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

I’ve just had a depressing thought that if anyone in your ‘bubble’ tests positive in the last week of term, that’s the whole Christmas period stuck in isolation. I think that might finish me off completely

I hope that this has been pointed out to the government because it is obvious that in that scenario many people will not stay at home.

It’s less of a worry for me in secondary because I could probably lick a positive child and still not be considered a close contact as it must have happened from 2m away as that’s the expectation. It is a worry for my kids though.

Thanks for the welcomes. @noblegiraffe, I couldn’t hold it any more. It is best if I vent here rather than in real life as I think everyone is getting sick of me. Plus those of us in schools know you are speaking sense! Well done @monkeytennis97, you must have amazing willpower.

I liked the Holidate romcom film on netflix.

Anyone else increasingly feeling that children catching covid in school is being blamed on teachers (or will do as lockdown continues)?

My friend got told by her HT that if any staff catch it, its their fault for not staying 2m away from children or each other. Said to all staff in a briefing - this is what we're up against isn't it?

"My friend got told by her HT that if any staff catch it, its their fault for not staying 2m away from children"
So, how do they propose 1:1s work? Are we not to hear readers? Apply first aid?

Can anyone recommend any feel good movies to watch on Netflix or Amazon prime? Preferably as super girly as possible. Wife is feeling imprisoned so trying to keep her busy but it's not really my thing so don't know what to pick.

Not sure what you mean by super girly, but Hidden Numbers has three female leads and is excellent!

Ah yes eitak, the magic 2m wall that protects everyone from infection. Except it doesn't.
I would be making a complaint about any HT who said that. totally unreasonable.

Can anyone recommend any feel good movies to watch on Netflix or Amazon prime? Preferably as super girly as possible.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is my all-time favourite girly film.

I physically can't be 2m from my pupils - for the ones who have hearing aids or cochlear implants, these things don't really work from me than 2m away. Even without hearing problems, @eitak22 - your friend's HT is an idiot.

Thanks for the recommendations Dr and dream, will check them out, don't like to read the blurb when choosing as it spoils the story.

Pitch Perfect is a great girly film on Netflix.

The Crown for me today

@Appuskidu

I’ve just had a depressing thought that if anyone in your ‘bubble’ tests positive in the last week of term, that’s the whole Christmas period stuck in isolation. I think that might finish me off completely

I think that’s the reason the government at home are getting the U.K. students back by 6th Dec. There’s a mandatory 14 day isolation when they get back so they should be out of it a few days before Xmas. And fingers crossed they won’t have broken isolation & infected anyone else.

I’m saving the Crown for Christmas!

Emily in Paris was lots of fun. I love all the Christmas movies too. The cheesier the better. Watched Crazy Rich Asians last night on Amazon Prime, was good thinkless viewing.

I can't find hidden numbers on Netflix or prime. There's something called hidden figures available to rent but not free on prime.

I'm going to say Outlander but there's a lot of straight sex if you find that icky.

Just seen there are new episodes of the crown so that's my day sorted.

I like This is Us on prime

I'm so unmotivated today. No urgent school work to do but my house is a serious shit tip and I can bring myself to sort it out

@noblegiraffe

I hope that this has been pointed out to the government because it is obvious that in that scenario many people will not stay at home.

It’s less of a worry for me in secondary because I could probably lick a positive child and still not be considered a close contact as it must have happened from 2m away as that’s the expectation. It is a worry for my kids though.

🤣 If I’d been drinking tea I’d have been covered in it. That’s exactly like at our place.

Our SLT keep parroting on that all the cases we’ve had have been community transmission. It’s like they’re brainwashed by government messaging.

@CallmeAngelina She's secondary but i didn't think to ask about TAs. I'm a class TA and can't really distance in primary at all (well unless i let children beat each other up...). We both agree her head is an idiot but she also told me her HT said similar to mine in regards to what PHE is saying about teachers living with people waiting tests (that we dont have to self isolate - utter crap).

Our head seems to have similar thoughts to us. She was shocked that year 12 could still come in despite being in a bubble with shared facilities with year 13 which has had an outbreak.

I'm repeating myself but our risk assessments are based on bubbles bursting not close contacts in classrooms. If bubbles aren't going to burst then the risk assessment and procedures need to be written from scratch.

Hidden Figures is a great film.

I woke up at 11.05 this morning.

We just discussed the Christmas isolation issue, and boyfriend said that if I have to isolate, he and child would still go away with his parents as planned. Payback would be me taking a week away on my own in the summer. There's a tricky would you rather....

We are planning on staying put over Christmas anyway, but I wouldn't be isolating from my husband in the house over Christmas. We have lots of nice plans for walks that would have to go if I was told to isolate, but I have a nintendo switch and we have Disney+ so I'd stay at home and it'd be okay, but not shut away on my own (I'd worry about my husband's mental health if I had to do that, I guess I could hide everything dangerous, but it'd easier to just spend time with him and I can't exactly expect him to cook for himself if I've removed the knives and scissors). It isn't actually possible to isolate properly in my house anyway as we only have one bathroom.

Honey, I've been thinking about the bubbles issue. I suppose they are still stopping spread into other years, so protective in that sense?

Although, does anyone know of a school which has had multiple cases confined to one or two year groups? I think it's difficult to measure when there's higher levels of community transmission into schools as well as within schools.

Of course, there's transport, wraparound care, siblings as well.

That sounds difficult @Flagsfiend.

I'd like to know what proportion of people do have more than one bathroom. I mean I know newer houses tend to have at least two, but surely many many families still only have one bathroom, especially at lower income levels of course?

Another example of guidance written by people who seem to have very limited life experience.

@augustbreeze he's mostly safe, but I do have to keep an eye on him. I haven't resorted to hiding things for a few years (a particularly bad phase where he was off work ill but I was out all day at work), and he normally admits straightaway if he has been self-harming. But I think time together does help and I can't make a judgement on his state of mind if I'm not talking to him whilst being able to see him.

I can't find hidden numbers on Netflix or prime. There's something called hidden figures available to rent but not free on prime.

Hidden Figures, sorry blush.