Teachers social gathering at work

[Notsureifitssomethingornothing]

Hi, I have name changed just in case my previous posts mention my location. I’m not sure if I’m overreacting or not, and I’m not normally the Covid police: I can understand a bit of low level rule bending as things are tough at the moment. However, I have seen a post on Facebook showing a social get together for some of the staff at my dcs school. It is a photo of a finger buffet laid out on a table in a classroom, with a big bowl of crisps, a cheese board with one knife etc and is described as an ‘end of term party’. 7 people are tagged in it, as in x is with y and 6 others.
Would this annoy you/make you cross, or would you just think let them have their fun? I’m classed as a key worker (as is about 50% of parents in my area judging by school attendance) but as I work from home I haven’t sent my dc in. It’s been really tough at home but I thought I was doing the right thing, mainly out of respect for the school staff. The school had already announced they would only be opening to kw+v children prior to Boris closing school because lots of staff members felt unsafe.
Is there legislation regarding this at the moment? I do feel cross but have had issues with the remote learning provision and not sure if my feelings are clouded by already being a bit unhappy with the school.
How would you feel if you were aware of this happening at your dc’s school?
In ‘normal’ times I am very happy with the school and my children are content there. I don’t want to be ‘that parent’ but I have emailed them asking why this went ahead and whether a risk assessment was considered. Just not sure if I’m making a mountain out of it due to skewed perspective with lockdown etc.

Can a school just decide they are opening to just kw children?

Presumably the staff are in a bubble? So around eachother anyway!

I work with my class team in our bubble. I teach SEN , we would do that we share snacks and stuff as we work in close contact, no ppe, all day everyday so what difference?

In some schools they have year group bubbles so all of the year 4 class team for example so again they're together anyway

Think you're being a bit judge-y / unfair. We all work really closely together and year group teams are often bigger than you think with all support staff anyway it makes no odds!

It’s not the “end of term”. So either they’re living in a time warp, the picture is out of date, or this is a figment of your imagination.

Op you've named changed to goad, don't pretend it's anything else.

Yes apparently it was to do with the letter the unions told staff they could send in? The first Monday back was a training day which is when the school announced it, and then lockdown happened that night but it was a bit of a moot point really. I only mentioned it because staff feeling was obviously strong then and that played a part in my decision not to ask for a place.

Yes they may be in a bubble together, but I didn’t think that made it ok to have a social and be putting their hands in the same food bowl. Doesn’t that increase the risk of spreading? I thought work meetings that were purely for social reasons weren’t allowed.

We have boxes of biscuits etc in our staffroom and had pizza on the last day of term.
Doesn't mean we aren't keeping to social distancing.

It's sad that no one is allowed any glimmer of joy without someone complaining about it.

Some staff did similar at my work place (not school) and were hauled in front of management and got a ticking off. I wouldn’t and if I did I certainly wouldn’t be so stupid to put it on SM.

Fyi I do a small amount of work in a mainstream school I worked in a mainstream school and our bubble I've just counted on our whatsapp group is 10 adults. Working in close contact all day. And we would be absolutely allowed to do what you've seen. Leave them be

Sorry, it’s technically the end of half term but the post says end of term. It appears to be one of the attendees birthdays as they say what better excuse for an end of term party etc etc

@DoraTan

We have boxes of biscuits etc in our staffroom and had pizza on the last day of term. Doesn't mean we aren't keeping to social distancing.

It's sad that no one is allowed any glimmer of joy without someone complaining about it.

But unless you’re in that group you’re not doing any socialising. No joy for us!

Eh? A photo of a cheeseboard and a bowl of crisps? That could be in the hall so staff can sit safely distanced from each other, use their own cutlery to cut cheese, gel hands to top the bowl of crisps on to their plate?

Staff xann at a safe distant meett up in the designated staff area at lunch and before school starts so not sure why a picture of food is seen as unreasonable.

School staff really need to have private social media...

Maybe they all washed their hands first before eating....? I'm sure they don't all sit on their own to eat their lunch usually so don't see why it is any different.

Would you complain if this was a group of nurses OP? People are so strange about schools.

Good grief. We had a buffet donated by parents this week. We went separately to collect food using our our own plates and cutlery then returned to our classroom bubble. It was laid out by the cook wearing ppe.

Genuinely only name changed because I thought I might get questioned, or someone might see what area I live in. I might even have mentioned what school my dc go to in a previous post so I was trying to protect the anonymity of the people involved, especially if I am over reacting.

Though saying all that I would ignore.

@lonelyplanet

Op you've named changed to goad, don't pretend it's anything else.

Seems that way.

@Notsureifitssomethingornothing are you friends with anyone in the picture? If not how did you get to see it?

Leave them be!! We spend our days dealing with kids , no distancing, working with each other. Trust me it does not matter if we share some crisps.

Now I'm not at work at the moment because I'm off sick but this has been a bloody difficult term for everyone. Stop teacher bashing, it doesn't feel nice to be on the receiving end of. Let them have their snacks and half term

@Notsureifitssomethingornothing

Sorry, it’s technically the end of half term but the post says end of term. It appears to be one of the attendees birthdays as they say what better excuse for an end of term party etc etc

Oh it’s a birthday party now. Or might it be a Valentine bash? Any excuse for half term crisps and cheese I suppose.

es they may be in a bubble together, but I didn’t think that made it ok to have a social and be putting their hands in the same food bowl. Doesn’t that increase the risk of spreading? I thought work meetings that were purely for social reasons weren’t allowed.

Oh do fuck off.

I am in school every fucking day helping children like yours learn under awful conditions. And I do it happily, frankly, even though I'd rather have my entire regular class back. I'll be damned if judgy twats like you tell me I can't put treats on a staff room table for staff to 'share' when they nip through on a rare break. Or share treats others have put out to keep us all going.

@TheFallenMadonna

School staff really need to have private social media...

Definitely, for all sorts of reasons, not least to stop people like the OP sticking their nose in.

@Hippywannabe

Good grief. We had a buffet donated by parents this week. We went separately to collect food using our our own plates and cutlery then returned to our classroom bubble. It was laid out by the cook wearing ppe.

Was just going to say all the parents put money together at my DC school and we sent a morrisons delivery of treats. Hope they enjoyed them as well!

I do appreciate what you’re saying and maybe I am over reacting but would just like to clarify that there was far more food on the table... big tub of popcorn, sandwiches etc with chairs all round the table, not just the two items I mentioned.

So teachers can work for hours with multiple different adults and a full class all in the same room but they're not allowed to eat food. Great.

You have no idea how the food was given out or how far apart they were sitting. In our staff room we sit distanced with masks on.

Get a life.