The Twenty-Sixth Republic -Half Term Horror?

[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 and you will receive a detention

Motherruner we go within a meter of students all the time. TAs sit right next to pupils (wearing a mask). I have never been told what you say you've done was not allowed. I can see why you're worked up about it but I really believe all will be fine.

You haven't made a mistake and you aren't being tarnished.

I'm within a metre pretty much constantly due to room size. I do wear a mask.

Thank you @Mistressiggi. I need to go to bed and stop the catastrophising!

Not too bad. Had Chinese on Friday night at ds's request. Didn't eat much but immediately put on over 3lbs that was probably water retention from the salt. Had a very sluggish weekend but been to the gym yesterday and today.

September and October have mainly seen me fluctuating around the same weight. I've been way more active but hadn't shown up on the scales much until end of last week and then there was Chinese!

Having a rest day tomorrow then yoga and swim on Thursday and back to the gym on Friday. Hoping to end October with a loss. Sorry long answer and boring

Motherrunner please don't feel bad. Handing out work should never be a disciplinary issue in a school - that would be just mad!
What should be a disciplinary issue is your employer's dereliction of their duty of care to you - you should not be routinely exposed to this virus without PPE for both you and students.
Your employer wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they tried it, so don't worry.
Although I would also be worrying so I know why you are!

Oldham - where schools ARE Covid secure

Well Oldham Council are getting their arses handed to them in the comments at least.

is that genuine?!

twitter.com/oldhamcouncil/status/1321059700981596161?s=21

Pretty much unanimous calls of bs. How can they post such false claims?

To get back to the bookshop: can I hold storytimes for various age groups? I just love reading out loud to anyone who'll listen children! Even tried it with the Y11 near bottom English set I covered just before school closed in March. Which was amusing when the Head (ex-English teacher) decided to waft by.

@TheHoneyBadger not long and boring at all! I've been the same- it's so difficult now it's cold,dark,rainy...

Yeah I think it's stress as well monkey. Seem to recall higher cortisone levels can make it harder to lose. It was definitely easier in lockdown.

I lost about 21 lbs over lockdown but as soon as I went back to work I seemed to plateau and barely make progress despite being way more active.

Keep going. I remind myself that at least I'm not gaining and I am definitely fitter and improving my health by exercising. Be nice to see the scales properly shifting again though!

Mother, hope you feel better today, please try not to beat yourself up, you were just trying to do your job well. I'm expecting a similar phone call at some point as our kids are terrible at keeping distance from me - one that I sent to medical with symptoms practically tried to whisper in my ear as she was worried about the other kids having a go at her.

My SI is up so half term begins properly for me today. Woo hoo!

@motherrunner the guidance is impossible to follow. Don't feel bad. Sorry to hear you are SI now.

Re the bookshop, I am happy to come and be a customer and buy all the children's books if actual children are banned. I love anything from picture books up to teen fiction. Please may there be a coffee shop with cocoa in the winter and crunchie bar milkshakes for the summer?

Happy half term squashed!

Hope you're feeling OK this morning mother. You've really done absolutely nothing wrong.

I think the government's not so subtle messaging "if you catch it, it's your own fault" is really working. Local FB page descended into chaos yesterday with cases rising locally (spread in school) and people blaming teachers for getting it. How are teachers supposed to distance in early primary? Even at secondary it's almost impossible.

Front row student has just tested positive. His seat is less than 2m from mine. There goes my half term. It’s not physically possible to be more than 2m from all my students.

This is the problem isn't it? I can't be 2m from the front row unless I'm next door!

I teach in 7 different classrooms. In 5 of them I am within 2m of the front row kids when at my desk, unless I plaster myself against the wall/board. Out of those 5, in 4 I reckon I'm about 1m away from 2 kids...

Surely that alone means we should all be wearing masks? Because it's 2m wear possible and if not possible then masks?

Where. Ffs

It is so unfair to expect those of you in high schools to be 2m away at all times when it’s impossible.
I hope your heads are understanding should you need to isolate.
At least in primary we are able to be in bubbles so all of us go home and there isn’t the expectation to remain distanced.

Apparently- according to our rather wonderful site manager - it’s your heads that have to be 2m away. So with a kid sitting down and you standing up, it gains you a bit of space.

Right. Remove all the desks.... it's carpet time year 11!

@MrsHamlet

Right. Remove all the desks.... it's carpet time year 11!