The Thirty-Second Republic - Christmas count down - end of term in sight

[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

Thank you

Oh yeah, seen it now. Teaching second ....

None of you are properly in the north. You're just in the northerly part of the south
I'm north of almost all of you, yet I live in the central belt.

Pretty much everything is north from here.

True @Mistressiggi
I moved down here for uni 37 years ago. I remember someone saying to me the day before I left, ooh, that’s a long way south ( not really tbh, about 90 miles)

I’m London which is obviously the centre of the universe so you’re all north or south or east of west 🤣

We are closing to students next Friday. Letter says something along lines of as directed by LA however lots of other schools aren’t so that will go down well with parents....

mistress iggi I think you are one of only a few who are more Northern than I am. I live about 10 miles South of the border. It's far quicker to get to Glasgow or Edinburgh than it is to get to Manchester from here. We seem to be too far North to even count as the North West, which most people think of as Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, etc. It's a good 2 hour drive South for me to get to any of those.

I'm hacked off today about parents complaining about petty, minor things. Mostly because they don't like the grade on their child's report, but can't complain about the actual teaching because that's pretty good (this is the class I share with the teacher who is generally regarded as little short of godlike by SLT and parents alike). The pettiness annoys me immensely!!

My child's HT has sent a brilliant letter which I would love to share but it would out me. It explains in a professional (yet disparaging) tone exactly why he won't be having an inset day.

My school have said nothing. I'm not sure if this is good or bad.

@Hercwasonaroll

My child's HT has sent a brilliant letter which I would love to share but it would out me. It explains in a professional (yet disparaging) tone exactly why he won't be having an inset day.

My school have said nothing. I'm not sure if this is good or bad.

My DC’s HT has, as well-it was beautifully put!

Dd's school are still open next Friday, as is mine. Dd's school have sent a letter to parents letting us all know exactly when the children are expected to be in school. My school have not, yet. I'm sure it's coming.

Meanwhile, as the whole country recognises that covid is spreading rapidly in schools, my head is still obsessing about uniform. Coats are not to be worn in classrooms, ties need to be regulation length, shirts need to be tucked in, etc. The children are cold, but that is far less important than maintaining uniform standards. Oh, and windows are only required to be ajar, rather than fully open .

My HT sent a poorly punctuated and largely illiterate letter saying we're in til lunchtime on Friday. I'm not sure I won't be isolating because I'm in danger of catching stupid before then.

Ajar and fully open are actually the same thing in my school .

Well yes dangling I imagine that's the case in a lot of classrooms around the country. My classroom windows don't have an "ajar" setting, they are open or they are closed. Open is about 15 cm, and I have 5 windows that open, so it can get quite chilly in my room.

Wow! I wish mine opened that far. 4-5 cams I think

Ive added up dc inset days and realised they arent using on at end of summer term. Crap. Means they will miss last 3 days due to holiday booked (rearranged from this year.
Oh well.

I am constantly opening (as far as they will anyway, which isn't much) windows when I enter each classroom. The pupils then complain "but weve been told we don't need windows open if the (internal) door is open!" Which they have been told TBF, but I still think it is bullshit. How can that increase ventilation?!

And on another topic, @noblegiraffe I don't suppose you could link or bump that thread with my list of evidence supporting the hypothesis that the government wants Covid to spread in schools? I can't find it and think it would be interesting to have another look after tonight's admission!

NOW it's going mental on social media this evening as a few schools have put posts out that they have been alerted that ALL of this county's primaries are shutting on Wednesday. We've heard nothing. At all. If it is true, then again it's announcing things very last minute when it could have been done much earlier. Poor headteachers mopping up complaints again and again.

Some are saying they are fully closed. Others are saying that they are open for kids where both parents are key workers. Seems like overkill for just 2 days.

I think it's sensible if the new advice for Wales is ten days, but if we're in for key worker kids then we're still potentially (as are the kids) in a position where they may have to isolate in the holidays so I'm not sure of the point.

Parental reaction from one on fb
... it’s the most magical time of year in school for the little ones and they’ve missed enough already.

Because we save all the magical Christmassy stuff to the very last day or two.

And the magical Christmassy stuff couldn’t possibly be shifted forwards a couple of days.

Why www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4086336-The-government-is-encouraging-covid-spread-in-schools

Thanks. I think I'll give it a little bump

Well, isn’t tonight proving interesting! I wouldn’t possibly comment on anything in particular but there are echoes of the familiar about some things...

Regarding the geography of staffroom occupants, I'm just going to assume you're all upcountry (I'm in Cornwall).

Whatever, it sounds like we're stuffed for the prospect of any potential meet-up one day!!

Ah shucks! Zoom is our friend though.

Guy from Barking council on R4 tonight said also all teachers are going to be offered two tests, one to be done in the holidays.