The Fifty-third Republic - Ides of March Part 2

[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 non-staff as it attracts the wrong sort of crowd.

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 do wear a mask

Just got a negative pcr. Phew!

Great squashed.

mobile.twitter.com/deeksj/status/1372506978661109760?s=20&fbclid=IwAR2lEfggu55Pz9czoY5VpCae6RI6h8UHDMHCdr9M_NtV2wTHyGl3fBhfdzE

-Prof John Deeks' view on the in school LFTs. Somewhat similar to the UK Statistical Authority's.... The government needs to work out what's going on!

Oh MrsH

I also ticked 'online forum for support' on Teacher Tapp, not many did though. Feel sorry for teachers who don't have a thread like this.

What is even more interesting there jan is the U4T KBF twats completely missing his point and slobbering all over the thread.

That must have been stressful, Squashed. You got a famous false positive!

I'm a bit confused by Sam Freedman on twitter touting that only 3000 positive tests in school kids as a good news story instead of a 'failure of LFTs' story. The infection rate in secondary kids was 0.4% last week so 0.06% is missing the vast majority of cases.

A teacher friend of mine was told today by her Head that she had to close doors and windows as there had been complaints from parents that their kids were cold (only sent to school in thin hoodies).
Apparently, he said (the HT) that the ventilation advice was for last October, and no longer applies.
This IS bollocks, isn't it?

I don't understand. Lft positive requires kids to isolate regardless of following pcr result right?

Why is it different for staff?

I've had a busy day marking and planning and writing and sending in my application for the tlr role. I feel weirdly embarrassed at it being read and judged internally. I may have gotten the tone and content completely wrong but the instructions on how to apply were really vague.

Oh well. No harm trying.

Busy teaching day tomorrow. Looking forward to the weekend

The ventilation advice was strengthened in (I think) January!!

But I can't say our place has even mentioned the fact, don't know about elsewhere!

Hen 'you must always keep occupied spaces well ventilated' says the DfE guidance
www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance#system-of-controls

Must be because staff are now home testing rather than being supervised at a school honey.

Different for staff because staff are testing at home, Honey.

Once the kids are testing at home it will be the same for them requiring a PCR.

Damn you Jan and your fast fingers.

What I'm not sure about with the LFT data is that because the testing is done in school, it won't pick up kids who are already at home with covid.

DfE figures this week were:
5,000 pupils with a confirmed case of coronavirus, 0.1% of pupils on roll in open schools
7,000 pupils with a suspected case of coronavirus, 0.1% of pupils on roll in open schools
33,000 pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of coronavirus from inside the educational setting, 0.4% of pupils on roll in open schools
31,000 pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of coronavirus from outside the educational setting, 0.4% of pupils on roll in open schools
2,000 pupils were unable to attend school because their school was closed due to COVID-19 reasons, less than 0.1% of all pupils on roll

So there are at least 2000 kids with confirmed covid over and above those tested, and another 7000 suspected, so presumably with symptoms and awaiting test results.

Evening!

Glad your PCR was negative, SquashedFly.

Good luck with your application, HoneyBadger.

Today has been tiring - the children were flagging too. It feels as if it has been a long week and we have SLT-mandated writing assessments to look forward to tomorrow Since I seem to have quite a few children who have forgotten how to form an accurate sentence, it's not going to be pretty.

My Bob has had a hard day today. A lot of howling in corridors. Consequently I also had a hard day. I feel like I'm chasing my tail - mentally knackered by the end of the day, loads to think about and sort out for catchup stuff and just normal stuff - but not able to actually spend an evening doing it, because so tired. Really looking forward to Easter... although have 5 hours of training to do by then, whether I do it in my own time or on the inset day itself.

Ah Bob....
Mine told me today I'm his favourite teacher. This is because I don't lose my shit, apparently.

Our Bobs all wear their masks on their chins. It's definitely A Thing for the Road Men . (and RoadWomen)

Glad your PCR was negative squashed.

Harriet why on earth put the writing assessment on a Friday when the poor little souls are exhausted?

I discovered today that it's not just the kids who have forgotten things. Apparently I've forgotten the names of half my year 12 class . I can match name to work far better than I can match name to half a face. It was deeply embarrassing to be halfway round the class asking each one for an answer and suddenly find that I just can't remember the name of the next one. Luckily they are a lovely bunch, and there was a little light-hearted teasing about lockdown having mushed my brain, and that it might be my age (cheeky!!)

Our Bobs also do chin hammocks. I told them they look ridiculous - this is apparently counted as "not losing my shit".
We have some screamers on the staff... and they're not all women.

@MsAwesomeDragon - I know, I know - it's insanity. SLT have decreed that a school-wide writing assessment will take place tomorrow. I'm waiting for the inevitable follow-up diktat for maths. It seems pointless: I don't need a formal test to tell me where their gaps are, and the children certainly don't need it.

A false positive that has resulted in 11 weeks of lost face to face teaching and a lot of stress. Also disruption to dh's school and stress for his hod as he teaches a third of the y11 science and poor ds missed a day and had all the worry too. I am thinking of swapping to lfd on a Sat morning. If I get a positive again it would give me time to pcr and get the results before the Monday morning.

If I did teacher tapp, I would definitely say I had support from an online community.

Mine told me today I'm his favourite teacher.

Oh, I'm Bob's worst teacher. He hates me, doesn't want any 'gugustyuns, whatever they are', wants a one-one adult and I'm not letting him have one. He did however cry when the fire alarm went off and had to hold my hand going down the stairs.

Gugustyuns are 'suggestions', one of which I was trying to make about perhaps not howling on the floor when year 6 were trying to get past.

I never shout at him, its pointless. Also, to my shame, I've slightly given up with him, so my care factor is very low. Just can't get stressed about him.

I couldn't deal with primary. I don't know how you do it.

At least Bob aged 16 is vaguely capable of reasoning...
Sadly his default is to argue to the toss.

Rule - I have a Bob just like that one. Isn't it exhausting?

Mind you, last year I had an incredibly tough Bob - one of the most challenging Bobs we've ever had - so this year's Bob is but a pale imitation.

MrsH - I am in awe of secondary teachers coping with giant, hormonal teenage Bobs. Ours might lack advanced reasoning skills but they are also smaller than us!