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.

rose that is absolutely horrific. That poor kid. I hope you manage to relax this evening.

Our plan is to write to parents for consent today, then to test year groups at a time in lesson time with teachers supervising. In computer rooms.
Bob is delighted that I'm going to poke him in the nose. He doesn't realise I'm not doing the test 🤷‍♀️

@MrsHamlet

Our plan is to write to parents for consent today, then to test year groups at a time in lesson time with teachers supervising. In computer rooms. Bob is delighted that I'm going to poke him in the nose. He doesn't realise I'm not doing the test 🤷‍♀️

That sounds similar to what little the head has said about our plan. He wants to avoid lesson time though 🤷

We can't do it without lessons because they need computer access. We have 5 computer rooms and 7 forms in each year so it's another logistical nightmare. Where are the soldiers we were promised??

Ah, we've got 8 forms in each year and 8 computer rooms, so we can do one yeargroup at form time, another at break, and a third at lunch. That's his plan I believe.

But I too am wondering where the soldiers are. It's just another logistical nightmare that schools and teachers are supposed to sort out. And we will, because we've been told to and we generally get on and do what we're told (with a bit of moaning).

< Staggers in late to the party but bearing fizz and implausibly-delicious-yet-still-somehow-low-carb cake > (Yes, I'm back on the low-carb wagon again).

Rose - how awful. Hope you can relax this evening and that the victim is doing ok

We break up on 23rd July and go back on 1st September (I think - it might be the 2nd). October half term is still one week.

Happy Birthday to the summer solstice birthday girls

Why don't MN have a fizz thingy?

Nights are drawing in then...

@noblegiraffe

Nights are drawing in then...

Daddy, my daddy 😂

Love that film

Don’t, we’ll all be in tears what with the alcohol and everything!

We finish on the 16th (officially 21st but we’ve done the rest as twilights and directed self study) and are back on the 1st September.

First positive cases in a while this weekend too. You can see on the map the delta variant getting closer to our area.

Sooo..
Lft was negative this am.
But this pm and evening I've developed an annoying cough that could poss be my asthma but that hasnt cleared with lots (and lots) of Inhaler.

I need a pcr dont I?

My ht just asked whether my lft had been negative this am when I told them I think I needed a test.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-57552387.amp

If only they’d do that in England!

Hope the birthday ladies had a fab day and that there was cake!

@Appuskidu

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-57552387.amp

If only they’d do that in England!

Hope the birthday ladies had a fab day and that there was cake!

Until you find out schools can volunteer to be inspected in the spring term and my HT has every intention of doing so!

Happy birthdays! 🍸

Anyone else so knackered they are secretly hoping that schools will shut a week early? Not going to happen I know, but the kids are bloody knackered and nowty with 3 weeks to go, 💐to those with 4 to go!

I'm not even secret about that.

Anyone else so knackered they are secretly hoping that schools will shut a week early

I’m wondering if parents will keep kids off for the last 1 week of term. If kids have to isolate because of a case in school it buggers up holiday plans.

Mind you I bet loads of parents will ignore any requirement to isolate their kids once term finished.

Happy birthdays to all those upthread. 🎂 🍾

Here it's the last week before the winter fortnight's break, and not a moment too soon. The two-week lockdown was inevitably disruptive, and so many of the pupils have behaved as the holiday began the moment they got back.

Our thoughts go to the other side of the globe, @echt

Effects on schools in Oldham and elsewhere in NW: local council leaders call for testing instead of isolating so children don’t miss any more school!

Also they ask the very pertinent question, what’s the plan for September?

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/schools-covid-cases-pupils-isolating-20864881?fbclid=IwAR2zMFdkkf-VpdHlm1R6weSVWMFlZdg7aOBwxX1DZWSLVFx366qlmf9FjmY

Oh god they’ve followed up the ‘no institutional racism in education report’ with a ‘white kids have it the worst’ report.

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jun/21/tory-mps-accused-of-adding-fuel-to-culture-war-in-education-report

I cannot see this being helpful in any way.

Rose . Hope you're ok. Something similar happened locally some time ago, it shocks the whole community.

I've marked all of my Y12 tests tonight, and only 20 reports to go. My cat has not come back from his evening jaunt and I'm waiting up for him (and getting worried as usual).