Schools and Covid 19 (part 5) **Mod warnings in OP**

Opening windows is a guideline.

Its not the law.

Sometimes in life its OK to use a bit of common sense.

Close the windows next week. Kids are freezing.

Orla Hegarty has absolutely no relevant qualifications with respect to infectious diseases, immunology or epidemiology.

Agreed!

I am torn , I want my child in school he has missed so much and he needs the extra help he does an extra class to help him along . Home schooling was not great in my house as I have a special needs child as well .. so home school was a nightmare.

He had been well all over Christmas and thank god covid hasn’t hit us yet , but just two days into the new school term and he is chesty and runny noise , he has asthma so he gets infections very easily.

He rarely complains but he was frozen in school yesterday and his teacher said it barely got about 7 in the classroom .. because he now had symptoms of covid it’s back to antigen tests but I know it’s only a heavy cold and his asthma

I honestly don’t think I can bring myself to send him in on Monday . He wants to be in school with his mates so bad

Hi , thanks so much , he is in primary school and just at the moment gets an extra hour a day one on one to help with his math and English. The school in fairness have been excellent and his teacher has set additional home work for him and has adjusted his home schooling work if needed.

It is totally incorrect for him to do so. If predicted grades are announced too early, too many students opt for them and give up working. This will effect them at third level. In the end it is the disadvantaged child that will lose in the long term

Yes, seems completely pointless as well. Why don’t the teachers just turn off the heating? I send my lot in with blankets and hot water bottles. Eventually got the teacher to agree to fingerless gloves for writing, and letting them keep their coats on.

Well its 9 or 10 degrees around here at the moment, not quite soviet levels, but yes I wouldn’t like to be sitting down for it.

what happened to the CO2 monitors in classes btw? They were supposed to be used to show when the windows needed to be opened. Another thing bought, left in a corner and ignored?

What's needed in heating upgrades, install IR heat panels on the celling, they heat the objects in the room aka the kids and not the air. You can have the windows open and still be warm

It might be time to consider radical change to the school year. Open for another month in the summer, and close in January. That would solve part of the heating problem.

Suprrise Surprise the TUI and ASTI coming out against it as per irish times today. I'd say their main problem is if it used again the goverment would find it easier to reform the exams process and introduce a continous assessment model and scrap the traditional leaving cert all together.

I'm against it too, at least in last year's guise anyway. I've the course finished in one of my subjects and will be finished next week in the other. I understand not all subjects will be the same but the changes made to mine are more than adequate.

Stress is a part of life. From the day we are born we have to cope with stress. The actual event of bring born is one of the most stressful that happens to us. We go from a warm environment where all our needs are met to where we need to start to fend for ourselves by sucking a nipple.

This idea that stress is all evil is not a reflection on life

I'd be against predicted grades this year as well.

Can only speak for my subjects but the changes to papers mean my groups could sit the paper now.

Predicted has broken the CAO college application system. 625 not enough to get some courses. Others getting nearly 100 pts more than they would have gotten and ending up on courses they possibly won't be able for

The exam system isnt fair but its better than the free-for-all we've had the last 2 years.

I've a LC kid. Busting arse to do well. But is very nervous of impending dates for certain projects in case she's deemed a close contact, or indeed gets Covid. Or if she gets it in June.

6 teachers from 6 subjects missing today. No online alternative. So it's a study class when courses haven't been completed yet.

The anxiety of needing 600 points for a course that only required 520 or less the year before last is real, no idea if they'll drop to '20 points or not, I suspect not.

I understand that some kids will only take the foot off if PG are brought in now. But surely a blend of PG and marks for exam taken in June might help?

I wonder will points drop to 2020 leveks? I had a LC in 20 too, and while the marking went blaa for some, at least points remained stagnant.

No idea of a solution, but I do believe continuity of the course is not happening, be it teacher or student that is absent due to a close contact or has Covid, it indeed long Covid. It's not level at all this year.

Not every decision requires a double blind scientific study.

Open windows increase the number of air changes, therefore reducing the concentration of airborne droplets. Masks reduce large droplet spread.

This doesn't require a masters in fluid dynamics.

Points are based on supply and demand. If predicted grades don't happen there'll be no grade inflation, therefore points will drop that had been artificially inflated.

There have been significant changes made to courses this year. Is your child aware of how much less needs to be covered? Students aren't the best barometer of how much work needs to be done as they aren't aware of things teachers know such as sections that can double up yo answr two parts of the paper or sections that can be cut out entirely. I have finished the course in one of my subjects and will be finished next week in the other. Normally I don't finish until Easter.

My students are looking for predicted grades but couldn't articulate why when I pointed out that course wise, they are at no disadvantage to previous cohorts.