((PKG)) PARENT ADVOCATE
((TRT: 04:17))
((Banner: Parent Advocate))
((Reporter/Camera: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Vienna, Virginia))
((Main Characters: 1 male; 1 female))
((Sub Character: 1 male))
((NATS: Saqib Siddiqui, Mahwesh Siddiqui))
If any kid says mean stuff you have to tell Ms.
Scarborough.
Okay?
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Our son, he just started kindergarten and he was
quite excited. He loves going to school. He loved
going to preschool. So, when summer happened, we
were really struggling to find him, and he’s the only
child, to find him a social aspect of kindergarten. And
he had been home since March,
((Courtesy: Saqib Siddiqui))
but then all of his soccer, tee ball, you know, name it,
flag football, swimming, everything was canceled.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Kindergarten is all about getting kids assimilated,
what school’s like. You bring your backpack, you put
it here. You know, you’re independent. You’re using
the bathroom. That’s what kindergarten is about.
You can’t do that virtually.
((Mahwesh Siddiqui, Online Advertising
Consultant, Kindergarten Parent))
Yeah.
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
You can’t assimilate them to school when they’re not
in school.
((NATS))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Luckily our friends moved nearby who we had known
for a long time and their daughter was also going to
kindergarten at the same time in the same school.
So, the thought, the idea, crossed our mind, why don’t
we group up with them and start a pod.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
The idea was these kids are going to be together in a
room. You know, for kindergarten, I don’t think they're
going to expect a full virtual day. We hired a teacher.
The teacher is going to guide them, help them do
online learning, help them navigate the virtual
classrooms. And then after that, she can supplement
their teaching and either teach them more in person
or just, you know, reinforce what was taught online.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
But then, the school system changed it on us and
they was like, kindergarteners 9-4, virtually, on the
computer.
((Mahwesh Siddiqui, Online Advertising
Consultant, Kindergarten Parent))
I mean, teachers are doing a great job. You know,
they’re trying their best to do what they do in class,
but it’s not sustainable.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Mahwesh Siddiqui, Online Advertising
Consultant, Kindergarten Parent))
Their entire plan is, like, to keep them engaged for
seven hours, give them what they used to do in
school in person. But let’s just admit it, this is not
normal times. It’s a pandemic. We don’t need to give
them seven hours of virtual, you know, learning. It
doesn’t have to be more than two hours.
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
My biggest concern is we’re, like, dimming their
yearning for learning. When you set them up on
something where they’re trying and they’re not seeing
results internally, they get frustrated and they shut off.
((NATS))
That’s the biggest concern I have.
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
I communicated with the principal, with a group of 15
kindergarten parents. Just letting them know, they all
agree, that hours need to be shortened from 9-4 to 9-
1, you know. Then I went above that. I went to the,
wrote to the Fairfax County board members,
members-at-large. And for that I got a bigger group.
((NATS))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
How was school?
((Azaan Siddiqui, Kindergartner))
Terrible.
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Everyday, after 4, my kid is just so sad, you know.
And I have to, I have to say, ‘Good job. You did
great. I’m so proud of you.’ They feel like they’re
doing something wrong by not understanding.
((NATS))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Nobody’s going to watch out for these kids' interest
more than the parents themselves. And we want to
be there advocating for them, because they can’t
advocate for them. I don’t mind if I fail, but I want to
be able to tell him that I tried my best to change the
system when I thought the system was not watching
out for them.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
I believe that education is a fundamental right and I
want to change the system for everybody and make it
better for everybody.
((Popup Banner:
A few weeks later, Azaan attended an in-school pilot
program twice a week. But when local COVID cases
began rising again, the program was paused.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((TRT: 04:17))
((Banner: Parent Advocate))
((Reporter/Camera: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Vienna, Virginia))
((Main Characters: 1 male; 1 female))
((Sub Character: 1 male))
((NATS: Saqib Siddiqui, Mahwesh Siddiqui))
If any kid says mean stuff you have to tell Ms.
Scarborough.
Okay?
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Our son, he just started kindergarten and he was
quite excited. He loves going to school. He loved
going to preschool. So, when summer happened, we
were really struggling to find him, and he’s the only
child, to find him a social aspect of kindergarten. And
he had been home since March,
((Courtesy: Saqib Siddiqui))
but then all of his soccer, tee ball, you know, name it,
flag football, swimming, everything was canceled.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Kindergarten is all about getting kids assimilated,
what school’s like. You bring your backpack, you put
it here. You know, you’re independent. You’re using
the bathroom. That’s what kindergarten is about.
You can’t do that virtually.
((Mahwesh Siddiqui, Online Advertising
Consultant, Kindergarten Parent))
Yeah.
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
You can’t assimilate them to school when they’re not
in school.
((NATS))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Luckily our friends moved nearby who we had known
for a long time and their daughter was also going to
kindergarten at the same time in the same school.
So, the thought, the idea, crossed our mind, why don’t
we group up with them and start a pod.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
The idea was these kids are going to be together in a
room. You know, for kindergarten, I don’t think they're
going to expect a full virtual day. We hired a teacher.
The teacher is going to guide them, help them do
online learning, help them navigate the virtual
classrooms. And then after that, she can supplement
their teaching and either teach them more in person
or just, you know, reinforce what was taught online.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
But then, the school system changed it on us and
they was like, kindergarteners 9-4, virtually, on the
computer.
((Mahwesh Siddiqui, Online Advertising
Consultant, Kindergarten Parent))
I mean, teachers are doing a great job. You know,
they’re trying their best to do what they do in class,
but it’s not sustainable.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Mahwesh Siddiqui, Online Advertising
Consultant, Kindergarten Parent))
Their entire plan is, like, to keep them engaged for
seven hours, give them what they used to do in
school in person. But let’s just admit it, this is not
normal times. It’s a pandemic. We don’t need to give
them seven hours of virtual, you know, learning. It
doesn’t have to be more than two hours.
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
My biggest concern is we’re, like, dimming their
yearning for learning. When you set them up on
something where they’re trying and they’re not seeing
results internally, they get frustrated and they shut off.
((NATS))
That’s the biggest concern I have.
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
I communicated with the principal, with a group of 15
kindergarten parents. Just letting them know, they all
agree, that hours need to be shortened from 9-4 to 9-
1, you know. Then I went above that. I went to the,
wrote to the Fairfax County board members,
members-at-large. And for that I got a bigger group.
((NATS))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
How was school?
((Azaan Siddiqui, Kindergartner))
Terrible.
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Everyday, after 4, my kid is just so sad, you know.
And I have to, I have to say, ‘Good job. You did
great. I’m so proud of you.’ They feel like they’re
doing something wrong by not understanding.
((NATS))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
Nobody’s going to watch out for these kids' interest
more than the parents themselves. And we want to
be there advocating for them, because they can’t
advocate for them. I don’t mind if I fail, but I want to
be able to tell him that I tried my best to change the
system when I thought the system was not watching
out for them.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Saqib Siddiqui, Patent Attorney, Kindergarten
Parent))
I believe that education is a fundamental right and I
want to change the system for everybody and make it
better for everybody.
((Popup Banner:
A few weeks later, Azaan attended an in-school pilot
program twice a week. But when local COVID cases
began rising again, the program was paused.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
