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

DH has been on about going to the Lakes for a few years now. I've over-ruled him each time and insisted on long-haul places (even though the Lakes are beautiful).
Back in January, I decided that maybe this was the year to shut him up and agree to this country (on the grounds that going abroad was looking unlikely), so we're all booked.
Unfortunately, it will be HEAVING with people (and probably pissing down with rain all week).

So, does the Blackburn authorities announcing earlier today that they’d offer vaccination to all over 18s in certain wards, then having to withdraw that in a statement this evening because central govt had said No, remind you of anything that might have happened with a certain London borough’s schools, and a ruling by GW, in mid-December?

Bloody hell. Do they NEVER learn?

Any idea why they've said no?

Because it would mean diverting doses away from the National programme, apparently.......

Great news, blackcats! Congratulations .

I feel as if I'm just surviving at the moment (not really a workload issue, although it's as heavy as ever). Want to take tomorrow off and have a day with ds, who is still suffering, but trying to look ahead to half term in a fortnight where we can get away from school for a week.

Sorry to everyone having a shit time. I look round at my colleagues and we’re just beyond exhausted. Everyone just seems to be in the verge of tears all the time. Had email to say Yr 11 and 13 will leave as of next Weds and only come in for remaining assessments. The behaviour with Yr 11 is atrocious - yet more fire alarms - so it is a wise plan.

Sitting here with a very poorly DS. He rarely complains of being ill but came home from school with a headache yesterday and stomach ache. I just told him he was tired and being from school from 7.30-5 catches up with all and took him to swimming. Fell asleep in car on way home. Woken up an hour ago with headache and stomachs ache again so we’re downstairs watching ‘secret life of pets 2. Trouble is the expectation will be to teach live from home ...

My sympathy to you all going through such awful difficult times. It sounds horrendous and though I could say I find the behaviours of some of your SLTs unbelievable, I really don’t. I have no idea why promotion to management in schools strips some people of all empathy, humanity and common sense.

DH has been on about going to the Lakes for a few years now

According to a current thread, he might find them underwhelming. One poster described the lakes themselves as disappointingly small. And avoid Brighton at all costs.

Trouble is the expectation will be to teach live from home

Really hope they don’t ask you to do that mother hope your poor ds get better quickly.

Can’t believe people were underwhelmed by the Lakes. My favourite place in the U.K.

I like the Lakes too (in good weather!). And I'm Scottish so they must be nice!

I have my Barnard Castle trip all booked but the sodding cattery is already booked solid. Hooooowwwww???

Well, if Bolton has been told it can't have vaccinations for 18+ , there is no way my area will get it for 16+.

We have been to the Lakes before, just not as our main Summer holiday. That was my spoilt brat issue.

Anyone who can pop in a couple of times a day Piggy? Last time I went away my Dad would come let my cat out late morning/lunchtime and my friend would come late afternoon and let her in and feed and hang out with her for a while.

I have the weirdest stomach ache that is making me nauseous. Bone aches have eased off a bit and my head is a lot better though. Gym and 4 lessons not appealing right now but I've taken some buscopan and hoping that will help.

Whereabouts in France, Rule? I love France but have had washed out holidays in Northern France and Brittany more times than I have UK holidays.

@Piggywaspushed try rover.com got cat sitters!

I can see you might think that Coniston water is small if you were expecting Lake Superior...

(Of course, my ratio of rained out holidays excludes the West Coast of Scotland. It's just what you sign up for.)

My daughter laughs at me for comparing weather everywhere to Wales, even if it’s sunny, because the last couple of years I went there it really was. Madeira is very like Wales when you’re in the mountains, even a Welsh co-walker commented on it.

trouble with catsitters is that my boy cat picks on my girl cat and they wee on beds and poo around the house. Cattery supervises boy cat and spoils girl cat and they have no house to wreck! Boy cat bit like my DH.

Er piggy not sure what you’re saying about yr DH there...

bylinetimes.com/2021/05/12/covid-variants-and-a-third-wave-scientists-warn-government-is-sleepwalking-into-disaster/?fbclid=IwAR3_mCNcddgAg01LeW5TYjS_Y2Mj27baD6Idn1pzE0pQekHIFaCOx8-bkQM

^According to The Guardian, Public Health England delayed designating B.1.167 a “variant of concern” and releasing vital data on its spread due to the May elections. It is now refusing to release data on school outbreaks of new variants.

“We don’t know the extent to which vaccines work against these variants, and only 25% of our population are fully vaccinated, and 50% partially,” added Dr Gurdasani. She warned that the Government is removing critical restrictions such as masks in schools far too quickly: “One of the tests of easing lockdowns was the emergence of concerning variants. I can’t imagine a situation more concerning than the one now. What would be sufficiently concerning for the Government to act at this point?”^

blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/05/14/is-the-government-following-the-data-on-face-coverings-in-schools/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=hootsuite&utm_content=sme&utm_campaign=usage

So the GP who was meant to phone at 4 phoned at 2.15 when my phone was off and I was teaching. They then phoned my home 30 mins ago when I wasn't home. I mean, grrrr

I love the Lakes. The problem with them is that everyone else does too.

Why do I get the feeling that tonight’s press conference is going to be telling us we’re at a critical point and telling up to be cautious and use common sense while not actually doing anything?

Oh no, mother. I know he doesn’t have classic symptoms, but have you considered a covid test for him?

That sucks, Piggy. Grrr indeed.

Go north Rafa. The Bassenthwaite area is lovely