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Original poster

to ask if your kids are going to school on Monday?

297 replies

MoonBlood · 14/03/2020 22:13

I’ve been quite happy to follow government recommendations so far, but today my DD couldn’t go swimming with her mates as their parents are keeping them home. I made a comment that they’ll be surrounded by kids at school on Monday anyway and she said that their parents will be keeping them off now as they disagree that schools should be open. I was going to keep sending mine as long as they’re open, I’ve got three healthy teen kids but also a preschool child with asthma who ends up in hospital fairly regularly just from basic colds and am second guessing myself now?

OP posts:
Emmelina · 14/03/2020 22:42

They’re going in unless schools close.
I could keep them off for a couple of weeks or more (and deprive the school I work in of myself also), then send them in again and either they catch it anyway or Boris then decides schools should close - then they miss more school.

Original poster
MoonBlood · 14/03/2020 22:42

We've been told to use the snow day code so attendance won't be affected.

Oh this is interesting. We haven’t heard anything from my older kids school at all which is a bit poor really. All the local businesses including my DDs nursery and our GP surgery have issued letters or statements addressing the current situation.

OP posts:
coronavirusissueatschool · 14/03/2020 22:42

AllTheseThingsThatIHaveNotDone - kids were over the top coughing to go home on Friday Hmm

AllTheseThingsThatIHaveNotDone · 14/03/2020 22:43

Do we work at the same school? Grin

Merename · 14/03/2020 22:43

Seriously considering not sending mine. I think, to all those saying there are no/ only x amount of cases in my area - they have stopped testing other than in hospitals (against WHO advice), and estimate the actual number affected could be up to 10 times more. I don’t think the figures out there are a good basis for decision making.

I’m not hugely worried about us catching it, but I feel like sending them is actively asking for it, as it will be circulating everywhere, which seems daft.

G3m81 · 14/03/2020 22:44

Yes mine are going. I've got to go to work to keep the public on top of their toilet roll and pasta obsession (supermarket worker) and as long as I'm going to work the risk is there of me bringing it home. I don't see the point in keeping them off if other members of the household are going about their daily business.

Tonyaster · 14/03/2020 22:45

Yes they are. Term finishes on Friday and dd2 was supposed to be going on a trip to the ww1 battlefields but that's been cancelled, obviously

Dd2 has a football match tomorrow which is still goong ahead but i think it will be the last one. Sad

coronavirusissueatschool · 14/03/2020 22:46

MoonBlood- I think I'll be strongly recommending that a letter goes out to reassure parents there won't be fines/attendance problems if self isolating. I hope other schools do the same.

TheWristBoundLatexBitch · 14/03/2020 22:46

I can't tag you op but we had a letter Friday, there will be fines for our school

Toothsil · 14/03/2020 22:46

At the moment I think I'm sending her but we'll see how things go. My worry is I have bad asthma and I was seriously ill because of that when I had swine flu so I don't know how I'd cope with this. I'm a SAHM so I don't have childcare issues. I really want to keep her at home but I somehow feel we ought to send her...

coronavirusissueatschool · 14/03/2020 22:46

Do we work at the same school? GrinGrin

SpruceTree · 14/03/2020 22:47

Yes. And there has been a case at my kids school.

Hmmmm88 · 14/03/2020 22:48

I have work but no they are not

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 14/03/2020 22:49

I had been considering keeping them off when Michelle and Arlene refused to call it on Thursday, I let them go on Friday thinking I’ll see how things pan out over the weekend. A couple of schools have now voluntarily closed her so I decided I was going to keep mine off too. And then DS2 started coughing today. Pretty certain it’s a cold. I know how he gets when he is getting a cold. Anyway obviously that’s us all on a 7 day isolation now anyway. I know a couple of other families with coughing kids doing the same.

coronavirusissueatschool · 14/03/2020 22:50

I can't tag you op but we had a letter Friday, there will be fines for our school Shock

Original poster
MoonBlood · 14/03/2020 22:51

@coronavirusissueatschool I think that’s a great idea. There’s a lot of confusion around the whole issue, I know I would grateful if some communication/clarification from the school and I’m sure other parents would feel the same way.

@TheWristBoundLatexBitch That’s shocking! I really thought that allowances would be made at least for the next few weeks!

OP posts:
cardibach · 14/03/2020 22:53

@Zombiemum1946 what do you mean by this? My husband's a teacher and he's been told that closure is highly unlikely
Told by who?
Unlikely when?
Schools will, I’m sure, be open on Monday but all indications are that at some point they’ll be closed. There is nobody who could say for sure when. I’m also a teacher.

coronavirusissueatschool · 14/03/2020 22:57

Teachers at our school have been preparing online lessons and doing lots of scanning. Our IT guy has been arranging all sorts online so education can carry on at home.

One of the senior leadership team said closure should be close, but our head is happy with government guidelines which is carry on as normal Hmm

Thanks MoonBlood - there's a distant lack of leadership at our school and that's causing confusion. Parents need clarity, especially for those with underlying health conditions (both themselves and their children).

bobstersmum · 14/03/2020 22:57

@Queenofeverything44 so sorry for your loss, definitely keep your daughter off, tell them why, they will be total bastards if they don't understand!

mindproject · 14/03/2020 22:59

I have been very undecided this weekend about this. I was thinking of phoning in and saying she has a cold, but I might delay this for another week. I am really worried. I wish they would close the schools but keep a childcare facility open for those that need it.

Original poster
MoonBlood · 14/03/2020 22:59

so sorry for your loss, definitely keep your daughter off, tell them why, they will be total bastards if they don't understand!

@bobstersmum I’m in complete agreement with you.

OP posts:
MissConductUS · 14/03/2020 23:00

DD's school is closed on Monday and Tuesday, not because of any confirmed exposure but to allow for more deep cleaning.

It's been a very mild winter in NY so we have lot of unused snow days to take for closings like this.

sweetgingercat · 14/03/2020 23:00

My DS has asthma. So does my DH. We're all self isolating now. I am not prepared to get into the situation where they are refused treatment because the NHS is overwhelmed.

It's hugely irresponsible of the government to put our lives in jeopardy by gambling with a policy of immunity that no one knows will even work.

The virus doubles about every three days. My feeling is that we will be totally overwhelmed in a couple of weeks and they'll have to shut the country down - like everywhere else.

TerrorWig · 14/03/2020 23:02

Mine are going in, they are all well with no underlying problems. Only 13 cases in my city as well, but I’ll monitor closely and take guidance from school who are texting regularly.

Did a big shop today so not expecting any problems with running out of food or anything like that.

AlphaDalpha · 14/03/2020 23:03

I am mentally preparing to home school but will send them in until told otherwise. School policy is 7 days off for a hint of a sniffle and I'll adhere to that.