Focusing on "A Front Porch Frame of Mind" During Re-Enrollment Time 2021

There was a time when more folks 

 had a “front porch” frame of mind, 

and they’d sit out hot nights sippin’ tea— 

makin’ most of a melon rind. 

They knew the beckon of a breeze 

that made ‘em lean back with a sigh 

and say, “Maybe five more minutes…” 

to some silhouettes passing by. 

“Just out for a walk,” a voice responds, 

“Till the house cools down a bit.” 

And by and by, more friends were there 

than there were places to sit. 

It was natural as a cricket’s chirp 

or the smell of a new-mowed lawn 

to gather there like window moths 

(when an inside lamp’s left on). 

Just neighbors visiting neighbors 

in the kindness of the night… 

where differences are dimly lit 

and love needs little light.
© Copyright 1995, Tom Kapanka, June 28, 1995, Patterns of Ink

It's re-enrollment time at Calvary, and we have been walking several prospective families around our building each week (up until this unusual week). Due to lingering pandemic protocols that limit mixing of cohorts and the number of guests in our building at one time, Open House and "Friends Day" is quite different than years past. 

This year's re-enrollment response has been fantastic. Most of our current families have returned their forms, etc. In light of our recent transition to virtual in grades 6-12 from now through Spring Break, we are extending the incentive deadline through next week. If you cannot make it to the building in person, please send Chris Stewart a note of confirmation at stewart@calvaryeagles.org. Then just bring in the forms as soon as possible the week after Spring Break.

Please read on as our goal this spring if for our whole school family to adopt a "a front porch frame of mind" as we welcome new families to our building this spring.  Some families have already returned "Family Referral Forms" filled out for both them and the family they have invited to CCS. 

I wrote the poem above twenty-six years ago. My mom liked it so much that it hung framed by her front door for years. (Even as an adult that meant a lot to me.)  She said it reminded her of summer nights on her front porch as a kid in Port Huron, MI. That's my mom's front porch in the picture (circa 1939, when the house was only 20 years old). To me, it was Grandma's front porch--nothing fancy but big enough for a glider and a few chairs.

That house still stands on the corner of  Forest Street and Riverview (a few blocks from the Blue Water Bridge) The sidewalks in that neighborhood are only about six feet from the front porches. People passing by often stopped to talk. I remember sitting there as a child and listening to the grown-ups talk about old times. 

Many years later, in 1985, when my wife and I purchased our first home, my parents came to share in the delight. The front porch was enclosed by a white wrought-iron railing and barely big enough for guests to stand aside as the front door opened. On the last night of their visit, Mom and I sat together on the top step, and when my dad and daughters came to join us, there was no room for them. "I wish this house had a bigger front porch like at Grandma's house," I sighed.  

Mom smiled and said, "You don't have to have a big front porch to have a front porch frame of mind." 

She had no idea that her words would tumble in my mind for years and end up in a poem. 

Think about this with me. I've never read or heard anything on this topic,* but the features of houses (and neighborhoods) say a lot about human relationships. At the beginning of the 20th Century, front porches were a prominent part of most houses. I like porches. They say, “Our house is your house. Sit a while and visit.”

In 1920, when my grandmother's house was built, cars were just coming on the scene, and they did not yet own one. By the Great Depression, those who could afford a car sometimes built a small shed in their back yard to keep it out of the weather. It was not until after WWII, as new homes multiplied that the garage was not an afterthought. By the end of the century, cars had became part of the family, and the most prominent feature of a house was no longer a front porch but a huge garage door that open and closed automatically behind the driver. The attached garage marked the beginning of the end of the "front porch frame of mind."

This was not just a design change in houses, it was literally a social change that came with the car as people walked less and stores, schools, and churches moved beyond walking distance. The attached garage meant neighbors could enter their confines without so much as a wave to others (depending on whether their mailbox is also attached to the house). 

As natural neighborly interaction declined, people became more selective with their social time and designed social space moved from the front porch to rear decks and patios (often behind privacy fences). There is nothing wrong with privacy. I'm merely pointing out the difference between back yard gatherings ..and the spontaneous welcome of a front porch near a sidewalk. 

There is another modern convenience that ended "the front porch frame of mind:" air conditioning. My grandma’s house with a the porch had no air conditioning (AC) nor did my childhood home. In fact, I did not live in a house with AC until that one in 1985. I'm a fan of AC, but we must pause to consider the unintended consequences of that comfort and how it has changed the social behavior of neighborhoods. 

Before AC, hot nights drove people outdoors for walks or to their front porches to sit and hope for a breeze. There they were… outside...till all hours of the night with folks strolling by. It was unthinkable not to speak. Hard to stay strangers for long. All that happened on the front porch. Over time, and the cycles of the seasons, neighbors introduced kids (and grandkids). They all knew of graduations, weddings, and the passing of loved ones. In short, the neighborhood shared life face to face—no invitation needed—all because it was a hot night and no one had AC. Once AC came along, however,  a part of us closed off from each other along with our closed doors and windows. Sadly, today's neighborhoods have replaced true conversations with a nod of the head from passing cars.

Think with me about front porches just a moment longer. Are you more of a back deck, privacy-fence kind of person? Or do you have a front porch frame of mind? It’s not a "right or wrong" answer. Most people are a blend of both, but knowing how you lean socially may help sweep off your “front porch,” figuratively speaking. How about your family? How about your church or “small group,” or the school or your choice? 

We've been giving walk-throughs of our school almost every day after school in recent weeks. These prospective observers to the school mention that there’s an inviting atmosphere even under the protocols of a pandemic. Imagine if they could see our school under normal conditions:

Typically, the front office counter is a hub of neighborly chatter; my office door is wide open whenever possible, and drop-ins are frequent; teachers are accessible; volunteers feel at home and at any given time there may be a dozen throughout the building; the front rotunda is often  a gathering place for talking parents who lose track of the time. Oh, how I miss those days, and we look forward to their return. 

Even before Covid-19 protocols, CCS operated a "closed campus” for security reasons, but even so, the tone of our school is welcoming and inviting. People comment on this through the years. What’s our secret? How does this feel like a neighborhood in a 60 -acre woods? Why does the UPS man smile as he waits in line for a signature? Why do parents who no longer have kids in the school still stop by to purchase SCRIP? Why do alumni come back whenever they can? Why do teachers and therapists from the public sector enjoy their assignment to CCS (and often continue to serve here after retirement)? There are many reasons, but I think the main one is...

CCS has always had a front porch frame of mind.  

Let's let it show this spring!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

.

*UPDATE: My mom first used that phrase in 1986, and I first wrote the poem and these thoughts (less the part about CCS) in the early 90's. I mention this because while re-writing this post recently, I thought about the fact that I had never heard or read anything on what I consider a significant topic. I'm pleased to say that if you do a Google search with the words "front porch / community" you may find at least three related articles that I had never read. This one, provides the history, cultural significance, decline, and reappearance of American from porches--there's amazing agreement in our thoughts. (He tends to give more credit to the arrival of cars and television to the decline of the front porch. I still hold that AC is the biggest factor, because had cars and TV, but without AC, we spent evenings out on the porch and front lawn. This second article is shorter, but strongly underscores this post. It begins with this quote from a Tracy Lawrence song: "If the world had a front porch like we did back then, we'd still have our problems, but we'd all be friends." Get this... the author describes "Neo-traditional" communities that are going back to front porches: "The streets are designed to encourage walking and socializing among the neighbors. ...The neo-traditional neighborhoods have sidewalks and trees lining the streets for pedestrians. Front yards are shallow so that neighbors converse easily between the sidewalks and the front porches....The porch is a symbol of community, offering an invitation with its front steps reaching out and meeting the sidewalk, drawing passers-by to the comfortable chair or swing. The porch encourages family and neighborly communication." So there you have it. These articles were written AFTER I wrote this poem and essay twenty years ago. I'm not the only one who believes a "A Front Porch Frame of Mind" can still work in the 21st Century.

Once Upon a Snow Day

Today is our second snow day of the year, and I hope you all enjoy the beauty of Michigan's Winter Wonderland.

It's because CCS has worked so hard to provide as "normal" a school year as possible that we have confidence in saying, "Enjoy the snow day!" Most of life/s most important lessons come without lesson plans. 

But I do have two easy assignments for you and your family on this snowy weekend: 

1.Enjoy some time outdoors if safe, then find a way to get cozy so you can do the second assignment...

2.Read this post about a story that began on a snow day about thirty years ago. If I had not gone outside to play with my daughters on that snow day, the story "Finding Cozy" would never have been written. 

This past fall, my daughter Natalie (CCS Class of 2013) and son-in-law Colton Wilson (CCS Class of 2010) helped me illustrate and publish the book. It's available on Amazon (about 3 days delivery) and at The Bookman in Grand Haven. More than 200 copies have been sold since the week before Christmas. 

March Reading Month is just a few weeks away, and our CCS librarian, Mrs. Anhalt, is organizing a book signing event (in accordance with our building Covid protocols) at CCS. (Details TBA) I will be donating half of the author's proceeds of pre-purshased books (or purchased at that event) to our CCS library fund. Pre-purchasing your book(s) will help ensure that yours is waiting for you at the event. If you already own a copy of "Finding Cozy," feel free to bring it to that event for signing, etc.

Click on this link to read the  backstory of "Finding Cozy." It happened once upon a snow day.

Winter Wonderland Weather: A Gift From God

When I was nine, the license plate on our family car said: "Water-Winter Wonderland," and I was sure it had something to do with the song we sang at Christmas. My mom went along with it, but decades later I learned that the song was written some thirty years before the Michigan slogan was adopted. In fact, the lyricist was describing the city park in his home town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Nonetheless, to me, that song and my state were inseparable throughout my childhood. I must admit that I had forgotten that feeling since the Covid thing hit. That is... I'd forgotten until this past Thursday.

The week before this video was made was supposed to be Homecoming Week at school, a January tradition going back more than twenty years. Such events are part of the rhythms of school like holidays and the change of seasons, and when they don't happen, an inexplicable void gets everybody out of step. It's not just the fun that is needed, it's the marker in time. You see, Homecoming brings "spirit days" (where the kids dress according to fun themes like super-hero day, etc.). Then there's the big pep rally, lib synch and poster contests, the big game, "Fifth Quarter" Pizza Party for alumnni afterwards, and then the banquet on Saturday. None of that happened, however, due to the shut-down of sports, social distancing, and no banquet facility being available. Then the teams learned that their basketball seasons were delayed another month. School spirit was noticeably low. I'm glad we were having school in person at the building, because we were able to see just how sullen the high schoolers were (since Homecoming Week affects them most).

What do you do when you know your students need some wind in their sails? Well, in anticipation of these doldrums, we made made arrangements for an afternoon at the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex just 20 minutes away. We originally had it booked for Friday, but changed it to Thursday so we could have the entire place mostly to ourselves. That was important to our Covid cohort protocols. It was fantastic!

I cannot describe what happened to two bus loads of kids saw this Winter Wonderland! They began being risk takers who laughed at their mistakes. They defined the word PLAY. The three hours can be summed up in three words that applied everyone (including my wife and me). These three words brought hope in a time when we all need hope. I thought they might do the same for you:

"Being kids again!"

Good News in Hard Times

There is an encouraging brief video at the end of this post.

Our "12 Days of Giving" was launched this past December to help bridge the GAP between our annual operational costs and regular income. The need was especially great due to the challenges of these difficult times (e.g. no Fall Fund-Raising Banquet). Our total fiscal year (July 1-June 30) "GAP" need is just over $200,000, but our stated goal for December (year-end) was an ambitious $120,000 ($10,000 for each day though giving continued to the end of the month).  

[click on images to enlarge]

After processing all of the year-end gifts, WE ARE THRILLED ANNOUNCE THAT WE EXCEEDED THE $120,000 GOAL--a new record by far! This essential help puts  the budget of this educational ministry on firm ground as we continue to raise the remainder between now and June. 

The response was so good that a third "Leaving a Legacy" tree has been ordered for the extra gifts and continued participation from our school family. ($500=bronze, $2,500=silver, and $5,000=gold). The display above was installed in the State Flag Foyer last week.

[click on images to enlarge and read]

Speaking of donors, during the recent Covid-19 shutdown, a CCS donor gifted us with a steel flag engraved with "Pledge of Allegiance.". It arrived over Christmas Break and we hung it this week.  Today, our First Grade, made it official. In times when we see others burning the symbol of this nation under God, it is encouraging to see tender hearts looking up to an indelible reminder of God's gift of LIBERTY. 

(Encouragement in 90 Seconds from CCS First Grade.) 

In 2021: We're in God's Hands in All States

 Dear CCS Family,

[Click on Bible references in this post]

As you remember, the year 2020 was the 40th Anniversary of Calvary Christian Schools. The student body printed “spirit shirts” that spoke of “20-20 Vision,” we had a great banquet in the fall of last school year, an unforgettable outdoor Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2020 complete with an impressive fireworks display. In many ways, it was a great year, and we have so much for which to be thankful. For instance, our donors provided over $65,000 in essential Covid-reopen funds last August, and an additional $110,000 in needed year-end gifts came in December. Thank you, donors, for your generous support.

Let’s admit it, however… most of us were ready to stick a fork in 2020 a week ago tonight. Many of my friends didn’t even stay up to watch the ball drop that night. Who can blame them? The year 2020 for some was a time of sorrow and for others a parody of living. Those four digits became an adjective: If something was inexplicably senseless or defied all odds, people said: “That’s so 2020!” 

Like many of you, I hoped 2021 would somehow change the trajectory of the previous year God brought us through together.

The unexpected turn of events yesterday afternoon, January 6^th, in the Capital Building in Washington DC was troubling at many levels. Though many facts remain to be learned, the difference between the peaceful assembling (in the morning) and what a smaller group of instigators later did inside the capital building is an important distinction.  I know of no one who is not disheartened by the images being flashed on TV and social media from yesterday's late afternoon events. 

The reality is this: we live in a broken world and the snippets being looped by networks are echoes of similar events through the centuries (and other events this past summer). What was true in the last days of Christ remains true in the last days of man: whenever human nature reaches a boiling point and is driven by fear rather than faith, it is most in need of our Savior’s words: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

So when people of faith are understandably anxious about political and social upheaval, they should take heart in the words of Psalm 112:7 addressed to believers: “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” The Psalmist doesn’t deny that bad news is bad. He rather implies we can expect it in the midst of sin, evil and brokenness. So whether the bad news is a troubling diagnosis, a lost job, the death of a loved one, or bad behavior of people, our focus and hope cannot be in men—“Our HOPE is in the Lord.”

Why can we trust the Lord? He is good (Psalm 106:1). He is our help (Psalm 115:9). He reigns (Psalm 96:10). He is sovereign (Psalm135:6). He is unchanging (Hebrews 13:8). He is near in the midst of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). He loves you and His love never ends (Romans 8:38-39). Take a few moments to look up these comforting verses. Think on them. Rest in them.

Simply put, we can trust the Lord for He is supremely trustworthy, unlike our circumstances, our health, our relationships, our politicians or our finances.

So, what is God’s will for us today?  While much more could be written, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 certainly gives us a great place to begin: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We're in God's Hands in all states.

It is a joy to be a part of the CCS Family.

Tom Kapanka

Note: I would like to thank my dear friend Pastor Stephen Schultze who shared the encouraging words and references at the end of this post in a letter this morning.

Have a Great Christmas Break!

 

One Size Doesn’t Fit All for Michigan School Closure Policies

Note: The following op-ed ran in print and online in The Detroit News Thursday, December 17, 2020. Our accrediting agency, the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), supports the lawsuit filed by Michigan Association of Nonpublic Schools (MANS) to help protect the freedom of private schools and support the responsible reopening of nonpublic high schools in Michigan that have appropriate health and safety protocols.  I have been coordinating with their regional director Jeff Mattner and others at ACSI in efforts to support these actions in our state, including writing this Op-Ed in hopes of benefiting Cavalry and all other private schools in our area. 

 One Size Doesn’t Fit All for Michigan School Closure Policies

Just a week before Thanksgiving, one of our seniors at Calvary Christian School, where I am superintendent, lost both of her grandparents. Under normal circumstances, the entire school community would have personally come alongside this student, offering fellowship, comfort, and support. This is what schools do as mini communities, and nonpublic religious schools consider this an inherent part of their outreach to students and families. 

Calvary, like many religious nonpublic schools, has gone the extra mile during this pandemic to meet the needs of their families for academic rigor in a medically safe community setting. Michigan could be an ally with other states demonstrating responsible school openings by returning such decisions to the local level. Districts and nonpublic school systems know their own communities and the effectiveness of the board-approved protocols within their buildings. 

The CDC reports that mental health visits by children aged 5-11 have increased 24% over 2019, while such visits by kids aged 12-17 shot up 31%. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), as recently as its August 19 update, “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.” 

Is it really necessary and in the best interest of Michigan families to close all high schools regardless of the different realities from district to district? For instance, the rates of COVID-19 infection in Catholic schools in Michigan’s largest cities of Detroit and Lansing are currently at a remarkably low 1.1% and 1.6% (Detroit public schools recently were near a 5% rate). Additionally, NPR complimented our own state by citing a University of Michigan medical school expert at an October briefing. His view? "The data so far are not indicating that schools are a super spreader site." 

While politicians and their powerful political allies force all schools (or certain grade levels) to stay closed when evidence shows schools can be healthy and safe environments, our fundamental question is this: Why do nonpublic sector schools and their teachers have no voice at all in this matter when, in fact, the majority of them have a strong record of success, they strive to honor the protocols from the Michigan Department of Health, and have modeled a cooperative spirit throughout this process? 

We realize that each nonpublic school is different, but they share many similarities in their ability to manage the current situation in safe and effective ways. It is the existence of such variables that prompts us to appeal for restoration of the freedom for nonpublic schools, and even school districts or cities for that matter, to act in the best interest of the children and families they serve in the context of their own resources, rather than be subject to statewide edicts. 

Finally, we have been following a similar case regarding nonpublic Christian schools in Kentucky and recognize the recent Supreme Court case in New York that blocked the enforcement of restrictions on churches and religious gatherings. In fact, we feel that this situation in Michigan clearly has to do with freedom of religion and we are united in spirit with all religious nonpublic schools in Michigan regardless of affiliation. 

Let nonpublic religious schools do what they do best: serve their wider communities with solid academics in a safe environment. Let’s quarantine politics from the compelling data that favors in-person instruction. Let’s return such decisions to the local level, which allow nonpublic schools to meet the needs of students and their families who often make great sacrifices to provide the education they believe is best for their children. 

Tom Kapanka,  Head of School Calvary Christian Schools, Fruitport, MI

If you go to the op-ed piece in The Detroit News and click on the comments, you'll see someone named Missy_S has my back in response to an ill-informed critic. He certainly does not know me or our board or the highly qualified "Back2School" team that wrote our protocols. Nor does he know our office staff who communicate with our local county health officials regularly. I'm not sure at the moment who "Missy_S" is, but her defense of CCS is greatly appreciated.

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"The last thing children in schools need is to have the incompetent members of local school boards and their stooge superintendents making life and death decisions. They are not healthcare professionals and in many cases, they are nothing but fanatical political hacks with ambitions beyond protecting students."

The incompetents on school boards are basically spineless and will respond to incoherent demands of screeching parents who want to impose influence at all cost. 

Missy_S 3 hours ago... (In reply to Kenneth)

This simply is not the case with the author of this piece.

Mr. Kapanka is the administrator of the school in Fruitport and does an amazing job. He is not a school board member or "stooge superintendent" as you implied that is out of touch with the challenges that our current health crisis has presented to the education system. He and the staff and the school board are not spineless and do not give in to the "incoherent demands of screeching parents."

There are several healthcare providers (doctors and nurses) with children in the school on the COVID preparedness panel that develop EDUCATED safety protocols. That is what this piece is about. They have acted in the best interest of the families and students and their safety even at the cost of losing said families that didn't agree with those decisions. 

I understand that the COVID pandemic is serious, however, the more serious situations facing our students is their mental health from being isolated for so long and a lack of community. That is what those of us who chose a nonpublic school option want back - the community to support our students in a safe environment without the politics involved. 

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CCS Thanks God for This Thanksgiving Day...

As we pause for a short break from the rhythm of school days, we are more eager than usual to be together again. It's been that kind of year. Family gatherings will be different this week. For some they will be especially hard, and we grieve with those who have lost loved ones in this season, but we also thank God to have known "the kind of love that all these years can't wash away."

Those words come from a new song by Ben Rector released especially for Thanksgiving 2020. As the song says, "...put your dishes in the kitchen sink and let the left-over year just wash away. 'Cause we made it through, I do believe, the longest year in history... Thank God for this Thanksgiving Day."

Veterans Day Concert and the "Virtue of Reality"

 Dear Veterans, Grandparents, and CCS Family,

Today was to be Grandparents Day at CCS. For over twenty years, Grandparents Day was in May, but last year we began a new tradition of hosting this event on Veterans Day in November. We were so glad that we made that change because the COVID-19 pandemic closed the schools for in-person events last spring. This school-year, we are open for daily classes, but the same pandemic makes it impossible to have hundreds of grandparents in our building. We miss you guys! I mean that with all my heart. If today were normal, we would all have met in the chapel briefly before going to your grandchildren's classes. So if you don't mind pretending with me for just a few minutes... imagine that we are all gathered in the chapel as we've done for all these years. 

I usually share some brief remarks that take us back in time a bit before Mrs. Kapanka explains the plan for the present day's events. If I could talk with you in person today, I would talk about "the virtue of reality." If you click on that link in quotation marks, you can read something I wrote twelve years ago about "virtual reality," a term I had never heard before 1993. In the decades since, virtual reality has become big business--mostly in the world of gaming and entertainment, but during the limited in-person reality caused by the current COVID pandemic, the word "virtual" has never been more used. We speak of virtual classes, virtual textbooks, virtual church, and the links below have been called a virtual concert.

I'd like to go on record, however, as saying that there is nothing virtual about the virtue of reality. The "here and now" that CCS students are experiencing by being in our building here and now came through the reality of hard work and preparation to make our building the safest possible venue for in-person classroom instruction. We take our present circumstances very seriously even as we comply with the "unreal" realities that were unimaginable just one year ago when we were all together in the school for this special day. 

So as you watch the video links below, please know that there is nothing virtual about the work the students put into preparing their songs for you. Due to our COVID protocols. The students came to the auditorium, temporarily removed their masks, and sang separately in their class "cohorts." I then did my best to bring them together "virtually" via video editing. But trust me, there was nothing virtual about the nervousness the soloists experienced... nothing virtual about the desire to get each note right... and the hours or practice and performance that produced the moments we now share virtually with you. It was all very real... as life should be. 

If you're like me, your eyes may blur a bit with tears as you think about what these kids are so bravely facing at this time in their lives and as you listen to songs old and new that make us mindful of the important role of grandparents to our students... the role of veterans to our freedom... and the role of freedom to the nation we all know and love.  

Please take a few moments during this special day to watch all three parts of this "virtual" concert, and do us a favor: click on the small "like" (thumbs up) icon at each video portion. It will mean a lot to the kids. Also please share this post and these videos with all the veterans you know. They deserve our thanks and a reminder that "our flag [is] still there." 

Click on the links to see the video.

Part One: CCS Grandparents Day/Veterans Day Virtual Concert 

Part Two: Kindergarten through 3rd Grade, CCS Virtual Concert 

Part Three: CCS Virtual Band Concert Veterans Day 2020

Emergency Order Under MCL 333.2253

 

CCS is following MDHHS Emergency Order Under MCL 333.2253

Below is the exact "cut and paste" text of the MDHHS "order" (highlights added for clarification)

1. The critical terms included in this order are defined as follows:

a. “School” means public and nonpublic schools.

b. “Close Contact” means any individual who was within 6 feet of an COVID-19 infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to positive specimen collection).

c. “School Associated Case” means a case of probable or confirmed COVID-19 amongst students, teachers, staff members, coaches, volunteers, or any other person who was present on school property or at a school function under circumstances that may result in the transmission or contraction of COVID-19 during their infectious period.

d. “School Community” means the set of persons who are affiliated with the school. This set may include, but is not limited to, parents, guardians, students, teachers, staff members, coaches, and volunteers.

e. “Public Notice” means providing the new and cumulative counts of School Associated Case(s) of COVID-19, including the date on which the School was notified of the new School Associated Case(s).

2. Upon learning that a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 is a School Associated Case, the local health department must, within 24 hours, notify the School to which the School Associated Case(s) relate, including the affected building or location and other information that may assist the School with carrying out its duties under this order.

3. Within 24 hours of being notified by a local health department of School Associated Case(s), the School must provide Public Notice to the School Community in a highly visible location on the School’s website that covers the impacted building or location. Schools are encouraged to provide information about measures in place at the School to prevent transmission of COVID-19, as well as measures that individuals can take to prevent transmission.

4. Public Notice does not replace the need for direct notification to persons who were, or are suspected to have been, a Close Contact of School Associated Case(s); such notice is the responsibility of the local health department.

5. Sections 2 and 3 of this order take effect at 8 AM on October 12, 2020.

The flow chart below was provided by Public Health Muskegon County (PHMC) who has proven to be a wonderful resource for CCS. The chart is a simplified snapshot of the thought process behind the recommendations the "local health department" makes to schools when a "school associated case" occurs. [NOTE: Not all cases involving students or staff are "school associated cases" if they do not meet the criteria outlined above. The term "school associated cases" requires feasible "transmission or contraction" within a school-related context as explained in the order.]

CCS Enjoying the Great Outdoors

 

Jumping Through the HOPES...Together

Note: This article was originally posted on July 28, 2020. It includes many common idioms whose origin is explained with a click of the orange bold text.n

Sometimes speakers or writers have reasons to pretend to be talking about one thing while really making important points about something else. To get their full meaning, we have to read between the lines, and that is true of this post about idioms.

Idioms are expressions that lose their original, literal meanings and are used to convey a more figurative thought. The confusion of idioms becomes obvious when talking to a student unfamiliar with the language. Imagine a foreign student new to English who asks an American friend if it is hard to get a visa to study abroad. His friend replies, "It's really a piece of cake if you have friends in high places, but it will cost an arm and a leg if you can't jump through all the hoops." When the words of those four idioms are translated literally, the inquisitive young man may think that getting a visa could be a delicious hike up a mountain or a horrible fall through amputating swords and hula hoops. Sometimes idioms are like that.

Take that last one I mentioned: "Jumping through the hoops." Its origins are from the circus (and venues like SeaWorld) where dogs, horses, lions, tigers (and seals and dolphins) literally jumped through hoops to entertain an audience. Why were these acts impressive? Because there is no natural reason to do it, and sometimes the hoops were on fire, which meant the animal was trained to ignore its natural fears. All this to get something in return (e.g. a treat, sugar cube, chunk of meat or fish). Circuses and SeaWorld grew less popular in the 21st Century as people became more sensitive toward animals, but the notion of "jumping through hoops" as an indiom lives on for humans. 

This idiom typically means that "the party of the first part" is willing to perform tasks imposed by "the party of the second part" with the hopes of getting something in return (a bike, a car, a diploma, a job, a degree, a visa, etc.)  "Jumping through hoops" almost always has a "task master" who places higher value on the "hoops" than those jumping through them. For this reason, the idiom tends to sound like a complaint by the person saying it, as if they fail to see the purpose in all the rigamarole (an idiomatic word with a story of its own).

While "hoop jumping" does have a negative connotation--right up there with "red tape." There is usually a "method to the madness" that is not all bad. 

For instance, the hoop-jumping principle is at work wherever there are rules to follow. It makes competition fair: Nearly all sports are basically a test to see which team can "jump through the hoops" better or faster than the other. It is frustrating, however, when the objectives are more difficult for some than for others. It is because we value "fairness" that there are weight classes in wrestling, and yet sometimes unequal things are asked to compete. Even so, sometimes a tortoise may beat a hare --and we love cheering for the underdog--but if real "hoops" had been involved in that race, it may have ended differently. Sometimes competition is like that.

The hoop-jumping principle can also bring order to our world: whenever you drive a car and jump through the hoops of getting a license and insurance, buckling up, obeying the stop signs, following speed limits, and driving correctly down a one-way streets, etc. you're basically "jumping through the hoops" that mitigate the risks of driving. Even so, thousands of traffic accidents happen every day, yet millions continue to weigh these risks and rewards of travel each time they pull out of their driveway or enter a cloverleaf. Sometimes risks are like that.

It's also frustrating when hoops being imposed bring equal or greater risks than the danger they hope to mitigate--especially when the rules for such "hoop jumping" change on a whim. It's even more frustrating if those mandating the hoops give themselves a "home field advantage" and act as if the hoops they impose on others do not apply to themselves. Sometimes rules and rulers are like that.

It's confusing when the data behind "hoop jumping" is in conflict with other known data or when  statistics are manipulated to justify the talking points of the day. For instance, when Hank Aaron beat Babe Ruth's home-run record in 1974, he had the advantage of a dozen more games per season (for 21 seasons), meaning he had 240 more games and 12,364 at bats to hit 755 homers while Babe Ruth had 714 homers with only 8,399 at bats. The huge disparity of one batter have 4,000 more "tests" at the plate renders the comparison moot. Equally moot would be any comparison between one country conducting tens of millions more "tests" for a virus than countries lacking the capability to conduct as many tests. This is obvious, and yet... sometimes statistics are minipulated like that.

Sometimes politicians and fawning media can take several hoops and connect them like a big chain that is used to block something or to change the natural flow of events. It's especially discouraging when the reason behind the hoops or chains seem to favor one group over another, and when the less favored group seems silenced by the same media. Sometimes the media and politicians are like that.

I confess, sometimes I'm not happy with the media or the politicians or the  "red tape" or the  "hoop jumping" that hinder important aspects of our shared life. Do you ever feel that way?

"After all," we rightly tell ourselves, "We are free people--not trained seals needing fish from someone else's hand.  We are not going through the motions to please men like animals in a circus cage. We were meant to live freely and to weigh the risks and rewards of our own hoops." 

I get that, and it's true, we are citizens of an exceptional country that has operated under an enduring constitution for more than 200 years, and as such it is frustration to see the constitution ignored or "overstepped" by over-reaching people temporarily in authority. Even so, there is a right way and a wrong way to respond to such frustration. We see wrong ways playing out on the evening news each week. Sometimes human nature is like that. 

But as believers we are more than "free indeed." We are image bearers of the Creator God. Even those who do not acknowledge Him are His image bearers, but they are not the light of the world. As U.S. citizens, we understand that it sometimes takes time to restore a country (or the original intent of founding documents). Likewise. as believers we understand that since the fall when sin first entered the world, God has held out the promise of restoring His original intent. He will restore the original meaning to His creation in His time. God's plan is like that.

In the meantime, His Word tells us that the trials of this life purify us like gold ... that sometimes its by deferring to "hoops" without complaining" that we beam in the darkness around us and shine like stars... (Philippians 2:15). This was the tone of our "Back 2 School" Plan.

So from here in our corner of the world, perhaps this is our time to shine to more than 200 nations/territories attempting to mitigate a new virus that has spread around the world in nine months.

All things considered, we are doing a pretty good job of mitigating the risks without losing all of the rewards of freedom. Sure, it is an imperfect and sometimes frustrating process, but let's not lose HOPE as we jump through the hoops.  

This, too, shall pass, and as long as TEMPORARY HOOPS CAN REMIND US OF OUR ETERNAL HOPE... and of what we believe and why we are here on this earth... so long as this can be said of us in these times... let us jump through the HOPES together and do whatever it takes to be exemplary as we gather safely together for school in the fall. Better days are yet to come. Sometimes HOPE is like that.