The Twenty-ninth Republic - lockdown light continues & good news for Welsh students

[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 staffroom password just in case it attracts the wrong sort

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 booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

@PumpkinPie2016

Another day of a full team of staff for me - yay

Although, my NQT told me this morning that his flatmate has gone for a test because he has symptoms so, if he tests positive, NQT will have to isolate for two weeks

Otherwise a relatively good day and managed to go for a run after school! Very happy with that.

Friday tomorrow

Surely if NQTs flat mate has symptoms he (NQT) should already be isolating while they wait for the results? The are a 'household' surely?

I was just going to say that @Frlrlrubert!

Blimey! Those new numbers today!!!
What does that mean?

2 cases (different year groups) confirmed in two days at our place.

Has anyone got a link to the new numbers? Wary of wandering across blood boiling stuff if I enter go searching for Covid school news.

@TheHoneyBadger coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Although it always worries me when some figures are ‘delayed’ as I’m paranoid they are hiding something 🤦‍♀️

Thank you. Hospital admissions is a steep climb. That can't be left to continue for long presumably.

I did think that but someone else was in the same position earlier in the year and told to come in unless the other person tested positive or they themselves had symptoms it's all very confusing.

Instead of a general strike I'd certainly be up for striking for 2weeks before Christmas to allow us and kids to quarantine and be safe to see family.

We've already effectively been put on a travel ban since March because we can only travel in school holidays and wouldn't have time to quarantine and many gave up Easter holidays to voluntarily work in school with vulnerable kids and over the summer half term adapting classrooms. No Christmas after a term of having to avoid family because we know damn well we're highly exposed is too much.

How is it only Thursday?? I’m shattered. I keep thinking it’s half term break in a couple of weeks but we’ve only just had one

to everyone who’s having a shit time and illness and insane classes.

We’re having a weird phenomenon at our school. No obvious illnesses in year 7s on the whole, but last week one of my year 7s (front row, naturally!) was off as mum had tested positive. 3 days later another year 7 was pulled out halfway through the day as dad had tested positive (dad asymptomatic, test was a routine workplace test), then today another front row year 7 (sat next to the one who was off last week!) has been off for a few days as mum has symptoms and now won’t be in for a while as mum just tested positive today. Their TA is now also off with a positive test

So there’s either high enough community transmission that it’s coincidentally taken out three kids from the same class, or the kids are asymptomatic and taking it home to their poor parents. Am I crazy to think that?

No, you're not.

We've had similar so many times. Kids have sleepovers. Couple of days later, both sets of parents have Covid, but the kids don't. They're pulled out to SI but never tested themselves (even with symptoms). And on and on.

Just heard the BBC science correspondent explain that the new cases may look higher compared to previously as because people probably didn’t go for tests in half term .

@Frlrlrubert yesterday we had a flurry of cryptic emails about 3 year groups not to go to lessons instead of just telling us a group of siblings had tested positive. 600 pupils pulled out of lessons as parents had sent all 3 in whilst waiting for test results. All 3 were positive.

Huge ump in test results today is because of a 'catch up' (ie they've found some lost figures or something....), somebody said on the Data thread - don't know what proportion though.

Is it my imagination or are we getting MORE cases in schools now than a few weeks ago?

Nope, that's my feeling too.

Well i guess a lot of kids spent time with other people's parents. We are in area where people were mixing in each others houses. And more people eating in busy restaurants.

@flumposie just awful Bloody irresponsible parents

Well, my borough has just announced that all school staff need to wear masks unless direct teaching. So as soon as we stop talking, mask on. In all public areas, including the staff room. All PPA at home, no going into anyon else's classroom for any reason, all meetings on Teams, get in, do job, go home. Except I'm management so I have to go in for PPA (would rather do that anyway). We're not allowed to sit and work with colleagues, so staffroom to be avoided apart from picking up printing, and no monitoring can take place either.

That's in a big inner city primary. Apparently schools in our city are being battered - although we don't have any cases yet.

So that's nice. I'll only be in to deal with behaviour or covid suspects I assume. I'm so glad that during my management time this week I did no management, and instead just sorted out stuff for my class. Going to focus on my kids.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Well, my borough has just announced that all school staff need to wear masks unless direct teaching. So as soon as we stop talking, mask on. In all public areas, including the staff room. All PPA at home, no going into anyon else's classroom for any reason, all meetings on Teams, get in, do job, go home. Except I'm management so I have to go in for PPA (would rather do that anyway). We're not allowed to sit and work with colleagues, so staffroom to be avoided apart from picking up printing, and no monitoring can take place either.

That's in a big inner city primary. Apparently schools in our city are being battered - although we don't have any cases yet.

So that's nice. I'll only be in to deal with behaviour or covid suspects I assume. I'm so glad that during my management time this week I did no management, and instead just sorted out stuff for my class. Going to focus on my kids.

Wow-that’s quite a list! Whereabouts roughly are you? North/midlands/south?

M4 corridor

Oh God I'm going to get eaten alive!

Pulling children out of school... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4077664-pulling-children-out-of-school

I'm amazed you've been allowed to use the staffroom at all! Ours has been out of bounds since June. I only ever see the teacher I share an office with now (luckily office is long and thin so we are two metres apart). It's a good job we get on!

We have a massive staff room, open windows on all sides, but 6 people only in at once.

Our Staffroom has been closed since Lockdown. Not that I’d have time to use it with all my duties!