Coronavirus ROI/NI number 4

[eggandonion]

I don't believe it, would it ever go away!

Hard to believe Norma was a secondary school teacher herself!!

She has certainly reinvented herself as a politician!

First time TD given a ministerial position. Norma is out of her depth.

On a bit of a positive note, most of the HCPs I know have now had the vaccine. Sadly, I think it's because NI's NHS is in the worst state in the Uk for waiting lists & pressure.

Glad the nurseries have closed here. I wonder if more people will use schools as 'key workers' this time though as coved fatigue has set in. Some childminders were discussing using it today as we're key workers & last time it was so hard home schooling & minding. Yes, it is hard but I won't be putting my dc in school.

I've one doing leaving cert, I'm not sure how this 3 day will work. On one hand I'm happy he's going to get some one to one but on the other hand I'm wondering how they think 6th year students are safe from the virus. They're adults.

Of course the one having to go in is to a school where most cases have been.

How are the teachers going to manage it. Alot of his teachers teach more than one subject plus they teach 1-5th year students. I get they teach every day, but there's a time table that's well worked out ensuring the teacher has a class throughout the day, this way they have to re jig being in 3 days, organise 2 days of online learning plus organise work for the other years. Maybe I'm over thinking it and it's something easily done, but my brain is frazzled trying to work out how they'll organise it.

I'm off work until at least Feb first now and I've lost all motivation to do anything. I was great at doing online fitness classes, going for walks or runs. Now I kind of feel like what's the point.
Feeling a bit lost at the moment but hopefully I'll pull out of it.
Missing friends,missing family, missing work.

@Iblinkedandiamold I'm feeling really down too. The pandemic at its worst so far, the worst time of year anyway & the weather isn't great to get out. I'm doing minimal homeschooling & won't feel guilty about it.

If I were you I'd give yourself a week of Netflix binging & getting cosy. I've put on so much weight so I'm just trying to mostly eat well & do my 10k steps each day.

Thanks @buckeejit. You definitely shouldn't feel guilty, do what you can. Someone posted a story on Facebook about missing years of education due to war. They still went onto university. Children are constantly learning. Even baking can be turned into a maths lesson.
Bord games are educational, playing stop the bus teaches spelling. There are loads of fun things you can do to with homeschooling.

I'm motivated to eat the remainder of the Christmas chocolates, and hoping supermarkets have Valentine's chocolates on sale so I can eat my way through several boxes a week.
Not motivated to do much else.

@Iblinkedandiamold

I'm off work until at least Feb first now and I've lost all motivation to do anything. I was great at doing online fitness classes, going for walks or runs. Now I kind of feel like what's the point. Feeling a bit lost at the moment but hopefully I'll pull out of it. Missing friends,missing family, missing work.

I am 100% with you on that. My fitness has gone to absolute shite - and I was in great condition last Feb if I do say so myself - but I want to support my studio and their online classes so I need to get back on the wagon. It's hard.

Hating the idea of online teaching but I'm thankful I'm in a school doing live lessons. So much easier to build a daily routine when you have to be up and ready at a certain time!

@SionnachRua my gym has moved online too since last March. I rent equipment off themand pay for classes. It's great. Some weeks I do loads other weeks, like this one, nothing. Although I did give myself a kick up the arse after I posted. I did an on line fitness class and I am just back for a walk.
I still feel down and I was nearly in tears walking around but still. Hopefully I will sleep tonight.

Are the schools doing live lessons? Dear God that was a joke last time. Trying to set 5 kids up was a nightmare. Ended up stopping it and getting work sent through.

Still haven't hear anything from any of the schools, so now ASTI telling teachers not to go in. How do we find out what union is in our schools does anyone know?

Jesus Thursday night, they better contact us tomorrow.

This is a joke

Govt has changed plans for Leaving Cert students, online teaching only.

Thank you, Just seen that now.

Oh fgs. Flip flopping again.
This is really lockdown lite People really are out and about in the local town and its not like last March in the public mindset . No matter how much the govt. warn,
people have #lockdownfatigue after 10 months of this !! Asti serious dangerous game being played pushing the govt to not open schools-they will end up with the teachers and unions getting the blame for no LC.
I mean soc. Distanced classes fine by me in a school with reduced numbers but not happy with that.
#nopublicssupportcoming for them later in the year.
Teachers are nothing like health professionajs dealing with covid in hospital wards still going in and not opting out due to "safety ". One of the obstetricians in our hospital refused to sign off teachers while pregnant as she herself worked right thru the last lockdowm and her expecting herself. She thought are ya having a laugh.?? Wouldnt we all like to opt out -but you have a public service to uphold here.
Last time i looked supermarkets workers are going in every day. Nurses and doctors are dealing with bodily fluids of sick people and are in wards full of it!! Its ok to sacrifice kids education and mental health although every secondary student is in a mask and your demands have been met thruout last lockdown.
My kids need school as does every other child in the country. My cousin works in the CHI hospital group. Not 1 child has been in icu with a covid related illness in his large Dublin Hospital. Id like to see the stats on teachers -

ASTI were damn right to come out against the LCs being in for 3 days. Useless endeavour anyway unless you're planning to split classes and it screws up the timetable for other years. They're probably the age group that are best able to learn at home.

@iblinkedandiamold I'd love to rent equipment but it's an aerial arts studio, so can't really rent a silk or a hoop 🤣 They do bodyweight classes though and I really need to get back on that.

My school is doing live lessons, yes.

your demands have been met thruout last lockdown

All of your post is wrong but I had to pick this out as a shining star example of wrongness. Schools did very well to stay open for as long as they did with poor Governmental support.

The childcare sector just got a very direct email. It completely contradicts others they sent us. It seems that they want to been to be controlling someone so they chose us. It's our own fault. We bitch and moan but wont join a union.
I have no problem opening for essential workers but the email was very demanding. Like "you must do this etc." If you get me.
We are still not opening though. We are in a school and they have said no.

How are you all keeping? I'm cold, almost looking forward to rain so the cold goes! It's fairly quiet where I live, but a bright day. I can imagine lots of kids in the playground, and the coffee trailer being busy.

Hi eggandonion, not too bad, thanks. The pipes here froze during the night so everything is up in a heap. We're getting some water from our neighbour. I'm finding it hard to get going today, no motivation to do anything much.

It's bloody cold here too. I have the laptop in bed and am doing plans for my teaching next week. Not much - maybe the first two days for now and after that I'll have a better handle on how much to set. It's a bit of an unknown when I'm not used to working with this class online.

After that I'm going to catch up on my penpalling

I've just been out with my daughter, there's some ice that hasn't melted for days in the shade. Some of the side roads are a bit slippery.
I'm fairly grumpy, post Christmas.

I'm in a what's the point mood these few days. I still dont know if I'm going back to work next week or what. Everything is so up in the air at the moment.

At least the numbers were lower today. So long as contract tracing is working, we might be coming out of it. Fingers crossed.

I don't know when or whether I will go back to work, I miss the company and escaping from my dh! My boss is working in work, but he can do everything on his own.