The Twelfth Republic - push and glide to the summer break

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff. Baiters and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here only if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the toffee vodka is hidden.

If you are fed up with cakes and biscuits there is now a cheeseboard on offer

If you come with a stick to beat us with then please do so elsewhere and not in the staffroom

[WhyNotMe40]

Have any of you read about the WHO not ruling out airborne transmission?
I'm wondering if this will change the stance on masks in schools.
Personally I would be a lot happier if everyone wore masks. I know it will be a problem for the hearing impaired but there is no perfect solution.

[DollyMixtureLulus]

May I join? Scottish primary school teacher.

We have been told we are not allowed and do not need masks, but they’re compulsory in all other public places...

I’m trying to rest up because I think we’ll be back full time. Dreading it tbh- we go back on Aug 10 and finish up 22nd Dec with 1 holiday weekend and 1 week off in Oct.

[motherrunner]

@WhyNotMe40 I read the article on BBC this morning. I hope it makes a difference as I too would feel comfortable with wearing a mask. I’m taking DS to the barbers Sat. I have been told he and I must wear a mask and the barber is wearing a visor. It takes less than 10 minutes to cut DS’s hair yet I’ll be in contact with 200 pupils a day in Sept with no protection. There is no logic.

[motherrunner]

@DollyMixtureLulus That sounds such a long term. You have my sympathies ☹️

[HedyPrism]

Thanks Staff.
I went to visit my new school this week, and see my lab (eek). Timetable provisional at this stage but I can start some planning of things I'll definitely be teaching.

[Piggywaspushed]

I think the mask thing is especially ridiculous in Scotland given the mandating of their wearing elsewhere.

I would love to see this PHE advice that specifically says masks are advised against in schools. I'd be willing to bet it doesn't exist.

The DfE has said so and PHE have been asked to say 'oh well OK, I guess so' which is NOT the same thing.

[Piggywaspushed]

DH's head says that, realistically, kids in secondary schools will be in multiple bubbles next year : a transport bubble , a sport bubble, a year bubble. This is a private school so easier to manage but still....

He also said staff will be crossing bubbles so basically they must stay 2 m away (I infer from this that staff are outside of a bubble and will not be sent home as should be excluded from track and trace if we have obediently applied our force field....)

My head , in the meantime, has said nothing and it is just the usual timetable squabbling and rooms bunfight as ever!!

[CarrieBlue]

I’d feel much better if the kids were wearing masks too as well as us. Teaching from 2m away is really difficult.

[ohthegoats]

If kids (of any age) are going to be wearing masks in school in September, it needs to be societal expectation over the summer holidays. Otherwise they'll all just piss about with them. It's like giving them an elastic band to play with.

[Piggywaspushed]

I went to Sainsburys this morning. No masks (including me will admit) but , also, it was like party central in there with everyone hugging, chatting, admiring haircuts...

[Mistressiggi]

I am not a science teacher, but even I know if you exit a bubble and enter another one then they aren't friggin bubbles anymore! Just some wet washing up liquid.

[Danglingmod]

Brilliant, Mistress

[ohthegoats]

Hey, has anyone noticed that the school shout posters have just vanished! Those handles don't appear on any other threads.

Maybe they've all gone on term time holidays.

[CarrieBlue]

@ohthegoats

If kids (of any age) are going to be wearing masks in school in September, it needs to be societal expectation over the summer holidays. Otherwise they'll all just piss about with them. It's like giving them an elastic band to play with.

Exactly, it’s just one more insanity of this whole situation that face masks aren’t mandatory in public places, inside or out.

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

God knows it will be carnage. Form bubbles, year group bubbles, sports teams bubble, option group bubbles, music bubbles, drama bubbles, time out room bubble, slt bubble, toffee vodka drinking bubble ...

Then all together on bus or train. All together in clubs and afterschool stuff such as cubs/scouts/boxing/dancing/chess/sport/whatever.

Bubbles are pointless

[Piggywaspushed]

DH's head said clubs have to be in year groups (not sure why if they have a transport bubble...)

Their clubs outside school will be their own bubble, I guess!

[WhyNotMe40]

Bubbles are increasingly pointless. I really think we need to start enforcing masks.

[Piggywaspushed]

This thread is not going well for Vicky Ford!

twitter.com/vickyford/status/1280554619672854529

[Piggywaspushed]

But... wait... Us For Them says these are critical infrastructures that can never close...

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/08/boris-johnsons-local-hospital-closes-to-emergency-admissions-after-covid-19-outbreak

[NeurotrashWarrior]

I've had to book my eldest into a holiday camp on the last two weeks of the holidays, the youngest in nursery and then he goes back to school. I have to get prep done at work and Dh can't take more time off.

Bubbles popping all over. I do feel at that point things will be ok. It's further into the term that there's issues.

I'm going to have to buy more resources for school for my subject so that people don't have to keep searching for this and that, coming to find me etc. Reducing traffic and contacts. So there's a set of certain things per bubble cluster etc.

Basically it's how much local community infection there is. Apparently, according to my school, schools and bubbles will close in consultation with the local authorities who will know local infection rates etc.

[NeurotrashWarrior]

I wouldn't be surprised if the mask thing enters updates in August.

I think the August updates are because the shielding is paused? Which will have implications to the CV group too.

[ohthegoats]

Piggy, I replied to her. Saddened to hear that food vouchers are even a thing.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

[quote Piggywaspushed]But... wait... Us For Them says these are critical infrastructures that can never close...

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/08/boris-johnsons-local-hospital-closes-to-emergency-admissions-after-covid-19-outbreak[/quote]
I’m not sure Us for Them have been anywhere near a hospital lately. Hillingdon isn’t the first hospital to close Weston has already closed.

Presumably if they want schools to be like hospitals they are happy for everyone to be wearing masks and as much as possible being done virtually.

[Piggywaspushed]

Speaking of which..

just had our head's plans it. Masks forbidden. ECV and CV can wear a visor but no one else, not even our own.

Kids allowed out to toilet.

Buses don't count because not public transport. Meh.

Basically it's an ordinary school day with lots of sanitiser (no more sinks). If I have to tell my union rep one more time that I am allergic to random sanitiser perfumes, I will drink some and prostrate myself foaming in front of the head.

Oh we'll get tape on the floor.

Have to let them in room and out. Not sure how we do that from 2 m. away from them all.

No bubbling mentioned at all except separate lunches.

[RigaBalsam]

We have had our info out too.

Year group bubbles in own areas of the school. We follow our own timetable and go to them. No tutorial time.

Year groups have different start and end times.

No info on break or lunch. If s teacher is free p1 they come in p2. No hanging around.

Books must be marked though how who knows?