The Twenty-third Republic - school attendance not great - half term to be renamed circuit break?

[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

We've been given a thermometer and told to keep the temp at 18 degrees. Heating will be on, we have to open and close windows accordingly.

Hope you’re ok @SaltyAndFresh - so annoying sorting stuff like that out.

I had some Y11s cry today, they are all really stressed. It really hit me how much it has affected and is still affecting them.

Feel a bit emotional tonight - but also my last working (paid!) day of the week so always a relief to make it here. How anyone does it full time is beyond me so hats off to all of you that do.

I'm ok thanks. Haven't heard from the other driver yet so hope she gets in touch (she's a mechanic so hopefully she can sort it!)

So, @ohthegoats, optimum room temperature trumps Covid measures??

Take care, salty
I had two y13 claiming they couldn't do my essay today and could they come to talk to me.
It wasn't the essay. Big snotty sobs all round. They've lost all of their study areas, all of their computer access and their twice daily form tutor contact. They're not waving but drowning. One of them just wanted a hug and I couldn't help.
I've bought a huge quantity of chocolate for tomorrow's lesson. Healthy schools can kiss my arse :(

I'm really concerned about y11-13, they are the children most likely to catch it and the ones with the most at stake in terms of exams. I'm trying to be upbeat for my post-16 classes, but it feels like we are heading towards a cliff edge (and it doesn't help that the government seem to have completely disregarded them, with schoolchildren don't spread it but 17 year olds do - do they realise these groups overlap?)

@MrsHamlet

Take care, salty I had two y13 claiming they couldn't do my essay today and could they come to talk to me. It wasn't the essay. Big snotty sobs all round. They've lost all of their study areas, all of their computer access and their twice daily form tutor contact. They're not waving but drowning. One of them just wanted a hug and I couldn't help. I've bought a huge quantity of chocolate for tomorrow's lesson. Healthy schools can kiss my arse :(

You sound like just the sort of secondary teacher I hope is teaching my kids!

My two are pretty robust, I think but they aren’t ‘right’ at the moment-it feels like emotions and stress levels are rocketing.

Thank you, Appuskido
My teachers at school didn't notice when I was falling apart at the seams after my grandfather committed suicidal and I swore I'd never be so focused on the work that I forgot the people. I try to remember that in my dealings with staff and students - none of us can do our best if we're not okay. I delivered biscuits to all the admin and support staff last week just because.

salty hope you're ok and that the other driver gets it sorted without too much hassle for you.

MrsH sounds like chocolate and sympathy is needed all round. Healthy schools can bog off at the minute. These young people need something, and if we can't give them the facilities they need to learn, or even a hug when they're crying, then chocolate is the least they deserve.

Hope you're OK, *salty.

I'm feeling for some of my kids.

My windows are on the side of the room, and the only 2 ones that (barely) open are less than a metre away from each other.

And to fit my kids in and get me anything near 2m at the front of the room - which gets eroded as soon as I get up from my desk - the rows they sit on have to go right up to the wall.

So several are sat right by the window. So they get cold really quickly on cool days. And as someone who feels the cold easily when I'm sitting still too I have every sympathy.

So we have doors open, fans going and the windows open when we can.

Still no cases at school...yet. We go into local lockdown tomorrow pm. It's DD's birthday and we were going to have the 6 people allowed inside for a birthday tea with grandparent and aunties. But we can't have it.
Or we can have it and then turf them out at 6pm when it's suddenly illegal.

Luckily she's a teen and isn't bovvered.

Could someone please beat me around the head with a stick the next time I think of going on the Usforthem Facebook page? Latest PR stunt is asking parents to make videos of their dc saying how happy they are to be back at school
Why do I keep doing it to myself?

Using kids again. Vile.

Hope you are OK, Salty. Not what you needed.

So many people on another thread trying to wriggle out of 17 and 18 year olds being school age.

What are they doing if they aren't at school?

At college. Same difference.

Apprenticeships.

Someone said working in a charity shop!! Right...

That's what I assumed. Still in education then.

There is a particular poster on the Health board who isn't a teacher, doesn't work in a school, but seems obsessed with it all. I need to block them, is there a way of doing that on here?

And another familiar poster starting threads wanting stats on teacher infections! What is their gripe?!

Ah yes, that's the one I want to block. Can I?

Best wishes to you salty, it's shit upon shit isn't it at the moment.

Does anyone know anything about the NHS covid app? I just got an alert saying someone I pinged with has reported having covid. But it doesn't tell me any more than that? I get nothing else? Is there any way for me to find out where or when they think this person pinged with me? It's not massively useful as a message if I don't know any further details.

It wasn't the Exposure Alert message flashing up on yr phone rather than when you're in the app was it? Because that just basically means "the app is working".....

I wasn't in the app. So maybe it was just the app saying it was working. In which case they need to change the phrase it comes up with as an alert. It worried me, but when I then clicked it to find out more there was no more.