Starting tomorrow, Villanova University will no longer require masks to be worn in our indoor facilities, such as the classrooms.
I have been waiting for this day for a while, and it is finally here.
Other than a two-week break to start the Fall 2021 semester, we have been wearing masks since the Fall of 2020.
It will be interesting to see what my students look like with their masks off, and I am sure they will have the same reaction to seeing me without a mask on. They will be surprised to realize I don’t really look like George Clooney.
Fingers crossed that our COVID-19 case counts continue to stay low, and that this is a sign of life returning to normal not just at our school, but across the globe.
While my students and I might not outwardly act like the students and teacher in the video below, my guess is that this is how many of us are feeling on the inside (thanks to Tippy for letting me know about this video):
*image from freepik
Hopefully this normalcy will last. You may want to bring a George Clooney face cut out mask to hold up in the beginning of class. Just for a chuckle.
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if I could figure out to pull off something like that, that would be funny!
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Good for you and all the students at Villanova. Have you seen those videos of schoolchildren when they’re told they don’t have to wear masks anymore? Their reaction with unbridled joy and excitement is astonishing. Maybe you should bring a bottle of champagne to your classroom tomorrow.
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I have not seen those videos; I’ll go look for one.
maybe sparkling grape juice.
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I have not seen those videos; but a quick search found one, and now I have added it my post. thanks!
maybe sparkling grape juice.
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Aww! I can imagine their joy! This has been hard on children!
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I just added a video to the blog thanks to Tippy’s tip!
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Great will go look at it!
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It’s as heartwarming to see, as reading one of your stories.
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the excitement is real!
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Oh yeah. I think I can understand it. I think I’d hate to be wearing a mask all day, day after day. Some people don’t seem to mind, but apparently, those school kids sure mind.
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maybe the kids are just happy that their parents won’t be involved in any more fights at school board meetings…
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Could be. It’s rough to be the child of domestic terrorists.
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it probably gives the kid some street cred…
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Could be. Sure would beat having their parents on the PTA.
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🙂
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Well aren’t you kind 🙂 . Are you really Tippy or an imposter? LOL!
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Maybe I’m Tippy unmasked.
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Oh gosh! I have to give you credit for that one. 😄
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maybe someone ran Tippy through one of those article spinners…
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Sometimes I feel like I’ve been through a spin cycle.
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I think our news goes through a spin cycle every day…
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Yep. If you really want some whiplash, watch MSNBC for a few hours, then switch over to FOX.
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I’ve tried that a couple of times; I assume the truth is somewhere in the middle…
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Sounds like a reasonable compromise.
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That video was awesome! Gee, and you compared it to my stories, now you are going to give me a lump. 🙂
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Better a lump than a thunk.
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LOL! I only give “thunks” when well deserved!
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Uh-huh. I’m supposed to believe that?
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Yup, after all, I believe it. 🙂
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I have jury duty today. If they pick me, I’ll try to be much more merciful and lenient than you would ever be.
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Heyyy…I give mercy…at times! Good luck!
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Thanks. I just hope jury duty pays well.
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Thats funnny! Don’t get your hopes up!
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I’ll negotiate for a top salary. I think they need me badly, as I fancy myself a very good judge of character.
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Let me know how that works for you.
But yes you are obviously a very good judge of character, for you have me as a friend.
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Indeed. You’re one of the best fiends I’ve ever had.
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“Very funnny!” You doolally! 😝
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😄
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there’s lots of intrinsic rewards
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That’s great, but I learned the pay is only $15 per day. That sucks. Apparently, crime really doesn’t pay.
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maybe it pays for the bad guys…
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Maybe they should make the bad guys serve on juries.
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a perfect solution…
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someday I hope I get to be on a jury…
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I understand you can volunteer to be on a Grand Jury. Could be a retirement pursuit of yours.
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I did not know that; will definitely look into it. thanks…
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Of course this may vary from state to state. I’m only speaking for California.
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I’m sure if I get to serve, there will be a blog post about it…
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That would get you kicked off the jury real quick. You’re supposed to keep the cases you work on, a secret.
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maybe I’ll write it under an alias, like Tippy Gnu…
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That’ll get you kicked off for sure.
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that might come in handy if I get bored…
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will the lump come from smacking yourself?
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They may not be Mandatory but I hope they are Optional. I still wear mine places, if it makes me feel more comfortable.
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the masks will be optional, but teachers can still require them in their classroom…
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Yay! Enjoy seeing faces again! 😊
Though now you won’t be able to fool yourself into thinking the masks were hiding excited smiles about your class!
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dang, that’s right… 🙂
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The mask mandate is being waived in California on Tuesday also. I haven’t decided if I’m going to continue to wear mine at my gym or not. It will be interesting to see what percentage of people ditch their masks in all indoor settings.
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Our gym has been mask optional for a few months, and I did not wear one when I went there. But when I got COVID, one of the first places I thought of as to where I could have gotten it was my gym…
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michigan is in a weird in between phase. some county health departments have lifted the mandate, and left it up to school districts to decide for themselves. one daughter’s district has decided to drop the mandate and the other daughters’ districts both are keeping it going. my school is private and deciding what to do. i worry about my classes in particular as the kids are too young to be vaxed. enjoy the day, george clooney!
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the mask thing is all over the place. But I could see the concern in a preschool since many of the children are not vaxxed…
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Yes, it will be a bit of a bumpy ride for all of us I’m sure
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That certainly makes it feel like we are heading the right direction. Enjoy meeting your students!
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I am looking forward to it!
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Hooray!!! Public schools did the same thing here, starting today. We’re crossing fingers and toes that EEC (the preschool umbrella) follows and drops the mask mandate. The announcement should come this week. I’m sure some of your students will think you’re the spitting image of George Clooney. 🙂
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slowly but surely, perhaps the country is returning to some sense of normalcy.
and any students who thinks I am the spitting image of George needs to get their eyes checked 🙂
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Hahaha!! Cheers to returning to normalcy!
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cheers, indeed!
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We got ‘the word’ today. Well, sort of. Although masks are not required in schools beginning February 28, that’s the day that schools return from school vacation week. Since preschoolers are unvaccinated, we will keep wearing masks for a few more weeks, in case the return from school vacation week brings infection. We should be out of masks in March!!
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I think it’s a good idea to be on the safe side with preschools…
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Yes.
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Hmmm! I like the masks. I haven’t been sick once in Two years now that people are wearing masks. I like not being sick.
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I was happy to wear it in order to try to put an end to covid. but now that the cases have dropped dramatically, I’d prefer not having to wear it.
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Now you have to start brushing your teeth again.
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if I could only find my toothbrush…
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Fingers crossed the case numbers don’t skyrocket again, but I wouldn’t bet against it. One thing stands out for me in this: the fact that masks only became a requirement there from Autumn 2020. That was a full six or seven months after the pandemic started, and kind of exemplifies for me how badly 45 managed (or didn’t manage) the whole thing. I thought we were bad, but your lot were even worse!
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I agree that it was mismanaged under 45, but to give him a little bit of a break, there weren’t many leaders wo did a great job with covid.
there is certainly the possibility that the covid numbers start spiking again, but at some point, you would have to think that a decline is permanent…
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True, very few did, but there weren’t many who denied its existence, claimed it as a hoax by their political opponents, or used it for racist comments about China (kung flu?).
I hope the decline is permanent. My younger daughter is getting married in July and I’d like to be there!
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agreed – Trump took things to a different, and worse, level.
I hope you can be at your daughter’s wedding!
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🤞
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Very envious, wish my college would lift those restrictions as well
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hang in there…
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I like the kid at the bottom of the screen with his face stuck in the monitor 🙂
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You definitely look like George Clooney. Congrats!
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thanks 🙂
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We still have to wear masks here but I saw my hairdresser without a mask for the first time on Friday and it changed her face completely.
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it is funny when someone looks different than you imagined with their mask off…
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This is great news for you. I don’t think I would have made it that long. Too hard to breathe in one. 🙂
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it was a long time, but I just kept thinking it will be over at some point… 🙂
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One would think. When it first started, I figured it would last a couple of weeks. LOL
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I’m gald I wasn’t in charge of trying to manage it…
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Nobody would have done a good job. Not only that there was so much friction and controversy and uncertainty on all sides.
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yes, the uncertainty made it quite challenging…
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People dying made it challenging, too. It was a time we will look back at and wonder how we got through it.
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I can’t wait to look back on this…
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Me Too!
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Some kids in that video already aren’t wearing masks…
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young rebels…
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Cute video. I feel sad every time I see kids in masks. Watching the cute, little kindergarteners walk in like that in 2020-2021 made me cry every time.
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let’s hope there is more of the mask removal across the country and globe!
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Same here. Hope they’re right .
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🤞
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Are there any physicists at Villanova? Did anyone ask their opinion about masks?
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I do not know…
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