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

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.

our lad has his first vaccine his brother has a poor immune system so basically any help in protecting his brother is good for us and he was happy enough to get it .. but I told him not to discuss it in school as it wasn’t anyone else’s business and I also explained not all his friends will get it and better off not discussing the vaccine at all .. i presumed all parents Would have had that discussion.

I agree the teacher should be the first port of call as it needs to be knocked on the head , you definitely don’t want two groups of kids pitted against each other over a vaccine.

Schools should have a firm stance that kids don’t discuss it and that it should remain private..

Presumably it could work both ways, those who got vaccinated could be isolated also

Forces now lining up on either side of the LC argument

I wouldn't call the changes significant tbh. But that perhaps could be just my kids courses. She's got 3 project courses where allocation of time is given in class, if teacher or pupil is out, time cannot be made up for it.

Ordinarily, she'd be grand with sitting the exam. The fact that if she contracted Covid, she cannot attend school. If it was a cold or a regular sore throat, a load of paracetamol, and off you go. Now, bearing in mind, perhaps guidelines will be different by then and you'll be able to go about your business with Covid positive. And yes, she aware that should be struck down aside of covid. But with the long lead up, it doesn't help the anxiety.

Course that she wanted was 520 before '21 results, now looking at 585. (Or thereabouts). You think they'll drop back to their original spot this year?

Approx 20-25% lesscontent needs to be covered for history. Less content needs to be covered for English. If I were out for the next two weeks all my students would miss is revision. If you don't know what stage of the course the various teachers are at you can't say how much is being missed and whether there is time to make it up. The changes made are not just about choice. Less material needs to be covered. I'd encourage your daughter to speak to her teachers to gauge where they are course wise. It may assuage her fears, at least in some subjects.

Yes

Edit: students still finishing their projects but just writing final drafts

In my son's secondary school classroom, he says the monitor is constantly red despite windows and doors open.

It's a very small classroom he says.

Teachers say nothing they can do about it, guess they can't really!

When they go into the spacious science lab, it's constantly green.

How do you know what is going to be covered, or not, in the exam?

Does anyone know what they are classing as close contacts in post-primary school? Daughter's friend tested positive today. They get the train together, sit beside each other, eat lunch together and are pretty much joined at the hip. (Both are fairly good at mask wearing etc, but would be unmasked for lunch etc). I know they have a fairly limited approach to close contacts, but she should be counted as one, right? (Just trying to figure out if I need to make plans/cancel various things).