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

We appointed (young, female, pe) a well being lead. Her answer is a weekly drop in zoom meeting - scheduled for when I'm on bus duty. We also get 'you're a star' postcards from colleagues and were paired up with someone we'd send the odd check in email to asking how they are doing. Oh and the HT is fond of cheery memes on the end of her emails.

I did ask during lockdown when still going into work whether for wellbeing the school might consider letting the staff use the gym after school (with social distancing, hygiene, etc) as a real practical 'thing' for our wellbeing. Answer was no obviously.

I've had multiple students with groups of students or individuals who all think they've got "real" anxiety and that everyone else in their year group is faking it. I've had to gently point out that, yes, we are possibly over-diagnosing normal levels of stressed/worried/afraid as anxiety, it's not really their or my job to comment on who is or isn't a genuine case.

Grrr. Meant to say "multiple conversations with students..."

He's not depressed. He's upset because his mum died and he feels guilty that he's a bit relieved

Exactly this ten years ago for my youngest sister. She was just shy of 14 when my stepmum died of breast cancer. It was utterly shit for her, and all of us older siblings were adults and in our own places, which made it worse.

However, she wasn’t depressed and merrily played her school to get her out of things like chapel for over a year. She’d say she felt anxious and skip off to the hospital wing for a hot chocolate and biscuit, then message one of us in delight over her victory.

I recently did a simple MH first aid course and it included “what to say”. It wasn’t rocket science. The only thing which I specifically recall atm, which I know I’d have felt unsure about, was how to handle someone having a psychotic episode. The was try to not “enter into it” with them but reassure them of where they are, that you’re beside them etc. My boss recently did one teen MH course too and I was meaning to look at her course materials to see whether there were many differences.

Will look up my stuff and her stuff and post it on here for us all!

Very concerning R4 prog on atm about healthcare workers with long Covid who are losing their jobs and have no clear financial support.......
They are just interviewing the Industrial Injuries Support Council. (I think). “Should Covid be added to their list of industry specific diseases?” If so sufferers would get long term Disablement Benefit. How to prove someone got Covid at work.

You have to prove you’re more than twice as likely as the person on the street to catch Covid.

Ah. So the arguments with unions etc about numbers of school staff who died have a major financial implication, it’s not “just” about did the government protect NHS workers (or whoever).

Thanks jan that would be really useful. Kids always say afterwards that whatever I did say was OK but it would be good to have some "scripted" strategies.

JanFebAnyMonth
From some things I've read it's almost impossible to prove and so it is unlikely to be accepted.

I know some people at schools where they were sort of blamed for catching covid at work because apparently the risk assessment should have been followed. The risk assessment had the usual "remain 2m apart from students where possible" and the school was only sending home 'close contacts' to isolate, which meant the 6-10 children immediately next to the positive case.

Yup. I felt bad that I couldn’t remember - not much use for First Aid, but then realised it was mainly stuff that I’d say anyway (I think!). Give privacy, reassure, ask if there’s anyone they want, signpost to support, obvs send someone for help if there’s any chance of physical harm to anyone. Those are the bits that come to me now. It wasn’t scripted as such.

I think the important thing at those moments is to be a caring, sensible and stable human being really.

Lola yes, and hearing the official body’s refusal to find proof that eg bus drivers had caught it because of their occupation, I can’t see that school staff would fare any better.
Apparently that body only meets 8 times a year and has no full time staff.
Occupational risk is no longer in fashion, apparently (even pre Covid)

I feel like utter shite today. Snotty cold has turned to a cough. Negative test result though. Going to go in and 'get through it' until Friday. I've finished the curriculum for this term other than maths and English, will do some gentle revision and low stakes assessment. PPA all day Tuesday.

Also think my partner is depressed - he said the words 'struggling a bit, just feel really flat' - which is a fricking understatement. Monosyllabic, sleeping all the time, drinking far too much, eating crap, doom scrolling endlessly. The weather just needs to cheer up quickly, cos that would help.

Seriously Rule my vaccine side effects turned into a cold. No one around me had had a cold. It could be part of it.

Sounds sensible Jan. People are terrible for wanting to fix things or make annoying suggestions when really 'just' being a calm, accepting presence and simple things like making a cup of tea and administering tissues and holding safe space is what's needed ime.

I wrote an article, but never used it anywhere, on visiting people who are mentally ill and the what you can do/say to help and what you shouldn't do or say but nearly every bugger does. It was full of simple things like remember you are not a psychiatrist and if your friend was home recovering an injury or surgery you wouldn't claim to know better than their consultant and start telling them what they should do to get better. Oh and things like what you might do for a sick friend is see if they need anything from the shops or do the washing up and make them a cup of tea so do the same for mental illness as you would physical.

God I used to dread my sister turning up at my place when I was ill.

We've had staff off ill (not covid) over the last few weeks. The teacher in the room next door had a stinking cold - he wore his mask everywhere, but still. Last weekend was vaccine meh, this weekend is cold/weather/house a mudpit meh.

Rule that sounds hard about yr DP. Would he consider going to the GP?

My sister was full of gems like you should think about other people instead of yourself would make you feel better, you should keep busy, why don't you take up a hobby, think about all the people who have it worse etc. None of those things are without merit when someone is well into recovery and is ready but when they're in crisis and having a panic attack if someone knocks on the door or the phone rings they're really not helpful lol

Ouch honey

Thanks for all the tips everyone, you are most kind!

Would he consider going to the GP?

Noooooo, he's a man! He's got history of this anyway, and we're near 'bottom' in terms of how things are going. If he doesn't pull himself up a bit over the next couple of weeks, I'll get properly worried. He mostly just needs to stop drinking, but I can never mention that - needs to come from him.

Rule, my DH - don't think he's ever set foot in the GP physically, despite being registered there for a decade - has really engaged with the 'online consultation' aspect of Covid-era medicine, and actually described his symptoms, got treatment, contacted again when things have not got better etc.

It's slightly bizarre (and I'm egging him on to get all those 'it doesn't REALLY matter' things sorted while this lasts) but would your DH consider sending your GP an e-mail? I did my MH stuff online when i was poorly a couple of years ago, and did find that distance really useful in enabling me to be honest.

It's hard to pull out of it when the weather is so shit and walks and sunshine aren't an option. I know if he's really poorly that wouldn't help but if it's borderline or just on the way there some sunshine and a sense of things getting better makes a big difference. My weather app is not encouraging though.

You can try and sneak lots of water and good food into him. Might help offset the booze a bit. Failing that crush antidepressants into his drinks? lol Sorry not helpful

Rule - it's not easy I hope your DP seeks the medical help he needs. It's tough making that first step and you're right, it does need to come from him.

It's been a tired and tearful weekend here. Peri hormones + exhaustion + stupid workload make a pretty toxic combination. I spent most of today procrastinating before finally tackling the marking mountain.

I have tactically ignored the book scrutiny I'm supposed to have done this weekend. I just couldn't face it. I'm not sure when I'll get to it, and I'm going to get it in the neck tomorrow from HT as I haven't properly started it, but something had to give.