The Thirty-Fifth Republic - Covid - the gift that keeps on giving even during the Christmas 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

When my dad found out I was going to be a union rep, he said he'd buy me a donkey jacket. I really hope there's one in my present pile. I'll buy my own brazier for the picket line.

Thank you for the new thread.

I'm avoiding the news and I'm actually surprisingly relaxed. I may be a hermit by the time this is all done.

Riga I agree your sister should have her Xmas day when they are out of isolation.

Thanks for the new thread.

@RigaBalsam your poor sister It's truly awful!

I didn't watch the briefing but got the jist from bbc news site. It's unbelievable that they are ploughing on with the testing idea for schools! It really does seem like everything else has to be 'covid safe' but schools pretty much have to crack on as normal.

Thanks for new thread.

Just marking place. Thanks for the new thread.

Two more cases at DS's sixth form. That's 14 since Friday.

I am imagining what ti would be like rounding up all these contacts and testing them every day....and then contacts of contacts if any tested positive.

Thanks for the new thread. I'm just checking in.

I've been ignoring the news, I don't think I can take any more of it. I still haven't done any work or housework, just wrapped presents and made Christmas crafts with dd2. I've had a very chilled few days. Although I have a massive headache, and was coughing yesterday, so had a test this afternoon. It feels like a normal end of term cold, with a hormonal migraine thrown in for good measure. So hopefully it'll come back negative.

Have gone from being angry to sobbing. This year is shit.

@Piggyinblankets

I am imagining what ti would be like rounding up all these contacts and testing them every day....and then contacts of contacts if any tested positive.

Chaos, I reckon within a couple of weeks we'd need to do 400 tests a day. Across the country I think there were about 700,000 contacts isolating by the end of term. If each if those needed to be tested daily, the tests would rapidly run out. Which I guess would put an end to this ridiculous experiment...

They are barely making any dents in testing those poor lorry drivers. We have no hope.

So from the tes article, it sounds likely all students will be back in secondary on 18th Jan at the very earliest. Case numbers, deaths and hospitalisation rates are not going to go down.

OK they may do a bit, due to school holidays, but that won't show in cases for at least a week and in admissions and deaths for longer.

Deaths will top 1000 soon.

It's amazing how they can take a reasonable idea (more testing to find asymptomatic cases) and turn it into a shite one (testing instead of isolating). Arseholes.

Eitak22 sometimes you need to let the rage and the sadness all out for a bit

I feel stressed. No more news for me. I got my hopes up that it at least seemed that secondary would be closing and at least my kids would be safe. But no. Bloody madness.

Thanks all. You really are all an unknown gem.

I don't know any of you in real life but you are all so kind. Means more than you will know and I am sure many others will agree.

Thanks all for the support.

This year is indeed shit.
I want to get absolutely pissed, but have small children to look after.
I actually have started self harming again for the first time in about 12 years

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

They are barely making any dents in testing those poor lorry drivers. We have no hope.

And they have the army and the police on hand and aren’t trying to do their normal job at the same time!

Riga - sorry there's me having a whinge, and your poor sister

@GleamingBaubles

This year is indeed shit. I want to get absolutely pissed, but have small children to look after. I actually have started self harming again for the first time in about 12 years

Oh my goodness. I hope you are able to stop.

Oh jeez GleamingBaubles. Anything we can do to support you? You have such wonderful qualities about you, do remember that.

@GleamingBaubles

This year is indeed shit. I want to get absolutely pissed, but have small children to look after. I actually have started self harming again for the first time in about 12 years

Oh no-you must take care-is there anyone you can talk to? Sending hugs xx

@GleamingBaubles

Riga - sorry there's me having a whinge, and your poor sister

Whinge away! It is all so crap. We all deserve a whinge.