The Fifty-first republic - twice weekly tests and wear masks at all time till Easter

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

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.

Do not give the staffroom password to others 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. Do not sit on the chairs and wear a mask.

She’s not doing a live webchat, the answers aren’t posted tomorrow so she will be getting her department to answer them. They can go and ask people if they don’t know the answers surely.

Yet it will likely still be superficial fudging noble.

Off for my jab this morning and feeling a bit anxious. I'm not antivax but a little vaccine hesitant I guess. I'm desperate to be allowed to travel though which overcomes hesitancy.

Be more Dolly, Honey www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56261397

noble. Thanks

I took the plunge and have filled in an online form to request a GP appointment for a medication review or get signed off or both.
Apparently I will be rung in 2 weeks time

I know everyone has likely seen this but I'd definitely use it with kids if I was English or primary

Mini egg breakfast.. that was me last year before school closure was announced. You know it's really bad when you move on to Jagermeister breakfast.

Still no responses at all on email from colleagues. They are getting on my tits now. SO RUDE.

I'd ask about staff mental health

We've had lots of stuff about staff mental health - external contacts etc. We've also got mental healthy clinics to discuss individual children - mine are a week on Tuesday, so will have had a chance to check out our dudes a bit.

We're just doing hardcore PSHE on relationships and being a good friend for now, I think that's a good place to start. Things will come out of any discussions around that I expect.

Might put the Sherry bottle away.... I'm definitely binge eating which I've never done before.

I know of a pilot project on staff mental health that my friend is doing in her school. Not sure the ins and outs but she said it was really good to be heard and the point was to also then impact cmh too. As good staff mh positively impacts pupils mh. And it wasn't the type of pro mh where party bags are handed out.

It may have been in the pipe line pre cv, I'm not sure.

Good luck honey :)

Thank you.

I used to do some freelance work helping charities make funding applications. I can well imagine how many awards bodies and trusts are 'open' to applications that are targeted around children's mental health in areas of deprivation. Let's hope they choose wisely.

I am 2 stone heavier than this time last year, and gone from having an occasional glass of wine maybe once a fortnight to getting through 2 bottles plus some gin every week.

I'm now back to same weight as I was last Jan. Still fat, but no lockdown impact. Need to keep going though. My not eating sugar has made me feel so much better - a month has been ok. Now doing 5:2 until 12th April. Will investigate outcome of that and see if it's worth doing for longer.

Rule

How strict are you being with sugar? Like, are you still eating fruit? Is it just refined sugar? What about alcohol?

I think sugar makes me feel crappy but I’m not sure...

Vaccination apprehension understandable, Honey. I’m already practicing my I know I’m crying, just ignore me and jab me! speech.

I’ve done a display based on that poem. Love it. Might be time to do another one, I think. We make a massive deal about Reading at my school but it’s mostly about targets and moving up the reading scheme and pinning texts to a board and dissecting them. Nowhere near enough quiet sitting and listening to someone read to you.....feeling sad when the chapter ends on a cliffhanger but it’s hometime and Miss closes the book.....talking about how the story makes you feel without having to write it down.
Public libraries closing, school libraries neglected.

I'm not eating any added sugar - so, no cake, chocolate, jam, sweetened yoghurt etc. I'm eating fruit though. A fair amount of it, because I like fruit. Any 'diet' that cuts out fruit is a bit bonkers in my opinion, unless you have medical reason to avoid it. It's full of good shiz. I have a 100 square in my kitchen that I am crossing off each day - 100 days takes me up to 17th May. Will reassess after that.

Partner said yesterday 'you look better... not thinner, just better.. like less puffy or something'. Which is you know, super polite. But is how I feel too. Skin is better, energy levels better. Sleep is loads better, but I think that's about having had a vaccination dose and stress relief.

I know I’m crying, just ignore me and jab me!

Yep - I was emotional too. Lots of people were. I didn't listen to anything I was told either. Just nodding a lot and saying thank you a lot.

@EnemyOfEducationNo1

I took the plunge and have filled in an online form to request a GP appointment for a medication review or get signed off or both. Apparently I will be rung in 2 weeks time

I've missed this, are you taking time off anyway? That's a shit waiting time.

Did you read Reflections yet Saucery? DWJ’s stories about going around schools to talk about her books are so interesting.

We've had lots of stuff about staff mental health - external contacts etc. We've also got mental healthy clinics to discuss individual children - mine are a week on Tuesday, so will have had a chance to check out our dudes a bit.

You reminded me we do have an EAP which I've never used. I did my my non-teaching life, which led to a course of counselling and my resignation very shortly afterwards!

I'm sure I'll be OK, just a lot of change to deal with in the next few weeks, as we all have. Always a feeling of not enough time.

Can you phone the GP and say you need a more urgent appointment, Enemy?

@Appuskidu

On FB this morning...

I would be interest to know which countries have prioritised vaccinating teachers.

Some US states have, I know. I have another job teaching online and the FB groups have been full for the last two months of American teachers saying "I'm having my vaccination and bed to cancel a class, is that okay?" and arguments between purely online teachers and those still working face-to-face, as the latter believe the former shouldn't be getting jabs because they're teaching from home.

@TheHoneyBadger

I know everyone has likely seen this but I'd definitely use it with kids if I was English or primary

That's lovely! If my kids didn't have SEN, so it'd pretty much go over their heads, I'd be using it!

@noblegiraffe

Did you read Reflections yet Saucery? DWJ’s stories about going around schools to talk about her books are so interesting.

I’m about a third of the way through. It took an age to arrive via Abe Books, but I’m probably spoilt by the swiftness of Amazon . I dug out my copies of The Ogre Downstairs and Dogsbody to read while I was waiting.

We've just had staff email about collecting and doing our home tests.

Apparently the 7 in the box (all home LFTs come in a box of 7 apparently - weird number!) are for 2 a week til end of term plus 1 to be done immediately before return on 12 April.

Been thinking about after Easter: a poster pointed out that at that point schools will be more risky with Easter mixing, less testing and just because things are starting to open up so rates will be rising in general pop.

Just saw this thread on twitter about Ofsted.

twitter.com/llewelyn20/status/1367418424356397061?s=21

Apparently in the middle of a pandemic when schools are basically firefighting a crisis, they think focussing on curriculum and teaching quality is what’s most important.