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

khalessi

Locotastic wrote: »

I know of a few in creches and the virus was brought in by staff who didn't follow isolation guidelines.

Very unfair for everyone and nobody can feign ignorance of the guidelines at this stage.

I know the manager of a creche in a chain and in that case, a child brought it in and spread it to the staff and a few other kids.

Does it matter who brought it in? I love how for some the blame element is important. If it is high in community it will get into creches and be transported home and back in again.

SusanC10

Millem wrote: »

I think Easter now, best case scenario.
The earliest my son who is doing his ECCE will be back is 8th March. No way will mainstream school be back before then.

The 6th year students will resist going back because they do not want to sit a LC.

With regards to SEN I don’t know? I can’t see them going back any earlier unfortunately. It’s a very difficult situation for their families.

I am thinking after Easter now April 12th for the majority of kids in mainstream schools with exception of LC and maybe JC.

I think Contact Tracing needs to be fully operational and I would like to have mandatory Masks for older Primary kids - maybe 4th upwards.

wirelessdude01

SusanC10 wrote: »

I am thinking after Easter now April 12th for the majority of kids in mainstream schools with exception of LC and maybe JC.

I think Contact Tracing needs to be fully operational and I would like to have mandatory Masks for older Primary kids - maybe 4th upwards.

I've been saying the mask thing for upper senior primary classes since September. Know that that the INTO have it on their list of items raised by members.

paddyirish23

At this rate the kids won't be allowed to look teachers in the eye if they ever go back.
Rates are dropping, should be back after the midterm if any cop on now ye on abt after Easter!!
FFS it's embarrassing at this stage

wirelessdude01

paddyirish23 wrote: »

At this rate the kids won't be allowed to look teachers in the eye if they ever go back.
Rates are dropping, should be back after the midterm if any cop on now ye on abt after Easter!!
FFS it's embarrassing at this stage

Good man Paddy. Fight the good fight.

We are only talking about what the politicians are saying. Paddys Day is essentially Easter such is the short period between them.

SusanC10

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

I've been saying the mask thing for upper senior primary classes since September. Know that that the INTO have it on their list of items raised by members.

Our daughter (5th Class) has worn a mask to School every day since last August. There are 2 other kids in the Class wearing them. The other 21 are not. There is little to no social distancing going on. They were singing in the Classroom before Christmas. (Yes, I have outlined our concerns to the school).

I watched her walk out to me (in car) with 2 of her friends one day last Oct/Nov. The other 2 girls hugged each other Goodbye but elbow-bumped our daughter. It made me both sad and proud of her tbh.

paddyirish23

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Good man Paddy. Fight the good fight.

We are only talking about what the politicians are saying. Paddys Day is essentially Easter such is the short period between them.

Schools not due to open until 12th April after Easter... if you think that's a short time after paddy's day ye really have too much time off!
I will fight the good fight, my child as a right to be educated.
Mandatory masks for primary kids, will ye cop on. Next ye will want them in their own plastic cubes! We can't even get ye to agree to go back with a smaller class size, what makes ppl think wearing a mask will change ye're mind?
What happens to the kids who can't wear a mask? Honestly gone ridiculous, let's just give ye extra pay and longer holidays while we're at it!

History Queen

paddyirish23 wrote: »

Schools not due to open until 12th April after Easter... if you think that's a short time after paddy's day ye really have too much time off!
I will fight the good fight, my child as a right to be educated.
Mandatory masks for primary kids, will ye cop on. Next ye will want them in their own plastic cubes! We can't even get ye to agree to go back with a smaller class size, what makes ppl think wearing a mask will change ye're mind?
What happens to the kids who can't wear a mask? Honestly gone ridiculous, let's just give ye extra pay and longer holidays while we're at it!

What do you think should happen?

scouserstation

combat14 wrote: »

and covid 14 day incidence rate is still double that of october restrictions/lockdown i.e. UNSAFE

So are other workplaces ie hospitals, supermarkets, garda stations etc but the government still has a duty of care to provide these services and failure to do so will leave the state open to civil action

SusanC10

There are 7 School Days between Paddy's Day and the start of the Easter Break.

paddyirish23

History Queen wrote: »

What do you think should happen?

Pull the midterm and Easter hols forward and phased opening last week of Feb when cases should be much much lower. Then full school until summer.

billy_beckham

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Good man Paddy. Fight the good fight.

We are only talking about what the politicians are saying. Paddys Day is essentially Easter such is the short period between them.

Are you serious? Practically 4 weeks is nothing..

If they don't return before Feb midterm they should look at bringing forward holidays, give them early so that when they go back they will have a chance to recover. Get rid of the week in June too..

paddyirish23

SusanC10 wrote: »

There are 7 School Days between Paddy's Day and the start of the Easter Break.

7 days of school that will be missed out on. I'd take one day a bloody week over zero at this stage.
Why is it all just excuses and no we cant or won't do this or that. Where are the realistic solutions? Take the issue ye have with the minister out on her but don't use kids as leverage!

History Queen

paddyirish23 wrote: »

Pull the midterm and Easter hols forward and phased opening last week of Feb when cases should be much much lower. Then full school until summer.

I'd be on for that at post primary assuming timelines for state exams projects, practicals and orals are pushed out. Not sure about primary. In all seriousness email your local TDs and Norma Foley suggesting same. They won't listen to teachers.

History Queen

paddyirish23 wrote: »

7 days of school that will be missed out on. I'd take one day a bloody week over zero at this stage.
Why is it all just excuses and no we cant or won't do this or that. Where are the realistic solutions? Take the issue ye have with the minister out on her but don't use kids as leverage!

It is insulting to say teachers are using children as leverage.

SusanC10

billy_beckham wrote: »

Get rid of the week in June too..

What week in June ?

wirelessdude01

billy_beckham wrote: »

Are you serious? Practically 4 weeks is nothing..

If they don't return before Feb midterm they should look at bringing forward holidays, give them early so that when they go back they will have a chance to recover. Get rid of the week in June too..

Email your local politicians with all your suggestions and see what sort of reply you receive.

billy_beckham

SusanC10 wrote: »

What week in June ?

My daughters NS has 7th to 11th off, maybe its shorter elsewhere..

wirelessdude01

paddyirish23 wrote: »

7 days of school that will be missed out on. I'd take one day a bloody week over zero at this stage.
Why is it all just excuses and no we cant or won't do this or that. Where are the realistic solutions? Take the issue ye have with the minister out on her but don't use kids as leverage!

Ohh the irony of lecturing teachers about using children as leverage. You obviously don't, won't or can't see what Norma had been doing to score political points.

billy_beckham

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Email your local politicians with all your suggestions and see what sort of reply you receive.

Politicians tried to get schools back open and failed, teacher's and the Unions driving the bus now!!

History Queen

billy_beckham wrote: »

Politicians tried to get schools back open and failed, teacher's and the Unions driving the bus now!!

Why do you think the schools failed to open? For what reason?

wirelessdude01

SusanC10 wrote: »

What week in June ?

Some schools might have used their discretionary days to add onto the June Bank Holiday weekend to create a week off or came back earlier to create additional days.

wirelessdude01

billy_beckham wrote: »

Politicians tried to get schools back open and failed, teacher's and the Unions driving the bus now!!

If you think so.

Lillyfae

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Some schools might have used their discretionary days to add onto the June Bank Holiday weekend to create a week off or came back earlier to create additional days.

But that's not allowed, right?

The Wordress

You would not be able to start moving holidays around at this stage.

The only standard holidays for all schools at the February midterm is the Thursday and Friday. Some schools use discretionary days to extend the break. So some schools will take the week and other take just the 2 days.

Some schools are taking their discretionary days in May or June instead.

Mrsmum

I could see Easter messing up the whole thing again. Families traditionally get together for Easter too and travel all over the country to spend time with the in-laws, to holiday homes etc. How about adding the Thurs & Fri onto St Patrick's Day, put a day of two onto the Easter weekend but forget the two weeks, add another day to May bank holiday and finish up school a week earlier at Summertime. That would work nicely for Primary anyway imo.

SusanC10

billy_beckham wrote: »

My daughters NS has 7th to 11th off, maybe its shorter elsewhere..

Our Primary is only closed the BH in June. But is closed for a full week in February.

mohawk

Stateofyou wrote: »

I know, good luck with any of it. Don't worry, I'm not optimistic of our leaders.

As for your last point, well I don't know. I'm chairperson of our pa and talk to a lot of parents who support all I've that I have outlined here. All of my siblings do as well as do many of my friends and my cousin that I spoke to. I don't think I'm being unrealistic or out of touch at all.

None of other parents in my son’s class want the kids in masks. None of the kids in the school wore masks. So there is definitely not 100% support for either opinion. Would you expect them to keep them on outside too?
Personally I would be supportive of the government paying for higher grade masks for teachers and SNA’s plus spares. Plus they can be trusted not to rearrange the mask and then touch other surfaces before washing their hands.

I also know that at primary school level many classes have children who need or are getting speech and language therapy and can be hard to understand at times. A mask is only going to add to this.

khalessi

mohawk wrote: »

None of other parents in my son’s class want the kids in masks. None of the kids in the school wore masks. So there is definitely not 100% support for either opinion. Would you expect them to keep them on outside too?
Personally I would be supportive of the government paying for higher grade masks for teachers and SNA’s plus spares. Plus they can be trusted not to rearrange the mask and then touch other surfaces before washing their hands.

I also know that at primary school level many classes have children who need or are getting speech and language therapy and can be hard to understand at times. A mask is only going to add to this.

WHO recommended for children on August 6th. On this thread I keep seeing oh welll SEN schools are open in other countries. Well children in primary schools all over the world wear masks,what is so special that the Irish primary children can't?

Regarding SLT, those children would be in the minority and there could be a work around similar to OTs, who are seeing children for 15 minutes slots, so the mask could be off for a 15 minute lesson of SLT.

I have seen children in shops successfully wearing them, and most times better than the adults with the nose hammock, bear slings and one eared bandits

mohawk

Mrsmum wrote: »

I could see Easter messing up the whole thing again. Families traditionally get together for Easter too and travel all over the country to spend time with the in-laws, to holiday homes etc. How about adding the Thurs & Fri onto St Patrick's Day, put a day of two onto the Easter weekend but forget the two weeks, add another day to May bank holiday and finish up school a week earlier at Summertime. That would work nicely for Primary anyway imo.

You would hope people will have learned their lesson from Christmas and will have cop on not to travel to see family for Easter. Another peak at Easter will cost us the opportunity to have a semi decent summer where we can bring the kids swimming, hiking, surfing, canoeing etc.