Last November, a group of concerned parents of Port Townsend School District (PTSD) students garnered nearly 600 signatures on a petition demanding that there be no Covid-19 vax mandates for school attendance. In an introductory letter, the parents made clear that they’d done their homework, writing:
“We urge you to consider the fact that invoking such a requirement will be seen as a divisive, discriminatory and potentially dangerous dictate by parents who understand the health risks associated with contracting Covid-19 in school-age children have been proven to be negligible.
“When the unknown potential long-term risks associated with this vaccine in children and the CDC’s “Reported” injuries and deaths (over 700 vaccination-related child deaths) are weighed in combination, the evidence speaks for itself. There is no justifiable reason to place our childrens’ health at risk due to injury or death by vaccine as a requirement to attend public school.”
They went on to question whether or not “funding in the form of financial incentives to the school district” may have been an underlying force. As Free Press contributor Brett Nunn reported here in January, we now know that those financial incentives were real and significant.
As the narrative further unravels and “public health” justifications no longer bear weight, the vaccine and mask mandates are being rescinded throughout the country. One of the last holdouts, WA Governor Jay Inslee, has finally let go… sort of. His latest masking directive has given broad latitude to regional jurisdictions to make choices at local levels.
Schools look to be the next battleground, as evidenced by this urgent letter written Friday, March 11th, to the PTSD superintendent, principal and board:
“We would like clarification as to the changes for the mask policy beginning Monday, March 14th, 2022. Per governor Inslee, the WA state health department, and Dr Berry, indoor masking in public schools is no longer required. The PT school district has sent numerous emails to parents stating this change.
“That said, many of our students came home from school today and told a very different story regarding this subject. The main topic was segregation. Separating the masked students from the unmasked, and even forcing students to wear masks while in certain classes if the teacher insists they do. Many students said their teachers stated they ‘can make students wear masks if they choose to.’ Also stated was if there was a shortage of desks kids would be forced to sit on the floor.
“It is VERY concerning to us as parents as to why a school district would be encouraging any kind of segregation, especially one who prides themselves on non-discrimination. We as parents will NOT in any way support this. We would like clarification immediately so steps can be taken as parents to make sure our students who will be exercising their rights to unmask will not be excluded, segregated, or in any other way felt guilted into wearing something they are not legally required to. Our children should never feel bullied by their teachers or any school staff members.
“We request a meeting immediately if any of the above stated will be implemented. If our children could potentially face any kind of opposition from school staff while exercising their rights to not wear a mask, we as parents are to be contacted by phone BEFORE our children are confronted by staff. Also, we do NOT support our children sitting on floors or made to feel uncomfortable in any way by any school staff member while exercising their right to unmask.
Concerned PTHS Parents”
And well they should be concerned.
Annette Huenke studied International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to heading west, she was a manager for an Auckland-based international publisher of peer-reviewed drug information journals. In 1992 she moved to Port Townsend, opening Ancestral Spirits Gallery in 1993. She is past vice president of the Jeff Co EDC and board member of The Boiler Room. She researches, writes and wanders the forests around PT.
thank you Annette for your consistent and perfectly timed attention to the most important issues for parents in our community. This letter to the school board and superintendent re: masking of our kids after 3/12 is something i would like to see circulated and signed by as many parents as possible. Enough was enough many months ago.
Thank you again.
Rick Wiley
Is it not enough to show more than 200 mask studies showing that they do absolutely nothing to the prevention and spread of Covid? It’s literally like expecting chicken wire fencing to keep mosquitoes out of the yard. The virus is 0.125 microns; the pores in N95 masks are 8 microns. Do the math.
And, as the Annette Huenke correctly said, the vaccines are completely unnecessary, especially for kids, yet they carry major dangers, long-term of which we don’t yet know.
I would NOT subject my child to either and would pull the kids out of school, if necessary. No one should be bullied into wearing masks or getting vaccinated. We all know that Fauci, the AMA, CDC, FDA, WHO, NIH all LIED to us about almost anything Covid. Why? Because hospitals could collect $39000 in federal money for every ventilator patient, but would get nothing for prescribing a $20 course of pills to actually cure a patient in 3 days. So, they lied. Unconscionable, but true.
So, why succumb to the lies just because the teachers may want it? Take the kids out and let the teachers be unemployed….. or let parents make decisions about their own kids. Folks, we have the power, if we’re willing to exercise it.
In response to these school administrators who are being motivated by money at the expense of our children’s well being, we need to vote with our feet and pull them out of the public schools. I know many who have done just that.
Attention all parents, the best thing you can do for your children is to take them out of the public school system if at all possible. Public schools like main stream media push a twisted and convoluted narrative to manipulate and sway ones way of thinking towards a given circumstance or situation. Our children should not be subjected to an environment of segregation or any other form of manipulation that goes against ones morals or personal beliefs. For the past two years our rights and freedoms have been under attack and those rights and freedoms which we hold dear are now being challenged in the public schools.
Superintendent Rosenbury responds to Concerned PTHS Parents:
“Thanks for your email. I corresponded with Principal Ehrhardt yesterday to confirm that her staff’s messaging is aligned to the districts. She personally facilitated the zoom conversations with students Friday. She reminded students that the rules around respect for other’s choices applies to staff too. She encouraged them to speak with her or Dean Mackley-Moseley if any staff did not do that.
We have not yet received any concerns from students about their choices not being respected. If you hear concerns from any student, please have them speak with their Principal or Dean.”