Are there cases in your school?

[HelloMist]

With Omicron cases currently so high, do you know of positive cases in your children's schools yet? Is it primary or secondary?

Yes, several that I've heard about. Primary. (Not DC's class - yet!).

22 across my sons school, a first school.

Loads in my own, not sure numbers

Teacher here - we are really struggling. I run a big dept and we have 25% of our department off with it at the moment. I would say in each of my classes I have between 3 and 6 students out.

I had it over Xmas and I'm still not right; but I have to be in.

My Head worked out that we can keep school open if we don’t hit 24 staff members off.

We have to remember it’s not just Covid which will cause staff to be off. I had a letter from my DCs school Friday warning there will maybe class closures in future. If they’re off, I will be off and thus contributing to the ever increasing staff absence.

Every day we are sent an email with a list of pupils with covid whom we have to stream lessons for if they’re well enough to attend. Yesterday’s email had 46 pupils on.

Yes lots (primary). I've already had a third of my class out with it since September though so only 10 more to go 🤷‍♀️ I had it over Christmas (confirmed the day after we bloody broke up, completely ruined my break, and I was very I'll fantastic 👍)

5 teachers off currently and 6 TAs...only 2 teachers now not had it in our school!

It's rife.

@SweetPotatoDumpling You could be my DS’ teacher! He and DD also had covid over Christmas, tested positive in the Monday. Lots of his class and his teacher had it too.

Yes

Yes, warn and inform letters from both of my DC’s classes requesting 7 days of LFT for every child. But as far as I can make out from the kids and from WhatsApp case numbers/absences are nothing like we had before Christmas

Secondary. Lots in year 9 (6 sent home from my dc’s class after back to school testing on day 1). Haven’t heard of any in y11 but they’re on a daily testing regime because of doing mocks.

DS2s class had 18 positive cases in Nov/Dec , including DS2. I thought that at least we would be past it all now, but 2 of the 18 have tested positive again this week!

Have any of the teachers got any air filters in classrooms yet or had their ventilation sorted?

So much for 'prioritise education'. Do we think the penny will ever drop that the only way to do that is to mitigate and keep community levels much much lower. Not just let it rip.

@theemperorhasnoclothes
Have any of the teachers got any air filters in classrooms yet or had their ventilation sorted?
We’ve had the much monitors provided - the one in my classroom is above the accepted level by about 10am and at least 3 times the level over by mid afternoon (with a slight drop at lunchtime when they all go out). That’s with every window and door open all day.

Our Head acknowledges we need a filter, but there’s absolutely no money in the budget for them. Our ventilation system is to open the windows - old Victorian building, so windows don’t all open all the way as it is.

Yes. In school generally and in DDs class.

No idea how many, they don't tell us.

Have any of the teachers got any air filters in classrooms yet or had their ventilation sorted?

We were all allowed a carbon monoxide monitor once, for 2 hours per class. Mine was above acceptable levels throughout that period.

So very high windows which open about 3 inches (on a slant) are all that’s on offer.

Have any of the teachers got any air filters in classrooms yet or had their ventilation sorted?

No, no CO2 monitor either so no idea what the air quality is like.

I also teach in a room with a CO2 monitor but it doesn’t work and says there is no CO2. Thanks, government.

Have any of the teachers got any air filters in classrooms yet or had their ventilation sorted?

We have a few monitors. They're in the red by 10am with all doors and windows open.

We've applied for 5 filters for the windowless rooms. We don't expect to get any.

We've been sent some. We're AP which I think is prioritised.

[quote motherrunner]@SweetPotatoDumpling You could be my DS’ teacher! He and DD also had covid over Christmas, tested positive in the Monday. Lots of his class and his teacher had it too.[/quote]

Oh wouldn't that be funny if I was 😍

On another note...I do have a CO2 monitor in my room...it's always been there, way before Covid actually! It's a really good one, built into the room, so not one of the crappy cheap things that the government sent out!

You'd be horrified at how quickly the levels build up to 'red' once the children are in! It takes about 15 minutes if all the doors and windows are closed...so I've always known that I had to leave a couple of windows open a crack, even in winter, just to keep it ticking over on Amber (we rarely stayed in green pre-Covid without freezing our pants off!!)

Now of course, we have to just suck it up and freeze 🤷‍♀️

If you don't have a CO2 monitor, assume you're in The Red Zone by 9.15, or any time you do singing or classroom PE 🤷‍♀️