the child covid death rates. They did talk about their duty to protect the community by masking our children. The one page of statistics that was quoted came from the Ottawa County Metrics by Week. School board president, Carl Treutler, read from the following page with drama in his voice, “Pediatric hospitalization rates in the US and in Michigan remain very elevated.” If you continue to read beyond the bold print, it says that during the month of January 2022, three children were hospitalized in Ottawa County.
The complete lack of self-education on the dangers of this virus to our children verses the issues continued masking creates for our children was unbelievable……………
SO THE GHAPS SCHOOL BOARD HAS DETERMINED MASKING KEEPS COVID RATES DOWN AND THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY.
Really?????????????????????
If masking is so important for our community, then why don’t school board members wear masks? Nichol Stack attempted to answer this question in an email. Here is her response to a parent asking that question.
Yes. This is simple. The board mandate enacted was for the school day where a large group of UNVACCINATED are REQUIRED BY LAW to be there and in close quarters. All other school activities are mask optional. The photos you've seen of me where while I was at WORK, during a private party. No requirement to attend (you had to pay to enter the room, even) and no children under the vaccination age.
So the bottom line is:
REQUIRED grouping of statistically UNVACCINATED people = mask
OPTIONAL grouping of statistically VACCINATED people (and literally everything else) = mask optional
Hope that clarifies. Let me know if I can provide any additional information.
PS. I hope the author of your cited post decides to show all of the places I DO wear a mask for the sake of balanced reporting... as those far outweigh the places I don't. Even though it is publicly optional, I'm doing the best I can to help my neighbors in this great community.
-N
Did you follow that? Masking isn’t about keeping the community safe? It isn’t about keeping our children safe. It’s about FOLLOWING LAWS that may or may not exist, and may or may not make sense. Nichol’s reasoning. Not mine. Remember she is one of seven in charge of your children’s education and up for re-election this year.
Here is school board member Marc Eickholt at a basketball game in January 2022. Is he in a group of statistically unvaccinated people? How can he be so sure?
Here is Mark enjoying a cup of coffee with school board member Chris Streng. Unfortunately, Chris didn’t make this photo, but you can see his knee.
Chris Streng did make this photo. He is giving an award to Scott Grimes at Rotary Club during the school day at the Monday Lunch Meeting in January 2022. Chris is the other guy not wearing a mask.
Christine Baker, vice-president of the GHAPS school board, rambled about statistics she thought would be important in making a masking decision, but didn’t have any statistics to cite. Here are some clips from her social media page showing her level of understanding of issues.
In this short Saturday Night Live video shared by VP Christine Baker, she not only shows what she really thinks of parents, but she violates board policy po3310 Freedom of Speech in Non-Instructional Settings while doing so. I really encourage you to watch the Saturday Night Live video. The board policy po3310 states,
“The Board of Education acknowledges the right of its professional staff members, as citizens in a democratic society, to speak out on issues of public concern. When those issues are related to the District, however, the professional staff member's expression must be balanced against the interests of this District.
The following guidelines are adopted by the Board to help clarify and, therefore, avoid situations in which the professional staff member's expression could conflict with the District's interests. In such situations, s/he should:
A. state clearly that his/her expression represents personal views and not necessarily those of the School District;
B. refrain from expressions that would disrupt harmony among co-workers or interfere with the maintenance of discipline by school officials;
C. not make threats or abusive or personally-defamatory comments about co-workers, administrators, or officials of the District;
D. refrain from making public expressions which s/he knows to be false or are made without regard for truth or accuracy.”
Baker’s posts are insensitive at best and represent the exact opposite of what she preaches. Mocking parents in the district she supposedly represents clearly is not balanced against the interests of the district. According to Michigan Law. Michigan School code 380.10 states
It is the natural, fundamental right of parents and legal guardians to determine and direct the care, teaching, and education of their children. The public schools of this state serve the needs of the pupils by cooperating with the pupil's parents and legal guardians to develop the pupil's intellectual capabilities and vocational skills in a safe and positive environment.
Christine Baker should be removed from the board at once.
Back to masking. Here is the school board at the February 7, 2022 meeting.
Not a single GHAPS administrator wore a mask, but Nicol Stack did again attempt to explain that they weren’t required to because their presence at the meeting was optional. I’m not sure I followed her logic this time either? I thought that because she was elected, she was duty bound to appear. Regardless, the board’s complete lack of masking tells us all we need to know about how important they believe masking really is….
But, according to this excerpt from the minutes from the school board meeting in August 2021, when the school board implemented the latest mandatory masking policy, the board believes masking is very important.
Notice how they voted to make masking required by all individuals at all GHAPS school buildings.
Then why is this sign posted on the door of the ESC?
Oh yes, it’s because covid doesn’t exist in this building.
All Buildings – their rule, not ours!
School board members meet in this building during school hours without masks. Did they forget what they voted on? One parent talked to the human resource person that sits at the desk right when you walk in. She said they made the decision based on the fact that no kids come into this building.
Kids alone are the vectors for disease? That’s a good message coming from the school.
Another parent had this to say.
“When I went to the high school in January 2022, I sat in the office waiting for my son’s counselor. The staff in that office were wearing their masks as ear jewelry. (Letting it hang from one ear), under their chin, or on their desk. I kind of sat in the corner and one by one as they noticed I was there, they put their mask on correctly.”
Remember the board said they hear from more people in favor of masking than those who would like children to have the opportunity to breath. Please take this opportunity to let the board, and superintendent hear from you, and try to write them at least one-time per week between now and February 28, 2022. They are used to only hearing from those who want masking. You can contact them through the GHAPS web page or directly by email.
Board Email Addresses
Superintendent Email Addresses
Contrast this with the way our children are treated.
GHAPS personnel have not been following their own policies. In conjunction with the board’s motion to mask children in August 2021 GHAPS created a GHAPS Prevention Strategy Implementation document. Here’s an excerpt from this document that shows masks are not required during PE class. And here’s a link to a previous article which shows teachers are requiring masks during PE class.
If your child is wearing a mask in PE, I encourage you to print this document for your child to give to his/her PE teacher.
In addition to requiring masking during PE which conflicts with the stated GHAPS policy, masks have also been required at after school events. Remember, the board’s motion only mandates masks during regular school hours. This post, Mask Emails, contains an exchange between a parent and White Pines Principal Michael Shelton regarding masking at an after-school choir concert.
In yet another example, Michael Shelton of White Pines enforced masking at a different after school event, Buc Blaster. Here’s the exchange with Mr. Shelton and a parent who was concerned.
From parent:
Mr. Shelton,
Our daughter told us that during the last Buc Blaster, they were made to wear masks. I’d like to remind you that the district policy on masking (8/17/2021), is only valid during school hours. Extracurricular activities after hours are not included in the mandate.
Also, I think it would be more beneficial to all students if the teachers and administrators would focus more on teaching rather than policing the mask policy. Our students are already behind because of the school closures.
Thank You
Here is Mr. Shelton’s reply:
Thank you for the email.
We are aware that the policy states that events after school are “mask optional”.
We will continue to police the mask order as we are required to until the order is lifted. Students will wear masks, and will be told to wear masks until we hear differently.
Well, it is perfectly clear that the rules only apply to children. Adults seem to be exempt, at least when they think no one is looking.
So how have the students responded?
Joe Lutz, a science teacher and mask enforcer, had a student challenge the mask policy. Here are a series of emails between Mr. Lutz and the child’s parent.
From Mr. Lutz to the parent
Your child was asked to put his mask over his nose during science class today. He did not do so, so he was asked again. He again did not comply. I spoke with him quietly in the hall and he said that he wanted to make a stand about the mask policy and did not intend to show any disrespect, but that it was his way to protest and he was willing to accept the consequence. We talked about civil disobedience and he was entirely respectful during our conversation. I did remind him that I was required to enforce the rules that are in place regardless of whether we agree with them or not.
Please let me know if you have any questions,
Mr. Lutz
The parent responded to Mr. Lutz -
Thank you for letting us know. At this time, I respect and support my child’s decisions and his need to have his voice heard. I am happy to hear he was respectful in listening to you. We have talked at length regarding his thoughts and feelings regarding masks. I will take this time to point out that while the school board held a meeting last night to discuss whether or not to continue with masking our children, they did so in a manner that makes it incredibly difficult to respect their decision. The school board sat there MASKLESS AND LESS THAN 6 FEET apart in a crowded room debating what was good for our children. My child watched this same meeting and had strong feelings regarding their behavior. This is a perfect instance of do as I say, not as I do behavior from adults. If our children are required to wear masks, then the school board and teacher’s union should have been respectful enough to wear a mask while making this decision.
Respectfully,
Mr. Lutz wrote back -
I understand the frustration. I also appreciate that your child and I had a mutually respectful conversation about the issue. I will look for guidance from my administrators to determine a course of action moving forward if this situation repeats. I do not want to have conflict with your child, but also feel compelled to follow the policies that are in place. I am hoping that we can find a mutually acceptable solution moving forward until mask requirements come to an end.
Thanks,
Joe
Another student created a petition: Make Masks Optional at GHAPS.
Now I ask, who are the adults and who are the children?
The school board, staff and administrators are choosing tyranny over liberty. The are suffocating our children and are the biggest bullies of all! Their behavior is outrageous.