Tag: 上海干磨会所葡萄

‘I can’t send her to school’: Simcoe County parents keep sick children at home longer

There are a few more empty desks inside Simcoe County classrooms this year.

And it’s not just because of online learning.

Pandemic precautions are making parents like Debbie Vanzon keep their kids home longer when they get sick.

“On Saturday (Oct. 10), my daughter Emma woke up and wasn’t feeling well,” Vanzon said.

Emma felt worse the next day, but with a long weekend, she had time to rest.

“At that point, I decided to get us tested for COVID.”

Still waiting for test results, Emma stayed home from school on Oct. 13.

“I also found out the girls who go to Emma’s school next door to us, and another two girls in her class, stayed home as well – all with the same sniffles, cough and temperature. It got me worried.”

Both of their tests came back negative. However, Emma remained home the rest of the week.

“I can’t send her to school. She still has a bit of a cough. I’m scared if I send her back, they’ll send her home. I don’t want her waiting in that isolation room.”

That decision means Vanzon is also staying home.

She worked from home this summer, but once Emma returned to school, Vanzon headed back to the office. She’s thankful her employer understands.

“If this had happened last year, Emma would have been home for a day and I definitely would’ve sent her back to school,” Vanzon said. “Now, there’s so much caution, and I don’t blame them.”

An October showed that 16 per cent of parents had missed work to tend to their sick kids, with at least one of their children getting a COVID-19 test.

“A startling number of parents have missed work and had to quit or change their work,” Children First Canada CEO Sara Austin said in a press release. “We are talking about potentially hundreds of thousands of Canadians who are dealing with reduced incomes and increased risk of food insecurity and homelessness.”

On Oct. 1, the province changed the rules to deal with sick kids. Children with sniffles don’t need a COVID-19 test, but must stay home for at least 24 hours and can only return to school if symptoms improve. Visit for the latest screening test.

“We’re happy families are conducting the self-screening and following the directions,” Simcoe County District School Board spokesperson Sarah Kekewich said.

She acknowledged that many students had already missed class this year.

But when asked for attendance figures to compare last September to this year, Kekewich requested that Simcoe.com file a Freedom of Information request.

The Catholic school board was also asked for their attendance records on Oct. 8, but information has not yet been provided.

“We do expect with flu season and back-to-school, there’s always illnesses going around,” Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board spokesperson Pauline Stevenson said. “The difference is this year, if you have symptoms, we’re asking parents to keep their children home.”

MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie picks ‘exemplary arts executive’ for lead role

At the conclusion of an international search process, the has announced the appointment of a new executive director, Karen Carter. She will begin her role on Jan. 4.

“Karen is an exemplary arts executive whose transformational leadership with C-Art Caribbean Art Fair, BAND, Myseum and Heritage Toronto reflects her commitment to community building, innovative programming and artistic excellence. We expect Karen to play a transformative role at the MacLaren Art Centre at a pivotal moment in our history, and we look forward with great enthusiasm to working with her in this role,” said MacLaren board president Michael MacMillan.

“I am so excited to be joining the team at MacLaren Art Centre. The MacLaren has a solid reputation as one of the best regional museums in the country. I am excited for the opportunity to bring my community-centred approach to the museum at this time in the organization’s history,” Carter said.

Carter is the former executive director of Heritage Toronto, a City of Toronto agency responsible for the education and promotion of Toronto’s heritage. She is the founding executive director of Myseum of Toronto, and co-founder and director of Black Artists’ Network and Dialogue (BAND), the organization dedicated to the promotion of Black arts and culture in Canada and abroad.

She is also the founder and creative director of C-Art, a Caribbean Art Fair launched in January 2020 in Mandeville, Jamaica. C-Art is a new approach to the contemporary art fair connecting artists from the Caribbean region to the international art world. The exhibition “When Night Stirred at Sea: Contemporary Caribbean Art,” currently on display at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives in Brampton, is her most recent collaborative project.

Carter replaces former executive director Carolyn Bell Farrell, who retired in July after 13 years in the role.

The MacLaren Art Centre is the regional public art gallery serving Barrie, Simcoe County and the surrounding area. The MacLaren is housed in an award-winning building that combines a renovated 1917 Carnegie Library with a contemporary addition designed by Siamak Hariri in 2001. A cultural and architectural landmark in downtown Barrie, the complex includes multiple galleries, an education centre, a garden patio, café, gift shop and framing department.

A must-see travel destination in Ontario, the gallery showcases a wide range of artwork by contemporary Canadian artists. Exhibitions highlight artwork by regional artists along with works from its significant permanent collection. Programming is year-round, from exhibitions to special events to workshops, with activities for all ages.