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

jrosen · 21-09-2020 08:52PM

Our secondary seems to be doing really well. Email today to say as much. 1m distance in every class, hand sanitizing in every class room, along every corridor. Locker rooms are locked and only accessible at certain times and are supervised to stop gathering. Lots of outside space, more seating outside. Staggered lunch times. All outside for lunch where possible.

Asked my son about mask wearing and he said he has not seen one student not wearing a mask, same on his bus.

I would imagine the demographic of the school will play a huge role

Mrsmum · 21-09-2020 08:53PM

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

What year group are your children in? Because I do not know how they are not moving? Our seniors for example, there is no real base class because all their core subjects are streamed and their options are obviously mixed

6th year and 3rd year. They do move for some subjects but unlike before now have a classroom they regard as theirs.

Icyseanfitz · 21-09-2020 09:03PM

jrosen wrote: »

Our secondary seems to be doing really well. Email today to say as much. 1m distance in every class, hand sanitizing in every class room, along every corridor. Locker rooms are locked and only accessible at certain times and are supervised to stop gathering. Lots of outside space, more seating outside. Staggered lunch times. All outside for lunch where possible.

Asked my son about mask wearing and he said he has not seen one student not wearing a mask, same on his bus.

I would imagine the demographic of the school will play a huge role

My school is much in the same and seems fantastic from the outside. The reality is that within the classrooms students are sitting around 0.6 meters apart with 25-30 in class, all are wearing masks, but some arnt wearing them correctly, sharing equipment with each other (rulers, pencils, erasers etc).

Then you have classes moving to their elective subjects every hour, which leads to hundreds of students shoulder to shoulder in narrow corridors for 5 minutes.

And then on breaks and lunches they all go outside, this seems fantastic, except the masks are all off, there is no social distancing and the students all sit together and eat with no masks etc. Also playing sports with shared equipment on breaks.

mirrorwall14 · 21-09-2020 09:06PM

Mrsmum wrote: »

6th year and 3rd year. They do move for some subjects but unlike before now have a classroom they regard as theirs.

But genuinely for the 6th year in particular I cannot see how that works? Ok they may have a base classroom for PE and religion but what else? In maths, english and Irish they'll be separated into HL and OL. And their other four subjects are all options and choices?

Maybe your child is particularly lucky and their group just happens to be assigned to the same base room

Not trying to be awkward btw, just wondering how it was managed. We couldn't

tscul32 · 21-09-2020 09:11PM

My son's primary had a case. The hse did their thing and the class and teacher were off for two weeks. The next day the rest of the school got a message with a hse letter to parentd that there was a case in the school, all protocols were followed,etc and that people didn't need to worry. I know of 2 kids in that class and both were tested, don't know if the whole class was but the gossip is that they were all tested. Now this was early in the month.
Is this not happening any more? Are these letters no longer going out and classes no longer being sent home?

Icyseanfitz · 21-09-2020 09:20PM

tscul32 wrote: »

My son's primary had a case. The hse did their thing and the class and teacher were off for two weeks. The next day the rest of the school got a message with a hse letter to parentd that there was a case in the school, all protocols were followed,etc and that people didn't need to worry. I know of 2 kids in that class and both were tested, don't know if the whole class was but the gossip is that they were all tested. Now this was early in the month.
Is this not happening any more? Are these letters no longer going out and classes no longer being sent home?

It varies massively, some entire classes are sent home, sometimes it's the students sitting closest to the case, sometimes it's just the one person in the class. Zero consistency

niamh247 · 21-09-2020 09:23PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Schools cannot be blamed for what happens on the way to/from schools. Same as they can't be blamed for what happens on school transport.

Ofcourse, the reopening of schools is to be blamed, which is simply a reckless experiment .

niamh247 · 21-09-2020 09:26PM

Darwin wrote: »

I suppose some schools are going to work better than others. In my wife's place (secondary), the kids are moving the desks around so they are beside each other, pulling down their masks to speak, throwing hand sanitizer around at each other. I see groups of kids walking to our local secondary school (a different school) in the morning without masks and no social distancing and same again in the evening coming home.

That should have been the scenario one should have expected in all schools and planned reopening of schools based on that. Once can't plan things based on optimistic scenarios only.

dubrov · 21-09-2020 09:33PM

niamh247 wrote: »

Ofcourse, the reopening of schools is to be blamed, which is simply a reckless experiment .

Schools have been opened elsewhere for a long time. Have you got anything to back up your statement?
Here is an ECDC report that says otherwise.

Smacruairi · 21-09-2020 09:35PM

Mrsmum wrote: »

To be fair I haven't heard anything in the news about how schools are faring since they opened, apart from the first day back type of reports a few weeks back. However in my case it is the school giving that positive message, the last two Fridays ie the two Fridays they've been back, the school my kids go to sent the parents an email telling us how everything is working well and complimenting the students on their excellent behaviour, abiding by the rules and that ! How it's great to be back and see the students back and how all the staff are working hard etc. My kids go to the local PP feeder school with 750 students so not some kind of private utopia place or anything. When I ask the kids they seem to agree with the school that all is well, hand sanitizer outside every class, wiping down their own desks before and after use, base classes, perspex between desks, not using musical instruments, open windows and doors, most children go home for lunch, wearing masks of course, all that business. If i wasn't reading this thread I actually would think it was all going well.

On this, it would take a singular minded principal to put their hand up and say "nah, we can't make it work properly.. We aren't fully compliant". It would do damage to the school, their own career, and put worry amongst the school community. Better to toe the DES line of "we are trying our best" to not rock the boat. You'll need a whistleblower approach before the floodgates open.

I'm not saying conditions are horrendous by the way, just they are in no way what people imagine when they see cherry picked images on rte and in the times. We are doing our best despite very little leadership or backing from those above, but sometimes you just can't make it all click.

Csse in point, we have diff entry points for each year group. However at lunch they become massive chokepoints as everyone enters and leaves. You just can't socially distance 12 0 people at a door. It doesn't work. Likewise corridors. Likewise you're asking 13yr olds to effectively sanitise a work station. We are asking for trouble despite noble intent.

Again not saying this is slavery, but the hypocrisy of tds in a centre built for thousands vs 26 kids in a room that was probs originally a bedroom for a priest back in the day...

wirelessdude01 · 21-09-2020 09:39PM

dubrov wrote: »

Schools have been opened elsewhere for a long time. Have you got anything to back up your statement?
Here is an ECDC report that says otherwise.

Have a look at the guidance around schools which the ECDC have and see how it corresponds to here. Close contacts in school setting being one that particularly stands out.

wirelessdude01 · 21-09-2020 09:42PM

Smacruairi wrote: »

On this, it would take a singular minded principal to put their hand up and say "nah, we can't make it work properly.. We aren't fully compliant". It would do damage to the school, their own career, and put worry amongst the school community. Better to toe the DES line of "we are trying our best" to not rock the boat. You'll need a whistleblower approach before the floodgates open.
.

Much like the one o'clock news on Radio 1 today. Blew the lid on the contact tracing fiasco that he encountered.

Will Yam · 21-09-2020 09:43PM

Mrsmum wrote: »

To be fair I haven't heard anything in the news about how schools are faring since they opened, apart from the first day back type of reports a few weeks back. However in my case it is the school giving that positive message, the last two Fridays ie the two Fridays they've been back, the school my kids go to sent the parents an email telling us how everything is working well and complimenting the students on their excellent behaviour, abiding by the rules and that ! How it's great to be back and see the students back and how all the staff are working hard etc. My kids go to the local PP feeder school with 750 students so not some kind of private utopia place or anything. When I ask the kids they seem to agree with the school that all is well, hand sanitizer outside every class, wiping down their own desks before and after use, base classes, perspex between desks, not using musical instruments, open windows and doors, most children go home for lunch, wearing masks of course, all that business. If i wasn't reading this thread I actually would think it was all going well.

You wouldn’t want to believe everything you read on this thread.

Icyseanfitz · 21-09-2020 09:47PM

Will Yam wrote: »

You wouldn’t want to believe everything you read on this thread.

Yeah don't bother listening to the teachers/snas/staff/students within the schools 5 days a week, we don't know what's happening in the buildings at all.... Ffs

Will Yam · 21-09-2020 09:49PM

Smacruairi wrote: »

On this, it would take a singular minded principal to put their hand up and say "nah, we can't make it work properly.. We aren't fully compliant". It would do damage to the school, their own career, and put worry amongst the school community. Better to toe the DES line of "we are trying our best" to not rock the boat. You'll need a whistleblower approach before the floodgates open.

I'm not saying conditions are horrendous by the way, just they are in no way what people imagine when they see cherry picked images on rte and in the times. We are doing our best despite very little leadership or backing from those above, but sometimes you just can't make it all click.

Csse in point, we have diff entry points for each year group. However at lunch they become massive chokepoints as everyone enters and leaves. You just can't socially distance 12 0 people at a door. It doesn't work. Likewise corridors. Likewise you're asking 13yr olds to effectively sanitise a work station. We are asking for trouble despite noble intent.

Again not saying this is slavery, but the hypocrisy of tds in a centre built for thousands vs 26 kids in a room that was probs originally a bedroom for a priest back in the day...

How can it be damaging to a principals career? What promotion opportunities are available to principals?

dubrov · 21-09-2020 09:50PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Have a look at the guidance around schools which the ECDC have and see how it corresponds to here. Close contacts in school setting being one that particularly stands out.

Are you referencing a different document?

Will Yam · 21-09-2020 09:52PM

jrosen wrote: »

Our secondary seems to be doing really well. Email today to say as much. 1m distance in every class, hand sanitizing in every class room, along every corridor. Locker rooms are locked and only accessible at certain times and are supervised to stop gathering. Lots of outside space, more seating outside. Staggered lunch times. All outside for lunch where possible.

Asked my son about mask wearing and he said he has not seen one student not wearing a mask, same on his bus.

I would imagine the demographic of the school will play a huge role

You shouldn’t really be bringing inconvenient facts into this debate.

Smacruairi · 21-09-2020 09:55PM

Will Yam wrote: »

How can it be damaging to a principals career? What promotion opportunities are available to principals?

There are a multitude of advisory bodies, not to mention returning to academia to lecture in Universities, research etc. There's also the handy gig of being the external person in interviews. Principal is not the end of the line,and if you are pressured out, very few places you can move on to. And they're very very rarely going to go back to the classroom.

combat14 · 21-09-2020 10:21PM

lads the pubs have to be causing the spike in numbers they are back open today that must be it ..

its definitely not the schools sure they have been open 2 or 3 weeks now at this stage so all is going well with them

Scoondal · 21-09-2020 10:28PM

Real pubs open. They have not caused the rise of corona virus cases.
Schools with no distancing and no masks ... possible cause of the rise of corona virus cases.

dubrov · 21-09-2020 10:32PM

combat14 wrote: »

lads the pubs have to be causing the spike in numbers they are back open today that must be it ..

its definitely not the schools sure they have been open 2 or 3 weeks now at this stage so all is going well with them

Cases have been increasing much earlier than 3 weeks ago.

expectationlost · 21-09-2020 11:43PM

khalessi wrote: »

This happened with my kiddo received 3 different appointments 2 for Tuesday and one Wednesday, then a fourth message cancelling 2nd appointment on Tuesday and I cancelled appointment for Wednesday. Mad stuff

and then the HSE tell us people are turning up for there test blaming us

Icyseanfitz · 21-09-2020 11:44PM

dubrov wrote: »

Cases have been increasing much earlier than 3 weeks ago.

Only around the start of August really, which was probably down to all the staycations etc. Much bigger jump in the last 2 weeks though.

s1ippy · 22-09-2020 01:31AM

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

Ffs

22-09-2020 07:24AM

s1ippy wrote: »

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

Ffs

It's Ronan Glynn's fault that thick parents did not keep their children home while waiting for a test result?

dubrov · 22-09-2020 07:34AM

Icyseanfitz wrote:

Only around the start of August really, which was probably down to all the staycations etc. Much bigger jump in the last 2 weeks though.

A bigger jump in numbers but looks like about the same growth rate. No one really knows the cause but we all have our guesses

History Queen · 22-09-2020 08:07AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It's Ronan Glynn's fault that thick parents did not keep their children home while waiting for a test result?

I think the principal is looking to draw this health issue to the Acting CMO's attention rather than assigning blame to him.

Lillyfae · 22-09-2020 08:21AM

Smacruairi wrote: »

There are a multitude of advisory bodies, not to mention returning to academia to lecture in Universities, research etc. There's also the handy gig of being the external person in interviews. Principal is not the end of the line,and if you are pressured out, very few places you can move on to. And they're very very rarely going to go back to the classroom.

So the possibility of being "pressured out" of the running to sit on the board of a quango trumps public health concerns? I'd feel so sorry for a person like that :rolleyes:.

I really do think there are schools/ principals/ teachers pulling out all the stops to make sure the needs and wellbeing, both physical and mental, of children and staff are being met. That's where the discrepancies in the anecdotes here really lie. Schools with a beaut like the above being described, who should not be anywhere near education in the first place, are the ones where there will never be enough money, staff, space etc etc because somebody cares more about their own success than children's education, health, wellbeing or that of their colleagues.

22-09-2020 08:34AM

Deleted User wrote: »

It's Ronan Glynn's fault that thick parents did not keep their children home while waiting for a test result?

The school should be automatically informed if any student is called for a test so they can ensure they are kept home.

Them parents should be named and shamed to the rest of the school, pure scum.

wirelessdude01 · 22-09-2020 08:35AM

Also if a primary school is tight on numbers for the September 30th deadline then they are hardly going to come out and say that they think despite their best efforts that things aren't great.

Alot of grants for works etc rely on the local TD lobbying at government level. A lot of school principals aren't going to risk annoying the local government TD by going public with their thoughts.

Any principals that I'm aware of that are vocal.on twitter and the likes about things are in schools where numbers are secure, schools where the buildings are pretty much new builds and all have the best of the best already for their schools. For the school themselves there is no come back and most of those principals that I know have zero inclination to move into the inspectorate or similar places.

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

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