Schools closed until March/April? (part 4) **Mod warning in OP 22/01**

Stateofyou

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

And then, we have parents complaining that the windows are open. To be fair , the children closest are probably really frozen , but with the infamous “pods” they are stuck there for weeks.

I mean it's not ideal but frozen vs more likely to catch covid?! You can always add more layers, can't reverse catching covid. :-s

deliege

Stateofyou wrote: »

Yikes....

We've been homeschooling since September (we were hoping for remote learning option which didn't happen), in good part because of the silliness of the plans for keeping schools "safe". We've kept in touch with the school though and got *some* support since January (at least the weekly email, not much else, but that's another story and probably more to do with some of the persons involved). So we get all the information regarding the reopening too. Guess what? It seems to be still mainly about handwashing these days :rolleyes:

wirelessdude01

deliege wrote: »

We've been homeschooling since September (we were hoping for remote learning option which didn't happen), in good part because of the silliness of the plans for keeping schools "safe". We've kept in touch with the school though and got *some* support since January (at least the weekly email, not much else, but that's another story and probably more to do with some of the persons involved). So we get all the information regarding the reopening too. Guess what? It seems to be still mainly about handwashing these days :rolleyes:

Also don't forget the crossing of the toes and fingers, some prayers to the wee baby Jesus and of course the obligatory head in the sand which, sees no evil, hears no evil.

Stateofyou

deliege wrote: »

We've been homeschooling since September (we were hoping for remote learning option which didn't happen), in good part because of the silliness of the plans for keeping schools "safe". We've kept in touch with the school though and got *some* support since January (at least the weekly email, not much else, but that's another story and probably more to do with some of the persons involved). So we get all the information regarding the reopening too. Guess what? It seems to be still mainly about handwashing these days :rolleyes:

Yeah, I'm hoping it's possible to get some support here too, if only maths and Irish then I'm happy enough.
It's a disgrace though, and I always have those who are at high risk at the top of my mind. They must find it so stressful and hard going. We're not, we just don't want to play roulette with our health. I respect others comfort or not with the risk, this is just how we feel.

jimmytwotimes 2013

Stateofyou wrote: »

Exactly.... this whole plan is a shít show farce and NF should be ashamed of the piss poor job being done.

Excuse you, she's gonna be Taoiseach

Stateofyou

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Excuse you, she's gonna be Taoiseach

Nothing surprises me anymore

hesaidshesaid

Stateofyou wrote: »

Yeah, I'm hoping it's possible to get some support here too, if only maths and Irish then I'm happy enough.
It's a disgrace though, and I always have those who are at high risk at the top of my mind. They must find it so stressful and hard going. We're not, we just don't want to play roulette with our health. I respect others comfort or not with the risk, this is just how we feel.

You should try to get your hands on the documents sent by the DES to schools re. Phased Return before talking to the principal. Maybe someone can link/copy them here. Basically most of the things you will be looking for are out of the school’s decision remit. The DES says when the windows should be open (whenever the kids are not in the room), whether kids who stay home by choice can be given any support by their teacher (no) etc etc. In very many ways principals and teachers are just puppets on Norma’s strings here. What did khalessi call her? NoFo. I liked that one. Lots of No’s from her.

Stateofyou

hesaidshesaid wrote: »

You should try to get your hands on the documents sent by the DES to schools re. Phased Return before talking to the principal. Maybe someone can link/copy them here. Basically most of the things you will be looking for are out of the school’s decision remit. The DES says when the windows should be open (whenever the kids are not in the room), whether kids who stay home by choice can be given any support by their teacher (no) etc etc. In very many ways principals and teachers are just puppets on Norma’s strings here. What did khalessi call her? NoFo. I liked that one. Lots of No’s from her.

Ah yeah, I know that's the way it is, more or less realise I'm just chancing my arm. In reality unless cases drop dramatically in the next week or a miraculous mask mandate is brought in or the windows flung open full time, the kids are staying out for now. We're feeling upset about it tbh, but we never end up deciding differently every time we talk it through.

Ha NoFo is brilliant, using that from now on :pac:

TonyMaloney

Stateofyou wrote: »

Ah yeah, I know that's the way it is, more or less realise I'm just chancing my arm. In reality unless cases drop dramatically in the next week or a miraculous mask mandate is brought in or the windows flung open full time, the kids are staying out for now. We're feeling upset about it tbh, but we never end up deciding differently every time we talk it through.

Ha NoFo is brilliant, using that from now on :pac:

England are graciously sending all first, second and third level students back on the 8th so that the world might once again learn from their mishaps.

I'm not suggesting anything to anyone, but if I had a school aged kid I'd probably be looking to England around the 18th to the 24th of March before making my mind up about sending him or her back.

Stateofyou

TonyMaloney wrote: »

England are graciously sending all first, second and third level students back on the 8th so that the world might once again learn from their mishaps.

I'm not suggesting anything to anyone, but if I had a school aged kid I'd probably be looking to England around the 18th to the 24th of March before making my mind up about sending him or her back.

This is it Tony, we definitely want to keep an eye on how things go especially with regards to the new variant and cases still high-and no new safety measures in place.

It's crazy they're not phasing the students there, is that on recommendation from SAGE or has BoJo struck again? (I could get used to these nicknames :pac:)

TonyMaloney

Stateofyou wrote: »

This is it Tony, we definitely want to keep an eye on how things go especially with regards to the new variant and cases still high-and no new safety measures in place.

It's crazy they're not phasing the students there, is that on recommendation from SAGE or has BoJo struck again? (I could get used to these nicknames :pac:)

It's nuts. They've gotten away with murder because of their early success on the vaccine front, and they're risking it all on reopening very quickly.

It certainly wasn't a unanimous call from SAGE and the UK gov. Several SAGE members have spoken out against the plan.

It's just a big irresponsible gamble.

km79

3rd level . What’s that ?
We have only been offering the equivalent of open university since last March. And not a word about it .........Minister Harris would want to start looking after his own portfolio ! They would want to have some kind of a plan for September .
Complete deriliction of duties . 3rd level students have been abandoned imo

Rant over !

SusanC10

We have decided to keep our Primary School child at home until after Easter. 5th Class.
We know that there won't be any support and that is ok. Talked to the Class Teacher today and flagged it. Asked if they could let us know any new Novels they will be reading so we can buy them online. And we will access the online Homework but that is it.
We will see how it goes.

Locotastic

km79 wrote: »

3rd level . What’s that ?
We have only been offering the equivalent of open university since last March. And not a word about it .........Minister Harris would want to start looking after his own portfolio ! They would want to have some kind of a plan for September .
Complete deriliction of duties . 3rd level students have been abandoned imo

Rant over !

Completely agree, not a word or whisper. 12 months now and no sign of anything at all happening there.

Students in local college still expected to source work placements with no support or help from the college. Unbelievable, totally abandoned.

Warbeastrior

penny piper wrote:

That's still happening in secondary schools regarding ventilation ....where a teacher can go into a room and the windows have been closed by someone ....you are lucky that atleast your school seems to have windows to open... and not just relying on a door to open....

Yup.
SNA with LCAs and they close the windows every time they are opened saying they are "Too cold".

The teacher gives in for an easy life as it causes an argument if they push it.

Makes me feel very uneasy having to work in a room without proper ventilation then.

Benimar

Locotastic wrote: »

Completely agree, not a word or whisper. 12 months now and no sign of anything at all happening there.

Students in local college still expected to source work placements with no support or help from the college. Unbelievable, totally abandoned.

That’s an individual college abdicating responsibility. Our Work Placement office has been open the whole time and we have placed a large number of students. Numbers are slightly down as you might expect but students are getting the same level of assistance, albeit online.

am_zarathustra

Warbeastrior wrote: »

Yup.
SNA with LCAs and they close the windows every time they are opened saying they are "Too cold".

The teacher gives in for an easy life as it causes an argument if they push it.

Makes me feel very uneasy having to work in a room without proper ventilation then.

Have you reported it to your LWR or management? I'd recommend doing it in writing too, by email preferably as it creates a clear trail

Locotastic

Benimar wrote: »

That’s an individual college abdicating responsibility. Our Work Placement office has been open the whole time and we have placed a large number of students. Numbers are slightly down as you might expect but students are getting the same level of assistance, albeit online.

What happens if a student can't secure a placement? Is there contingency for this?

It's difficult for them given that companies who would usually welcome this arrangement might be working from home or not wanting to add another person to their premises at the moment.

solerina

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Apparently, according to Norma from all those spare staff not teaching classes? Y’know, the ones we store in presses.

That’s the bit I don’t get, my colleague who is very high risk has been off work since September and she is doing nothing, she wasn’t even back teaching since a Christmas when all classes were online, her sub continued to teach the class.
I can’t understand why high risk teachers can’t be used to teach students who must stay home !!

Hold My Hand

Really happy to be back with my class. The good weather is helping big time and we’re getting plenty of fresh air and exercise during the day. Was on yard duty yesterday and there were lots of cars beeping as they passed a happy playground. Hope it’s going well for everyone

Benimar

Locotastic wrote: »

What happens if a student can't secure a placement? Is there contingency for this?

It's difficult for them given that companies who would usually welcome this arrangement might be working from home or not wanting to add another person to their premises at the moment.

Yes, there are 5 options (despite it being called work placement). Obviously study abroad isn’t running, but there are two internal projects (start up business type of thing) they can be part of. They is also an option to just take additional modules for the semester.

byhookorbycrook

SusanC10 wrote: »

We have decided to keep our Primary School child at home until after Easter. 5th Class.
We know that there won't be any support and that is ok. Talked to the Class Teacher today and flagged it. Asked if they could let us know any new Novels they will be reading so we can buy them online. And we will access the online Homework but that is it.
We will see how it goes.

You should be able to get the Novel through Borrowbox from your local library .
If you know the maths topic , there are loads of super games online on the likes of maths salamander, topmarks etc. Try and get in a bit of Irish if you can. Realistically, between now and the Easter holidays, it will be settling children back in and reviewing work done online , in most schools .

hesaidshesaid

SusanC10 wrote: »

We have decided to keep our Primary School child at home until after Easter. 5th Class.
We know that there won't be any support and that is ok. Talked to the Class Teacher today and flagged it. Asked if they could let us know any new Novels they will be reading so we can buy them online. And we will access the online Homework but that is it.
We will see how it goes.

If you need any help with homeschooling, there are teachers available on this thread;

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058147773

Icyseanfitz

Wonder will the kids from the families attending all these anti lockdown protests be in school Monday....

Locotastic

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

Wonder will the kids from the families attending all these anti lockdown protests be in school Monday....

It's not like you can control what kids (or their families) do outside of school, never could. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Icyseanfitz

Locotastic wrote: »

It's not like you can control what kids (or their families) do outside of school, never could. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I do worry about it, it has the potential to effect my and many other families health.

Was referring more to the adults attending these protests and then expecting schools to happily accept their children back on Monday.

Darwin

Benimar wrote: »

That’s an individual college abdicating responsibility. Our Work Placement office has been open the whole time and we have placed a large number of students. Numbers are slightly down as you might expect but students are getting the same level of assistance, albeit online.

Same in our place - work placement going full tilt and also support from careers office. I personally have never worked so hard either supporting my students online after hours and including weekends. There are efforts underway to get a partial return to campus before Easter.

Locotastic

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

I do worry about it, it has the potential to effect my and many other families health.

Was referring more to the adults attending these protests and then expecting schools to happily accept their children back on Monday.

The schools won't know, same as when people were travelling back into the country and sending kids straight into school. Or waiting for a sibling to get test results while sending the rest of the kids into school.

There will always be selfish gobs**tes, don't lose sleep over them because they sure aren't worrying. Luckily they are the minority and most people behave responsibly.

Dickie10

anyone elses school making teachers go in all day every day, even if they dont have 6th years?
i have anecdotely heard this happening,

hesaidshesaid

Locotastic wrote: »

The schools won't know, same as when people were travelling back into the country and sending kids straight into school. Or waiting for a sibling to get test results while sending the rest of the kids into school.

There will always be selfish gobs**tes, don't lose sleep over them because they sure aren't worrying. Luckily they are the minority and most people behave responsibly.

In a local school last week, a junior infant who had been tested was sent to school. Subsequently, the child’s test result came back positive. Now the entire class, the teacher and 2 SNAs are being tested and are out for two weeks. This is what schools are up against.

It’s easy to say ‘don’t lose sleep’ over parents who make decisions like these. There have always been selfish gob****es, as you say. However, now their actions have far-reaching consequences, particularly in school settings.

Most primary classes have 28+ kids. It only takes one family making bad decisions, or just getting unlucky, to set off the domino effect in schools. Most families have a few kids in the same school which means multiple classes can very easily be affected.

We need schools open, kids learning and socialising, teachers teaching. As you say, we can do very little about those who put their own convenience ahead of the safety of others. But this ongoing bull**** of just wash your hands, open the windows, you’ll be grand is very unlikely to get us through until the end of June. The DES should be doing literally everything in its power to improve safety measures to avoid multiple class/school closures. Nothing of any value has changed.