Toledo Area Schools: The Latest COVID News

April 1, 2022

Face Mask on Student — Photos: from Pixabay

With COVID cases rapidly declining from the height of the Omicron surge earlier this year, most area schools have lifted their mask mandates within the last month. The Center for Disease Control also announced several weeks ago that masks are no longer required for students riding school buses, although individual districts can still require them.

The changes reflect the CDC’s new Community Levels metric that aligns precautions for educational settings with those for other community settings.

The COVID-19 Community Levels tool helps people decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data from their county. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

The agency no longer recommends indoor masking in areas with a low or medium spread of the virus.

In Lucas and Wood counties, the Community Levels were classified as low in mid-March. CDC recommendations include staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and getting tested if you have symptoms. People may choose to mask, and those with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with the virus should wear a mask.

Official guidance for schools issued by the Lucas County Health Department was last revised at the end of January and continues to call for universal masking and social distancing of between three to six feet, but updates are in progress in consultation with the Ohio Department of Health. A spokesperson for the Lucas County Health Department said new guidelines for schools are expected to be issued within weeks.

The Ohio Department of Health also announced on March 10 that K-12 schools will no longer be required to report positive COVID-19 cases to their local health departments, unless the school tests a student for COVID-19 and the result is positive.

What happens if a student is exposed or tests positive?

Students, teachers and staff should continue to stay home if they have symptoms of illness.

According to Ohio’s Mask to Stay policy, K-12 students and staff who are exposed to COVID may remain in school regardless of vaccination or masking status if they do the following:

Wear a mask for 10 days after their last date of exposure.
Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
Isolate and get tested if they start to experience symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Testing on day five after exposure is recommended.

For extracurricular activities, Ohio’s Test to Play policy says a student who was exposed to COVID and is asymptomatic may continue to participate if they do the following:

Wear a mask when able (including on transportation, in locker rooms and while sitting/standing on the sidelines; and anytime the mask will not interfere with breathing or the activity or create a safety hazard).
Test on initial notification of exposure to COVID-19.
Testing on day five after exposure is also recommended.

If any student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19, they need to quarantine at home for five days regardless of symptoms or vaccination status. If symptoms have improved by day six, they may return to school but must wear a mask for an additional five days. If fever or other symptoms have not resolved by day six, they must stay home from school until the fever or other symptoms improve.

Canopy App: Smartphone Protection for Kids

Autumn Vasquez

March 30, 2022

Are you the parent or guardian of a young child that is learning the “dos and don’ts” of their first digital device? If so, then Canopy is an app you’ll want to consider downloading.

With the wide range of content that is readily available across digital devices today, some websites and apps can be harmful, especially for children. Parents need to prepare for this, but threats over the internet are complex, nuanced, rapidly evolving, and increasingly challenging to safeguard against.

In order to combat this ongoing issue, former Vice President of Baron Public Affairs Sean Clifford founded the Canopy app in 2019, with hopes to “create a healthy way for our kids to be online and enjoy the amazing things that come with technology, but without all the problematic content and challenges that accompany it.”

As the CEO of Canopy and a father of four young children, Clifford finds it more important than ever that families adopt healthy boundaries between their children and the internet.

With smart devices currently in the hands of 95 percent of teenagers, much of their interactions have moved online. Social media is used as a convenient space for people to keep up with friends, share content, exchange stories, and make plans. With the COVID-19 pandemic on the rise, Clifford believes that technology has provided us with a lifeline, one that has been “an incredible tool to facilitate education, to enable people to connect with friends and loved ones that aren’t nearby, to explore [topics] of interest, and to engage with content and entertainment.”

Canopy uses artificial intelligence that originated in Israel to help parents navigate this developing digital landscape. Once parents sign up with Canopy and connect with their children’s devices, the app is able to inspect every word, image, and video on every website searched on the connected devices. The software is 99.7 percent accurate at identifying and filtering out explicit content like pornography whenever it appears in a browser. There is also a sexting deference feature within the app that uses the same technology to scan every image saved to a device in real time. If any image is inappropriate or contains any nudity or minimal clothing, the software will flag it and for parental review.

Canopy also provides parents with other tools to control how their kids interact with their devices. Some of these features include time limits for certain apps, a curfew that cuts off access to the internet after a certain time, set periods for doing homework, device location tracking, and options to limit certain games or social media.

Although these restrictions may be greeted with an eye roll from some, all of the features can help protect kids from harmful content. Clifford sincerely believes that “what you say to your kids matters, and they might not thank you now, but they will thank you later. No matter how awkward or challenging it may be, it is worth it to have these conversations and take these steps.”

Parents have a huge role to play in setting their children up to be healthy tech users, and downloading an app like Canopy is useful in giving kids the space to be kids.

Clifford’s advice is that “parents should approach a smart device like a car. You don’t hand the keys to an eight-year-old. You first have to prepare them to understand what it is, the dangers associated with it, the opportunities, which ultimately equips them to become a good driver.”

The Canopy app is available for all smart devices including Android and Ios, and can be found on the App Store or on the Canopy website.

Easter Roundup 2022: Toledo Egg Hunts & More

Elizabeth Inman

March 29, 2022

Still weighing your options about Easter festivities in the Glass City? We’ve got some of the latest and greatest egg hunts Toledo has to offer listed here. If you have a favorite you’d like to add, let us know in the comments!

Toledo Zoo’s Breakfast with the Bunny

Toledo Zoo

2 Hippo Way

Friday, April 15, 9am-11:00am

Registration: $33-38 / Adults, $28-23 / Children, FREE / 2 & Under

Guests can enjoy an exciting egg hunt, animal encounter and a great breakfast with family!

Toledo Zoo’s Animal Egg Hunt

Toledo Zoo

2 Hippo Way

Friday, April 15, 10:30am-3pm

Zoo Admission: $14-22 / Adults, $11-18 / Children, $11-18 / Seniors (65+), Parking / $8

Come see what enrichment treats the Easter Bunny dropped off for your favorite zoo animals! Kinder Joy will be on the grounds with some fun activities and treats for all visitors!

BSCLA Egg Hunt

Bavarian Sports Club

2102 Lagrange St.

Friday, April 15, 6pm

No fee/ registration

The BSCLA will be hosting an egg hunt for our kinder and kinder community!

Easter Eggstravaganza at Franklin Park Mall

Franklin Park Mall

5001 Monroe St.

April 15, 11am-1pm

No fee/ registration

Hop on into Macy’s court for free face painting, petting live bunnies, make-and-take crafts, photos with the Easter Bunny and more!

Maumee Easter Egg-Stravaganza

Maumee Uptown Business Association

Uptown Maumee

April 9, 10am-noon

No fee/ registration

5,000 eggs will be passed out by participating businesses and hidden throughout the downtown area. A lucky few will win Easter baskets!

Easter Egg Hunt

Schedel Arboretum & Gardens

19255 W. Portage River South Rd., Elmore

April 16, Noon-4pm

No fee/ registration

A fun Easter event featuring face painting, cookie decorating, live animals, photos with the Easter Bunny and more! Refreshments are available for purchase from Poppin George Kettle Korn and Kona Shaved Ice!

Hayes Easter Egg Roll

The Hayes Presidential Center

Spiegel Grove, Fremont

April 16, noon-3pm

No fee/ registration

Bring three hard-boiled, colorful eggs to use in the traditional egg games and enter in the egg decorating contest! Additional activities include photos with the Easter Bunny, a scavenger hunt, fun crafts and more!

Olander Park 20th Annual Egg Hunt

Nederhouser Community Hall

April 16, Sessions at 9am, 10am, 11am, noon

Pre-Registration available here.

Free for Sylvania School District residents/ $5 per non-resident child

March down the bunny trail to Olander Park for this egg-travaganza! Children ages 2-12 (with their parent or guardian) are welcome to attend!

Easter Bunny Hayride, Egg Hunt and Baby Animal Tour

Country Lane Tree Farm

3525 N Bolander Rd. Genoa

April 9, 10, 16

No registration

Ticket Prices: $5 / Adults, $12 / Children, FREE / Kids under 2, FREE / Active Military

The Easter Bunny will take you and your child on a hayride to collect eggs to exchange for candy prizes! Back at the farm, there will be baby ducks, chicks, bunnies, lambs, and goats for everyone to cuddle with.

2022 Findlay Easter Egg Hunt

Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation

12505 County Road 99, Findlay

April 16, 10am-2pm

No registration

Ticket Prices: $3 / Adults, $2 / Children

No competition here! Just fun and treats for all participating youngsters. Continuous egg hunts with multiple age divisions.

First Unitarian Egg Hunt

First Unitarian Church of Toledo

3205 Glendale Ave.

April 17, 11am

No fee/ registration

Join the First Unitarian Church of Toledo for an egg hunt and fun community-building games for kids! Cookies and lemonade will be offered for all guests that attend.

First UMC Egg Hunt

First United Methodist Church of BG

1526 E Wooster St., Bowling Green

April 17, 10am

No fee/ registration

First UMC invites everyone to join their Easter program and participate in an all-ages egg hunt in between the services!

Heritage Church Easter Egg Hunt

3520 Strayer Rd., Maumee

Saturday, April 16, 10am

Babies, toddlers, all the way up to fifth graders are welcome to join Heritage Church for a fun morning filled with crafts, story time and an amazing egg hunt with candy-filled Easter Eggs!

Maumee Bay Happy Easter Buffet

Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center

1750 State Park Rd. #2, Oregon

Sunday, April 17, 11am-3pm

Adults: $30| Seniors: $25| Children 5-12: $13| Kids 4 and under eat FREE

This decadent buffet includes starters like Cajun shrimp and macaroni salad, plus main courses ranging from kielbasa and pierogis to chicken tortellini Florentine! Each guest gets their choice of drink, along with an assortment of pastries. Make reservations at 419-836-1466.

Toledo Day Nursery Celebrates 150 Years

Andrew Kersten

March 28, 2022

The oldest childcare center in Ohio, located in Toledo, just surpassed a major milestone. In October, The Toledo Day Nursery celebrated 150 years of caring for children in the community. Since 1871, the non-profit organization has been dedicated to providing high-quality childcare and early childhood education to families who face economic hardships along with others in the community looking for childcare.

Care over the years
The secret of the Toledo Day Nursery’s success is straightforward.
“Anybody who works here has a passion and a life mission to work with, and make a difference in, families and children in our community,” said Karen McCoy, Ph.D., President of the organization. At three facilities in Toledo, 18 teachers and staff members care for the children each day.

“A majority of our teachers have degrees, and every teacher undergoes rigorous ‘best practices’ training,” says Dr. McCoy. They maintain low teacher-to-child ratios to provide impactful and safe experiences. One teacher is assigned to every four infants, three teachers care for 10 toddlers, and two teachers look after a maximum of 17 preschoolers.

Ties to the community
Toledo Day Nursery has evolved since it began as the Adams Street Mission back in the 1800s, when it looked after 25 to 50 children each day. Adams Street Mission moved several times before finding a home on Ontario St. in 1895 and then moving into its own building on Southard Ave. in the 1930s.

In more recent years, the organization has sought and secured community partners — Toledo Public School’s Home Life Department in 1984, Rogers High School in 1997 and Mercy Health Partners in 1998 among others. The lead partner for the organization today is United Way. “We could not survive without United Way and all of the generous foundations that have graciously given money throughout the years,” says Dr. McCoy.

Following the establishment of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in the mid-1980s, Toledo Day Nursery has been accredited for childcare and early childhood education programs each year. In 1999, the creation of the Step up to Quality (SUTQ) program gave the nursery another opportunity to display its high-quality care to the community with enhanced accreditation and never falling short of the highest possible rating. The staff is always looking for partners to garner more resources to continue to support children and families. “Our eyes are always open to look for partnerships,” adds Dr. McCoy.

Services offered
The Toledo Day Nursery offers a wide array of programs across three locations that cater to specific age groups. Each location offers:

Infant classrooms for children six weeks old through 18 months, with various activities that include nursery rhymes and dancing, rolling over, sitting up, crawling or walking. The staff uses their expertise to determine activities be best suited for each child.
Classes for toddlers, between 18 months and three years, focus on building friendships, strengthening language and learning about independence.
Preschool classrooms allow children to get involved in meaningful experiences to build upon developmental stages. The Early Learning Content Standards serve as a guide for academic learning experiences including critical thinking activities, problem solving scenarios, collaboration and observation.

Navigating through the pandemic
With COVID’s continued presence in our community, Toledo Day Nursery follows all necessary precautions to keep children and staff safe. During the initial shutdowns in 2020, Governor Mike DeWine exempted childhood caregivers, designating them as essential workers. Dr. McCoy applied for that designation with the intention of staying true to the organization’s roots of serving children and families. “The need was there to provide care to children while their families were working in hospitals, delivering meals to shut-ins or working in developmental disability centers. They still had to go to work, so we wanted to be the place in Toledo where parents knew they could take their children where they’d be safe,” says Dr. McCoy.

Enrollment
If you have a child and are interested in enrolling them at the Jefferson Center, Stickney Center, or Rosary Center, call 419-243-2627 or fill out a form at toledodaynursery.org.

Road Trip to Henry Ford Museum for Apollo Film

Mary Genson

March 23, 2022

Learn the history of the automotive industry through this captivating museum. Historical highlights at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation include the chair where Abraham Lincoln was shot in, and Rosa Parks Bus. The Henry Ford currently has a limited engagement exhibition Apollo: When We Went To The Moon. This exhibit, included with admission, examines the cultural, technological, and political context of the Apollo era. Visitors will be able to view more than 100 artifacts that are on display from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. These include real pieces of the Apollo 11 lunar module, detailed scale models of the Apollo command module, authentic space suits, and more! The exhibit is only here until May 8th, so Spring Break is a great time to check it out.

20900 Oakwood Blvd, Dearborn, MI. 313-982-6001.

Aries (March 20-April 19)

Kimmie

March 20, 2022

Happy Birthday to your Aries child! Having an Aries child is a blessing and a lot of fun because they are continuously teaching you new things. This month our little Aries builds curiosity for how things work. This is a really important time astrologically! First you’ll want to build their self-esteem. Remember, your little ram loves you and appreciates your help, but likes independence too!

Taking them to a museum would be one of the best things you can do. I once took my Aries cousin, who was four-years-old at the time, and by the time we left, he could tell me exactly how the exhibits worked.

Another thing you can do is pick up some Legos, K’NEX, or — if they are old enough — take them to the hobby store to pick up a rocket that you can build, They will have fun watching it blast off after you put it together, and then discussing how it works.

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