How will schools be able to go back in September?

glack · 26-07-2020 10:02PM

lulublue22 wrote: »

I can’t see after school activities going ahead next year - what would be the point in organising pods , deep cleaning and then allowing children to mix in cleaned classes. Surely any risk assessment would rule out after school activities.

I agree. Unfortunately. They make a huge difference with disadvantaged children.

wirelessdude01 · 26-07-2020 10:04PM

lulublue22 wrote: »

I can’t see after school activities going ahead next year - what would be the point in organising pods , deep cleaning and then allowing children to mix in cleaned classes. Surely any risk assessment would rule out after school activities.

I know many schools who informed parents in June that ZERO after school clubs/activities would take place this school year. Gave the parents a lot of prior notice to arrange things.

TheValeyard · 26-07-2020 10:05PM

lulublue22 wrote: »

I can’t see after school activities going ahead next year - what would be the point in organising pods , deep cleaning and then allowing children to mix in cleaned classes. Surely any risk assessment would rule out after school activities.

Really depends on the activity. Socially distanced activities such as horse riding, canoeing, golf, tennis, (Yes many schools still and do have this activities) could probably still continue, but team based or close contact spots id be very wary of, and im sure teachers would be uneasy about taking charge of a team and possibly blamed if that team tests positive.

lulublue22 · 26-07-2020 10:15PM

TheValeyard wrote: »

Really depends on the activity. Socially distanced activities such as horse riding, canoeing, golf, tennis, (Yes many schools still and do have this activities) could probably still continue, but team based or close contact spots id be very wary of, and im sure teachers would be uneasy about taking charge of a team and possibly blamed if that team tests positive.

I was really talking about school based after school activities - homework clubs art clubs drama etc. Though I would be wary of taking out side activities in case the worst came to pass.

TheValeyard · 26-07-2020 10:19PM

lulublue22 wrote: »

I was really talking about school based after school activities - homework clubs art clubs drama etc. Though I would be wary of taking out side activities in case the worst came to pass.

Thats probably still up in the air, take drama or school musicals, huge cast and crew involved. Be risky having that number on a close set. Homework club could possibly still operate under a pod format, may just need extra staff to help with it.

wirelessdude01 · 26-07-2020 10:21PM

TheValeyard wrote: »

Thats probably still up in the air, take drama or school musicals, huge cast and crew involved. Be risky having that number on a close set. Homework club could possibly still operate under a pod format, may just need extra staff to help with it.

HW club pods would negate the whole pod/bubble system that will probably be in place throughout the school anyway. Minefield really. HW club in our school is a massive massive success and hugely oversubscribed every year.

TheValeyard · 26-07-2020 10:23PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

HW club pods would negate the whole pod/bubble system that will probably be in place throughout the school anyway. Minefield really. HW club in our school is a massive massive success and hugely oversubscribed every year.

Maybe at primary level, but doubt pods would every actually be an option for second level where hundreds attend unless its a staggered approach, etc.

The whole thing currently is a catastra****.

lulublue22 · 26-07-2020 10:25PM

TheValeyard wrote: »

Homework club could possibly still operate under a pod format, may just need extra staff to help with it.

Presumably though children should not mix with others outside their class pod otherwise there is no point in organising pods in the first place. Which increases the number of teachers needed for supervision and use of classrooms. Not sure many would be happy to have cleaned classrooms reused.

ETA just saw your above post. I’m talking at primary level. You are correct it’s chaotic.

wirelessdude01 · 26-07-2020 10:25PM

Anyone else think that there will be a condensing of certain curriculums announced tomorrow?

hmmm · 26-07-2020 10:30PM

lulublue22 wrote: »

Surely any risk assessment would rule out after school activities.

I can see no more than a bare-bones schooling being provided - particularly as we can't reasonably predict what the virus will do over the next few months. We're not going to put schools at risk of closing because of after-school classes are we? Society as a whole will have to cope as well as it can until we hopefully have a vaccine in 2021.

lulublue22 · 26-07-2020 10:30PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Anyone else think that there will be a condensing of certain curriculums announced tomorrow?

Yes. INTO twitted last week re talks around the curriculum. Plus there will be an increased focus on wellbeing and sanitising something will have to give.

jrosen · 26-07-2020 10:30PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Anyone else think that there will be a condensing of certain curriculums announced tomorrow?

I would think its quite possible and actually a sensible decision

grind gremlin · 26-07-2020 10:31PM

I’m guessing time spent on music will be reduced in primary as we can’t sing indoors. How will infant teachers manage without lots of singing throughout the day? Children learn so much language through song.

the corpo · 26-07-2020 10:39PM

jrosen wrote: »

I would think its quite possible and actually a sensible decision

Maybe they’ll finally ditch R.E!

lulublue22 · 26-07-2020 10:41PM

grind gremlin wrote: »

I’m guessing time spent on music will be reduced in primary as we can’t sing indoors. How will infant teachers manage without lots of singing throughout the day? Children learn so much language through song.

I’m expecting a reduction in the curriculum at primary. Practically if start / finish times are staggered , if breaks need to be staggered it will eat into teaching time. Sanitising / ensuring children wash their hands properly and frequently will eat into teaching time. Increase in well being will eat into teaching time. Cleaning equipment before / after children use - paint brushes , laptops , PE equipment etc will eat into teaching time. There will be fierce pressure next year to get any sort of curriculum covered at primary level.

wirelessdude01 · 26-07-2020 10:42PM

the corpo wrote: »

Maybe they’ll finally ditch R.E!

From my experience at primary level it's on the timetable but not really ever done in a lot of schools. Big rush for a few weeks at 2nd/6th class for the sacraments and that's about it. Now I do know others where it is done a few times a week but that's more the exception than the norm.

grind gremlin · 26-07-2020 10:42PM

‘Assembly Time’ to be used for hand washing time.

BonsaiKitten · 26-07-2020 10:51PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

From my experience at primary level it's on the timetable but not really ever done in a lot of schools. Big rush for a few weeks at 2nd/6th class for the sacraments and that's about it. Now I do know others where it is done a few times a week but that's more the exception than the norm.

True. Instead of scheduling RE before lunch and using the allocated time to eat, it'll be RE before lunch and using the time to wash hands :pac:

I think Science, Art and Music will be extremely difficult to do while maintaining some semblance of social distancing. Maybe the RTE Home School Hub could be kept on to supply lessons for children to do at home?

feedthegoat · 26-07-2020 10:58PM

feedthegoat wrote: »

The stark reality is that if we are to follow the present Department guidelines then second level schools will not re open fully. We all know the great need to re open and that teachers want to return in September but let's wait and see what develops over the next four weeks.

The wait is nearly over, let's sleep on it and deal with it over the coming days.

Murple · 26-07-2020 11:26PM

grind gremlin wrote: »

‘Assembly Time’ to be used for hand washing time.

Assembly time will be needed more than ever to avioid everyone arriving at the same time and to facilitate staggered arrivals.
I have my fingers crossed they'll scrap the new Primary Language Curriculum!!!

wirelessdude01 · 26-07-2020 11:28PM

Murple wrote: »

I have my fingers crossed they'll scrap the new Primary Language Curriculum!!!

I'll pray to whatever God can facilitate that.

combat14 · 26-07-2020 11:29PM

we will be lucky to get to mid November before they have to close the schools again.....

tscul32 · 27-07-2020 12:11AM

Our primary doesn't have assembly time. Probably because there is a junior and a senior school and they share the hall that joins them and between them they have over 1200 students.
I think a split week is a good option if they can't return full time, say Mon/Tues or Thurs/Fri with every other Wednesday. That way if you've two working parents they can do one day a week each, maybe parental leave, and then take one Wednesday off each month. Of course you'd need accommodating employers. The problem with week on week off if that kids would be in for 5 days then off for 9 days. Think the first of each of the 5 days would be wasted getting them to settle back in.
Just been on to a friend in Georgia (state, not country). Her primary aged kids are back to school next week, half in person and half virtual.

am_zarathustra · 27-07-2020 12:15AM

tscul32 wrote: »

Our primary doesn't have assembly time. Probably because there is a junior and a senior school and they share the hall that joins them and between them they have over 1200 students.
I think a split week is a good option if they can't return full time, say Mon/Tues or Thurs/Fri with every other Wednesday. That way if you've two working parents they can do one day a week each, maybe parental leave, and then take one Wednesday off each month. Of course you'd need accommodating employers. The problem with week on week off if that kids would be in for 5 days then off for 9 days. Think the first of each of the 5 days would be wasted getting them to settle back in.
Just been on to a friend in Georgia (state, not country). Her primary aged kids are back to school next week, half in person and half virtual.

Good point about both taking one day. I suppose no solution will suit everyone but the 9 days in a row is actually tough going for parents when you phrase it that way.

Hopefully tomorrow will bring clarity and some good news for everyone, especially anyone with vulnerable kids

BonsaiKitten · 27-07-2020 12:24AM

tscul32 wrote: »

Our primary doesn't have assembly time. Probably because there is a junior and a senior school and they share the hall that joins them and between them they have over 1200 students.
I think a split week is a good option if they can't return full time, say Mon/Tues or Thurs/Fri with every other Wednesday. That way if you've two working parents they can do one day a week each, maybe parental leave, and then take one Wednesday off each month. Of course you'd need accommodating employers. The problem with week on week off if that kids would be in for 5 days then off for 9 days. Think the first of each of the 5 days would be wasted getting them to settle back in.
Just been on to a friend in Georgia (state, not country). Her primary aged kids are back to school next week, half in person and half virtual.

Every Irish primary school has assembly time, it's included in the allocated hours per subject. The phrase assembly time is a bit misleading. It doesn't just mean whole school assemblies, it covers arrival time/set-up in the morning as well. You'd rarely see it named assembly time on a timetable though.

I think that's a good suggestion on the split week. Not a fan of week on/week off myself either, it's a long time for kids to be out of the classroom.

I saw someone on Twitter mention that this is like the opposite of Christmas Eve for teachers :pac: Think it sums it up perfectly!

wirelessdude01 · 27-07-2020 12:31AM

BonsaiKitten wrote: »

Every Irish primary school has assembly time, it's included in the allocated hours per subject. The phrase assembly time is a bit misleading. It doesn't just mean whole school assemblies, it covers arrival time/set-up in the morning as well. You'd rarely see it named assembly time on a timetable though.

I think that's a good suggestion on the split week. Not a fan of week on/week off myself either, it's a long time for kids to be out of the classroom.

I saw someone on Twitter mention that this is like the opposite of Christmas Eve for teachers :pac: Think it sums it up perfectly!

Meant to be 20mins 'reception' time each morning in primary.

tscul32 · 27-07-2020 12:32AM

BonsaiKitten wrote: »

Every Irish primary school has assembly time, it's included in the allocated hours per subject. The phrase assembly time is a bit misleading. It doesn't just mean whole school assemblies, it covers arrival time/set-up in the morning as well. You'd rarely see it named assembly time on a timetable though.

Yes. They do have a settling in time in the morning, just never heard it described as assembly. When I was in school the word assembly meant whole school/year in the hall and my friend's primary regularly do school assemblies (small school) in the hall.

downthemiddle · 27-07-2020 09:49AM

Sitting here with bated breath waiting for the “very, very big plan”.

the corpo · 27-07-2020 09:51AM

What do you think of the scant leaks in the papers today?
Seems to be, here's a load of money, see what it gets you and fingers crossed there's none of that nasty virus anywhere

lulublue22 · 27-07-2020 09:52AM

downthemiddle wrote: »

Sitting here with bated breath waiting for the “very, very big plan”.

There’s a newspaper article re proposed changes on the other thread - if you haven’t seen it already.

How will schools be able to go back in September?

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