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

Brexit is a bit important at the moment too, however....

Take care @Flagsfiend .

Oh bugger, Flags hope it passes quickly

@Flagsfiend hope you are ok x

Update on the offer of lateral flow tests... they want online teaching for the year group being tested and school staff to do the tests. We've said no.

Reporting from the frontline today : our year 9s are FERAL. All crammed into a small social space (there are 400 of them!) maskless and offering hugs to passing adults and sixth form.

You know it is bad when a sixth former comes into the room and comments. Also, when SLT are out and on show..for one minute, maskless and laughing

@MrsHamlet

Update on the offer of lateral flow tests... they want online teaching for the year group being tested and school staff to do the tests. We've said no.

WHAT???!! School staff to do the tests!! This is appalling.

Thanks all, I don't feel too bad - tired and achy with a cough. Still pottering around the house but with regular rest breaks. I have a long term health condition that makes me tired and achy normally, so I'm used to feeling this way...

Great isn't it, monkey Head just came to talk to me wearing my union hat and I've said I think he's made the right choice. The logistics just don't work

Sorry to hear you're infected, Flags, look after yourself and plan to be out of action for a while.

Hope the other infected teachers are recovering well.

@MrsHamlet

Update on the offer of lateral flow tests... they want online teaching for the year group being tested and school staff to do the tests. We've said no.

Why online teaching? Do they want to artificially lower the infection rate??

@noblegiraffe good point,well made.

I believe it's so that we're still offering teaching to the year group whilst they're coming in to be swabbed. I'd be thrilled to dash from online teaching Macbeth to swabbing Bob and his mates. What's not to like??

Interesting wording from DS’s Headteacher re the closing of 6th form on the 17th Dec. Says specific reference made to Further Education having to end face to face teaching on that day. Rest of the school in on the 18th.
So 6th forms and colleges strongly advised to close early?

Good for your Head, MrsHamlet. I wouldn’t be sticking swabs up the noses of any child apart from my own either.

We are now heading for a dispute with our LA over their refusal to allow us to move online for the 21st and 22nd December. More and more stress.

Have NCd recently for fun.
My bubble has just burst. Am surprised at how upset I am. It's the first time in my school.
Online learning - shit.
The meet up w my mum yesterday - double shit (fortunately we had masks on most of the time).

So it's definitely swabbing not lateral flow mrsH??

So they don't do the testing in school or right nearby, and a form goes at a time like photos, jabs etc? The whole year group closes for the day? WHY?!?

And sorry just to check I've got this right, you're in E London/Essex/Kent?

Sorry I just used the filter to check and now know you're north not London environs mrsH!

I live in an authority in the Midlands offering lateral flow. My school authority isn't.

HT has advised testing where possible for staff.

12/13 gone online only from Monday after a spike in school. This seems to be common with sixth form and college.

Sorry flags! Hope it's mild.

Fuck doing the testing. How insane is that? 2m distance except when sticking swabs down their throats.

Today felt long. So glad to be home

@MrsHamlet

I believe it's so that we're still offering teaching to the year group whilst they're coming in to be swabbed. I'd be thrilled to dash from online teaching Macbeth to swabbing Bob and his mates. What's not to like??

Sounds crazy. Sorru

Hope all the poorly ones get well.soon as well

I'm in Cumbria. Apparently it is the lateral flow test - we'd have to swab the noses but not the throats. They'd not be allowed to come on public transport either which most of ours do. We'd have to close to a year group and they'd come in to be swabbed by whoever had been stupid enough to volunteer a free. And if it was positive we'd have to send them for a real test!

it's such bullshit - again a self selected sample ie. those who take covid seriously and are following guidelines and don't mind their Christmas' being screwed. Hardly representative is it?

And the idea that we're (2m distancing, stay in your tape, it's your fault it's spreading in schools) going to be sticking swabs up children's noses a couple of days before finally having a couple of weeks off presumably only with our self purchased crappy masks for protection.

Honestly you couldn't make this shit up.

Apologies I'm very sweary today. Had a member of slt who never normally shows their face come and interfere with a situation with a student that myself and the ta had been deliberately dealing with in a certain way and had actually finally made headway and there was hope for a positive strategy going forward till they crashed in in their big boy boots on an ego trip. Has somewhat pissed me off.

Honey I think all people need to stay away from me next week... we've got a small group of wannabes on the staff who'd do exactly that and it gives me the rage.