Lack of A/C at BRE & NO Solution!!!!!!

[Mommyof3]

Once again it is above 85 degrees in my daughters classroom and all they have is a fan that circulates hot air!!! The teacher sent home a note of concern. She said that the BOE was contacted with no response. I get the feeling that she would like some help from parents.......The lack of A/C affects Kindergarten, 1st grade, and one 2nd grade class- it also affects the front office staff and cafeteria (and maybe more). If parents can place complaint calls to the board...this may get some quicker response.
I realize there are only a few days left, but this is ridiculous! They can not make our children suffer, and they surely are not going to be able to learn under these conditions.

I will be keeping my daughter at home tomorrow and probably Thursday- until it cools a little. I am also going to call, call and call again to the BOE. They should be able to get some decent portable units in there. I may also suggest to the school that they take the kids to the gym or another class. It is a shame that my daughters last few days of school will be miserable!!!


(I was going to try to link the BOE website and phone number, but I can not get it to come up right now...I will post it tomorrow)

BTW- I am aware that they are "supposed" to fix the A/C units over the summer.....but they need to do something now! and they have had since last fall to figure out something "temporary" and they haven't!

[betcsu]

are you sure the fans are circulating hot air? they can also spin one way that draws the hot air up to make it a little cooler...

[Tony]

FWIW None of my schools had air conditioning. And worse - my high school was built for it, so each room only had a single 'escape' window. Since all we were doing was sitting there (or sleeping), it never bothered us all that much.

It never occurred to me to ask mom to let me skip school because of it. But I think if I had she just would have died laughing.

[AAT53]

Tony B - We didn't have AC in the elementary school I went to either. However, I don't ever remember it getting so hot inside a classroom. There were classrooms that were 86 degrees and humid today. I don't remember ever having to deal with humidity (I grew up in MA) and while it might have gotten a little warm in a classroom, I never had sweat pouring down my face (as many kids did today).


The most they will do is get those stupid cooling units in that they had at the beginning of last year. Those things cost $$ and they are worthless IMO. At the beginning of the school year my DD came home with a headache and stomachache every day for a week. It's not happening again. She is in second grade and we have told her that if her classroom becomes too hot for her to be comfortable or she gets a headach/stomachache then she is to tell the teacher she wants to go to the office to call us. She said her room was hot today, but the fan helped alot so I'm hoping the same will be true tomorrow since it is supposed to be a little better heat wise and a chance of rain.

I heard a few parents complaining that Mrs. Z wasn't taking care of it. First of all she wasn't there today and second of all there really isn't much she can do. I remember the beginning of the school year and that woman tried like hell to get some relief into that school. The school board didn't seem to feel the need to do much that was actually helpful. They seemed to figure that since there was going to be a new system put in this summer they had done their part. Many parents offered to bring in window AC's when Roger Slamin was there for the old Dog and Pony Show, but we were told that "we'll take care of it". Yeah, right.

What really pisses me off is that it looks as though a few screws could be taken out to pop the window out and then a window AC could be put in. Slamin said that he didn't think that would work (he said it at the Dog & Pony) because no window AC could cool down a whole classroom. [jdrop1]

If my daughter had said her classroom was horrible she wouldn't be going tomorrow either. There is no reason that kids should have to be in that situation in this day and age.

[Mommyof3]

quote:Originally posted by betcsu

are you sure the fans are circulating hot air? they can also spin one way that draws the hot air up to make it a little cooler...

All they have in the room is a portable fan. I am sure it is just blowing the hot air around.

quote:Originally posted by agarlitz

The most they will do is get those stupid cooling units in that they had at the beginning of last year

This would be better than nothing, which is what they have now. I just don't get why they didn't prepare more for this over the winter.
We have been lucky so far- this heat wave could have come in the beginning of May. Or should I say the BOE was lucky.....they would have had a riot on their hands if the heat would have come sooner.


I am just glad it rained some this morning. The humidity is still supposed to be bad today though- high 87. I am sure the rooms did not cool much overnite since they were closed up, with no air circulating.

[STR1KER]

Yup, I went to B.R.E. - We didn't have AC, and YES, it was DAMNED hot some days. We never got outta school for it. We "suffered", which was the thing of sayin' "Wow it's hot", and then making paper fans. As a matter of fact, we didn't have AC in school until we hit Jefferson. So, it was not only BRE, but HFJH as well. I'm sure things have changed from between '75 to '86.... but yes, it was hotter than 86 degrees on some days - but we hardened our heads and stuck thru it. School is school, learning is learning, and ya gotta do whatchya gotta do. We did. If my cub said "Mom, it's hot in class", I'd look at him and say - "Ok, so goto the bathroom, get a wet paper towel, throw it on yer neck and drink some water" - He's also asthmatic on top of it - but he knows he's there to learn, and not all days can be 70 and comfy.
The whole "in this day and age" thing kinda rubbed me the wrong way a bit. - "In this day and age", it seems as though people are reliant on so many "comfy items". Gettin' a bit of thick skin and not complaining about so many things might be the 1st hint.
Yah, it's hot, it's hard to concentrate - WE went thru it, and WE lived. I think there are a lot of things wrong about this school system - that go way beyond just the comfort of an AC unit. Granted, they had the opportunity to get it squared away since fall.... They didn't - what's new there??
If it's "too hot" for yer kids - get them the personalized water spray fans... That will cool them off, and also make a nice statement to the BOE Hey - it's just an idea LOLOL

[lar]

I like heat, but yesterday was awful. Hopefully today will be better for the kids although 85 and humid is pretty hot. My daughter is in 1st and she really didn't complain to me. Luckily we only have a 5 1/2 days to go!

[Mommyof3]

You're right Striker....the portable fan/sprayer is going to school with my daughter tomorrow.

The "old" half of BRE is air conditioned...and cold. My 4th grader took a sweatshirt to school today to wear in class. The "newer" section which has no windows and was built for A/C is what is HOT. I really just think it is beyond bearable to them. The teacher sent a note home- she is looking for some action and help from the parents. If nothing else- we can complain to the BOE and irritate them a little. Even if they don't do anything (which I am not holding my breath on) at least we voiced our thoughts on the situation.

I went to high school with no A/C- it was hot....but at least we had lots of windows. It was never humid in the class, just hot.
When you have stagnit 85degree+ air, and 25 kids breathing on each other in a closed room- I imagine it could be a little uncomfortable.

[AAT53]

Yup, I went to B.R.E. - We didn't have AC, and YES, it was DAMNED hot some days. We never got outta school for it. We "suffered", which was the thing of sayin' "Wow it's hot", and then making paper fans.


"We" never suffered. I don't expect that my kids should have to either.


School is school, learning is learning, and ya gotta do whatchya gotta do.


True, but dehydration in second grade is not an option for me. Some classes are allowed water bottles, but my DD's isn't.

The whole "in this day and age" thing kinda rubbed me the wrong way a bit. - "In this day and age", it seems as though people are reliant on so many "comfy items". Gettin' a bit of thick skin and not complaining about so many things might be the 1st hint.

Wow, that's pretty generic. I don't think that kindergarten - 2nd grade kids need to suffer thru conditions like that to learn that they can't always complain. We don't live in a third world country and yes, I expect better conditions because of that. I don't every expect my kids to just suck it up and suffer in those conditions no matter what their age. We live in a world where AC is available and I see no reason why I should tell my child she should just suck it up and suffer when she doesn't have to. I was at the school yesterday and it was not like it was just a little uncomfortable. My DD's classroom was ok, but had it been as hot as some of the others she would have been pulled out. I see no reason to risk her dehydrating at the age of 7 just to toughen her up.

Yah, it's hot, it's hard to concentrate - WE went thru it, and WE lived.

Again, "we" didn't and I see no reason to make my kids suffer when I didn't. I also grew up to be someone who can suck it up and deal with things as well as the next person. Suffering is not the only way to learn a lesson.


If it's "too hot" for yer kids - get them the personalized water spray fans... That will cool them off, and also make a nice statement to the BOE Hey - it's just an idea LOLOL

That wouldn't make a statement at all other than "Yep, I know it's against the rules but I want to teach my kid that the rules should only be followed if you agree with them". My kid's class isn't allowed to have water bottles in class and I'd be willing to bet they aren't allowed the water spray fans.

Bottom line for me is that this whole "kids have to suffer" thing is a crock. I have heard that so many times over so many things. My grandparents suffered thru many things in their day and age that I never had to suffer thru. Progress is a good thing and I don't plan on making my kids have to suffer things just because a generation or two before them did.

[Chutney Daftcraft]

Not one school I went to had A/C. They sure did have asbestos, though.

The thing is - there IS a difference between windowed classrooms and one's that don't have them. There is nothing worse than being hot, and stuffy.

Now, I don't want to bring alarm, but it must have been hotter than 100 degrees in those areas. I don't have new the A/C system in my house hooked up yet. I have a central exhaust fan, the big huge kind that suck all the air out of your house. There were just 2 people with no hot items powered on. It was 104 in my house yesterday, with the exhaust fan on, and 2 fans pulling additional air in. 104 degrees, with all windows open and massive amounts of air being pulled in from outside. I cannot imagine if those windows were closed and air was not coming in.

It's situations like this that cause children to die from something so stupid as heat exhaustion and severe dehydration.

[KemCam2]

Just cause our parents had to walk up hill both ways to get to school doesn't mean our kids should have to. Especially since we have motorized scooters!

This goes back to women don't vote and black folks sit in the back of the bus...

[AAT53]

I was just at the school.

In my DD's classroom they have one of those big floor fans. The kids were sitting in front of it and doing some work. I stood there for about 30 seconds before sweat formed on my face and about 10 seconds later it started rolling down.

My DD wants to stay thru lunch. She was sitting in front of the fan, so she wasn't sweating. I'll be going back up in an hour to get her.

Dr. Nichols response to the whole thing is "Deal with it". Funny thing is that when other schools had this problem last year they were given 1/2 days, but whenever the school on the wrong side of the river has problems like this they are told to deal with it. HHMMM...

So, while my DD is not complaining and is willing to stick it out I'm not willing to let that happen. She missed her dance pictures yesterday because she didn't feel well when she got home (she wasn't majorly sick, but she was dehydrated). What she will learn from this is that she gave it a great try, but her health is more important then the need to "deal with it".

Just cause our parents had to walk up hill both ways to get to school doesn't mean our kids should have to.

My dad used that on us all the time. When I was about 10 I was at my Nonny's (who lived in the same house my dad grew up in) and said something to her about it. She looked at me and started laughing then said a few things in italian. I thought the old woman had finally lost it. She then took me outside and walked me to the back of the yard (they had a big hill in the back yard). She pointed to a building about 3 houses down and said "That's where your daddy went to school". I had actually believed that he had to walk some great distance, but he walked 3 houses down. It had changed from being a school to a rec center about 2 years before I was born, so I had never known it was a school.

[derricksonb]

"Just cause our parents had to walk up hill both ways to get to school doesn't mean our kids should have to. Especially since we have motorized scooters!"

Agreed. We have a more modern society with conveniences our parents and grandparents generations did not have, but nowhere is it written that our children are guaranteed a climate controlled education- Just an education. Perhaps upon Ms Ziglers return concerned parents should meet with her regarding her subordinates views on drinks in their classrooms. In situations like these where heat and dehydration are geuine concerns management (Principal/Vice) needs to step in and force the issue especially regarding student (and in some cases faculty) safety.

[lar]

Just came over my e-mail notification, Blue Ridge closing at 12:15 on Thursday and Friday.

[Mommyof3]

NEWS FLASH>................I just received email notification from Jeffschools.net
BRE will close half day (12:15pm) on June 1 and 2 -----due to HVAC problems!!!!

Charles Town Middle will also close half day(11:30am) on these 2 days.

Thank you BOE for finally making a good decision!!!!

ps....my daughter is absolutly bored out of her mind today at home!!! We already folded laundry and cleaned her bathroom. After lunch I will have to come up with something interesting or else she will drive me nutso!!

[derricksonb]

"ps....my daughter is absolutly bored out of her mind today at home!!! We already folded laundry and cleaned her bathroom. After lunch I will have to come up with something interesting or else she will drive me nutso!!"

Perhaps you two could play outside with the copperheads...........

Seriously- Is CTMS having issues with HVAC as well????????

[lar]

There goes Field Day for the 3rd grade unless they do the "rain date"

[Mommyof3]

yes CTMS is also having issues with HVAC...
(and no we will not be playing outside with the copperheads!!!!! )

[KemCam2]

CHILD LABOR!

[Mommyof3]

2nd grade was supposed to have field day also (1:15) but they were not letting them have recess yesterday or today- so maybe they figured Field Day wasn't going to happen anyway.