The Sixty-First Republic - Covid the gift that keeps giving even in the last half term!

[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 for school staff to let off steam.

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. Finally, upload your covid test results twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

More than 9000 cases today....

More than 9000 cases today

Oh crap. I think the North West schools are going to struggle.

More than 9000 cases today....
Shit!

If there's another lockdown this summer I'm going to lose the will to live. I haven't seen some of my family since before the first lockdown.

@motherrunner

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57496074

This Us4Them group will be happy.

I’ve just seen that. There seems to be some very powerful people around who don’t want this to happen.

@LolaSmiles

More than 9000 cases today.... Shit! If there's another lockdown this summer I'm going to lose the will to live. I haven't seen some of my family since before the first lockdown.

Are they outside the U.K. Lola?

If they are in the U.K. I think I’d be trying to arrange a visit soon.

@motherrunner

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57496074

This Us4Them group will be happy.

I think if I were in that age group I’d be demanding one.

But what is the end goal logic of not vaccinating someone?

9000!

Stressful day today. Everyone was trying to move, it was hot, everyone was fractious, lots of people sniping at each other, tears. Aaargh.

Have ordered Chinese.

I really don’t want a summer lockdown!

Interesting from that BBC article ""The virus is spreading in schools because it's got nowhere else to hide at the moment," Prof Semple said, adding that improved ventilation in classrooms was much more of a priority than masks in schools."

Well we haven't got either of those. So if they're not going to vaccinate kids, are they going to ventilate schools? That's a question that needs asking.

The vaccination programme now isn't about protecting individuals (that was vaccinating the vulnerable), it's about stopping the spread to the vulnerable. So will they be stopping the spread in kids in other ways?

I notes that comment as well @noblegiraffe. I just don’t see the logic with some parent campaigners. No masks, no vaccine, no isolation, so how on Earth do we stop transmission?

On another note there’s another thread in the CV section about canceled events for kids. Seriously! Are kids really heartbroken not to attend their nursery graduation? Some parents are way too invested in their kids social lives.

Kids can’t catch it OR spread it. Just sit them all facing the front and chuck some hand sanitiser around. Not sure what all the fuss is about tbh. Where has everyone’s ‘can do’ attitude gone?!?

On a selfish note I’m also worried about the carers who are going to refuse to be vaccinated as I want my mum protected.

^think I might be feeling better today finally 🤣🤣🤣

Glad to hear you're feeling better, MrsHP. I'm particularly keen to hear whether your eyesight has improved, especially around correctly typing usernames....

Ventilation is the new masks sop.

I think people think we are genuinely stupid and don't open windows. Let's al invite Prof Semple in to your average school so he can experience the stuffiness.

They should let it happen if parents/children choose. Simple. Make it possible though for the vulnerable especially.

Hi all. Ready for ⛈ ?

Talk to me about TA support in primary school classrooms.

I've just done class lists. We have 4 classes and 3 class TAs. There are two children with 1-1 TAs, but those children choose to be out of the classroom most of the time, and that's part of their EHCPs. So, those TAs not able to be used for other children/support/whatevs.

At the moment it's 3 x classes of 25 children with some very significant and challenging behaviours/learning support required, who have a TA allocated to them each. Then one class of 20 children (18 in the mornings due to them attending SEND base in the school in the mornings), with no TA. This class has behaviour and attainment more within the realms of expected, less extreme - even the SEND base children are fine.

Which would you rather have?

That sounds about normal to me Rule. Are there other options?

You won't be surprised to hear that these mobile testing units create huge workload for the school. No army helpers or NHS admin. All admin staff and random uni students are being roped in.

Regular NC (some of you may spot). Doing an assembly on sexism, sexist comments and consent. Any advice?

What, you mean the school has to staff the MTU piggy??

Another NCer. Two in a row 😂.

@Namechercanged the cup of tea video is always a good basic for consent.

Bleurgh.

We provide F2f education, at considerable Covid risk to ourselves, for all except 8 weeks of the year (and F2F for nearly half our pupils through the lockdown too), and what do we get?

Complaints that children are traumatised by a parent free sports day and a videoed end of year show.

My actual experience is that children are delighted by the tiniest hint of something vaguely special, such as a walk around the local area and are not one whit regretting all these 'life events' they are supposed to have 'lost'.