The Twenty-second Republic - the DfE have no idea, Gav MIA, bubbles in and out

[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

I had to have a drink after listening to Boris.

Year 11 were asking today what is going to happen to the exams. I haven't had a full class yet - they either have sniffles, family member is waiting on a test result and some have had diarrhea . I have been frank and said I have no idea. They want to know what happens if I go sick and are concerned they will be stuck with a cover teacher (no offence). So that is half a lesson wasted to settle them down.

I will launch another thread as this will tick through whilst I am at work ...

I am going to be really annoyed if we get a circuit break during half term!

How are poorly people doing?

Just to echo why, if any of us are ill and have a negative result you are still ill. Teacher guilt is tough but pneumonia and post viral syndrome are tougher.

So sending many hugs. Pholcodine is about the only cough medicine that works as it has some codine in it, but definitely speak to Gp.

For some of us other viruses may actually affect us more than this one. I had an appalling adenovirus (based on descriptions as even my bladder was affected) once that I didn't fully recover from for months.

I seem
To be sensitive to tv at the moment.

I can only watch bland mildly funny stuff. Tried something more tense yesterday and I've had horrid anxiety dreams all night..

@NeurotrashWarrior

I seem To be sensitive to tv at the moment.

I can only watch bland mildly funny stuff. Tried something more tense yesterday and I've had horrid anxiety dreams all night..

We have powered through nearly the entire output of Michael Schur’s team (Office US, etc). Thank goodness for quirky American Tv in 20 min episodes! Plus the fun of spotting recurring actors and making a mental diagram of how they all slot in to the different worlds. And of course, Ghosts is back 🎉 I don’t want reality in my TV, there’s enough of that going on around me.

My concern at my school is we are a school with high attendance (well, Ofsted didn't like our level of causal absences for medical appointments and our holiday levels but those have stopped!) so our kids, especially year 11s , are coming in come hell or high water.

I think large large numbers of parents are keeping kids at home for 3 or 4 days, not testing, and sending back in when they appear ' a bit better'. Add tot hat the school's inefficiency , due to sheer size, weak leadership in a crisis ,and secrecy , and we have a situation waiting to happen.
The school ahs not told the parents about our staff case : this means they are still labouring under the notion we are covid free. Knowledge might help them to make different decisions.

That sounds very worrying Piggy.

My school has high attendance too piggy and I have very similar worries.
One of my year 11s was sent home yesterday because she was coughing a lot, and all the time they were ringing her mum she was complaining that she's got a maths test on Thursday so she can't be off then. The office rang me eventually to find out how we would deal with her missing a test, and I had to reassure her that we'd catch her up when she got back, and I've stuck some stuff on Moodle too help her revise. The poor kids are under so much conflicting pressures, they feel guilty for being in school with a cough, but also don't want to miss any more school having missed so long for lockdown.

So sorry for everyone feeling ill or anxious at the moment. Negative Covid test doesn't equal well enough to work. I am just feeling general exhaustion from a new school. Working till 11 at night to fit it all in. Not robust enough for that to last till half term!! Half my year 9 class were missing yesterday. Only one had an X next to their name. Wishing everyone a good day today.

Can it be kept secret, though. Piggy?

Our local press is speaking daily to our local Public Health team and they're spilling all the beans - which schools, which year groups, bus routes affected, whether staff or students and how many. It's very transparent, even if the school is trying to hide it.

@Danglingmod (and others) go to the new thread, I want to comment but will do it there! Arrividecci (no idea how to spell that one!)

It is round here. Three schools (mine included) not on BRTUS map and not in press.

Apparently if our 11s or 13s are iff and have tests we have to send them the pdf and supervise them via teams ( whilst simultaneously supervising the in person kids)

Iff 😳 off obviously

Newcastle going to pot.

Someone at my son's nursery tested positive. Luckily not his bubble eeek.

I don't understand how all other schools seem to be sending year groups home. While mine is just sending home kids within 2m on the seating plan. Coz they clearly stay in their seats in the massive chunk of time where one teacher leaves and the next arrives. I could hear my class of year 8 on the second floor as I arrived in the building on the ground floor today. They appeared to be having a short party!