The Fifty-Eight Republic - Do no masks mean that Sports Day will take place?

[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

That's what I'd suggest Crackle
I had an internal one recently which asked for one but not the head or line manager if they're likely to be on the panel. Both are. FFS.

DH had moderna vaccine yesterday (a mate who lives near the centre heard they were doing walk-ins and called him) and aside from a mild headache has had no side effects. My friend had it last week and felt like she'd been hit by a bus. There is no rhyme nor reason.

Good luck crackle I’d go with Herc’s advice too.

Looks like my school will still be in masks on Monday (Lancashire). It’s going to be a nightmare, the kids have been told no need for masks in classrooms. Now it’s changed again at the last minute. Sigh

Or someone else who knows you professionally and well enough to give a reference, crackle?

sure, well, vaccination still protects you from them and from colleagues, and outside of work?

@Appuskidu the fabric is thick enough to hang nicely, but not so thick that it's like sailcloth. I think the sizing is accurate - I got a 14 and it's fine. Sorry for the slow reply; been in TAG hell for a few hours

Oh. Monday already

@namechangedyetagain

Oh. Monday already

Oh, but this Monday is ‘no masks Monday’ 😬

I seemed to wake every hour and not sure why.... feel exhausted.

Primary so adults will still be wearing masks in shared areas.

Yay.

Interesting that we have been told all along that schools reflect general community rates. This does not seem to be true in S Northants and Erewash both of which saw huge rise in rates due to large school outbreaks last week and have now gone right back down again.

Oh. Looks like that was just spreading in the school then, eh?

Next we'll be told the told us all along it spread like wildfire in schools but it's all fine as it is incapable of leaving the grounds.

Yep primary here too...
At least we can say next week we break up for half term. I think. I think it's week 5 but I'm so tired I'm doubting my own name at the minute.

DS's last week of school ever. I am ridiculously sad about it, give me a slap, someone. He's not bothered, is looking forward to the next step. Which has just reminded me of the primary leaving tune, One More Step, so now I have itchy eyes!
Last minute decision on masks made by Public Health on Friday evening. It's like they are trying to look like hopeless ditherers.

Last minute decision on masks made by Public Health on Friday evening

I didn’t see that-what did they say?

[quote StationView]@Appuskidu the fabric is thick enough to hang nicely, but not so thick that it's like sailcloth. I think the sizing is accurate - I got a 14 and it's fine. Sorry for the slow reply; been in TAG hell for a few hours [/quote]
Thank you-that’s really useful! Sorry to hear about the marking hell, though

Dd2 has 2 weeks left. We are away for half term in a holiday cottage we have stayed in every year forever and they are selling up so it will be a poignant holiday. Dd1 is joining us by getting the train down from uni when her exams finish.

I'm spooked by the fact that 2 lots of y11s in local schools have been told they have to isolate. I'd be gutted if dd was told that and had to miss out on our break. Seriously considering keeping her home for the last week of nonsense (all assessments done and they are now filling the rest of the tkne with sex ed etc) to reduce the likelihood of that being a possibility.

So, not only have we now got rid of masks but also our one way system which was working really well.

Being a bit lazy but does anyone know what it actually says in the guidance about staff and masks?

From 17 May, in line with Step 3 of the roadmap, face coverings will no longer be recommended for pupils and students in classrooms or communal areas, in all schools and FE providers. Face coverings will also no longer be recommended for staff in classrooms. In all schools and FE providers, we continue to recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and visitors in situations outside of classrooms where social distancing is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas)

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/984846/FINAL_Face_coverings_in_education_guidance.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiErLXantDwAhUxDGMBHRx6DRIQFjADegQIDhAC&usg=AOvVaw0ovYwlut14l3VGzefVclpe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/984846/FINAL_Face_coverings_in_education_guidance.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiErLXantDwAhUxDGMBHRx6DRIQFjADegQIDhAC&usg=AOvVaw0ovYwlut14l3VGzefVclpe

Good point re school/community spread piggy

Monday AGAIN! I don't have to be in till after 11.

No masks for us unless in communal areas where 2m distancing can't be maintained (which by my reckoning includes the whole of school but apparently it's only where adults can't socially distance that we need to be concerned). Kids only need to wear them on the bus because....? No magic tape?

2 weeks to go of a 7 week term and I've only just gotten round to setting homework for my ks3 classes - whoops. Seems it's a widespread issue and we've all had lots of reminders to do it. KS3 has gotten off lightly this term but I don't begrudge them it after this year.

I'm limping towards the finish line. Have two sets of year 7 essays to mark that are so shockingly bad I don't know where to start - it was a pretty shit assignment and very difficult to know what was even really expected of them let alone how to achieve higher marks so I think I'm going to have to be generous.

Interesting that we have been told all along that schools reflect general community rates.

Even when that was blatantly false, eg last December.

@Appuskidu

Last minute decision on masks made by Public Health on Friday evening

I didn’t see that-what did they say?

Sorry, Public Health in my area, not countrywide. Advising continuing to wear masks in classrooms in secondary schools here.

Thanks herc. Lots of staff have now ditched them. Our head used the word' encouraged'.

I naively thought that face masks were no longer required in shops etc and it was part of the roadmap but have just discovered it only applies to schools So it's still deemed unsafe for 2 people to be allowed in my local pharmacy at a time in a space as big as a classroom without masks. Just the magical classrooms where they don't have to be worn.

I don't know why I expected it to be anything other than double standards given how it's been all the way through but it has still annoyed me.

Yeah. Our SLT has this morning observed that some students are still wearing masks and asked us to “encourage” them not to......
It’s not like at least one school in our county has had outbreaks of the Indian variant or anything

Aw bless honey, did you think we were being treated the same as Joe Public? We are extra specially immune! And/or heroic.