Covid in Schools

History Queen

amacca wrote: »

The chicken fillet roll one

Dont know if that was a teacher or student getting slammed to the ground, looked like a teacher

First year student assaulted by a third year student according to this

https://theliberal.ie/footage-goes-viral-of-3rd-year-boy-slamming-1st-year-girl-to-the-ground-in-co-louth-school/

deiseindublin

Jesus, really hope that's a mannequin and not a child.

wirelessdude01

km79 wrote: »

So at a time when school staff have been working frantically for months to get them Covid compliant and have been told to limit visitors etc etc etc the Taoiseach has this morning has this to say

“ "I would like us to do more for the arts through schools. I said to Norma Foley to look at giving artists work in schools. Children will benefit, arts and culture will benefit, we keep artists working. We have to create new areas of employment."

Give them work in schools
What kind of work?
Just make up jobs for unqualified people is it ?
Child protection ?
Maybe they can open and close the schools at nights and weekends for the SEC during leaving cert

This constant mixed messages is not helpful

The biggest surprise is that Norma Foley could be found to have that chat.

jrosen

km79 wrote: »

So at a time when school staff have been working frantically for months to get them Covid compliant and have been told to limit visitors etc etc etc the Taoiseach has this morning has this to say

“ "I would like us to do more for the arts through schools. I said to Norma Foley to look at giving artists work in schools. Children will benefit, arts and culture will benefit, we keep artists working. We have to create new areas of employment."

Give them work in schools
What kind of work?
Just make up jobs for unqualified people is it ?
Child protection ?
Maybe they can open and close the schools at nights and weekends for the SEC during leaving cert

This constant mixed messages is not helpful

I think its a great idea. Something I think the students and teacher could benefit from. Obviously it needs to be planned for/child protection/garda vetting etc but I dont think it should be ruled out immediately.

km79

jrosen wrote: »

I think its a great idea. Something I think the students and teacher could benefit from. Obviously it needs to be planned for/child protection/garda vetting etc but I dont think it should be ruled out immediately.

But what about all the “lost tuition time “ we heard about since March when we went on holidays apparently ?
What about the TY guidance stating virtual visits from speakers rather than face to face visits should be considered?
What about all the planning schools put into a “safe “ return ?

The govt don’t have a clue what to do about Artists , Musicians etc so their solution is to put them into schools ?
No. Unacceptable from everyone’s point of view .
It’s not a childcare or entertainment facility despite some people’s perceptions of what we do .

jrosen

km79 wrote: »

But what about all the “lost tuition time “ we heard about since March when we went on holidays apparently ?
What about the TY guidance stating virtual visits from speakers rather than face to face visits should be considered?
What about all the planning schools put into a “safe “ return ?

The govt don’t have a clue what to do about Artists , Musicians etc so their solution is to put them into schools ?
No. Unacceptable from everyone’s point of view .
It’s not a childcare or entertainment facility despite some people’s perceptions of what we do .

There is lots to be gained from experience, its seems really stupid to me to rule out something without trying it. Its not all about the 4 walls of a classroom.

amacca

jrosen wrote: »

There is lots to be gained from experience, its seems really stupid to me to rule out something without trying it. Its not all about the 4 walls of a classroom.

I suppose we don't really need the art or music teachers any more then......would be a nice saving if we put them out to pasture

amacca

History Queen wrote: »

First year student assaulted by a third year student according to this

https://theliberal.ie/footage-goes-viral-of-3rd-year-boy-slamming-1st-year-girl-to-the-ground-in-co-louth-school/

it really doesn't look like that in the clip......the victim looks like an adult woman in a skirt suit of some kind...doesn't look like a school uniform, however she got back to her feet pretty quick.

gaiscioch

If, among the artists, etc, we could get some inspirational speakers and practical philosophers into schools that would be greatly appreciated.

So many kids drifting, and others not inspired to put their hearts and souls into the final two years. Somebody to give them an inkling of how tough life can be, and how education is the most empowering thing they'll ever engage with. That this, right now, is their moment.

And how their freedom in so many respects will rest upon their educational achievements and all the doors it will open. That it's worth it to focus, to give their all. Empower them with belief in the reality that they are the greatest force in changing their lives and today is the start. It should be the easiest sell but we all need to remind ourselves and our students how uniquely empowering education is. So many kids need that hope, inspiration and empowerment. These years don't come back and these are the years in which they have the power to build foundation stones for their future freedom.

Millem

amacca wrote: »

it really doesn't look like that in the clip......the victim looks like an adult woman in a skirt suit of some kind...doesn't look like a school uniform, however she got back to her feet pretty quick.

I agree. Why would 1st and 3rd years be in the same classroom anyway?
Absolutely shocking.

km79

gaiscioch wrote: »

If, among the artists, etc, we could get some inspirational speakers and practical philosophers into schools that would be greatly appreciated.

So many kids drifting, and others not inspired to put their hearts and souls into the final two years. Somebody to give them an inkling of how tough life can be, and how education is the most empowering thing they'll ever engage with. That this, right now, is their moment.

And how their freedom in so many respects will rest upon their educational achievements and all the doors it will open. That it's worth it to focus, to give their all. Empower them with belief in the reality that they are the greatest force in changing their lives and today is the start. It should be the easiest sell but we all need to remind ourselves and our students how uniquely empowering education is. So many kids need that hope, inspiration and empowerment. These years don't come back and these are the years in which they have the power to build foundation stones for their future freedom.

The point still being missed by the poster I originally responded to is this z
Schools spent months planning for the safe return of school communities .
TY programmes (which is the most likely place for this ) have been altered accordingly.
Huge work went into that by school leaders and teachers. There was constant changes having to be made over that time as the govt flip and flopped on various issues . Lots and lots of long nights and frustration during our “holidays “.
NO CONTACT numbers for any department area. Email only. No response to email .
Now , a month into the new term, the Taoiseach decides that schools might be able to solve another societal problem that the govt has ignored for months .
Schools expected to jump again in the latest hair brainer scheme which clearly has NOT BEEN PLANNED.
No.
Come back to schools next spring when we start planning for next year. If it’s a good idea now then it will be a good idea then .

khalessi

gaiscioch wrote: »

If, among the artists, etc, we could get some inspirational speakers and practical philosophers into schools that would be greatly appreciated.

At the moment we have been advised no visitors to the school due to Covid, so that means no Judges from Intel for Young Scientists exhibition, no Rugby, GAA, no bike safety training, Cricket, Tennis, Badmintonm GAA coaches, no visiting Authors, no Dublin Fire Brigade. Nothing so why suddenly are artists immune to Covid? I suppose if they could get a Covid test but having someone wandering school to school is not the brightest idea when this is a viral spread.

Sardonicat

amacca wrote: »

it really doesn't look like that in the clip......the victim looks like an adult woman in a skirt suit of some kind...doesn't look like a school uniform, however she got back to her feet pretty quick.

She looks like her head was slammed onto a desk. Whoever she was that's appalling. Is her assailant still in school?

no.8

Sardonicat wrote:

She looks like her head was slammed onto a desk. Whoever she was that's appalling. Is her assailant still in school?

I hope that fella gets expelled and also endures a dose of harsh reality for his act. What a scumbag

Treppen

jrosen wrote: »

There is lots to be gained from experience, its seems really stupid to me to rule out something without trying it. Its not all about the 4 walls of a classroom.

You (and the Taoiseach) don't realise there are already those artists and other extra curricular purple who work in and with schools. But they've been temporarily laid off in many places.

It seems really stupid to me to suggest trying something which is already in place.

Millem

no.8 wrote: »

I hope that fella gets expelled and also endures a dose of harsh reality for his act. What a scumbag

https://mobile.twitter.com/stoliverscc/status/1306922775718789120?prefetchtimestamp=1600593700697

The school are saying it wasn’t a teacher.
It’s absolutely shocking.
Maybe it could be an sna or a teaching assistant?

Murple

khalessi wrote: »

At the moment we have been advised no visitors to the school due to Covid, so that means no Judges from Intel for Young Scientists exhibition, no Rugby, GAA, no bike safety training, Cricket, Tennis, Badmintonm GAA coaches, no visiting Authors, no Dublin Fire Brigade. Nothing so why suddenly are artists immune to Covid? I suppose if they could get a Covid test but having someone wandering school to school is not the brightest idea when this is a viral spread.

The other small detail would be who would pay them? Would it be up to schools to find the funding? Would parents be expected to pay? Would the artists etc. be paid out of the DES budget?

km79

Murple wrote: »

The other small detail would be who would pay them? Would it be up to schools to find the funding? Would parents be expected to pay? Would the artists etc. be paid out of the DES budget?

Yeah it’s a really well thought out solid mid year school plan
As the poster said we would be stupid not to just try it
Sure chance it
400 cases today
Chance it
We don’t have enough to be doing and worrying about in schools without introducing external agents that we were specifically told to plan without by the govt less than two months ago .
Things have improved dramatically since then obviously ....

man_no_plan

If we all calmed down a bit we might see what they mean by it. An artist in residence or writer in residence could be an excellent addition to a school.

If the govt are paying the pandemic unemployment payment anyway they might as well fire another few quid at them and let them in. Once it wouldn't be a half a day here and there it could actually bring a lot to the school.

kippy

man_no_plan wrote: »

If we all calmed down a bit we might see what they mean by it. An artist in residence or writer in residence could be an excellent addition to a school.

If the govt are paying the pandemic unemployment payment anyway they might as well fire another few quid at them and let them in. Once it wouldn't be a half a day here and there it could actually bring a lot to the school.

Look, all that's going on here is kite flying and/or distraction.
The government have no idea or vision of what artists in schools look like.

Treppen

man_no_plan wrote: »

If we all calmed down a bit we might see what they mean by it. An artist in residence or writer in residence could be an excellent addition to a school.

If the govt are paying the pandemic unemployment payment anyway they might as well fire another few quid at them and let them in. Once it wouldn't be a half a day here and there it could actually bring a lot to the school.

I'll eat my hat if the department are going to fund artists in residence for any school in Ireland. maybe some pilot scheme to give someone something to do and a few pr photos to boot.

Treppen

Class Action News
·
APP DEVELOPERS REALLY FECKED UP BIG-TIME
An inquiry is being held after it emerged that the much lauded Covid tracker app was found to have a serious malfunction in its design. This glitch came to light in recent days when a number of teachers were found to be close contacts of a Covid-positive person in their school. However, officials from the HSE and the DES were quickly onto the case and confirmed that ‘no’ the teachers were not in fact close contacts, the app had got it wrong.
The government has criticized the developers of the app, stating that they were specifically instructed to build a teacher-blocking feature into the app. “Our line has always been clear on this. Schools are to remain open at all costs, and by hook or by crook we’ll keep them open.”
In a statement, a DES official said public health officials had reviewed data from the app and had come to the conclusion that, the app had indeed ****ed up and that data gathered from teachers could not be deemed to be reliable. “Everyone knows that teachers are a bunch of whingers who would do anything for a day off. Didn’t we give them six months while we tried to get our act together. What more do they want?”
Contradicting the data from the app, teachers were being told “you were never that close anyway” and have been instructed not to bother getting tested and to go about their business as normal.
It is believed that the government is now considering directing all teachers to delete the app from their phones. “We really don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where people will think that this virus can be spread in schools. We’ve given schools loads and loads and loads of money to make themselves immune. Ffs can’t they get anything right?”
Meanwhile, the DES are readying an army of inspectors to invade schools and to report back on any real or imagined non-compliance with guidelines. ”We have to be prepared, when all this goes wrong for us, at least we’ll be able to blame the schools.”
© Class Action News, September 2020

Even though its a spoof I found it very hard to contradict anything !!

mirrorwall14

In the middle of a bad asthma flare up and on sick leave. Its so difficult to read everything about not testing teachers etc and all the stories being shared that the media aren't covering. How do you know whats real and what isn't? Contact tracing doesn't seem to be working and as a high risk (or very high risk in a flare up I don't know??) I want to know if there is a case in my class. Cloth masks are not enough to prevent the spread of the virus and are students going to admit or even remember if they took their masks off to drink, to scratch etc etc.

And from an education perspective, surely we should be ramping up the online side of our work if students are isolating at home? If you don't tell us how the hell do we know?

mirrorwall14

Is anyone else having issue with ETB's saying that being advised by the HSE to restrict your movements because of living with a suspected case (while they await testing) is not covered by the circular and insisting that staff have to take unpaid leave or other leave for this? They seem to be saying that 8.5 only applies if you are a contact of a confirmed case. But that isn't the only time you are advised to restrict?

If staff have to take unpaid then honestly part timers are just going to come to school even if there is a suspected case in the house. They won't be able to afford unpaid leave everytime one of them is waiting for a test particularly if living in a household full of teachers. Same scenario for parents with kids. Mortgages have to be paid. Its far more likely people will just say "ah its almost certain to be negative I'm not taking unpaid"

Millem

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Is anyone else having issue with ETB's saying that being advised by the HSE to restrict your movements because of living with a suspected case (while they await testing) is not covered by the circular and insisting that staff have to take unpaid leave or other leave for this? They seem to be saying that 8.5 only applies if you are a contact of a confirmed case. But that isn't the only time you are advised to restrict?

If staff have to take unpaid then honestly part timers are just going to come to school even if there is a suspected case in the house. They won't be able to afford unpaid leave everytime one of them is waiting for a test particularly if living in a household full of teachers. Same scenario for parents with kids. Mortgages have to be paid. Its far more likely people will just say "ah its almost certain to be negative I'm not taking unpaid"

Unbelievable. What unpaid leave do they expect staff to take? The only leave I know of is “unpaid personal days”? They need to be approved by the BOM and you get 10 per year.

From my experience with covid testing that could mean 3 days off

Why can’t staff work from home? My niece was doing her schoolwork online where she had contact with a suspected case.

s1ippy

https://twitter.com/V4PIreland/status/1308103629203742720?s=20

Might as well share this here too. They are among us.

mirrorwall14

Millem wrote: »

Unbelievable. What unpaid leave do they expect staff to take? The only leave I know of is “unpaid personal days”? They need to be approved by the BOM and you get 10 per year.

From my experience with covid testing that could mean 3 days off

Why can’t staff work from home? My niece was doing her schoolwork online where she had contact with a suspected case.

I quote “ All other COVID 19 related scenarios, eg. where a child or other family/household member is directed to self-isolate or restrict movements, and the teacher also self-isolates or restricts movement, are not covered by the Circular Letter and approved paid special leave. Other leave must be applied for, e.g. unpaid leave, sick leave, family leave.”

That would be a complete mess imo

History Queen

s1ippy wrote: »

https://twitter.com/V4PIreland/status/1308103629203742720?s=20

Might as well share this here too. They are among us.

Saw that on Twitter. Absolute disgrace, futher down the thread the principal says when he pointed out that this was against guidance, the parent felt totally justified as the test was negative anyway ....obviously this type of attitude will only be the minority but it could potentially cause massive problems in schools. One thing I've come to conclude during all this is that, as a nation, we are incredibly shortsighted and selfish.

wirelessdude01

History Queen wrote: »

Saw that on Twitter. Absolute disgrace, futher down the thread the principal says when he pointed out that this was against guidance, the parent felt totally justified as the test was negative anyway ....obviously this type of attitude will only be the minority but it could potentially cause massive problems in schools. One thing I've come to conclude during all this is that, as a nation, we are incredibly shortsighted and selfish.

The weak link in all of this are us humans. All the procedures and processes in the world can be put in place but we humans are where it falls down. As a race we are inherently selfish.

lulublue22

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Is anyone else having issue with ETB's saying that being advised by the HSE to restrict your movements because of living with a suspected case (while they await testing) is not covered by the circular and insisting that staff have to take unpaid leave or other leave for this? They seem to be saying that 8.5 only applies if you are a contact of a confirmed case. But that isn't the only time you are advised to restrict?

If staff have to take unpaid then honestly part timers are just going to come to school even if there is a suspected case in the house. They won't be able to afford unpaid leave everytime one of them is waiting for a test particularly if living in a household full of teachers. Same scenario for parents with kids. Mortgages have to be paid. Its far more likely people will just say "ah its almost certain to be negative I'm not taking unpaid"

Take a look at circular 0024/ 20 - it seems from that , that once u are medically advised to self isolate u are covered. if you are well enough you are expected to work from home.

Had to get tested and entire household was medically advised to-restrict movements ( doc adamant no work / school for anyone in the house) from the time I rang the doc until a negative result came back.

ETA - I would flag that with your union. You are requested not to go to work if you live with a suspected case.