The Thirty-eight republic - Covid Carnage - Schools still waiting for test kits

[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

Has anyone else done SFA in preparation for this term? Twitter is full of smuggy mc smuggersons whereas I've done nothing because I literally don't know the plan. Monday is inset for planning but I feel a bit unprepared. A bit like that first day of your NQT year.

@phlebasconsidered I would argue that your MAT is in breach of contract. If you're in a position to, I'd walk.

I would love to support the NEU action. However we are in a contingency framework area so my primary is already closed to all but KW/vulnerable.

We are at approx 40% of teaching staff positive. No cases at all until the last week of term and then the new variant floored us in a matter of days.

We've had over half our staff respond to NEU rep saying section 44, others have done the same direct to the Head apparently. I guess we don't have enough staff to open safely on Tuesday anyway.

Interesting times.

You..you know it’s me, right?

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

Has anyone else done SFA in preparation for this term? Twitter is full of smuggy mc smuggersons whereas I've done nothing because I literally don't know the plan. Monday is inset for planning but I feel a bit unprepared. A bit like that first day of your NQT year.

Nothing but I am generally King of the wing.

Herc I’m team SFA

I’m not planning to then have to replan.

King of the wing I love this! It's so not me but it's my January mantra.

We are at approx 40% of teaching staff positive. No cases at all until the last week of term and then the new variant floored us in a matter of days.

Good grief - that is scary

Has to be with the way this term has gone and is going.

[quote chocolateisavegetable]@Iamnotthe1 - Primary
@JanuaryChill - delurker. I'll fax you my ID badge [/quote]
Then I would suggest that the decision isn't his or hers. It will depend on how many members of staff quite rightly assert their rights under Section 44. If the head doesn't have the staff to open face-to-face then he/she can't.

@phlebasconsidered

I wish i could share what my trust just sent me. We are basically last . Here's a sentence- it might get me into trouble but ffs! How is this right! I have changed the wording slightly to protect myself.

Our priority as is to keep all of our schools open for all of our children for as long as possible. When it is no longer possible to do this because we do not have enough staff healthy and available to run a school safely, then we will close some or all of that school.

So basically - get ill and then we will close.

That's really bad. I'd invoke section 44 based on that alone.

Reminds me of a awful school I worked at that would say similar things to put us in our place

@chocolateisavegetable

We are at approx 40% of teaching staff positive. No cases at all until the last week of term and then the new variant floored us in a matter of days.

Good grief - that is scary

I know. Both where I live and where I teach are areas well over 1000 per 100,000 cases though. I have been a recluse for two weeks and not really looking forward to venturing back out!

Luckily the LA has organised weekly testing for all staff in all settings so I have the reassurance that all the adults in next week will be Covid negative.

@JanuaryChill

And what the heck is craquelin (sp??)

Sugar and butter and flour. It makes the crunchy topping and helps them puff up. Apparently.

Herc if it's any consolation I don't work in the holidays, certainly wouldn't this holiday I've been asleep for most of it.
I have a new (2nd hand) laptop winging its way to me so I'd better be working from home next week!

Planning is what you do as you walk in the door, right?
don't tell the staff... I'm sort of in charge of that sort of thing

Also U4T lurkers can keep their hands off our buns.

Oh my god, @Useruseruserusee, over 1,000 per 100k?! That's double my rate. Stay safe, please as safe as you can with this government shit show

This was on Twitter 2 hours ago from the DfE, they're sticking to their story so far...

twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/1345446024878444545?s=20

@chocolateisavegetable That's very sobering. We've been very lucky so far, staff-wise, but I think when it comes, it will hit us like a train.

@phlebasconsidered
That awful email would help me screw my courage to the sticking post and commit to staying away.

@SansaSnark that's helpful but I hope they've checked that's legally allowed....

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation was meaning to say, I like your name change.

New strain means virus is now officially "out of control":
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/02/full-scale-covid-pandemic-unknown-data-suggests-one-four-tests/?li_source=LI

I'll stick my neck out: am laying (virtual!) money on Boris announcing tomorrow that we're all going into lockdown INCLUDING SCHOOLS CLOSING FOR LONGER THAN TWO WEEKS.

@KatherineOfGaunt

Oh my god, *@Useruseruserusee*, over 1,000 per 100k?! That's double my rate. Stay safe, please as safe as you can with this government shit show

Thanks @KatherineOfGaunt, we have a vulnerable three year old in the house so we have been extremely cautious all along. People here are scared at the moment with the situation in our local hospitals and schools are closed. Hopefully things will start to improve before too long.

Nah, @JanuaryChill, I reckon they'll let kids go back for a couple of weeks before they change their minds.

@MrsHamlet

Planning is what you do as you walk in the door, right? don't tell the staff... I'm sort of in charge of that sort of thing

Also U4T lurkers can keep their hands off our buns.

I've the most complex little unique bunch in one class this year; I make plan 1, rethink it a couple of times over the next few days, Scribble a different plan on the morning, pop my head in for 5 mins (I'm ppa) run several new ideas past the TAs and then throw the whole lot out and think if something on the spot 15 mins before the lesson, after another look at how they are. It's literally the only thing that works.

So much depends on how calm a few individuals are. But I have to go through that frustrating process! (Probably to justify what we end up doing to myself as it's rarely the med term plan.)

@phlebasconsidered

I wish i could share what my trust just sent me. We are basically last . Here's a sentence- it might get me into trouble but ffs! How is this right! I have changed the wording slightly to protect myself.

Our priority as is to keep all of our schools open for all of our children for as long as possible. When it is no longer possible to do this because we do not have enough staff healthy and available to run a school safely, then we will close some or all of that school.

So basically - get ill and then we will close.

I haven't read the next bit of the thread (STL catching up, as I've been busy with the kids all day) - but - WHAT THE HELL? I'm FURIOUS on your behalf!

I hope they've taken out bloody good legal advice because they have basically admitted that they know there is a health and welfare risk, and that they don't care. So - personal liability...