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.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

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 need to do this as I have horrible skin. I need to lose weight too. I just ordered a size 14 jeans and I've managed to squeeze into them but it took some effort and there's a muffin top.

I just have no motivation at the moment. I'm surprised I'm even getting out of bed.

Be more Dolly, Honey

We should all be more Dolly - she’s a real role model

I've started low carb again this week. I need to do it for my diabetes, and I was doing so well before Christmas. I allowed myself a week off for Christmas and New year, then lockdown hit so I just let it slide, and now it's been 2 months off the low carb diet. It's just too easy at home to snack on crisps and chocolate (I buy them for dh and the dds, but then I eat them myself) I can definitely tell the difference in how I feel. So I'm back on it this week, hopefully the transition headache will be gone by the time I'm physically back in school. I cut out all refined carbs, so no sugar, sweets, crisps, pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, etc. But I do eat small portions of fruit as I think the nutrition is worth it for the amount of sugar I get.

Enemy that's a long wait for an appointment. I hope you can get something sooner.

@TheHoneyBadger

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

I love that! Sending it to the English department - I love a good steal

Replying to Noble and Warrior: (sorry, been teaching. Breaktime now for the lurkers)
I haven't taken time off. Feels so close to getting my own kids into school and dropping back down to my actual contracted part time hours that it seems to be a bit pathetic to go off sick now. I'm managing. Just.
I could phone and ask for an earlier appointment, but actually I might as well see how I cope next week first. I can always self certify if I can't cope I suppose.

As an ex anorexic I can't look at myself in the mirror at the moment. Had to buy size 16 home and work clothes. The last time I was this weight I was 9 months pregnant.
I look at my size 10s and despair.
I used to buy size 6 and child clothes at my worst

@WarriorN

Just stress eaten 10 mini eggs.

Hold my beer (well, tea...) Since half term I have worked my way through 5 Lidl chocolate bunnies and a bag of mini eggs, plus about 10 single twirl fingers.

In other news, strangely the weight loss isn't going well...

Rule

That sounds good. I’m going to join you I think.

I need to start eating healthily again.

I’m also an ex anorexic (developed after being 15 stone and then losing 6 stone in 10 months). I now fall into bad habits of over exercising to run off my nervous energy. I’m currently 8 stone and at 5 ft 7 so that makes me underweight. Hoping once back in the thick of it I won’t have time to worry.

I'm over a stone heavier since the pandemic started. A mixture of over eating and not walking to work . I can't drive so walk a lot. That's the only thing I'm looking forward to , walking a lot more. On another note I am officially done with live teaching. Afternoon off and tomorrow is my full day off

I need to join you all as well. an 18month depressive episode, pinging a disc in my back and then lockdown starting just as I was getting moving again has lead to a load of bad habits.

Mostly lying on the sofa, watching netflix and eating junk and not leaving the house unless I have to. Was hoping to get back into my size 14s just before lock down. Safe to say that hasn't happened.

Gosh that is underweight. Can you get some nutritiously dense foods and leave them about? Eg brazil nuts next to the kettler, smoked mackerel fillets in the fridge that are ready to eat , boil a load of eggs and stick them in the fridge door etc?

I used to have to use tricks like this in times of deep depression otherwise in the one moment where I briefly did feel hunger I'd go to the kitchen and be too overwhelmed to be able to decide what to eat or to make it and I'd miss the appetite window.

I'm nearly a stone and a half lighter than I was this time last year - however I was lighter than I am now in September/October time before winter lockdowns. I've lost 11lbs in 5 weeks now but it's losing weight I already lost once itms?

Just glad it's going down again. I still need to lose over 3stone.

Had my jab after a farcically long queue around the block to get to the surgery door. Am in school with kw kids tomorrow so hoping no adverse reaction.

So my window cleaner has just been round. Asked if I had had the vaccine yet. Inwardly screamed, “No, teachers are not prioritised!’. Then he told me he had his last week and his wife was having her today (she doesn’t work but in the 60-69 category). Feel an absolute bitch for resenting them.

Thanks for the tips @TheHoneyBadger.

I’m sure I’ll be back to a healthy weight when I return to work. I was the same last summer. I was actually under 8 stone in Sept but by October had put on a stone. I had stopped worrying about contracting the virus myself, was more concerned about students’ progress with the constant isolations!

Which variety did you have honey?

Just received an email from a Head of House. One of my pupils has lost 4 family members to Covid (teach in predominantly BAME school). She is scared about the return. Those UsRTwats types don’t campaign for these vulnerable pupils.

@TheHoneyBadger

Gosh that is underweight. Can you get some nutritiously dense foods and leave them about? Eg brazil nuts next to the kettler, smoked mackerel fillets in the fridge that are ready to eat , boil a load of eggs and stick them in the fridge door etc?

I used to have to use tricks like this in times of deep depression otherwise in the one moment where I briefly did feel hunger I'd go to the kitchen and be too overwhelmed to be able to decide what to eat or to make it and I'd miss the appetite window.

I'm nearly a stone and a half lighter than I was this time last year - however I was lighter than I am now in September/October time before winter lockdowns. I've lost 11lbs in 5 weeks now but it's losing weight I already lost once itms?

Just glad it's going down again. I still need to lose over 3stone.

Had my jab after a farcically long queue around the block to get to the surgery door. Am in school with kw kids tomorrow so hoping no adverse reaction.

Well done on you still losing👍😊 I've put on 6lbs since my lowest pre Christmas and am only just under BMI 30 (29.8), have grazed with this anxiety (had a lot of nausea). Still, as far as the GP is concerned they don't know about my weight loss. Last time I was weighed in a medical capacity I was BMI 41(before operation 2 years ago) have I been asked for vaccine.. no... oh well..

@motherrunner that's awful. So sorry. Heard Molly Kingsley this morning on LBC even Nick Ferrari sounded gobsmacked at her anti mask stance.

all home LFTs come in a box of 7 apparently - weird number

Isn't that about medical staff testing everyday?

I think the U4T types have got a lot quieter this week on the boards, or am I just looking at the wrong threads?

There was a lot of INHUMANE cries when it was first announced.

U4T couldn’t care less about the mental health of those children, motherrunner.

That’s awful about that child, mother. I wonder what we’re going back to. It was a shorter time off, but winter has been dreadful.

I’m maintaining at being Overweight instead of Obese, which is fine by me. Coping strategies at the moment include walking a lot, but also making cakes, so 🤷‍♀️. Feel better than this time last March, physically. When those hills and fells open up again I’ll be reaching the top a lot quicker.
Mentally I’m a goddamn mess, but never mind. You’d think anxiety would do the decent thing and burn off calories in the form of nervous energy but no, fuck you, perimenopause

The media are so lazy though. They just go to the same old rent a gobs every time. It makes us all feel like U4T tripe is a widely held viewpoint. And it isn't. At all.

I've just done my last online lesson. Year 3 only wanted to talk about how angry lockdown had made them, not about maths. Year 4 are finding the maths so difficult that I stopped half way and said 'let's do this next week'. I'm happy about seeing their actual faces again.

Obviously only the 'last online lesson' so long as we're not isolating.

Non screen day tomorrow because we're all in school.