12 days in school since Christmas, how can I help her?

[AchieveTheImpossible]

Posting this on Covid board and Primary Education Boards.

DD is 6, Year 2.

Currently self isolating and I’ve caught covid from her, tested positive today. Which is DDs day 5, so we’ve already been home for 6 days.

If I test positive right up to day 10 (DD is still testing positive today – very brightly positive as well) then she will have had just 7 days in school since Christmas.

We didn’t go back until 5th January. She then had a stomach bug which took her out for 2 days in the second week. Then last week had a hospital appointment which wasn’t meant to take as long as it did – she got to school after afternoon registration so is marked down as missing the whole day. Her class closed for 3 days last week with no work provided.

Tested positive Monday morning so missed 5 days, and I tested positive today, I have no symptoms right now but that could change. 10 days ends on 8th February so she’d be back for 9-11th then off for half term.

DD has suspected dyslexia (she can’t read, write or spell – she had some assessments last term but not had the results yet), DCD (new name for dyspraxia) and hypermobility. She also has a speech disorder and gets SALT through school (funded somehow – a TA works with her 1-1 and in small groups on specific exercises, I offered to help fund it and was told no, and the council don’t know anything about it)

We’ve had nothing at all from school apart from a list of general websites like twinkl for home learning.

I’m a single parent and cannot get her to school, all school said is to expect a fine. Her dads not involved in the week at all. School didn’t offer a solution to get her to school even though I asked for one.

So assuming she will have had less than half the days in school this half term how can I help her? Any specific resources, or anything?

It feels a bit impossible right now as we’d only just caught her up from the last lot of school closures.

Why would you get a fine? Not your fault they closed the class for 3 days and also sounds like all the others are reasonable reasons. If she continues to test positive, she wouldn't be back till next Friday, you equally don't have to test and can self isolate for 10 days, no testing. So worst case and you test positive until day 10, she will miss 2 days, if there is really no-one who lives near you to take her to school. A fine is 5 days unauthorised absence, which the others should be authorised.

@Takeachance18

Why would you get a fine? Not your fault they closed the class for 3 days and also sounds like all the others are reasonable reasons. If she continues to test positive, she wouldn't be back till next Friday, you equally don't have to test and can self isolate for 10 days, no testing. So worst case and you test positive until day 10, she will miss 2 days, if there is really no-one who lives near you to take her to school. A fine is 5 days unauthorised absence, which the others should be authorised.

@Takeachance18 Today is DDs day 5, her day 10 is Feb 3rd.

I've tested positive today, no symptoms until today. So today is my day 0, my last isolation day is 9th Feb.

So DD will miss 3 days. We then finish for half term on 11th, so she'll have only done 12 days in school since Christmas. Due to hospital appointments and closures, and sickness bugs.

It just seems relentless when we had it 6 weeks ago and she missed a week then as well.

How are you feeling? If you are well, id pick a topic that interests her, and do a project on it.
She could pick an animial, space, volcanoes, trains. Anything goes, and you can probably introduce reading, new vocab, food, drawing, science, maths, design into most topics.

Oxford owl has loads of books available for free on the website, although you need to register. Twinkle is good if you can print. Do school subscribe to anything online that you couod access, even if not set by the teacher?

Playdoh (make your own with her?), threading pasta on string, painting, colouring will all be good for her.

But if you are ill, survival wins out. Feed her, do what else you can, and let her loose with toys and screens.

Use this video to learn the phobic sounds yourself.

Then make or buy some flash cards and do two minutes against the clock once a day or twice a day.

There are some free games on the phonics play website.

There are lessons on Oak Academy but they can be a bit dry. The year two one on Fire Dragons is probably the best of the year two English ones. Avoid the Ganesh one. You would have to sit and do it with her but it would give some structure and focus.

@MaizeAmaze

How are you feeling? If you are well, id pick a topic that interests her, and do a project on it. She could pick an animial, space, volcanoes, trains. Anything goes, and you can probably introduce reading, new vocab, food, drawing, science, maths, design into most topics.

Oxford owl has loads of books available for free on the website, although you need to register. Twinkle is good if you can print. Do school subscribe to anything online that you couod access, even if not set by the teacher?

Playdoh (make your own with her?), threading pasta on string, painting, colouring will all be good for her.

But if you are ill, survival wins out. Feed her, do what else you can, and let her loose with toys and screens.

@MaizeAmaze I feel like I've got the start of a cold.

Can't print.

She hates playdoh or anything like baking.

I've been through the Rainbows Badge book though and am choosing some of the badges to do with her. I shouldn't of but I messaged the TA for her class to see what suggestions she had (I know her personally, I work with her DD but have known the TA since I was 8). She says as DD loves Rainbows so much, some badge work might be just what she needs.

A lot of them DD can do alone with me saying "Now do this" so there's that.

@SavoyCabbage

Use this video to learn the phobic sounds yourself.

Then make or buy some flash cards and do two minutes against the clock once a day or twice a day.

There are some free games on the phonics play website.

There are lessons on Oak Academy but they can be a bit dry. The year two one on Fire Dragons is probably the best of the year two English ones. Avoid the Ganesh one. You would have to sit and do it with her but it would give some structure and focus.

I have some flash cards with the phonic sounds on just remembered thank you!

There was some videos the school used during home learning, a guy and puppet if anyone knows what I mean, there were on Youtube, DD loved those so I can play a few of those.

@MaizeAmaze Subscription wise the only one I know of is Numbots which DD does happily herself. I've also got the new White Rose Maths downloaded.

Mr Thorne? Was it a giraffe? He has Geraldine the giraffe. He has some good apps too.

You can take her to school if you’re isolating.
Perhaps ask the school for a slightly earlier or later drop off and pick up so you’re not mingling on the playground

Just take her to school.
Use breakfast/ after-school club if you can.

Any parents in the same class who can do the school run for you?
I just did it for a couple of families who live close by and the children were negative but the parent positive.

It just seems relentless when we had it 6 weeks ago and she missed a week then as well
Do you mean you had covid 6 weeks ago? You know you don’t need to test again for 90 days unless you have ‘new symptoms’ because of the residual viral load turning a test positive when it is simply the original infection?

BBC bite size videos are good if your child will watch any of those.

Mr Thorne is brilliant. Also dont forget number blocks and alphablocks on CBeebies. DD still watched at that age despite being a very good reader.

I second asking the school for different time drop off and collection.

I feel you OP. I had covid NY so DS was off 5-7th as I wouldn't test him daily. Back 10th, off with covid 21st so did 9 days. Hopefully back 31st or 1st Feb. If DS gets it, we'll be back to the argument of sending him in without daily testing.
Half class is off plus teachers so no home schooling and DS won't engage (hates it) and we have two year old twins.
Be speaking to teacher when we're back for ideas for HT but I'm trying to take the long view of hell catch up eventially

@SavoyCabbage

Mr Thorne? Was it a giraffe? He has Geraldine the giraffe. He has some good apps too.

@SavoyCabbage Yes Mr Thorne thank you! Will look for the apps

@Nomicron

You can take her to school if you’re isolating. Perhaps ask the school for a slightly earlier or later drop off and pick up so you’re not mingling on the playground

@Nomicron They have told me I cannot set foot on school grounds while positive and they threatened to report me (and other parents) if I did. They didn't offer a solution to get her to school.

@HandWash

Just take her to school. Use breakfast/ after-school club if you can.

@HandWash No wraparound, there's an external one that picks up from school but they also will not let positive parents near the premises.

@CovidForChristmas

Any parents in the same class who can do the school run for you? I just did it for a couple of families who live close by and the children were negative but the parent positive.

It just seems relentless when we had it 6 weeks ago and she missed a week then as well
Do you mean you had covid 6 weeks ago? You know you don’t need to test again for 90 days unless you have ‘new symptoms’ because of the residual viral load turning a test positive when it is simply the original infection?

@CovidForChristmas I was testing twice per week and negative after I had it 6 weeks ago, then switched to daily tests when DD got her positive on Monday as thats what 119 told me to do, I got my positive today, been negative until today.

This time is completely different, last time I was basically asymptomatic. This time I feel like I've been run over by a bus then left in the cold all night.

@SleepingStandingUp

I feel you OP. I had covid NY so DS was off 5-7th as I wouldn't test him daily. Back 10th, off with covid 21st so did 9 days. Hopefully back 31st or 1st Feb. If DS gets it, we'll be back to the argument of sending him in without daily testing. Half class is off plus teachers so no home schooling and DS won't engage (hates it) and we have two year old twins. Be speaking to teacher when we're back for ideas for HT but I'm trying to take the long view of hell catch up eventially

@SleepingStandingUp From talking to the TA I mentioned up thread it seems that one teacher in the year is off and the other two have merged the classes to cope with those still in while also teaching in other year groups.

There's been a massive outbreak at school by the sounds of it. The TA said she's expecting to get it anytime.