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What back-to-school means for grandparents As school boards and parents scramble to plan for children to return to class, anxiety is running high for families. While a lot of focus is rightly being placed on the safety of students, less discussed are the very real implications on the rest of the family "bubble" (core group of people who maintain physical distance from others and can safely be close to each other during the pandemic). Grandparents, who often serve as the linch pin of the family's day-to- d a y operations, will be facing tough decisions on how to remain safely connected to their grandchildren as a potential second wave of COVID-19 hits this fall. "Many of our mem- bers tell us they feel like we're back in the early days of the pandemic, when so much anxiety was caused by the unknown," says Bill VanGorder, Canadian Association of Retired Persons's (CARP) Interim Chief Policy Officer. "Social isolation is wreaking havoc on seniors across the coun- try. We're seeing increased rates of depres- sion, cognitive decline and injury in vulner- able elders who have been cut off from their families due to physical distancing measures. Staying connected to grandchildren is key in keeping older people active, engaged and mentally healthy." Given that grandpar- ents often care for children while their parents go to work, maintaining physical distance will be next to impossible for many families. With concerns mounting that schools will be a hotbed for outbreaks, many par- ents are opting to keep their kids at home or arrange to work from home themselves in order to protect their older loved ones from exposure to COVID-19. On top of this, approximately 400,000 homes in Canada are intergenerational, meaning grandparents are intimately ingrained in the household alongside their younger family members. "Parents are being reminded how integral grandparents are to keeping their lives run- ning smoothly," notes VanGorder. Luckily for grandparents looking to stay connected to their grandkids, even when maintaining physical distance, there are many options. While nothing can replace a real life hug, CARP has put together a list of ways to be a great "physically-distanced grandparent", submitted by its members. See the list on the CARP website www.carp.ca. Add to the list by submitting your ideas to advocacy@carp.ca. Article source: CARP (Canadian Association of Retired Persons), www.CARP.ca 27 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,S eptem ber 10,2020 insidehalton.com BUILDATHON During "normal" times Oakville Community FIRST Robotics Team ("Orbit Robotics") would be planning in-person training to prepare its members to build sophisticated robots. However this September the Team is hosting its first-ever online outreach event - BUILDATHON. The event is for individual students in grades 8 to 12. Its goal is to simulate the planning, design and building processes that team members would experience each season. Starting September 19 students can participate in this week-long event from home. Using materials provided they will design and build a system to complete a fun challenge in a week. Then theywill demonstrate their skills bymaking a Zoom presentation to a panel of judges. During the week students will be able to interact with current team members and ask questions during a live stream Q&A. This free online event aims to stimulate students to think creatively about a technical challenge. Sign up for this event by September 11 at https://1360.ca/events/buildathon/ or for more information contact buildathon@1360.ca ABOUT ORBIT ROBOTICS Our primary goal is to encourage high school aged students to consider post-secondary education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We are a registered charity led by volunteer adult mentors. Entering our 6th season we provide opportunities for members to acquire training in computer aided design, programming, machine tool and fabricating expertise while they are also acquiring valuable teamwork and presentation skills. Our 70kg robots enter competitions and for the last two seasons we have progressed to the World Championships in the USA. Team meetings take place in the evenings in Oakville. Membership is open to all high school aged students in the southern Halton area. To learn more about our team contact info@1360.ca. Oakville Community FIRST Robotics Team Offers Novel Online Event