The Forty Fifth Republic - Can I get a hair appointment before the summer term starts?

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

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Is it just me or has anyone else experienced a shift from one meeting a week eg. no department meetings on the same week as parents evening to 3 meetings a week? It’s as if because they’re remote they don’t count or something. It was always either pastoral or subject meetings each week and now it’s both for another example.

Wondering if it’s just here or a more widespread pattern

No, Honey, our meetings are sticking to the calendar that was put out in September.

What we have seen is fewer meetings in the mornings. We used to have loads of morning briefings and they are now, joyously, replaced by emails.

We were doing really well with meetings, but we've got two a week for the first three weeks of next term 😡
Even more rage-inducingly, they're about assessment.

A dh did an all staff email about something yesterday which made him my target 🎯 I sent a quick question email pointing out we used to have one meeting a week eg no meeting on a parents evening week and asking if this was no longer the policy.

It’s gone on too long to be emergency stations and seems to be becoming the new normal without actually being discussed.

We've moved our morning briefing (which is 3 days a week) to after school on the same days. I was worried that it'd overrun (and no account has been taken of the additional directed time) but they're much more focussed. I'd be happy to keep that. Mind you, the overrun was often thanks to the pe dept telling us stuff about matches, so when they come back, it'll be back to not caring about the year 8 football match.

We don't have many meetings at all tbh. We have briefing every Monday morning, then department or yeargroup whenever they're needed. It usually ends up being one per half term for yeargroups, and often less than that for us in the maths department. Other departments have more meetings, but it's not compulsory so our hod only has meetings when he feels we need one. So we had 3 last half term to decide on assessment for year 11 and 13, but next half term we will try to stick to 1. Parents evenings have pretty much not happened either, we've had "intervention evenings" where form tutors/hoys phone the parents of kids where we know there are issues. So the nice kids who I would say good things about have had no communication at all since their parents evenings last year. End of year reports were cancelled last year as well, so they've only had progress reviews (just grades, no comments at all). I'm not convinced that's good enough, but no parents have complained about it so ...

I've got my third online parents evening next week for which I'm fully booked and only have 1 minute breaks between appointments for three hours. Not up for also attending dept meeting, and T&L meeting.

Technically I should do 2 out of 5 after schools and our directed time budget is for one a week for full timers yet I seem to have done at least 2 a week for the last term.

We're usually pretty good - we've done all our parents evenings for the year by now, and they're not in the same weeks as other things. But the "emergency" card is being pulled too often I think.
Do we really need a meeting to tell us how to mark assessments when they're the same assessments we'd be marking in mock exam season?

The bad thing (or good thing if you are being professional) about online parents’ evenings is that everyone turns up. I quite like getting a few breaks from no shows. The parents really like the online meetings though.

We have had no shows online which is very strange!
I'd happily keep online parents' evening - but I think the platform we use is quite expensive.

I've had loads of no shows online. I do love online parents evening although I do worry about barriers to entry for some families. A hybrid would probably be best but very tricky logistically.

Lots of meeting been replaced by emails here. I hope that never changes. My big dept has a record of wasting my time in meetings, I now take stuff to do. I also arrange meetings with my other dept that "clash" because I know I won't miss much.

I've had one no show. In person ones seemed to be periods of quiet followed by rugby scrums. I'd give up on timings and just ask whoever was sitting in front of me/in the vicinity whether they were there to see me.

In better news I've just seen we've actually got a term time bank holiday for once! That's a bonus on the 3rd May.

Our school hasn't even tried the online parents' evenings. I suspect this is money related.

Are we're good at tech and pretty forward thinking. Thanks to crush boy

Ahh not are

I much prefer emails to meetings. Much quicker and written evidence of discussion.

I have just spent a small fortune on seasalt. I've convinced myself this is fine because I used the teacher discount.

I like himalayan rock salt and was pleased to find that aldi sometimes sell it in a grinder very reasonably. The cupboards are well stocked.

I recently spent a small fortune on kelp flakes after my sister bigging them and their benefits up to me but have yet to even use them once.

Home bargains/b&m often have that, honey. I went to visit a friend on Orkney with a suitcase full of the stuff... and tea bags!

I usually find myself with very odd things in my suitcase to Egypt. Last time I agreed to take some bisto gravy for someone and it got crushed and filled my entire bag with granules! Proper teabags are a popular request there too as all you can get is liptons.

Just back from a 10 mile bike ride with the DCs. Last 3 miles we did in a hail storm. Kids found it hilarious, DH and I not so much. Bath and gin in order!

You read my mind mother! Minus the cycling in the hail bit I'm about to get in a bath with magnesium salts and frankincense with a g&t.

I'm sitting in the garden in the sun. Going out for lunch on Tuesday - forecast is not looking good!
Does anyone have any simple recipes for forced rhubarb? I've just picked the first lot...

Anyone missing this? twitter.com/rogershistory/status/1380467282929979395?s=21

So accurate.

@MrsHamlet - we've made a few crumbles recently. Last week partner did a rhubarb, strawberry and cherry crumble. It looked delicious.

Bag of frozen strawberries, bag of frozen cherries, quickly stewed rhubarb.

It's raining and crappy here - we're supposed to be going to some friends for drinks in the garden at 5, but it'd be all a bit moist I think.