The Thirty-seventh Republic - Mass testing rolls on - school staff remain expendable

[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

@DecemberStar
So it's going to lead to more spread both within and outside school.

Yup, exactly. The Government are claiming that this will cut down on transmissions in school but it will do the opposite.

Anna tests positive and isolates. Her close contacts are identified but they all remain in school for testing instead. Two of them - Benny and Katherine - have coronavirus but they won't test positive for several days. In fact, Benny won't test positive at all.

Currently, this isn't a major problem. They would isolate and not pass it on.

From January, both students remain in class with everyone else. Katherine infects two others before she gets her positive result and isolates. Benny never tests positive so infects another three or four people.

The transmission chains are going to be huge.

I would love to invite Skorpio the Nemesis to Cumbria.
I'm not thinking about next week. I'm planning a fantasy literature festival.

We (in Scotland) managed a strike ballot a few years ago now over pay, we reached the threshold but a strike was averted by a new offer.
It's not impossible, though it is difficult.

@Iamnotthe1 exactly. What I don't get is why the scientists/medics/Whitty et al haven't made this point to them... I guess they probably have..

Ok Let's add our own lit fest to our "jollies when all this is over" list.

For the children's tent, I could possibly swing Jim Kay (illustrator)
images.app.goo.gl/8Ks1NFKVw86g8SdF7

and would advise against Chris Riddell, Jacqueline Wilson (altho obvs she sells tickets) and Linda Newbury (if you haven't heard of her, keep it that way).

@HarrietDVane DH and I both did the last series of strikes... think they were about 7/8 years ago, can't remember what it was about though. We would definitely go out if ballotted this time, for however long it took.

Also though I am not, the close contacts may well take Covid home to vulnerable family members, who will believe that their child is not carrying it and therefore take zilch extra precautions.

[quote Monkeytennis97]@Iamnotthe1 exactly. What I don't get is why the scientists/medics/Whitty et al haven't made this point to them... I guess they probably have..[/quote]
I'd imagine they have. However, it was probably drowned out by the "We need to get attendance figures up" calls from the DfE and Gav. After all, they were starting to get panned on the number of children not in the classroom.

Big solidarity to everyone today. I was in a queue for the local tip when the shag marry kill conversation came up, and I'm still flabbergasted that so many of you would shag Gav not envy. I think I'd rather chew off my right arm! The conversation was very entertaining though and after queuing for an hour, I got in by the skin of my teeth, they closed the gates after the car behind me, so at least my house is marginally tidier.

No word from our HT yet. I'm still assuming that we won't need to set the testing up as staff, and that we'll be teaching the full timetable. There is a shadenfreudy part of me that would like to see the KW/vulnerable children only taught in school so that those parents on here who are faux-concerned about them when it suits them, lose their shit at the perception that they are being given an advantage.... but in reality I want to do the best for all of the children.

Not venturing onto the main boards. Anticipating March-level teacher-hating in the next few weeks.

monkey I did the last strikes too, was it pension related? I can't remember either.

I'd strike now. The workload is ridiculous. It's looking likely we'll be 2 FT members of the dept down for January on top of everything else.

@DecemberStar

Ok Let's add our own lit fest to our "jollies when all this is over" list.

For the children's tent, I could possibly swing Jim Kay (illustrator)
images.app.goo.gl/8Ks1NFKVw86g8SdF7

and would advise against Chris Riddell, Jacqueline Wilson (altho obvs she sells tickets) and Linda Newbury (if you haven't heard of her, keep it that way).

Why would you advise against Jacqueline Wilson, DecemberStar? I love her books!

He unfortunately died. There was a poetry slamm in his honour.

I've also had - even further back- Brian Patten and he was wonderful. He doesn't do visits now though as he's retired. I always think poets are more accessible really in a school setting and much more accustomed to performance. I'd adore Rosen but i've never been able to get him.

@DecemberStar

Also though I am not, the close contacts may well take Covid home to vulnerable family members, who will believe that their child is not carrying it and therefore take zilch extra precautions.

The children will also be out in the community on buses and trains, in supermarkets and shops and attending youth groups which are also still being allowed to open in tier 3.

In fact, the same is true for staff as well.

What I will find really difficult is teaching KW kids in the room and teaching the others online. I kind of hope we end up with so few KW they can be supervised by a TA or cover while they participate in the lessons on teams. I know that's selfish but having them in the room without a device will be hard work. Especially if I'm using something like desmos.

@Monkeytennis97
I remember the strikes, and supported them at the time, but I can’t remember what they were about. It was just before I retrained.

I will have no hesitation in striking over this. They are knowingly risking our health, and for some that means a risk to life. That’s not acceptable. This is a job. It’s not even a fantastically well paid job. We don’t get paid danger money. We didn’t sign up to take these risks.

I think I already said it on the last thread but I would totally strike over lateral-flow instead of isolation as an unsafe workplace issue.

Without that schools would close themselves by the end of Jan I reckon, still might.

I've not seen Rosen with kids but I've loved him when I've met him.
I actually really liked Chris Riddell, and also Phillip Pullman.
Can we also please have David Crystal and his son? The first time I met DC, I was rather caught in the hop and said "you're David Crystal". He said "I know".
The shame

I would strike over this stuff too. I joined the NUT because they were a striking union.

Rosen lovers, the R4 programme he did this morning about his hospitalisation and recovery from covid is fab. Had a similar experience with a family member in an induced coma for many weeks (non covid related) and it was so accurate.

I'd strike without a ballot!

Judging by the amount of families planning nye parties on my fb it won't be long until.we shut anyway.

Oh I’ve seen Michael Rosen perform with my kids at a literature festival. He was utterly, utterly hilarious. The kids loved him too they got signed books and their photo taken with him.

He was such a performer, I wonder if he will be well enough to go back on stage.

@DreamingofBrie oh it's not about her books. I just found her quite boring when I took DD to hear her speak. Well I mean she did a good job with the hundreds of 7-11 year old girls there, but when asked something by a student writer, she had nothing to say. I was not keen.

Chris Riddell was fascinating to watch draw but seemed to have quite a large sense of his own importance. Quite. Large.

David Crystal?

He's a brilliant linguist. I have an intellectual crush on him and on Geoff Barton

It’s just occurred to me that I’m pregnant. Well, not just occurred to me, but it’s IVF so I try not to think about the P word until a successful 12 week scan.

Am I supposed to be doing anything different in school? Genuine question...