Westmoreland County school officials scrambling after ‘substantial’ COVID-19 designation | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Two Westmoreland County school districts are shifting instruction online to help stamp out a COVID-19 outbreak following a state Department of Education recommendation Monday to close all schools in the county.

But Hempfield Area School District directors voted, 8-1, Monday to ignore the state’s recommendation and keep classrooms open for students. Two additional districts confirmed they will discuss their options, and another canceled plans to move to five-day, in-person classes until at least November.

Hempfield school director Diane Cibatoni cast the lone dissenting vote against staying open, an option also supported by Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. Hempfield is the biggest school district in Westmoreland, with 5,300 students affected by the vote.

Source: Westmoreland County school officials scrambling after ‘substantial’ COVID-19 designation | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Coronavirus Is Roaring Back In Colorado With Record-High Cases | Colorado Public Radio

Colorado obliterated its record for COVID-19 cases in a day, with more than 2,100 reported Sunday, Oct. 25, as the coronavirus approached or surpassed records in all parts of the state, and rising intensive care occupancy created new concerns about capacity. Before this past weekend, Colorado had never recorded more than 1,267 new cases in a day. Then came Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when the state recorded 1,604, 1,594 and 2,102 cases on consecutive days. Those also coincided with three of the busiest testing days in the state since the start of the pandemic in March, with a record 31,847 tests reported administered on Sunday.

Source: Coronavirus Is Roaring Back In Colorado With Record-High Cases | Colorado Public Radio

Middletown delays full return to in-person classes because of coronavirus cases and quarantines – Ohio

Middletown Schools will delay the return to five-day, in-person classes and keep students on a hybrid schedule due to the number of positive coronavirus tests and quarantines in the district.

Source: Middletown delays full return to in-person classes because of coronavirus cases and quarantines

La sorcellerie aveuglante de l’or

As Yanomami spokesperson Davi Kopenawa says in his book “The Fall from the Sky”: “For our elders, gold was just shiny flakes on the sand of stream beds, like mica . They collected it to make a witchcraft substance meant to blind the people they were angry with. … This metal dust was dreaded. This is why we call the shards of shiny metal that gold miners extract from river beds oru hipëre a- the blinding witchcraft of gold. When whites pull minerals from the ground, they grind them with their machines, then heat them in their factories… Gold and other minerals are dangerous and evil things that only bring disease and death. … Although this metal is the most beautiful and strongest they can find to build their machines and their goods, it is dangerous for human beings. By digging so far underground, whites do not think of such things. If they did, they wouldn’t endlessly tear up all they can of the earth. I want to make them hear the words that thexapiri gave me to the dream time so that these thoughtless strangers can understand what is really going on.

Barbara Crane Navarro

photo: Chaman Yanomami, Amazonas, Venezuela – Barbara Crane Navarro

Comme le dit le porte-parole des Yanomami Davi Kopenawa dans son livre “La chute du ciel”: “Pour nos aînés, l’or n’était que des flocons brillants sur le sable des lits des cours d’eau, comme du mica. Ils l’ont recueilli pour en faire une substance de sorcellerie destinée à aveugler les personnes avec lesquelles ils étaient en colère. … Cette poussière de métal était très redoutée. C’est pourquoi nous appelons les éclats de métal brillant que les mineurs d’or extraient des lits des rivières oru hipëre a – la sorcellerie aveuglante de l’or. Lorsque les Blancs arrachent des minéraux du sol, ils les broient avec leurs machines, puis les chauffent dans leurs usines… L’or et les autres minéraux sont des choses dangereuses et maléfiques qui n’apportent que la maladie et la mort. … Bien que ce métal soit le plus beau et…

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The Highest Form of Knowledge

Saania's diary - reflections, learnings, sparkles

As we go through our lives, one of the most important things we learn is how to connect with people. No wonder we, humans, are known to be “social animals.”

Feeling heard is a human need, and all of us want to feel understood.

Often when I would have an argument with someone, I would almost find myself preparing my response instead of genuinely trying to listen to them. But I now realise that people don’t want to hear your “logic” all the time. Sometimes, they just want to be understood. Like we all do. Empathy is something that helps us get in touch with our feelings and hence gives us an emotional understanding of others around us.

Or at school, I would always want to be seen as the ‘smartest’ amongst my friends. And so I would brag about my grades, step on the feelings of others, and be…

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