For school staff

[OpheliasCrayon]

I just wanted to write a quick note to everyone - it's been discussed widely over the half term and I wanted to wish everyone well since we're all going back tomorrow.

I'm sure that this is going to be a hard half term for us all, and I'm sure that however we are all having a load of mixed feelings about going back to school in yet another national lockdown...

I want to say good luck everyone and I hope for as many good times as we can get between now and Christmas.

Don't forget be kind to yourselves, plenty of tea and cake and whatever self care things are important to each of you!

Teaching threads always do become a bit of a bun fight on here, but at the root of it all, we are all just doing what we do best which is teaching and caring for the children we have in our classes.

I am ECV but I've chosen not to shield and I'm happy with my choice and I feel ok in school, but I do have multiple chronic illnesses (which cause me enough stress at work when without a pandemic!!), so even though I'm not overly worried I do genuinely feel for and understand those of you who are. I think we all know it's extremely difficult in a school setting and so, please look after yourself If you are vulnerable - don't be afraid to speak up to SMT if you think something is wrong. Maybe nothing will / can be changed but I think we should all remember that we do have a right to say if things don't feel right for us.

to everyone!!!!

[OpheliasCrayon]

@starfish4

Don't forget the Lunchtime supervisors. In our school they have 200 children each spending 30 mins in the hot stuffy hall with them.

I did indeed put the title of the thread as "for school staff" in order to include everyone in schools.

[starfish4]

Don't forget the Lunchtime supervisors. In our school they have 200 children each spending 30 mins in the hot stuffy hall with them.

[OpheliasCrayon]

@Barbie222

Thank you OP, great thread. I'm pretty much glitter free at Christmas now although ironically enough I have used it to show how germs spread!! If anyone has some eco friendly glitter they want to promote I'm all ears!!

Ha oh the irony!

I have actually seem some promoted on facebook before now but I haven't seen it for a while. If I come across it again I will resurrect this thread and let you know !

[notanoctopus]

Another one popping along to say thank you to teachers and to hope that government will do something to help make schools safer.

[OpheliasCrayon]

@year5teacher

Good luck everyone! Re: glitter - I am obsessed. My parents banned me from having it in the house and then my art teacher banned me from using it in the class. But now I’m a teacher no one can ban me
Can’t wait to get the glitter out, make Christmas cards, paper chains, decorate the classroom (we have to - but all mine do celebrate Christmas anyway). I’m going to get a full on fake tree in there and my kids have asked for paper angels with their faces on. Who am I to say no to that?! I am going to make this half term as fun as I can for them to make up for the fucking lockdown and the heavy amount of work they have to do!

That's what I'm talking about ! You my friend are a fully signed up member of the classroom glitterati

[year5teacher]

Good luck everyone! Re: glitter - I am obsessed. My parents banned me from having it in the house and then my art teacher banned me from using it in the class. But now I’m a teacher no one can ban me
Can’t wait to get the glitter out, make Christmas cards, paper chains, decorate the classroom (we have to - but all mine do celebrate Christmas anyway). I’m going to get a full on fake tree in there and my kids have asked for paper angels with their faces on. Who am I to say no to that?! I am going to make this half term as fun as I can for them to make up for the fucking lockdown and the heavy amount of work they have to do!

[Barbie222]

Thank you OP, great thread. I'm pretty much glitter free at Christmas now although ironically enough I have used it to show how germs spread!! If anyone has some eco friendly glitter they want to promote I'm all ears!!

[OpheliasCrayon]

@VashtaNerada

Good luck everyone! We can do this!!!
Hope you feel better soon *@SpookyNoise*
#TeamNoGlitter

I feel I've got more people against me on this thread with glitter than I have when I've said I think schools should stay open!!

Anyway, even though I appear to be in the minority of glitter loving teaching staff, I wish everyone well tomorrow.

My friends given me a toffee crisp for my snack tomorrow ❤️

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

One of my colleagues once made Christmas crowns with the children that were covered in glitter. The complaints she had about glitter in hair and the fact her classroom looked like a glitter bomb had exploded made me sure I was making the right decision!!

[VashtaNerada]

Good luck everyone! We can do this!!!
Hope you feel better soon @SpookyNoise
#TeamNoGlitter

[OpheliasCrayon]

[quote stayingaliveisawayoflife]@OpheliasCrayon I don't want to talk about the kilos of mini wooden matchsticks both coloured and plain I ordered by mistake! Every time I go in my cupboard they are there looking at me and every so often one has fallen onto the floor just to make a point![/quote]
Oh dear !

I teach SEN and to make my glitter situation worse one of my children became randomly upset during an activity using one of said tubs ... I'm pretty sure I don't need to carry on by saying what happened next.

Suffice it to say I stayed late that night because I felt like my only option was to wait for our lovely cleaner to apologise in person !!!

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

I just love my sparkle!! I do have glitter Doc Martens which I wear every so often, and gold shiny ones so I am known for my sparkle! To me glitter is just too grainy.

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

@OpheliasCrayon I don't want to talk about the kilos of mini wooden matchsticks both coloured and plain I ordered by mistake! Every time I go in my cupboard they are there looking at me and every so often one has fallen onto the floor just to make a point!

[OpheliasCrayon]

I once accidentally ordered 5 glitters. The picture showed LITTLE glitter jars.

Turned out I had actually ordered 5 x 1kg of glitter.

5kg is really quite a lot

[Someaddedsugar]

Another one who wants to say a huge thank you - I am so grateful to everyone who is helping our children to have some normality throughout this. You are all incredible!

[grafittiartist]

What a nice thread- thank you!!
Good luck for tomorrow all school staff

[saraclara]

I've been retired from teaching for a couple of years, and am so glad that I don't have to be dealing with all this.

Wishing all who work in schools... good health, kind and understanding parents, happy pupils and as stress-free a term as possible.

[Ignoringequally]

@lockedownloretta

we just have a blanket nothing comes in, nothing goes home policy

Wish we had this, instead of the numerous pieces of ‘art’ mine come home with every day

[lockedownloretta]

we just have a blanket nothing comes in, nothing goes home policy

[Flagsfiend]

@stayalive the glue shortage problem is due to bubbles. I don't have a classroom due to covid and I'm not allowed to move resources between year groups. The resources in the rooms keep disappearing and now it has run out

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

@lockedownloretta we are allowed to send stuff home because only the child has touched it. We are not allowed things in from different homes.

[Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies]

Our school banned glitter, but then u-turned, and said we could use up old glitter. Every time I open another cupboard I find another stash of the stuff. We’ll still sparkle in 2050

[lockedownloretta]

stayingalive-i;ve just been on the baker ross website putting sequins in my basket-ready for christmas. But then i remembered that the children are not allowed to take things home from school so will wait and see what pans out.

[GrumblyMumblyisnotJumbly]

Grateful parent here. Thank you teachers and school staff for all that you do

Hope it’s ok to say on this positive thread that I think the Government are saying schools are ‘open’ in the full knowledge that many many bubbles are already burst and will continue to. One of my dc at primary school has to self isolate this week (tier1)and I know lots of others at other schools also isolating. Will be interesting to see what % of children do end up homeschooling at least some of this term. I do hope for everyone involved that spread is minimal, as contacts out of school will be minimal hopefully it will help reduce cases. Wishing you all well.