The Twentieth Republic - all back and its time to bubble bubble ...

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders 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 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

Do not give ‘The Every twat for Themselves mob’ the staffroom password as a number of them are operating in an alternative reality.

No DfE muppets allowed

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 goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom, especially if you have not used the hand gel. Close the door quietly on your way out and put your mask on.

Ah in my family cooked meals are heavily veg based, while sandwiches are more crap food

@noblegiraffe
Unlessyou think that the kids are going to be in the same classroom with the same kids all day every day. Which they aren't.

Even if they are. Duration of contact is what appears to be most important. The current approach is saying that if Covid-19 exists within your Year 5 or Year 6 classroom then the chances of anyone (everyone) in that room getting it is 'likely'.

Tom Bennett just tweeted this Back to School story. Good to know that even in a pandemic some things never change. The trainers!!!

www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/mums-fury-boy-sent-home-4487117

My classroom door is right by the slop bin and every day I see countless small children tip virtually their whole cooked lunch in, barely touched. Apparently, dinner staff "aren't allowed" to do more than encourage them to have a go (which they ignore).
Their parents are assuming they've had a proper meal and quite probably giving them a lighter snack in the evening.

That boy doesn't look anywhere near 'sad face' enough for a back to school article.

Oh fgs. A friend from elsewhere is visiting family in the area and arranged a night out with my work colleagues in various pubs last night. I’ve just seen the pictures on FB. There’s no SD whatsoever. Lots of hugging and selfies. And to top it all off she appears to be ill with a cold. At least I hope it’s a cold.

@Iamnotthe1 so is that a sage report with a specific section about FE?

The mum makes up for it with her face though, Iam.

[quote Augustbreeze]@Iamnotthe1 so is that a sage report with a specific section about FE?[/quote]
www.gov.uk/government/publications/principles-for-managing-sars-cov-2-transmission-associated-with-further-education-3-september-2020

I don't give my child a hot dinner if she's had a school lunch (and I know it's one she'll actually eat). She has what we call a 'snack plate' quite often - couple of sarnies, nuts, cucumber, half an egg, half an avocado, malt loaf, sliced up apple, piece of cheese, pot of yoghurt, some strawberries, piece of dark chocolate... that sort of stuff. She then eats eat at her own speed really fucking slowly it's infuriating as we cook our meal. She's a grazer not a meal eater also really infuriating so we do what causes fewest strops. Sometimes, snake like, she'll eat a whole packet of Quorn cocktail sausages, a jacket potato, green beans, carrots etc... but that would mean not eating properly again for at least 24 hours. Smoothies are also our friend - fill them with nut butter, banana, mango, strawberries (yay freezer fruit), avocado, milk, yoghurt, oats, sometimes Nutella, then zap the shit out of it - one lump and it's rejected.

She eats far more healthily and 'intuitively' than we both do.

I need to think about my lunches too - I don't have enough time now to deliver children to dining hall, get to the staff room, heat my lunch, back to class, set up for the afternoon AND eat. Need to find my flask and start with soup I heat up in the morning.

That kid is clearly thinking being sent home is awesome but has been told to put a sad face on.

Did she really think she was going to get away with that jumper though?

@noblegiraffe

The mum makes up for it with her face though, Iam.

Very true.

I love the details though:

Uniform supplier hasn't been open since March! (Except that they could order online).

He's only in Year Seven!
(Except the mum has older children at school and knows the rules).

We tried everything to sort his uniform out!
(Except speaking to the school or asking for support).

Surely secondaries are relaxing their uniform rules with Covid-19!
(Except the Government has told them to go back to strictly enforcing uniform rules).

ohthegoats if you have time to hear stuff up before you leave in the morning try a food flask/thermos.

@ohthegoats

I've just stopped eating at lunch. I don't even have time to actually finish sandwiches. It's causing me to overeat when I get home though so I need to sort something.

Uniform supplier hasn't been open since March!

Which doesn't explain the sodding trainers!!! Or that he's wearing joggers.

I have a protein bar and a banana for brunch when working. Always too busy getting the kids sorted in the morning to eat breakfast, then I'm starving by break.

My only break of the day in the new normal is 10am.

So, breakfast at 6.30, lunch at 10am, maybe a snack in the car on the way home, followed by normal dinner time (6.30?) Seems like a sensible way to eat

We are having blazers optional for the first term (uniform shop shut plus lots of financial difficulties for some) and the school allowed parents to order a tie through school as girls newly have to wear them this year so the school did the bulk order rather than parents individually having to pay £5 delivery for a tie.

Ds’s blazer was surprisingly half way up his forearms as he’d grown more than I’d realised so I was relieved about this as god knows how much more he’ll have grown by the end of term plus who knows how long school will be open.

Skirts were banned for years but after lots of parents moaning there is now an official school uniform skirt you can buy which is very distinctive so no mini skirt issues.

I think it’s fair to make a blazer concession and to facilitate getting ties. They’re allowed a plain non logo’d black jumper if wanted for now rather than the uniform shop ones.

Head used to be in charge of pp provision and monitoring so is very aware of financial challenges.

[quote Iamnotthe1]@ohthegoats

I've just stopped eating at lunch. I don't even have time to actually finish sandwiches. It's causing me to overeat when I get home though so I need to sort something.[/quote]
Snap. I’d just have indigestion if I tried to eat that quickly and there’s other stuff I need to do. I use work days as my fasting days

@ohthegoats

I need to think about my lunches too - I don't have enough time now to deliver children to dining hall, get to the staff room, heat my lunch, back to class, set up for the afternoon AND eat. Need to find my flask and start with soup I heat up in the morning.

Our microwave has been removed so I hunted out my food thermos flask last week. Going to take soup or leftovers, probably.

That reminds me, we have new staff starting so I'm going to keep my mug in my classroom. I'm usually not as precious but I just don't need an extra worry.

My sore throat from last night seems to have dissipated, too, so I'm mightily relieved about that.

I agree about school lunches - the portions are small and many children won't eat them all. I'd give DS a second hot meal in the evening if he was getting cooked school lunch. As it is, he's starting nursery in the next few weeks, just a couple of mornings a week, but he'll be eating lunch there so I'll need to start doing him a packed lunch! They grow up so fast!

I currently eat a home made fritatta, a slice of ham and some tomatoes in the car on the way to work. Make theh fritattas on a Sunday night in muffin tins - peppers, feta, spinach etc in them. Nice.

I do a couple of satsumas at break time. Would be happy with soup and some hummus and carrots or something for lunch. I have to eat in the car on the way home too, otherwise things go awry between arriving home and getting dinner onto a plate. That's my danger zone for eating.

The break situation for a lot of you is appalling

The kids get 10.30 - 10.45 for the morning (I'm on duty every day).

Lunch is 12.15 - 12.45 - 15 min to eat, 15 min to play. Lots miss out on the play bit. During this time I have to escort them to the dinner hall - I left the dinner hall after dealing with all the chaos at 12.25 every day this week. Back to classroom, down to staff room, heat up food while running for a wee, grab food, back to classroom (nearly always being stopped by someone for something). Quickly sort out stuff on whiteboard for afternoon, get resources out onto tables, it's now 12.40. Shove lunch in, run downstairs (I'm 4 flights up), to playground to collect children at 12.45.

Back in class with no break until 2.45 when I have to take children out to be collected, one parent has turned up at 3.05 every day so far, so that's providing 20 minutes free childcare. Upstairs I've had to leave a TA looking after 8 children between 2.45 and 3pm when afterschool club starts.

Urgh. It's not really sustainable until Easter. I'm totally knackered today.

For those still being asked to travel extreme distances for tests, we have been treated to a testing pod for a few days in our town (who knows why, there are precious few cases here). I went along because I was in contact with a child who said he was unwell yesterday so who knows? There were about 35-40 staff there twiddling their thumbs.

This is crazy. Where is the joined up thinking in this ridiculous country?

Off topic but so frustrating.