Covid in Schools

wirelessdude01

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Hey fellow teachers

Just something that has been running through my mind this evening.

During the last week in school, one of my students tested positive for Covid-19.

I won't go into the full details, but on the day the student went for a test, myself and another student in the class had handled the same book at the student who tested positive.

I couldn't swear on it, but I'd be sure that I sanitised my hands afterwards as I do it religiously. Upon learning of the positive diagnosis, I related the full story to my principal.

My principal decided neither I nor the other student were close contacts because we were "probably grand". My principal seemed to be of the view that since specific guidance about the handling of copybooks and taking up work for correction hadn't been given by the govt, that it must be okay to handle them :eek::eek:

While I see where the principal was coming from (there was minimal touching) I'm just wondering that, if we do reopen in January with this 70% more transmissible variant on the loose, should we not be getting updated guidelines from the government?

I know, I know, Covid doesn't exist in schools, lol, But seriously, should we not be asking for updated guidelines from the dept of Ed?

Obviously your principal doesn't subscribe to the 72hr quarantine period for stuff touched by students ehh.

Bananaleaf

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Obviously your principal doesn't subscribe to the 72hr quarantine period for stuff touched by students ehh.

It seems to be very much left up to the discretion of the teacher in our place.

Without going into too much detail here, I wasn't taking something up to correct. I don't take anything up to correct this year - it's all scanned and uploaded to TEAMS. I was confiscating something. Believe me, I'm sorry I did now, but what is done, is done.

My principal is right though. I've read the guidelines and there is no specific guidance about taking stuff up to correct. There should be. We should make them include it. They should have to admit that there are elements to the school environment that are not safe. That document makes it seem like it is pretty much business as usual in schools and in some places, it is!

khalessi

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Hey fellow teachers



I know, I know, Covid doesn't exist in schools, lol, But seriously, should we not be asking for updated guidelines from the dept of Ed?

We should not have to ask. When they published the guidelines it was already acknowledged that it was an airborne infection but they have never updated this info officially, though they did tell us how to open and close windows.

Bananaleaf

khalessi wrote: »

We should not have to ask. When they published the guidelines it was already acknowledged that it was an airborne infection but they have never updated this info officially, though they did tell us how to open and close windows.

And not to rob their (ahem...unsafe) sanitiser

spurious

Closing this for review.

Please. do not throw insults back and forth and remember to report or put trolls on ignore.
Do not engage with them.

TheDriver

opening again with strict warning with no talk about teacher pay/contracts etc. There's a covid forum

wirelessdude01

In a perfect world, what would my fellow teachers like to happen inorder for schools to reopen next week's?

lulublue22

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

In a perfect world, what would my fellow teachers like to happen inorder for schools to reopen next week's?

ideally some form of a hybrid system - 1/2 in 1/2 out not going to happen so I’ll go with

Covid as notifiable in school setting - no more smoke and mirrors
entire class and teacher + any other contacts tested regardless of any pod bubbles nonsense
individual school closures as necessary no more bull**** like claremorris with 10% infection rate
reduction in cleaning grant over turned.

ETA - masks for senior primary children.

km79

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

In a perfect world, what would my fellow teachers like to happen inorder for schools to reopen next week's?

Blended learning to reduce numbers in schools on any given day

khalessi

lulublue22 wrote: »

ideally some form of a hybrid system - 1/2 in 1/2 out not going to happen so I’ll go with

Covid as notifiable in school setting - no more smoke and mirrors
entire class and teacher + any other contacts tested regardless of any pod bubbles nonsense
individual school closures as necessary no more bull**** like claremorris with 10% infection rate
reduction in cleaning grant over turned.

ETA - masks for senior primary children.

This along with proper care of vhr teachers.

Quick turn around testing

No more crap re bubbles and pod pr as it is baloney

More autonomy for schools to close if community levels high because one feeds into the other.

A little respect instead of condescension would be nice and stop patting us on the head with the, teachers are essential workers and then placing them 11th for vaccines. I am saying this as someone who more then likely can't have the vaccine, which breaks my heart a bit.

A Minister who engages with schools and does not think they are there to enable child minding necessities.

That for starters.

km79

Bananaleaf wrote: »

It seems to be very much left up to the discretion of the teacher in our place.

Without going into too much detail here, I wasn't taking something up to correct. I don't take anything up to correct this year - it's all scanned and uploaded to TEAMS. I was confiscating something. Believe me, I'm sorry I did now, but what is done, is done.

My principal is right though. I've read the guidelines and there is no specific guidance about taking stuff up to correct. There should be. We should make them include it. They should have to admit that there are elements to the school environment that are not safe. That document makes it seem like it is pretty much business as usual in schools and in some places, it is!

Your principal is correct
The dept kindly eventually clarified this in their End of Term arrangements circular which was released after most schools exams had concluded and End of term planning was finished because so was the term !

https://assets.gov.ie/101071/58cc26db-2ea6-4820-a5ed-da62586b1214.pdf

“ Teachers are reminded that they can continue to handle copybooks or exam papers completed by the students but there must be a strong emphasis on hand hygiene at all times “

lulublue22

khalessi wrote: »

This along with proper care of vhr teachers.

Quick turn around testing

No more crap re bubbles and pod pr as it is baloney

More autonomy for schools to close if community levels high because one feeds into the other.

A little respect instead of condescension would be nice and stop patting us on the head with the, teachers are essential workers and then placing them 11th for vaccines. I am saying this as someone who more then likely can't have the vaccine, which breaks my heart a bit.

A Minister who engages with schools and does not think they are there to enable child minding necessities.

That for starters.

That GRMMA drove me banana’s - a total condescending patronising clap trap. Also if I have one more of Norma’s ****e thank you / merry x mas emails sent on by the principal I’ll snap Fallen Down style. Grow a backbone Norma and fix the shambles of close contacts in a school setting.

wirelessdude01

lulublue22 wrote: »

That GRMMA drove me banana’s - a total condescending patronising clap trap. Also if I have one more of Norma’s ****e thank you / merry x mas emails sent on by the principal I’ll snap Fallen Down style. Grow a backbone Norma and fix the shambles of close contacts in a school setting.

Your principal should also be able to see through the BS and stop forwarding on that crap. Think our principal sent the first one and heard the reaction to it from staff and hasn't bothered with the others.

lulublue22

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Your principal should also be able to see through the BS and stop forwarding on that crap. Think our principal sent the first one and heard the reaction to it from staff and hasn't bothered with the others.

A similar thought crossed my mind.

khalessi

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Your principal should also be able to see through the BS and stop forwarding on that crap. Think our principal sent the first one and heard the reaction to it from staff and hasn't bothered with the others.

Ours sent it on becuase there is a minority who like that stuff while the rest of us roll our eyes and get on with it.

Will Yam

U.K. has announced that primary schools will open as planned next week, with some very limited exceptions.

Secondary and 3rd level different. As I understand it exam classes go back as planned. Not sure of rest of it.

km79

http://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1344323013421002754

wirelessdude01

Gavan Reilly from Virgin Media reporting that schools won't be reopening until the 11th at the earliest.

wirelessdude01

Will Yam wrote: »

U.K. has announced that primary schools will open as planned next week, with some very limited exceptions.

Secondary and 3rd level different. As I understand it exam classes go back as planned. Not sure of rest of it.

That had been announced last week, they are just confirming no changes to that.

Leftwaffe

Do we have to teach or is it extended holidays??

French Toast

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Gavan Reilly from Virgin Media reporting that schools won't be reopening until the 11th at the earliest.

Interesting development.

wirelessdude01

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

Do we have to teach or is it extended holidays??

I hope they mean that the three days are made up elsewhere.

Tpcl20

NOW PLEASE LET'S GET A SYSTEM OF BLENDED LEARNING IN PLACE???

CAPS NECESSARY BECAUSE I'M SCREAMING THIS

Leftwaffe

Tpcl20 wrote: »

NOW PLEASE LET'S GET A SYSTEM OF BLENDED LEARNING IN PLACE???

CAPS NECESSARY BECAUSE I'M SCREAMING THIS

An extra three days isn’t going to allow that to happen, although you know that.

I think they’ll be closed for longer now.

shesty

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

I hope they mean that the three days are made up elsewhere.

I would let those 3 days go.
They are a very small price to pay if they actually manage to get schools back open by the 11th and keep them going.
I just don't trust that they will.

wirelessdude01

Tpcl20 wrote: »

NOW PLEASE LET'S GET A SYSTEM OF BLENDED LEARNING IN PLACE???

CAPS NECESSARY BECAUSE I'M SCREAMING THIS

Not a hope. All in or all out is their default position.

wirelessdude01

shesty wrote: »

I would let those 3 days go.
They are a very small price to pay if they actually manage to get schools back open by the 11th and keep them going.
I just don't trust that they will.

If they aren't made up can you imagine the media backlash and the rubbish online. Just easier to give them back.

Tpcl20

Those three days really need to be used for teaching staff to be briefed on how to implement blended learning systems in a coherent way. But seeing as the Department hasn't organised this yet, as has been stated, I doubt this will be possible.

Enjoy the extra three days off though, because I'd say they're 100% going to have to be made up elsewhere.

wirelessdude01

Tpcl20 wrote: »

Those three days really need to be used for teaching staff to be briefed on how to implement blended learning systems in a coherent way. But seeing as the Department hasn't organised this yet, as has been stated, I doubt this will be possible.

Enjoy the extra three days off though, because I'd say they're 100% going to have to be made up elsewhere.

Briefed by who? The dept don't care. They've published some words on a page so they can say that box is ticked. Each school has something in place anyway.

jrosen

3 days school but 5 days in total. Hopefully it gives a little more wriggle room.

There is no plans for longer term remote learning. I cant see how schools can remain closed. There has been no roll out of training, no roll out of equipment.