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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School parties

61 replies

spaceghetto · 10/12/2021 21:04

At the school gate, lots of parents were unhappy about a work Christmas party going ahead for the teachers, while the school announced this week, all Christmas plays were cancelled due to covid risk. What do you think?

OP posts:
Downton57 · 10/12/2021 21:51

It's maybe a little get together in the staff room? I taught for years and we NEVER got ready in school. We went home got dressed up and met in the evening like normal people.

Barbie222 · 10/12/2021 21:51

Are you very upset about all the other parties going on at the moment too OP? How exhausting!

starrynight19 · 10/12/2021 21:52

Our Christmas plays got cancelled due to the vast amount of covid cases amongst the kids. Isolation meant there was wasn’t enough kids in school at one time to put a play together.
There can be many reasons for a school to cancel the Xmas plays.

starrynight19 · 10/12/2021 21:55

[quote spaceghetto]@FellWanderer I'm sorry if I haven't included every detail. A teacher was wearing a sparkly outfit, another parent commented on it, "that's very sparkly." The teacher said "yes, we're having our work do after school." I am allowed to disagree with one school without criticising an entire workforce. This thread has already shown lots of schools have cancelled their work parties, which is responsible and considerate, in my opinion[/quote]
So you begrudge them a little get together after school when they all work together every day , really ??

Katerurn · 10/12/2021 22:04

Gosh, I'd be really sad if the teachers at my daughter's school had to cancel their Xmas do. They've been brilliant throughout everything, have had so much crap thrown at them and still they stay smiling.

Bashing threads do my head in!

HereComesSpringAgain · 10/12/2021 22:09

we cancelled ours....the rest of staff arranged their own unofficial party. nothing we can dot their own time

mumwon · 10/12/2021 22:31

Maybe its a joint medication group -aka drinking alcohol - they probably need it from what I gather
Seriously, if they DO mix in the staff room etc I cannot see the issue, provided for their own sake as well as others they keep the groups small & maybe meet (booze) outside.

Hello606 · 10/12/2021 22:45

What grown adults do outside of their work hours has literally nothing to do with me, so I can’t say I’d care. They’re people first, teachers second

Wizzbangfizz · 10/12/2021 22:47

I hope teachers crack on ffs, why shouldn't they?!

Awalkintime · 10/12/2021 22:58

Most teachers look sparkly at this time of year - it is glitter season craft wise. I imagine the EYFS teacher would end up covered in snot, paint and mud before they went out so I also call it bull.

Hellodarknessmyoldpal · 10/12/2021 23:13

@CristinaYangismySpiritAnimal

Oh here we go again. Is there any other profession that everybody feels they have a right to an opinion on in the same way as teaching?
Exactly! Loads of teacher ones on here tonight 🙄

Also find it hard to believe that they are wearing their sparkly party outfits in class?! Doesn't sound like a proper night out, probably tea and biscuits socially distanced in the gym hall. And even if for some weird reason they have decided to get their money's worth out of their party gear and worn to school all day so they could be in the pub, wine in hand by 3.05pm then let them crack on. They aren't breaking any rules.

friedeggandsauce · 10/12/2021 23:17

It's ok we have to sit whipping ourselves every night to make up for the pension and holidays 🙄

LolaSmiles · 10/12/2021 23:20

This thread has already shown lots of schools have cancelled their work parties, which is responsible and considerate, in my opinion
So it's inconsiderate for staff to have a perfectly legal party together but fine for them to breathe each other's air in poorly ventilated spaces for 8-10 hours a day?

Daffodil
liveforsummer · 11/12/2021 08:41

We're all having ours next weekend after we break up although I know some friends in other schools are doing it this weekend. We are no longer in bubbles in school so mixing with these people anyway. Where the harm? Anyway I might not be able to go to mine. Awaiting PCR results

Original poster
spaceghetto · 11/12/2021 09:13

@LolaSmiles Yes, I think it is inconsiderate to go on a staff party in a school where teachers are working in bubbles. I think it should have been cancelled, like ours was. There are safety provisions in school so no, I don't think it's inconsiderate to expect us (and I say us because I am a teacher) to go to work.

As a note, the flower giving is just so condescending (I will now expect to see lots more due to the originality and wit of many users). You disagree with what I think, I disagree with what you think, that's fine.

OP posts:
Barbie222 · 11/12/2021 09:18

I think it should have been cancelled, like ours was.

I think perhaps we've got to the bottom of the problem here!

It's a shame your party was cancelled. Did you organise an alternative for all the staff at your school who wanted to have one? You're free to do so, it's perfectly legal. At the time of writing.

As far as I know you can't police other organisations' Christmas parties, so it comes across as a bit whingey to say that they can't have one, just because you can't. The additional risk to the children in class would be negligible, because teachers already operate across bubbles, it's the children who don't mix. Which you'd well know, as a teacher Hmm

MsAwesomeDragon · 11/12/2021 09:25

There are safety provisions in school are there? In my school the only "safety provisions" are masks in corridors and open windows (unless it's cold). That's all they've got in dd's school too. I don't know if any school near us that have anything more than that.

liveforsummer · 11/12/2021 09:28

[quote spaceghetto]@LolaSmiles Yes, I think it is inconsiderate to go on a staff party in a school where teachers are working in bubbles. I think it should have been cancelled, like ours was. There are safety provisions in school so no, I don't think it's inconsiderate to expect us (and I say us because I am a teacher) to go to work.

As a note, the flower giving is just so condescending (I will now expect to see lots more due to the originality and wit of many users). You disagree with what I think, I disagree with what you think, that's fine.[/quote]
So you're jealous. That's a bit off. You could arrange something with your colleagues. Why are you still working in bubbles? That hasn't been a requirement since last spring term.

Abraxan · 11/12/2021 09:37

Work Christmas parties should be cancelled so would be a bit disappointed they haven't cancelled.

Why should they be cancelled?
In England they are allowed, even under the latest guidelines.

Mookie81 · 11/12/2021 09:38

@spaceghetto

At the school gate, lots of parents were unhappy about a work Christmas party going ahead for the teachers, while the school announced this week, all Christmas plays were cancelled due to covid risk. What do you think?
I think the parents should mind their own damn business.
Abraxan · 11/12/2021 09:42

Our Christmas party was last weekend - so before the new guidelines. It went ahead.

Next week we have a staff gathering - was a party for the end of term/a big birthday of a key staff member. However, due to changing guidelines and increasing numbers locally it's been changed, we are still meeting but it is for a short time and will be outside, straight after school and year group staff in smaller groups socially distanced from the other year groups.

We have had to cancel live nativity showings due to rising cases, so no parents in, but class parties are still going ahead. We aren't having any cross school get together for children, or having external visitors in for nativities, get together, etc. We don't feel that our outdoor staff get together is an issue even despite the nativity cancellations - as we are all in school together anyway. I'm sure they'll be one or two of 'those' parents who'd complain if they discover it though.

Abraxan · 11/12/2021 09:47

I don't understand why staff were already in sparkly outfits for a party whilst children were still there? Did they come to school all day in the clothes? Or did they leave their class to go and get changed before home time? Seems very odd.

Or do you mean that, like a lot of teachers at this time if year, they had a bit of l]glitter in as it's Christmas and it's in school (was also Christmas jumper day in lots of places yesterday) and the teachers were just having a quick meet straight after school and maybe sharing a bit of wine/beer in the staff room?

Obviously it would have been much better if they'd been more discrete about it, but the press briefing last week definitely said parties could still go ahead!

Is it class parties that have been cancelled? Or bigger cross school parties with external people coming in, such as a disco, entertainers and parent volunteers?

MeltedWax · 11/12/2021 09:47

Are there new rules about no mixing that I've missed? Confused

The teachers work together all day, just because they don't want the parents in (which I don't agree with!) doesn't mean they can't socialise with eachother.

Why does anyone care what the teachers are doing anyway?!

Abraxan · 11/12/2021 09:48

There are safety provisions in school

Those windows being open are really great safety provisions aren't they?!

Mookie81 · 11/12/2021 10:34

No way werw staff already dressed from lunchtime.
At the most they would have changed in the toilets once the kids were gone. It's bullshit.

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