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.'

Back in school four weeks and feel like I am back to normal. 1st week lasted till about 4 before crashing, it's gotten better each week but I paced myself as well.

I have a CO2 monitor, I have 12 (you read that right!) opening windows, monitor always in the green around 400-600 buuuut still managed to get covid (along with 5 other students in one group)

I don't think we've got co2 monitors yet. I certainly haven't seen one if we've had a delivery. We seem to be acting as if covid has gone away 🤷, even though we've still got a background hum of a couple of kids off with covid per class most of the time, and loads of staff have had it since September. One colleague came back after 6 weeks off only to last one week then develop pneumonia, which doctor's have said is probably a result of the covid making her more susceptible to everything else that's going around. (Not helped by discovering she's allergic to the first antibiotic they put her on).

Are you primary Medea, sorry I can’t remember!

DrM is wales different in terms of numbers of monitors and actually recording the readings? Cos RH latter actually creates a record which could be used by unions/public health/a teacher suing/ a head fighting for better ventiatlion …. quite radical, what you’re now getting those Y6s to do!!

*the latter

We had our CO2 monitors last week but I’m not sure where they have been placed. I teach in 6 different rooms and there isn’t one in any of those. I only know they’ve been delivered as an email came out that said not to worry if the alarm sounded, just open a window and let site staff know (presumably to move it to a more ventilated room).

To move it? Not the human beings, mother??

🤷🏻‍♀️

We had our co2 monitors a while ago. I found it was a very delicate balance keeping the readings out of the red without the room temperature dropping below 15 some days!

My room temp is 11 every day. No co2 monitor but I'm hoping levels OK at that temp

Our CO2 monitors arrived today with no warning or excitement, one per classroom. My levels are higher (orange not red) than the classroom next door (identical doors and windows) but I do have more children in. Despite our well ventilated classrooms, we have had 50% of some classes off...

Can I ask secondary colleagues what the current punishment is for an assault on another student that leaves them with concussion, disturbed vision , loose teeth and a hematoma in the eye would be? Unprovoked attack by a student who just doesn't like the other and has been threatening her outside of school for months. Students need to travel on an unmanned bus to and from school.

My dd was a victim and I am unconvinced that the perpertrator is being dealt with sufficiently and am wondering whether involving the police would be better. Hospital advised I do so and sent a safeguarding to school. School are offering me a meeting in a few days. I'd like to be prepared. Year 9

Thanks.

Wow! Exclusion, possibly permanent.

phleb that’s horrific. I’m so sorry. I’m too new a teacher to give advice but I’m sure others will be along soon.

I’d be getting the police involved.

Girl in question has been excluded for a day. A DAY. Whereas dd has been off in pain since Tuesday.
I've said she's not going in till we've had a safeguarding meeting. Does anyone know what the police will do? Work through the school and do some restorative bollocks? Or actually go for conviction.

My school would be telling you to get the police involved as school behaviour policies are not suited to dealing with criminal behaviour.

That sounds horrendous

Was the incident in school?

Yes in the canteen.

My experience as HOY here is the police will tell school to deal with it.... that's an unacceptable sanction. Write to chair of governors?

I think it's a 50:50 call but PX would definitely be in the mix. Otherwise 5 days FTE.

When 2 of my year 11s did something similar last year they were excluded for 2 weeks, then it was Christmas, then lockdown, so there was a long time before they saw their victim again. There was talk of a planned managed move, but that didn't happen because covid.

I hope your DD is ok phleb. Did it happen in school? It must be so traumatic for something like that to happen in a place where you are supposed to be safe. Your poor girl.

Oh, and I'm so sorry this happened. I hope your dd makes a full recovery.

I think the last time we did that it was 15 days. In the end the child was PXed for something else.

@cornercupboard

On day 5 of covid here, and still as exhausted as at the start. Can't imagine a whole day at school where I usually get 10 minutes lunch. Anyone who's had it, how long until you got your energy back?

I think people seem to get better quickly, or don't. If you see what I mean - after around a week/10 days the recovery goes up in jumps of improvement. Day 5 is still quite early days. It's really boring.

Day 9 I felt awful (Friday) - didn't think I'd be going back to work, started to feel nervous about it. Told Head I'd be in.
Day 10 felt a bit better but still exhausted.
Day 11 went for a short walk, for a float at the swimming pool and for a pub lunch - felt LOADS better for moving around a bit and getting fresh air.
Day 12 - went back to work and was a breathless mess all day, actually lay down on my classroom floor at lunchtime
Day 13 - 14 felt better again, took it really easy, left early, went swimming/floating after work etc, lots of sleep.
Day 15 - the day I should have gone back to work! Felt 'fine'.

Still have random days of being knackered, breathless etc now and it's 4 weeks on. I think I'd just be knackered at this point in term anyway.

I got my CO2 monitor today. Exciting.

So sorry to hear that phleb. In your view could the school have prevented this incident? (Not that that’s what you’re asking, I know)

I don't think they could have- it was a surprise. I'd actually told dd that the other girl was all mouth and to ignore it.

It's the bus that concerns me really. No adults on board.