The Fifty-fourth Republic - Easter holidays anyone?

[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

Anyone else in primary noticing more coughs, colds & general lurgies

Very much so! We've had several off in my class. 4 days to go ...

lonely great news (re dog and jab)

Colleague's son was a bit snotty earlier in the week. Dad LFTd him with one of her home tests. Positive confirmed by PCR. His only symptom was snot.

We’ve had multiple children off in each class daily this week with tummy bugs/generally not feeling great. We’ve been urging them to get tested but of course when they don’t tick the cough/temperature/loss of senses boxes online, the portal doesn’t let them book tests.

This is how it started last time, and how three of our classes lost weeks of term 2. Most of our parents are pretty sensible, but a fair few are now saying that they won’t ‘lie’ to get a test and sending their kids back in ASAP 😒

I’ll be fuming if I have to isolate over Easter with a toddler (and miss midwife appointments too). My room is the only one in the school without windows - just one Velux - and I swear that’s why we had three isolations in term 2....

Little clusters of snotty, tired, hot children at my school too. The Head has reiterated only the 3 main ‘traditional’ symptoms need to be tested for in every newsletter. Eyes on attendance data, not the health of staff and pupils

lonely could have been a touch of arthritis or a sprained muscle? Hope the painkiller works for your girl.

Good to hear Lonelypooch is on the mend.

We have parents refusing to test kids and sending them in with "just a cold " even though there are known cases in their class (students not isolating as the positive case was at home 48 hrs before symptoms- allegedly).

If anyone needs stuff to watch, 'the irregulars' is good on netflix. I just remembered you all saying there was a new series of Unforgotten and have itv hub cued ready to go. I know how to live it large in the holidays ds has abandoned me and his been out 'exercising' with his friend on their bikes all day.

If anyone needs stuff to watch

Line of Duty is on. I’m tempted to rewatch a few past series (even then I’ll still miss things).

We've had so many off with upset stomach. A few are the usual suspects who we know are lying but lots of kids with normally good attendance too. We've got kids who've had more time off sick than been in since we've been back full time

Glad to hear your dog seems okay now, @lonelyplanet

It was a nice day today but not warm. Next door's kids are outside with a firepit for added anti socialness shouting at the top of their lungs. I have not missed that.

I definitely have noticed in the last few years that children have got LOUDER. There is no way my tow would have been allowed to make a racket like that.

Plenty of sniffs, snot and coughing in my class too. No-one has tested as far as I know. I have though, since I have been generously gifted with these germs by the little poppets.

Covid rates v low here in the south but still both my dc and nephews/nieces all have cases in their 4 respective schools.

That's pants, @Piggywaspushed. DS was having a tantrum in the garden today and I was mortified (but in bed feeling rough so couldn't do anything). There's nothing worse than children being loud when everyone's trying to to just live, especially in current circumstances.

Maybe water your plants but have shit aim?!

I ahve no plants KoG but I could pretend.

But you have grass?! Or maybe you could be cleaning the fence!

The fence looks a bit dirty !

So lovely to be not working. I think mum can sense the difference in me too. The teens also. We all watched an.episode of The Irregulars and ate together. Instead of our usual nonsense where mum wants dinner by 5 and the kids come in and just eat anything and I eat at 8! I cook it all either at the weekend or the night before so everyone can get fed. So nice to just cook. And mum is actually happy with soup and a roll and tv.

It's only when I stop I realise how much I am doing.
I've got an appointment with mum and her gp over the break and I am determined to ladle it on and ask for as much help as I can get. I am lucky at the moment as her sleep patterns are fine but I have noticed she is beginning to potter in the night. She says she is getting a drink but i've twice found her eating bread and butter/olive spread at 3am. I only know that because of my menopause sleep disturbance! What a household when the teens are the most normal!

phleb your mum sounds like my grandma when I was a teenager. She came to live with us and started pottering in the night, then she started getting confused. At one point she lost any sense of time at all so she had breakfast several times a day (because she'd just woken up from a nap, so it must be breakfast time). Definitely ask for as much help as you can. My parents shared the care of my grandma, but it still took a massive amount of work as she got older and more confused. On your own you must be exhausted with everything you've got on your plate!!!!

We are currently outside test driving our new fire pit.
Taking it in turns for each track played but keeping volume down, particularly when dd keeps choosing Taylor Swift.

4 more days to go for us here until the holidays. I have been so tired this week. We’ve been assessing Y11 so I’m going to have tons of marking to do.

Glad you're enjoying the break from work phleb. You have so much on your plate. Make sure you stress all of it to the gp.

I've been very lazy so far giving myself the weekend to just sleep and chill and cook nutritious meals.

Meant to say nearly there to medra and all the others still working

Take care, Phlebas.

My nan always lived with us and it took a great toll on my mum, both physically and emotionally, in her later years. My mum is probably the strongest, most pragmatic person I know, but she found it very difficult (she worked ft too). My nan and dad didn't really get on too well, but he also really took care of her when she started to decline.

Please accept any help that is offered.

Keeping eveything crossed that my children and I won’t be in contact t with a positive over the east 4 days - really do not want to isolate over Easter. We missed Oct half term as DS was isolating, Christmas DD was isolating and Feb half term was a wash out. I want a proper holiday!

next not east