Homeschooling rises from 5% to 11% of US families during COVID
Why: Some families who spoke with The Associated Press have children with special educational needs; others seek a faith-based curriculum or say their local schools are flawed.
The surge has been confirmed by the U.S. Census Bureau, which reported in March that the rate of households homeschooling their children rose to 11% by September 2020, more than doubling from 5.4% just six months earlier.
Shopper Country School Districts do offer home-based learning!
Morton, Mossyrock and White Pass school districts continue to offer on-line learning options to families in their communities. At White Pass, the Home Link program offers FREE on-line home-based learning for grades K-12. Home Link provides a dedicated coordinator to assist families throughout the year. White Pass students receive high-quality school-compatible laptops for on-line access. Tutoring is available. Regular check-ins with families assess student progress. As needed, the district also provides home internet hotspots.
Home instruction expanded during the pandemic and may continue to be a valid choice for your family. If so, connect with your local school district about on-line options available. Do it today! This will offer your child the opportunity to stay connected with peers, reduce isolation, and remain plugged in with your community.
We 1000% respect homeschooling parents! Homeschooling is a BIG challenge for parents!
Info: shpr.fyi/easyhomeschool
Portland high school wins in Rocketry
Portland-area high school came out on top in a new “distributed” version of this year’s American Rocketry Challenge.
Oregon Episcopal School received $20,000 for coming within 1 foot and 6.7 feet of a specified target altitude in two flights, putting it best among 100 national finalists. As a first-time finalist, the school also received $2,500 for posting the best results among the rookies, and an additional $1,000 given to each finalist participant for placing best in their distributed launch site — bringing the total haul close to $25,000.
To qualify for the winner’s circle, participating finalist teams had to get as close as they could to 775 feet (236 m) within 39 to 42 seconds on their first flight, and 825 feet (nearly 252 m) within 41 to 44 seconds on their second flight, according to competition rules. The rocket also had minimum weight, length, and motor qualifications, among other things.
Score was the sum of two flights distance in feet short of the target heights of 775 feet on first flight and 825 feet on second flight– the lower the score, the better.
Top five contestants and number of students in program:
- Oregon Episcopal OR: 8
- BSA Explorer Post MD: 40
- Webster City HS IA: 9
- Mathmania Robotics CA: 15
- Russellville HS AL: 15
Info: shpr.fyi/rocketry
Almost all new infections, hospitalizations and deaths are now among the unvaccinated.
More than 94% of Washington’s recent COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations have been among not fully vaccinated people, according to a new report from the state Dpt. of Health.
The data released Wednesday shows that between February and June, residents 12 and older who weren’t fully vaccinated made up about 97% of COVID-19 cases, 96% of hospitalizations and 94% of deaths in the state, The Seattle Times reported.
To get vaccinated, call any doctor, clinic or hospital and you’ll have an appointment probably the same day.
Info: shpr.fyi/unvaccinfect
Neighbors form human chain to rescue swans
A rare summer sighting helped rescue two abandoned black swans.
Two Australian black swans were found in Southold, New York. Local Long Island residents formed a human chain to keep the birds safe until they were able to be rescued.
“I got a call Wednesday morning with someone saying, ‘Hey I looked out my window and I see these swans,'” John Di Leonardo, president of Long Island Orchestrating for Nature, told FOX News. Di Leonardo was more than two hours away at the time. “Neighbors jumped in kayaks and stayed with the swans waiting for me to come and catch them.”
Info: shpr.fyi/swanrescue
America’s Big Cities must include lots of unvaccinated Democrats
“The people who aren’t getting vaccinated are Trump voters” is an oversimplification. Yes, broadly speaking, those who are unvaccinated and who adamantly refuse to get vaccinated are more likely to have voted for Trump or self-identify as Republicans, and the data indicate that more Republican-leaning states and areas have lower vaccination rates.
But significant percentages of the residents of the deepest-blue cities in America are still unvaccinated, and simple math says that there just aren’t enough Trump voters in those cities to make up the unvaccinated group.
For example, as of this weekend, 41 percent of New York City residents were not vaccinated. Trump won 22 percent of the vote in NYC. Apparently 78% of the unvaccinated are not Trump voters.
In Chicago, 43 percent of residents are not vaccinated. Trump carried 24 percent of the vote in Cook County. Apparently 76% of the unvaccinated are not Trump voters.
In Philadelphia, Pa., about 37 percent of residents are unvaccinated. Trump won 17.9 percent of the vote there in 2020. Apparently 82% of the unvaccinated are not Trump voters.
Detroit has vaccinated just under 40 percent of its residents; Trump carried 5 percent of the vote in that city. Apparently 95% of the unvaccinated are not Trump voters.
A lot of America’s remaining unvaccinated live in big cities, but most of the news coverage wouldn’t lead you to that conclusion.
Info: shpr.fyi/unvaccdems
Boeing back in black
Boeing is making money again after it just reported its first quarterly profit since 2019. Second quarter results are in.
It’s not a ton of money, but after the last two years, this is a welcome sight for our region and the company. Boeing reported a $567 million profit in Q2 — that’s not chump change, but it’s nothing like the company used to see. However, compared to the $2.4 billion loss in Q2 last year, this is a good day.
Boeing delivered 79 commercial airplanes in the second quarter, and 156 for the year. Those are vast improvements over 2020 but, again, still not what the company is used to.
This is good news for Shopper Country because some of Boeing paycheck dollars always find their way to being spent here. Those dollars roll over into paychecks for us and health for our local businesses.
Info: shpr.fyi/boeingsells
Dave Bunting, Aug. 2, 2021