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

Jan , if kids want to wear masks, who am I to intervene.

Whereas our head has worded it "masks are no longer compulsory but as a school we recommend them". Very different tone to some of you. Sorry for your shitty heads.

Yeah I briefly, stupidly, thought we were 'all in it together' duh!

Broke my heart yesterday to hear about the 1600 teachers in India who have died of Covid after being forced to work at polling centres for the election.

Wow! God, that's dreadful.

It’s the first time our SLT has come out with something re Covid that I really haven’t agreed with tbh.

Masks to be worn at all times tomorrow at my school in accordance with local PHE recommendations.

@Its90minutestonight

Broke my heart yesterday to hear about the 1600 teachers in India who have died of Covid after being forced to work at polling centres for the election.

That's horrific!!! I just can't imagine it!

Masks are completely optional at my school from today. So if course nobody is wearing them, apart from some teachers. It was really, really weird to look at my classes and see their whole faces. Loads of them have got braces since I last saw their mouths.

My town just mentioned in HoC. Marvellous.

Oh piggy. Cases going up in Sth Northants too, apparently local PH are on standby to start surge testing ‘if necessary’.

I don't get how they aren't insisting on masks in school where you are piggy. I'd have though public health ought to have joined in by now.

jumped ii not joined in.

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

I don't get how they aren't insisting on masks in school where you are piggy. I'd have though public health ought to have joined in by now.

If they allow it in too many areas, the question about masks in general will resurface. If it does, the questions around Stage Three will resurface. They cannot let that happen.

Hmm. Is is the case that Lancs is Labour controlled and Labour MP’d, whereas Bedford is the “opposite”....?

That's true. We couldn't have that.

My mum's booked her tickets over for mid July. It'll be the first time I've been able to see her for nearly 18months. I'm going to be absolutely gutted if we screw this up now and the UK ends up being put on a red list. And livid, because I'm pretty sure it will have been avoidable.

Masks are still in place in Bedford. Bedford has a Labour MP, NOC council and a LibDem Mayor !

I am in neighbouring LA which has now also seen Indian Variant and it is rising.

@JanFebAnyMonth

Hmm. Is is the case that Lancs is Labour controlled and Labour MP’d, whereas Bedford is the “opposite”....?

Tbf to Lancs Public Health, they made a strong case last year not to open schools when other regions did and they were Tory controlled then. They seem a bit diffident and make their decisions last minute, but the Director has school aged dc himself and his wife works for the NHS, so I think he has a good grasp of the issues.

Just for context though the case rates are really low - so we're talking about a rise but still very small numbers. Not trying to minimise but just to temper the news somewhat.

In Northamptonshire the numbers are above national averages but still low realistically and only 3 hospital beds are in use across the whole county by covid patients. Hopefully that stays that way.

I have to hang onto some positivity and context. I'm still feeling like shit after my vaccine and I think I actually have a cold/bug of some sort now as I'm all hot and cold sweats and aches and pains and sneezing and generally feeling bleurgh and I don't think that can all be from the vaccine? Anyway I'm possibly being too positive about things because I can't cope with anything else currently.

Very glad that tomorrow is a day off for me but I have a fair bit of planning to do and just can't make my brain work at the minute.

That could be from the vaccine, Honey. Which one did you have? I know a few people at work had to have time off because of how ill it made them feel.

AZ second dose last Wednesday. Have felt rubbish since that evening. No time off - just dragging myself through the motions.

Honey Don't try and do too much. I did and have had some time off enforced by school. That brain not working feeling was me last week. Rest, recuperate and work when you are ready. Take care

The thing that's got me was the talk of third waves in the Sage minutes and how the likelihood and severity increased significantly if we unlocked further today. I, perhaps foolishly, was thinking about a normal September and returning to my normal classroom layout and teaching style. Just running a completely normal year. Then scientists start talking about a third wave...

It's the being within touching distance of things being a bit more normal and then having it snatched away.

Yes, absolutely that. I haven't got the energy to do this for another "round"