Sixty-Eighth Republic - still under temporary guardianship…

[MrsHerculePoirot]

In the absence of staff and her fabulous thread titles and witty openers here is a 68th thread. The broom cupboard is overflowing so time for another Republic. Hopefully we hear from staff soon.

Stolen from previous threads…
'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.'

It's just odd how one school expected me to see every single parent and another never gave enough time to see them all. I realise it's totally different for secondary, just giving my experience!

One of my colleagues teaches 200 of our 230 year 7. Don't think she'll manage that in one evening 😂

[quote JaffavsCookie]@KatherineofGaunt that is fine if you teach 30 kids, I teach 300 a week. A couple of year groups I only have one class so I can see them all, just, over a 32 slot parent evening.
All other 5 year groups I have 2 classes so simply cannot fit them all in.
I do 8 x parents eve ( 2 for y13) 2x open eves already all late, plus extra curricular late nights often
Not keen to add on extra nights where I stay so fit in the fact that my timetable is beyond bursting[/quote]
Oh yes, at secondary it does feel that it’s a never ending cycle of late evenings. I teach all years (apart from 12) so that’s 6 parents evenings and then a tutor evening. Obviously then have open evening (main and 6th form), GCSE presentation evening, Alevel presentation evening, options evening (which is ‘fun’ as a core teacher - no option here folks), House Arts evening and those are just our ‘directed’ ones. Sometimes I feel I may as well sleep at school 😆

My DCs parents ‘evening’ runs from 3.45- 5.15 across one school week twice a year. Needless to say DH and I can never attend. When DD was infants there they used to run from 3.45-8pm two nights per year. It was changed to be more convenient for parents. Not for teacher parents!

@MrsHamlet

One of my colleagues teaches 200 of our 230 year 7. Don't think she'll manage that in one evening 😂

Multiple zoom meetings 😆

I taught my last class today. That is my class. It was lovely, very low-key and getting them ready for the new year next week. By showing them some, ahem, relevant Simpsons episodes.:o

I'll be covering absences for the next fortnight, as I have no timetable, and the new academic year begins on Monday.

The last week is admin, when pupils can come in if they want to, though no lessons are run. I don't know how the school gets away with it, but it's always been like that. I'll clear my desk, then formal farewells on that last day.

What a moment echt! Not long now

Well done, Echt. Big moment.

And fascinating to hear about your education system. I have rellies at school in Aus.

The last week is admin, when pupils can come in if they want to, though no lessons are run. I don't know how the school gets away with it, but it's always been like that. I'll clear my desk, then formal farewells on that last day.

That sounds like such a good idea

Enjoy your last few weeks!

That wasn’t meant to be a winking face-I don’t think I’m awake yet!

The admin week is a great idea. While it permits some time-wasting meetings, staff can still take a breath and organise for the real stuff. I won't have to do it this year of course, but heartily appreciated it th e whole time I've taught here.

So civilised.

What I haven't said is how Covid is kicking off big-time (by Vic standards, by which I mean three-hour queues for testing) now most restrictions have been lifted. Just hoping to get out without it.🤞

Can I ask a testing question please? We are starting to get quite a few cases in my Primary school, for the first time. So, if a child in my class tests positive, I go for a PCR. If another child tests positive the next day, do I go for another PCR and so on? If I, and the Teacher, and the part time TA and all the children in my class, and all their siblings, and all the children in other classes in the same situation do this, there's not going to be enough tests, surely. That's not to mention all the other schools in the same area, who are presumably in the same situation.

I have to say, I'll obviously check with the Head, and official sources (I'm off with a non-covid virus at the moment), but I wondered what others do in this situation.

Ive had several mods test positive in my class in Oct and only once was I contacted by t&t and advised to get a test.

And not at all in Nov when I then went on the catch it, presumably from contact in school.

I've not been contacted by test and trace, this advice is coming from school.

I suppose all you can do is test every few days? Are you using LFTs, in some cases they are better at picking up positives, so if you did one every day that might be better?

Ffs...how is it we are still having to explain that NO, your child, who has tested positive, cannot come back earlier than the 10 day isolation just because they are feeling better today.

Thanks JanglyBeads I normally do LFT twice a week, so can do daily instead, I'm sure they'll have some spare tests at school.

😔 drM

We had a spate of kids coming back in early from their isolation, until we sent them back home again, of course.

The first child in my class was tested as a contact. When it was positive, his mum said, "well he'll be able to come back on Monday, because the cough he had last all week must have been covid after all!"

The first child in my class was tested as a contact. When it was positive, his mum said, "well he'll be able to come back on Monday, because the cough he had last all week must have been covid after all

I had one in yesterday. He is marked X on the register. I queried it as he was in line up. Period 2 it is finally confirmed he had a positive Covid test result the night before and is finally sent home.

Sounds very familiar...

I wondered what other primary teachers were doing about PCRs. Sounds silly but didn't even occur to me to get one when children in my class tested positive, wasn't until I was put down as a contact for a member of staff that I went for one. Was doing LFTs daily. My class now has no cases, but there are a couple of big outbreaks (50% ish of the class) in our school. Seems to be staying within classes but obviously some spreading with siblings. I'm hoping that the dribble of cases I had for a few weeks after half term means mine have enough general immunity not to have a bigger outbreak. And that I've been exposed to it enough that if I were going to get it, I would have. Might be wishful thinking though...

We've also had kids come in with coughs (then "oh sorry, I can't come pick him up as I have covid"), while waiting for (positive) PCRs (I know it's allowed if theyre not symptomatic but if their whole household and friendship group has covid, maybe keep them at home for an extra half day!), not getting tested etc etc. Lots of "symptoms" starting long before being tested to reduce isolation period.

AFallingStar I get a PCR if I have been working closely with that particular child - but not for each child that tests positive in the class. We're "lucky" enough to be able to keep the door open in our Primary - but this is obviously getting increasingly difficult!

That reasoning is what started the PCR-ing in our year group, found the staff case. Turns out the child the adult tested because of didn't have covid, just a random temperature, but half the rest of the class did!

I have my windows open (have some... windy children this year so also for that reason) but I'm not doing door to the outside at the moment, the draft was very distracting last year - they had to leave something heavy on any sheets etc and my displays fluttered.