How will schools be able to go back in September? (Continued)

jimmytwotimes 2013

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

Really? A tiny modicum of common sense would be enough to tell you that you shouldn't put 150 people in one room. It hardly needs a guideline.

We've a staff meeting in hall on Friday. 50-ish staff.

Good times

John_Rambo

Adrianna Gigantic Moth wrote: »

Alternatives are not possible in most cases due to unavailability or the cost. Most kids in my area are looked after by grandparents it is by choice in most cases but even if alternatives were wanted they simply aren’t there even pre-Covid. There are one or two childminders all full and a small crèche booked out until 2021 (again pre covid).

Unacceptable. Elderly people are vulnerable to C-19. It can be very dangerous to them.

Adrianna Gigantic Moth wrote: »

See above. The way to keep people safe is to keep the schools closed (along with all the current measures and I would argue much stricter measures are needed again).

Schools need to reopen.

Boggles

Balagan1 wrote: »

I didn't believe it but here it is:

First year students began their first day at St Leo's College in Carlow town with a prayer service in a large assembly hall. The 152 students sat on chairs that had a one-metre distance between them.
The principal of the secondary school said she does not believe the school has been in contravention of government guidelines by gathering 152 students in a hall this morning on their first day back.

Welcoming students to the school, principal Niamh Broderick told them: "We are all in this together".

"We have followed all of the department guidelines. We did everything properly and safely," Ms Broderick told RTÉ News. "They were very well spaced out and sanitised on the way in and on the way out".

"It was very important to bring them together as a year group and all receive the same message, to celebrate with them, as a Catholic school, to emphasise that message to them."
https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0825/1161089-school-workers-unions/

Jesus wept!

MerlinSouthDub

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

Really? A tiny modicum of common sense would be enough to tell you that you shouldn't put 150 people in one room. It hardly needs a guideline.

Proof, if ever needed, that you can be a school principal without possessing a tiny modicum of common sense. And proof too that the education the kids are receiving is not up to par if they, at least the older ones, didn't immediately refuse to attend the assembly.

P.S. Am adding that I did not hear the school principal interviewed on RTE at lunchtime. A lot of people are struggling to mentally keep on an even course in the midst of all this. Any hint in the interview that mental health might be an issue? If so, the Dept of Education and Parents Association needs to spring into action.

Loafing Oaf

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

We've a staff meeting in hall on Friday. 50-ish staff.

Good times

But you'll all be staying at least 5 yards apart and communicating by semaphore, I'm sure...

Gerry Hatrick

Balagan1 wrote: »

I didn't believe it but here it is:

First year students began their first day at St Leo's College in Carlow town with a prayer service in a large assembly hall. The 152 students sat on chairs that had a one-metre distance between them.
The principal of the secondary school said she does not believe the school has been in contravention of government guidelines by gathering 152 students in a hall this morning on their first day back.

Welcoming students to the school, principal Niamh Broderick told them: "We are all in this together".

"We have followed all of the department guidelines. We did everything properly and safely," Ms Broderick told RTÉ News. "They were very well spaced out and sanitised on the way in and on the way out".

"It was very important to bring them together as a year group and all receive the same message, to celebrate with them, as a Catholic school, to emphasise that message to them."
https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0825/1161089-school-workers-unions/

Jesus wept!

This can't be real?

Okay it obviously is but i'm dumbfounded by the sheer stupidity

jimmytwotimes 2013

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

But you'll all be staying at least 5 yards apart and communicating by semaphore, I'm sure...

I'll be very disappointed if I'm not asked to design a poster with some highlighters

Blondini

meeeeh wrote: »

So we will be able to feel a bit less inadequate because the teachers will be dying all around us. So long suckers...

Proud of that?

Outrageous.

eviltwin

Gerry Hatrick wrote: »

This can't be real?

Okay it obviously is but i'm dumbfounded by the sheer stupidity

Wonder what the parents of these 1st years think?

meeeeh

Boggles wrote: »

Really?

Pretty meaty prediction below, which I have asked for a explanation behind your reasoning, which I note hasn't arrived yet.



Listen I am actually an optimist when it comes to the pandemic, but a realist, I based all my opinions on science and what is happening elsewhere.

Forget about schools, and forget over a fifth of population will be put in a situation they have not been in since all this started, forget the 10s of millions of new interactions and movements that will entail.

Given our current trajectory and basing our numbers on what NPHET have said in the past, we are at the very best 6 - 8 weeks from further national restrictions.

The embers are starting to light, what we are doing in then next 2 weeks is dumping a truck load of petrol on them.

I said in April dumping the kids back in school come September will be the "plan" where the plan should have been how to keep the schools open in November / December/ January.

Again I am being super optimistic with the time line, I give it to mid November.

That's my honest opinion, feel free to book mark it and we will revisit when the time comes if you like.

You know what you can bookmark my post and discuss it in November.

meeeeh

Blondini wrote: »

Proud of that?

Outrageous.

So you can dish insults and then you get offended when someone replies with the same type of nonsense. Don't tell me you are actually dealing with children? If so you might want to take corona holiday for their sake.

History Queen

eviltwin wrote: »

Just seen a school that had an assembly for 150 first years in their hall. I thought under current guidelines that this would not be allowed or are school events exempt? Anyone know?

Our school is planning yea rgroup assemblies on return as are all the schools in the ETB I work in. There will be 3 year groups in the canteen together every day at break and lunchtime. Our staff of 70ish will all be together in the pe hall on the first day back for a staffmeeting.

Afaik (based on talking to friends in other schools) most post primary schools will do similar.

eviltwin

History Queen wrote: »

Our school is planning yea rgroup assemblies on return as are all the schools in the ETB I work in. There will be 3 year groups in the canteen together every day at break and lunchtime. Our staff of 70ish will all be together in the pe hall on the first day back for a staffmeeting.

Afaik (based on talking to friends in other schools) most post primary schools will do similar.

So the school can pretty much do what it likes ? I guess parents won’t be consulted either. This is ridiculous, what is the point of limits if they are just ignored.

jimmytwotimes 2013

eviltwin wrote: »

So the school can pretty much do what it likes ? I guess parents won’t be consulted either. This is ridiculous, what is the point of limits if they are just ignored.

Principals want to hold court with their staffs. It's 'essential'

vid36

History Queen wrote: »

Our school is planning yea rgroup assemblies on return as are all the schools in the ETB I work in. There will be 3 year groups in the canteen together every day at break and lunchtime. Our staff of 70ish will all be together in the pe hall on the first day back for a staffmeeting.

Afaik (based on talking to friends in other schools) most post primary schools will do similar.

It shows why we need detailed guidelines about these situations and not mixed messages. If the message from the authorities is that schools are very safe then it natural, principals are going to revert back to previous routines.
Never assume common sense in life, makes all guidelines explicit.

PCros

Boggles wrote: »

If you don't want to or can't it's fine, but you are pretty forthright in your opinions on here, I just want to establish if that is just pure Bravado or there is actual science behind it.

Look all I'm saying is that I don't think it will be as bad as you are making it out - we can revisit in a month.

You cannot compare Ireland to Israel, indeed similar class sizes and back at once but there were plenty of other factors at play.

History Queen

History Queen wrote: »

Our school is planning yea rgroup assemblies on return as are all the schools in the ETB I work in. There will be 3 year groups in the canteen together every day at break and lunchtime. Our staff of 70ish will all be together in the pe hall on the first day back for a staffmeeting.

Afaik (based on talking to friends in other schools) most post primary schools will do similar.

Time has come to reinstate the most recent Minister for Agriculture. We have gone down the rabbit hole. Poor kids, poor teachers, poor everybody.

seamus

hotmail.com wrote: »

The school in Carlow brought 150 people into a room for a prayer service.

Is that principal a complete idiot?

It's hard to tell if people are more annoyed about the praying or the 150 people in the room

I imagine the thought process here was that they do a welcome ceremony every year for first years, and they came up with a way that they could do it without breaching the guidelines.

The idea that they could just abandon the welcome ceremony for this year (it's not that important) was apparently not considered.

Many secondary schools are doing their orientation this week. I wonder how many are seeing this and having an emergency rethink

Blondini

meeeeh wrote: »

So you can dish insults and then you get offended when someone replies with the same type of nonsense. Don't tell me you are actually dealing with children? If so you might want to take corona holiday for their sake.

Personal insults. The sign of a jaded argument.

History Queen

eviltwin wrote: »

So the school can pretty much do what it likes ? I guess parents won’t be consulted either. This is ridiculous, what is the point of limits if they are just ignored.

Current limits don't apply to schools ie. my classroom will have between 25 and 31 people in it on a daily basis at less than 2m apart. Masks will be worn by everyone.

Year group assemblies will be socially distanced at 2m apart as will the staff meeting. I've sent email to principal to check this complies with school guidance (i briefly checked document myself and can't find a mention of assemblies) but haven't got a response yet.

mirrorwall14

History Queen wrote: »

Our school is planning yea rgroup assemblies on return as are all the schools in the ETB I work in. There will be 3 year groups in the canteen together every day at break and lunchtime. Our staff of 70ish will all be together in the pe hall on the first day back for a staffmeeting.

Afaik (based on talking to friends in other schools) most post primary schools will do similar.

What the actual ****? Why? Is no one speaking up? That’s completely mental.

Can you imagine if one of the local meat factories in Kildare had been found to hold a staff meeting with 70 people in the same space? They’d be hung from the rafters. Why would school be any different.

I will be attending no meeting that’s only 1m distanced

Charles Babbage

In this assembly thing someone needs a bollocking, either the people who drew up the regulations that allowed this (or specifically exempted schools from the general regulations) or the headmasters or both.
I think both, as regulations are never going to cover everything. The bottom line in these times is do not have crowds that you do not need and these events are not needed, as students will be in classrooms and any matters can be attended to there.
Someone needs to say this is not acceptable tomorrow or later in the week.

History Queen

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

What the actual ****? Why? Is no one speaking up? That’s completely mental.

Can you imagine if one of the local meat factories in Kildare had been found to hold a staff meeting with 70 people in the same space? They’d be hung from the rafters. Why would school be any different.

I will be attending no meeting that’s only 1m distanced

meeting will be 2m apart. I know other members of staff have raised concerns. We haven't had a response yet

eviltwin

History Queen wrote: »

Current limits don't apply to schools ie. my classroom will have between 25 and 31 people in it on a daily basis at less than 2m apart. Masks will be worn by everyone.

Year group assemblies will be socially distanced at 2m apart as will the staff meeting. I've sent email to principal to check this complies with school guidance (i briefly checked document myself and can't find a mention of assemblies) but haven't got a response yet.

I’m really shocked by that. I assumed, like others I’m sure, that guidelines would be observed in schools.

jimmytwotimes 2013

History Queen wrote: »

Our school is planning yea rgroup assemblies on return as are all the schools in the ETB I work in. There will be 3 year groups in the canteen together every day at break and lunchtime. Our staff of 70ish will all be together in the pe hall on the first day back for a staffmeeting.

Afaik (based on talking to friends in other schools) most post primary schools will do similar.

We're doing the exact same. Also ETB

I'm curious to see how we're going to serve 300 juniors in the canteen during their 15 mins break.

meeeeh

eviltwin wrote: »

So the school can pretty much do what it likes ? I guess parents won’t be consulted either. This is ridiculous, what is the point of limits if they are just ignored.

My kids primary school is staggering starting times, break times and using separate entrances so I'm pretty sure they will not be together in school hall.

History Queen

eviltwin wrote: »

I’m really shocked by that. I assumed, like others I’m sure, that guidelines would be observed in schools.

i think thats the issue, the general public are assuming the same rules will apply to schools (and I can understand why)when it simply isn't the case.

khalessi

History Queen wrote: »

Our school is planning yea rgroup assemblies on return as are all the schools in the ETB I work in. There will be 3 year groups in the canteen together every day at break and lunchtime. Our staff of 70ish will all be together in the pe hall on the first day back for a staffmeeting.

Afaik (based on talking to friends in other schools) most post primary schools will do similar.

I am stunned. Height of stupidity, I wonder was it mentioned to parents beforehand. And 70 staff goes over the 50 directive, doesn't it?

History Queen

meeeeh wrote: »

My primary school is staggering starting times, break times and using separate entrances so I'm pretty sure they will not be together in school hall.

Our year groups will all have separate assemblies. You're talking 120+ students per group.

Boggles

eviltwin wrote: »

I’m really shocked by that. I assumed, like others I’m sure, that guidelines would be observed in schools.

Humans under 19 are biological different to other humans, so are school staff.

Only the odd school will have a Covid outbreak, no need for public health guidance in those crowded areas.

Shure it will be grand.

We will be longing for the day when our main problem was Philly Hogan visiting every county in Ireland and guzzling pre golf pints with 81 others.