The Thirty-Fourth Republic - Time to recharge our batteries and make the best of our festive break

[SantaAssociationRepresentitve]

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

[quote Hercwasonasnowball]@Useruseruserusee

That's a really difficult situation.

In your situation is be upset and probably take it personally.

Try and remember your colleague isn't doing it to spite you. The really kind part of me may think she has a different reason she is unwilling to share (past trauma or medical anxiety?) so is brushing it off with that excuse.[/quote]
I know, I am aware that I am taking it personally because my only thought is for my own situation. It just feels personal as we have worked together for a long time and she is aware of the medical background - NICU, surgeries, hospitalisations.

But you are right there may be a different reason she would like to keep private. I know I need to stop thinking about it and just be extra cautious with masks and distancing. Luckily we do not work in the same classroom.

Plastic

Thanks Neuro. He has a rare abnormality of a few organ systems and is highly vulnerable to respiratory infection. Even a cold is bad news. We were just getting over the worst and looking forward to a more normal life when Covid hit!

I've really got the heeby jeebies about this new strain. January is going to be frightening.

user

Weekly testing only provides reassurance that someone is not at that moment infected. Presumably, she could pick up the virus 10 mins after testing and become infectious - although obviously it’s a good idea because it will pick up some asymptomatic cases.

Maybe see her resistance to it as a heads up - you just have to keep yourself safe around her.

user I didn't mean that to sound heartless or that you were over reacting. I absolutely don't think you are. I'd be deeply upset too, especially as she is aware of your history.

It would probably slightly affect how I thought of that colleague too.

Like you say, you can do your best to stay safe and away from her.

I hope your ds gets the vaccine soon. I'd vaccinate ECV kids over the elderly (don't tell the corona queens).

Really can’t believe some of you are working into next week.

Had the worst news , my friends dad has died. He has been in icu for almost three weeks with covid. Early 60’s. No underlying health conditions. It’s been cruel beyond belief his final days.

Wait. Wait. It doesn't spread in schools!
Don't the children don't catch or spread it crowd feel stupid??

inews.co.uk/news/politics/government-looks-at-vaccinating-secondary-school-pupils-to-control-covid-spread-802282

Just seen that news starry. Grim

Bless you plastic - I hope the fortnight break is enough to build you back up again and well done for keeping going. I keep having to almost pinch myself because I'm stunned that I'm coping but as you say that can change quickly - hard not to live with a bit of that fear when you have mental health issues that can flare up.

user - that must be really stressful for you being a teacher and have a vulnerable child at home.

I don't know what to think about this 'new' strain. I certainly don't believe they only found out about it a few days ago and a part of me is quite cynical about the potential reason for talking about it right now (ie. being able to blame all your fuck ups on a 'rapidly changing situation'). Hopefully we'll know more about it soon and we might get a bit of responsive action rather than reactive too late sagas as usual.

Teachers and other school staff are not experiencing higher rates of infection than other professions and key workers, Sage concluded

Which data is this conclusion based on?

Ah yes, but piggy, they're saying that they're at risk of spreading the new strain. We were clearly wrong about/dramatising our concerns about the old one.

Gosh.

Piggy

Interesting thread about where people think they contracted covid on main board (hope this is allowed)

Yes this new strain does seem rather convenient in terms of govt hiding its ineptitude. However the scientists do appear to agree that it's only in the last couple of days they concluded that it was a definite new strain and that is was causing all of these problems. So 🤷🏻‍♀️

Someone on the Data thread noticed the surge in Kent cases weeks ago though.

The data is based on the derided ONS stuff I assume. A more recent study showed slightly elevated cases in secondary teachers but was tiny so no use.

Just had a call from HT. Child in my class has tested positive, so I now have to isolate

Haven’t caught up with the thread this afternoon so will go and have a read now.

And presumably Greenwich Council (not too far from Kent) noticed a massive upsurge in cases in their schools, but got publicly bollocked and threatened with the High Court to force them to overturn their attempt to keep children and the community safe.
Until 2 days later, when the government "suddenly" realised there was an issue and closed schools themselves. And now we're all expected to lose our Christmasses/seeing family when only 2 days ago it was perfectly fine and safe to be in school with hundreds of people.

Oh, Harriet, nooooooo!

Bugger harriet - sorry to hear that.

I've long been of the view that friends are the ones who prop you up when you're not strong enough to go it alone. Time and again the republic does that. So thank you staff for opening the door and providing chairs from a skip for us to rest on.

Oh no Harriet!

That's a bastard @HarrietDVane.

The Guardian is saying the govt knew about the new strain in September.

Oh no Harriet. That's completely shit timing. When will you be allowed out again?

@Useruseruserusee

Thanks Neuro. He has a rare abnormality of a few organ systems and is highly vulnerable to respiratory infection. Even a cold is bad news. We were just getting over the worst and looking forward to a more normal life when Covid hit!

Ah that's so tough you must have been under immense pressure this year.

The Guardian is saying the govt knew about the new strain in September.

There's lots of new strains; this one has had a major unusual change to lots of its spikes and has suddenly taken off.

I've got the heebi jeepies too; Im wondering if it's now more able to transmit among kids hence the knee jerk reactions re school testing.

There's a knowledgeable poster explaining it on another thread; reading between the lines that's what I'm picking up. It could just be more contagious across all ages; but not all ages are crammed 30 deep into a room for the day, 5 days a week.