The Thirtieth Republic ( 30! who would have thought) - Is it too soon to book a staff Xmas party?

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

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

On reflection, I think I'd rather "officially" stay open, but let anyone who wants to remove their kids. Then we have lower numbers, can do some nice Christmas stuff, but don't then get landed with extra days later in the year.

Yup-I agree. I would rather stay open, do what we normally do but allow parents to take their kids out-fine free- from the 11th.

I'd still rather my solution. Or just 5 days off and not added on later... or to go to bed and wake up in July to find this is all over. Any of those would work for me.

Thanks @Augustbreeze.

Piggy - show home alone the week before, set tasks to do remotely based on the film in the week before Xmas. Job's a good'un

Or just 5 days off and not added on later

Yep-I’d go for that, too!

I don't want the days later on in the year!
Government won't shut them officially, I think plenty of parents will withdraw to isolate, however many won't bother because they aren't following any of the other rules.

I don't really know what the best answer is.

Surely it’s Muppets Christmas Carol for the English department.

I can set a Christmas ten ticks calculated colouring worksheet just as effectively from home as from school.

We need to wait and see what BJ announced rre ally.... apparently the Telegraph is reporting a free pass for a whole week (8 days maybe) 21-28th Dec. Ridiculous.

Because Rishi wants to help the economy.

*announces really

Can you imagine going back to work with children whose families have had a free pass the week before?

And yet that "free pass" still doesn't allow me to see my vulnerable family, as I won't risk it within 2 weeks of working in a school. So the free pass will end and lockdown restrictions will be back before we've been safe enough to see them ☹️ So then I'll be a rule breaker because I WILL still visit them, even though all the people "sticking to the rules" will have been out and about freely over the time I'll be staying in/only going on outside walks.

That's the frustration, there is not physically enough time to isolate and see family.

The absolute devil part of me is tempted to phone in with symptoms on the 11th.... (I wouldn't actually do this).

I'd like to see that head teacher do the triple teaching for a week. They come in, do one lesson, then say tadaaaaa. No, day after day please.

I've just found out that my dad's wife is seriously ill in hospital (not with Covid) He's a broken man and all I want to do is go and give him a hug. It's not the 4 hour drive stopping me; it's knowing that I've been exposed to hundreds of potential disease vectors. I'm not worried about me, but I am worried about him.

Oh MrsH that's awful. I hope she makes a full and rapid recovery. I understand exactly what you mean about not going because you're a risk to him. It must be so hard for all of you.

I feel daft because I really dislike the woman... but he obviously sees something in her that I don't!!!
He said he's worried he'll never see her again. She's apparently "comfortable" (whatever that means) but he doesn't seem to be able to find out more than that.
It's shit.

Oh god MrsHamlet that’s awful.

I’m so angry with the government allowing schools to be so unsafe that we’re put in positions like this.

@MrsHerculePoirot, so sorry to hear about your mum. I hope she is ok. My mum had a mastectomy in late August. I've seen her once since, the weekend before we started school in September, and only kept in touch with my parents over the phone and Zoom since. That's probably the hardest thing about all of this, wanting to see them but not wanting to put them in danger.

Hope everyone is ok today. I've started writing my 6th form reports, accompanied by the soundtrack to Les Mis. I miss going to the theatre!

Oh MrsH how awful.

Young colleague with kids in hospital last week with corona. Luckily they're OK but school staff shaken by how it's affected them.

Our HT is struggling. I don't know what/how to help. They get crap from all corners and have to carry the weight of it all the time. It all feels such a fine balance that is tipping towards disaster.

I've taken to leaving bars of chocolate on the head's desk from time to time. He can be an absolute arse... but he's doing his best.
He accused me of trying to make him fat on Friday, so I offered to help him eat it :)

Heard from a member of staff who is also a parent that there’s loads and loads of shitty comments being made on Facebook about how my school is handling things.

They can fucking come in and give it a go if they think they can do better when actually hands are completely tied.

The local health bods making totally shitty decisions means the head is being inundated with crap blaming the school.

Thanks @DreamingofBrie, we live right round the corner, so got a couple of garden meets in before lockdown, Its tough, as normal times in this situation I'd see them all the time. Had a cup of tea with her over facetime yesterday which was lovely though. Hope your mum has recovered well x

@MrsHamlet so tough. I know what you mean about just wanting to be there for him, but can't be.

@noblegiraffe

Heard from a member of staff who is also a parent that there’s loads and loads of shitty comments being made on Facebook about how my school is handling things.

They can fucking come in and give it a go if they think they can do better when actually hands are completely tied.

The local health bods making totally shitty decisions means the head is being inundated with crap blaming the school.

About anything in particular or just general shit commments? I try to remember (but obviously don't actually) that you tend to only get the really vocal parents who have strong feelings about something post in those scenarios. You don't tend to get those that think we're doing ok in a difficult situation posting generally.

Totally agree about them coming to have a go though...

We had a couple of parents slating the school on Facebook. Moaning that we weren't taking enough measures to prevent spread of infection in school, etc. Ironically, their child is one of the spitter/cougher/tissue thrower brigade. One of the best things we could do to decrease risk is to remove him!

We're getting parents phone in daily to complain about their kids being at home/not at home /not distancing on the road outside school/not getting set work/getting too much work. You can't please everyone as my gran used to say!

Haven't dared look at Facebook!