it seems that i am the only one in ds school taking this heat seriously.

[stitch]

why why why?
it is 34 degrees celsius. my kids are in a school, wearing synthetic clothes. including ties. there are no fans in the class rooms. the sun is blazing into them from the wall which is just a giant glass. my ds1 was in the field in under the blazing sun, and not allowed to go to the water fountain without a monitor, or helper. the helpers were all clustered under the shade.

the head refused to talk to me as he was on his lunch break. he was wearing a full suit, tie jacket but had a fan on in the staffroom. the deputy head started spouting surrey count council regulations at me.
ffs i grew up in the middle east. i know what heat can do. she tells me they have never had a child faint. well. yes, but thats not good enough.
she says i am the only parent to have complained about this, but, i am also the only parent who grew up in a hot country, and realises the dangers of heat. sun cream doesnt prevent heatstroke or dehydration. or loss of concentration.

They never bloody told you at regestration when i was there. There would sometimes be a note sent to the classes throughout the day.

I hated my blazer

I remember a girl fainting at school in heat as well. She appeared reasonably nourished, the type whose mother would have the Telegraph and marmalade at the breakfast table (like Boris Johnson)

you wer re pobably late

They are gonna be trying to do the maths now Cod

send mine into school wearing bandanas

nope
malnourishment is most comoon in middle calss kids
we ahd a course about it

nutty is my daiughter

I was only ever late twice in 5 years and had 1 day absent in 5 years.

Did get in trouble for make-up and short skirt quit often though. Oh and for ruining my tie by pulling threads out of it.

scruffer

PMSL......Hi Mum

wheres stitch

go to bed nutty

Older kids presumably?

A friend of mine is deputy head at a frightfully posh private school, and she reckons about a quarter of her pupils after about Year 9 have some kind of eating disorder. Pressure and all that.

Really in weather like this children ought to be allowed to go easy on the uniforms. to me that means no tie, short sleeved shirts. They should also be allowed liberal access to WATER only. I teach secondary so I know some will try it on. I don't think that they need to wear less clothes than this as once we drink water, the body takes care of the heat by sweating.

It sounds daft but a cotton vest ir Tshirt beneath the shirt actually cools us down better than just wearing a shirt by providing a microclimate for the torso and wicking sweat off the body.

Access to water is not just a priority this time of year. In the winter with the dryness of central heating the same goes. Lots of times kids complain of not feeling well. I send them to drink water and they perk up.

Back in 83, my enlightened high school (in the Caribbean) did a big fundraiser and bought a watercooler for every classroom. I am delighted at the rumours, no confirmation yet, that the school where I teach is planning to bring watercoolers in for the kids next year too.

Good - they can ban all that fizzy crap while they're about it!

I felt sorry for some of the kids in ds's reception year yesterday - it was "dress as your favourite book character" day (new library just opened in school), some of the kids must have been sweltering in their Mr Incredible muscle suits and Darth Vader outfits. Not to mention they are film characters ... tut.

'Good - they can ban all that fizzy crap while they're about it!'

I second the motion!

eek, someone looking for me!
i happy bunny

i would have gone in all guns blazing, and i think i probly did at one pm, but then mumsnet calmed me down lots. so spoke eloquently......