Post primary return to schools roadmap

am_zarathustra

I've asked to have them removed. Can't keep 70% alcohol in the room, has to be stored in a metal cabinet so I couldn't see how we could keep santiser in the rooms

mtoutlemonde

Statement from ASTI re staff meetings - could you explain the unions position?

Schools should organise staff meetings remotely or in small groups but you can also sit in the gym as long as you are 2m apart.

ASTI secures clarity on staff meetings and group assemblies
26 August 2020

Following representations by ASTI on full year/ group assemblies and staff meetings, the following note is being issued to schools today by the Department of Education.



The re-opening of schools is a key national priority.



As part of the suite of public health measures, limits were placed on gatherings in other settings in order to support the re-opening of schools which by its nature involves significant numbers of staff and students in school buildings.



The public health guidance recommends 2m physical distancing between staff in schools.


When organising staff meetings, school management should make every possible effort to hold them remotely or in small groups while maintaining a 2m distance and to avoid large gatherings including large full school/year group assemblies in one physical space.

jimmytwotimes 2013

Must fill in my "return to work" form. Am i pregnant with high blood pressure? Unlikely....

r93kaey5p2izun

petejmk wrote: »

I might be missing something but cloth face coverings are mentioned and in the following paragraph it reverts to face coverings.

"It is therefore a requirement that teachers, staff and students attending post primary schools wear a face covering when a physical distance of 2m from other staff or students cannot be maintained.

In certain situations the use of clear visors should be considered, for example..."

I suppose it is a bit vague, but they state the requirement to wear a face covering and then move on to the alternative of a visor for certain situations. Also in the press release you had linked it makes an even clearer distinction:

"All SNAs will be required to wear face coverings, or in certain situations clear visors, in the classroom." So clear visors are not considered face coverings in this context.

petejmk

Ophelia Modern Firehouse wrote: »

"It is therefore a requirement that teachers, staff and students attending post primary schools wear a face covering when a physical distance of 2m from other staff or students cannot be maintained.

In certain situations the use of clear visors should be considered, for example..."

I suppose it is a bit vague, but they state the requirement to wear a face covering and then move on to the alternative of a visor for certain situations. Also in the press release you had linked it makes an even clearer distinction:

"All SNAs will be required to wear face coverings, or in certain situations clear visors, in the classroom." So clear visors are not considered face coverings in this context.

I think our back and forth on this only serves to highlight the inadequacies of the guidelines on face coverings/masks/visors.

F5500

Loads of procedure and change of operations to keep students socially distanced in classes.

Will this all be for nothing when they inevitably form the usual flock once they're outside the school gate heading up town for lunch?

Bobtheman

Guidelines seem to be vague on all matters.

mirrorwall14

Curious, does anyone know if there’s a maximum on TY classes generally by the DES? Ours have actually gotten bigger this year, I think 27 per group. Had to put extra tables in the music room for the first time

rainbowtrout

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Curious, does anyone know if there’s a maximum on TY classes generally by the DES? Ours have actually gotten bigger this year, I think 27 per group. Had to put extra tables in the music room for the first time

Not that I'm aware of (was coordinator for 2 years) but we kept to regular class limits: 24 in a practical etc.

mirrorwall14

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Not that I'm aware of (was coordinator for 2 years) but we kept to regular class limits: 24 in a practical etc.

Yeah voice for teachers had someone saying it was 24 max for TY but I can’t remember seeing that anywhere tbh

Alex86Eire

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Curious, does anyone know if there’s a maximum on TY classes generally by the DES? Ours have actually gotten bigger this year, I think 27 per group. Had to put extra tables in the music room for the first time

We always have had 30's in all TY classes.

r93kaey5p2izun

I don't think there are any limits on class size according to DES. There's union directives and that's it.

Treppen

Ophelia Modern Firehouse wrote: »

I don't think there are any limits on class size according to DES. There's union directives and that's it.

Definitely, DES would encourage packing them in and let school/teacher take responsibility if anything happened.

There was some post yesterday and a teacher said they were told by the principal that they were only guidelines and it didn't matter.This is why you need a Union to back you up. This was tried once in our school and the teacher just locked the door and stayed in the staffroom and refused to teach until it got sorted. Never happened again, but I'm sure it will be tried again.

r93kaey5p2izun

Treppen wrote: »

Definitely, DES would encourage packing them in and let school/teacher take responsibility if anything happened.

There was some post yesterday and a teacher said they were told by the principal that they were only guidelines and it didn't matter.This is why you need a Union to back you up. This was tried once in our school and the teacher just locked the door and stayed in the staffroom and refused to teach until it got sorted. Never happened again, but I'm sure it will be tried again.

"They'll never all be in at once" was the management response in my former school when insisting there was no problem with base class groups of 28 timetabled for Science.

rainbowtrout

Treppen wrote: »

Definitely, DES would encourage packing them in and let school/teacher take responsibility if anything happened.

There was some post yesterday and a teacher said they were told by the principal that they were only guidelines and it didn't matter.This is why you need a Union to back you up. This was tried once in our school and the teacher just locked the door and stayed in the staffroom and refused to teach until it got sorted. Never happened again, but I'm sure it will be tried again.

Principal tried to pull a fast one last year. Two classes of TY with 30-31 in each across all of their subject blocks. Uproar from teachers. Blocks of two subjects were swiftly made into blocks of three. Amazing how the hours could be pulled from thin air.

Ophelia Modern Firehouse wrote: »

"They'll never all be in at once" was the management response in my former school when insisting there was no problem with base class groups of 28 timetabled for Science.

Yes, have heard this line too, and staff pushed back to get it sorted. Hasn't happened again.

F5500

Learned today that a student with CF will be returning to school next week. Big decision, I admire their refusal to let life come to a standstill.

Hopefully it all goes well.

khalessi

F5500 wrote: »

Learned today that a student with CF will be returning to school next week. Big decision, I admire their refusal to let life come to a standstill.

Hopefully it all goes well.

Hope it goes well for them, my niece has CF and is going back next week too.

Ectoplasm

Was in today with just 1 year group. Social distance is going to be a fantasy when they are all back in.

School is very organised and the kids were great and making every effort but it's just not practical for 900 kids.

TheValeyard

School has made a great effort to ensure safety. Lot of practical ideas and it's obvious management we're busy. Just not sure it will work with so many people in the building, but we will give it out best shot and see what happens. Definitely preparation in place for a second shutdown.

wirelessdude01

TheValeyard wrote: »

Definitely preparation in place for a second shutdown.

In what way?

Smacruairi

We are live streaming our classes for students who might be at home for covid. This is to kinda train up staff for any closures in the future.

wirelessdude01

Smacruairi wrote: »

We are live streaming our classes for students who might be at home for covid. This is to kinda train up staff for any closures in the future.

How do you and the rest of the staff feel about that?

Did parents have to sign anything?

Alex86Eire

We're getting a load of IT training over the next week in preparation for school closures which is great.

Smacruairi

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

How do and rest of the staff feel about that?

Did parents have to sign anything?

Staff needed a bit of encouragement. It's the camera at the front of your device, and you don't have to use the camera. But we basically don't use the whiteboard now other for projecting, with all notes being on the device and cast up. Means that the students themselves aren't being broadcast.
Parents are happy enough with the idea, can't complain about a live class like.
Sign anything, no, there's no student data being transmitted so,but it's a case of, this is what we are doing so..

wirelessdude01

Smacruairi wrote: »

Staff needed a bit of encouragement. It's the camera at the front of your device, and you don't have to use the camera. But we basically don't use the whiteboard now other for projecting, with all notes being on the device and cast up. Means that the students themselves aren't being broadcast.
Parents are happy enough with the idea, can't complain about a live class like.
Sign anything, no, there's no student data being transmitted so,but it's a case of, this is what we are doing so..

Be interesting to see what happens when Johnny or Mary acts up and has to be disciplined and it's being broadcast.

mirrorwall14

Can you describe the set up? We have no traditional teachers table and barely a metre around the whiteboard in most rooms so while I'd be happy to live stream the class, there's literally nowhere to put the camera? Teachers table is a small square desk against the wall

Our school bus company pulled out too

Smacruairi

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Be interesting to see what happens when Johnny or Mary acts up and has to be disciplined and it's being broadcast.

True, but with masks and screens etc I think the discipline will be a bit easier. I'm secondary so tends not to be that bad, and sure if theyre that bad, down to the overflow room and plug in your headphones (you waster!)

Smacruairi

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Can you describe the set up? We have no traditional teachers table and barely a metre around the whiteboard in most rooms so while I'd be happy to live stream the class, there's literally nowhere to put the camera? Teachers table is a small square desk against the wall

Our school bus company pulled out too

We all have either Ipads or surfacepro, so just turn on microsoft teams and off you go. Cable in wall to overhead projector for class, write on the screen, and then those at home can follow what's written, and also hear what I say. But the ****tiness of thr setup kinda means they can't hear their colleagues in the classroom, especially as we have a perspex screen too which blocks a bit.

It's not ideal, but it's an effort, and means it's not doubling the effort.

That's really **** about the bus. Whats the craic, can you send kids on public transport during the day, or is it only in emergencies.

mirrorwall14

Smacruairi wrote: »

We all have either Ipads or surfacepro, so just turn on microsoft teams and off you go. Cable in wall to overhead projector for class, write on the screen, and then those at home can follow what's written, and also hear what I say. But the ****tiness of thr setup kinda means they can't hear their colleagues in the classroom, especially as we have a perspex screen too which blocks a bit.

It's not ideal, but it's an effort, and means it's not doubling the effort.

But where is the camera? Is the camera on the overhead projector or do you mean you are just aiming the ipad at the screen? Is it on a table or anything?

Smacruairi

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

But where is the camera? Is the camera on the overhead projector or do you mean you are just aiming the ipad at the screen? Is it on a table or anything?

Camera, if used, is just the ipad one, set up on thr desk. Using teams on the ipad,which is streaming, and I'm also projecting that onto the whiteboard for those in the class.