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

@MadameMinimes

There are no fines for sixth form absences, no EWO involvement and off-rolling persistent absentees is illegal in a school that has students of compulsory school age. It would be an illegal exclusion to attempt to throw someone out on the basis of attendance. I’m a Head of Sixth Form.

That’s really reassuring, thank you.

As head of sixth form, what would you advise I do-what would be most helpful to the school?

It’s hard to know how the school will react. If a parent called me and explained their situation then I’d be happy to authorise the absence.

It may just be easier to contact them and say that you’ve been in close contact with someone who has tested positive and have to isolate. It will take you through until the end of term and I would personally not ask too many questions. Some of our students have had to isolate for similar reasons and we don’t dig. If a parent says “unfortunately, X has been in close contact with a positive case and has to isolate until Y date” we’d just mark them as X on the register. Sometimes we might ask to find out if this is a relative, or from an extracurricular activity, or from a notification on the app but parents aren’t obligated to give us the full details.

@monkeytennis97 that's lovely I'm so pleased for you. Hopefully, your DS home can keep him off school this week.

I feel productive today. I have finished the last of the Christmas shopping and planned all of my lessons for this week (I teach Y9 and above this year and I have no time spare so it's normal lessons until Fri).

This means that I can do my first week or so planning this week so that I can (hopefully!) have the Christmas holidays off!

Well I’ve just heard a member of my support bubble has symptoms 🤦‍♀️

Have you seen them in the last 2 days, Honey?

I heard back this afternoon about my test yesterday. Negative. Yay!
(Less than 24 hours).

Year 11 at nearest secondary out now. That’s their Christmas isolation sorted

Brilliant, CallMeAngelina! Tests do seem to be coming back quite quickly now.

Good to know tests are coming back quickly! The other member of my household is ill... She doesn't have symptoms but I'm paranoid she's going to develop a temperature.

Test speed does seem good, mine took less than 22 hours to come back.

Yoo hoo!

How do you like my new Christmas moniker?

Just seen this on Twitter. Greenwich councillor is asking all Greenwich schools to close (apart from KW and vulnerable etc) and switch to online learning. I wonder if Gavin or Grant will step in?

www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/news/article/1753/statement_on_school_closures

That’s interesting. Greenwich was 13th highest for cases this week out of 32 boroughs. Interested to see if Havering, Barking and Dagenham etc follow suit.

How are you feeling, FlagsFiend ?

So, I've just double checked the latest 7 day data. Greenwich has HALF the case rate of my city. Now starting to feel a bit failed by our local as well as national govt.

Love the new name ange!

@CallmeAngelGabriel

Yoo hoo!

How do you like my new Christmas moniker?

Love it!

Danglingmod

Crazy isn’t it!? Tomorrow’s going to Ben interesting.

Although I’m also wondering where the hell Danny Thorpe has been for the past few months

@ChloeDecker, There's got to be something you could do with 'Deck the Halls?'

@BreadSaucery

How are you feeling, FlagsFiend ?

I've felt better. Lost sense of smell, think taste is going too. Coughing, tired and have an upset stomach. Don't recommend covid as a life experience...

Sorry to hear that, flags and Honey! H, you'll have to isolate won't you, you saw them last night iirc?

Hmm seasonal NCs:

DecemberBlast?
DecemberChill?
ChristmasStar? (OK that's a stretch)

Just emailed DS's class teacher to say he won't be in as we want to limit his contacts before Christmas as we all need to see each other. Going to distance like a bastard this week from all kids and staff!

Colleagues have said similar, FlagsFiend. They have made good recoveries with plenty of fluids and rest, hope you do too.

I might go full Grinch and be GrowlEveryDay

*GrowlEachDay

Fucksake.