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

Locotastic · 03-03-2021 09:49AM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

Yeah, feck public health advice

Public health advice is for a phased reopening, I don't think it specifies how phased that needs to be.

Two months of a phased reopening is too long, you'll have some children out of school almost 4 months at that stage. These are students who missed that same amount of time last year.

Of course the stupidity in maintaining a usual school calendar of holidays around this is laughable. No compromise even though it makes complete sense to shift some of these around.

penny piper · 03-03-2021 10:16AM

Locotastic wrote: »

Two months of a phased reopening is too long, you'll have some children out of school almost 4 months at that stage. These are students who missed that same amount of time last year.

Do you think this has been that detrimental to their education? haven't schools always had some form of remote teaching? children will always catch up ...I'm sure plenty of parents were helping their children....

[/QUOTE] Of course the stupidity in maintaining a usual school calendar of holidays around this is laughable. No compromise even though it makes complete sense to shift some of these around.[/QUOTE]

No need at all for compromise imo...

Stateofyou · 03-03-2021 10:43AM

caveat emptor wrote: »

This is incredibly sensible and is backed by science now on the protection of one dose.
Get it done by end of March. Refreshing to see fact based leadership instead of denying that you can get infected in a classroom.

https://twitter.com/Quicktake/status/1366939398462459907?s=20

Nail on the head there.

Stateofyou · 03-03-2021 10:53AM

Neagra wrote: »

great to have primary half open. feels right and my children are delighted. complete change in their demeanour - its the social aspect. it is so important to children.
of the four classes back not one child is missing - great news and says alot about the steel in our community.
surely we can all agree on this thread that its is the children's mental health and development that must now come first.

I hear what you're saying but I'm also reminded of students and families who have underlying health conditions, who don't have a choice to remain remote learning with school support. I know several families in our school in this situation (could be more, these are just the families I know of) that are at the end of their tether with the stress trying to manage the situation and keep themselves safe. Sometimes health comes first.

byhookorbycrook · 03-03-2021 11:07AM

penny piper wrote: »

Both my children went back to teach in dublin yesterday....both told me nothing had been done at all in their schools since christmas....and do you actually know/experienced what new measures have been taken in schools since they closed at christmas? ...because it certainly isn't happening in dublin where my two teach...

Because the “ enhanced protections” schools were promised , whatever they are , haven’t materialised. There is nothing more schools can do, with 30 in a class and “ventilation “ - ie open doors and windows .

Stateofyou · 03-03-2021 11:16AM

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Because the “ enhanced protections” schools were promised , whatever they are , haven’t materialised. There is nothing more schools can do, with 30 in a class and “ventilation “ - ie open doors and windows .

And only opening them / using them to their fullest when the children aren't even IN the classrooms! The mind boggles at the sheer stupidity of this "protection."

penny piper · 03-03-2021 11:32AM

Stateofyou wrote: »

And only opening them / using them to their fullest when the children aren't even IN the classrooms! The mind boggles at the sheer stupidity of this "protection."

It's also very hard for teachers when there is no actual window in the room where they are teaching and the only ventilation is keeping the door open....happens in my son's school....

Locotastic · 03-03-2021 12:38PM

penny piper wrote: »

Do you think this has been that detrimental to their education? haven't schools always had some form of remote teaching? children will always catch up ...I'm sure plenty of parents were helping their children....

No need at all for compromise imo...

It has been detrimental not only educationally, but socially, mentally and developmentally.

Not all children will catch up.

Restructuring holidays has made sense at times but is not even being considered at the moment that we know of. Although we do tend to follow the UK so who knows.

History Queen · 03-03-2021 12:42PM

Locotastic wrote: »

It has been detrimental not only educationally, but socially, mentally and developmentally.

Not all children will catch up.

Restructuring holidays has made sense at times but is not even being considered at the moment that we know of. Although we do tend to follow the UK so who knows.

I think the catch up scheme the UK have announced is something akin to our July provision programme.

What restructure of our holidays do you think should happen?

Edit: also it hasn't been detrimental to all children so should a proposed catch up scheme a la the UK be opt in rather than compulsory?

wirelessdude01 · 03-03-2021 01:20PM

Locotastic wrote: »

It has been detrimental not only educationally, but socially, mentally and developmentally.

Not all children will catch up.

Restructuring holidays has made sense at times but is not even being considered at the moment that we know of. Although we do tend to follow the UK so who knows.

The UK proposal is very similar to our July provision system. Main difference is that there is also an element for secondary.

What restructuring would you have for the holidays?

joe40 · 03-03-2021 01:21PM

Locotastic wrote: »

It has been detrimental not only educationally, but socially, mentally and developmentally.

Not all children will catch up.

Restructuring holidays has made sense at times but is not even being considered at the moment that we know of. Although we do tend to follow the UK so who knows.

I would hate for my kids to miss holidays at this stage. Online learning is no fun for anyone the kids need the easter break imo.
It would be counter productive not to have it.
I think there should be thought given to reducing content on exam courses for the 21 to 22 school year to mitigate against time off.
It would be the fairest way for me since everyones online access was not the same.

highland212 · 03-03-2021 03:48PM

Stateofyou wrote: »

I hear what you're saying but I'm also reminded of students and families who have underlying health conditions, who don't have a choice to remain remote learning with school support. I know several families in our school in this situation (could be more, these are just the families I know of) that are at the end of their tether with the stress trying to manage the situation and keep themselves safe. Sometimes health comes first.

If the department had any cop on at all they would have used the last 12 months to create a system that linked up high risk teachers (including teachers who are pregnant) with children of families with high risk members in their household and allow these teachers to teach these children remotely. Surely you could pool all of the JI/SI, 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th and 5th/6th class children around the country and assign them to teachers on Seesaw/Google Classrooms. It's absolutely ridiculous that no contingency plans were made by the Department over the last year and they are still making it up as they go along.

alroley · 03-03-2021 03:50PM

Locotastic wrote: »

It has been detrimental not only educationally, but socially, mentally and developmentally.

Not all children will catch up.

Restructuring holidays has made sense at times but is not even being considered at the moment that we know of. Although we do tend to follow the UK so who knows.

The UK have not restructured their holidays. They've just introduced a voluntary programme similar to what we already had anyway.

penny piper · 03-03-2021 04:16PM

According to dulin live today another school in the south side of dublin has been closed from today until further notice....The school informed the parents that the children will be contacted by their teachers and will return back to remote education...
Not good news at all....

wirelessdude01 · 03-03-2021 04:24PM

highland212 wrote: »

If the department had any cop on at all they would have used the last 12 months to create a system that linked up high risk teachers (including teachers who are pregnant) with children of families with high risk members in their household and allow these teachers to teach these children remotely. Surely you could pool all of the JI/SI, 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th and 5th/6th class children around the country and assign them to teachers on Seesaw/Google Classrooms. It's absolutely ridiculous that no contingency plans were made by the Department over the last year and they are still making it up as they go along.

I was out for a number of months before Christmas. Made an enquiry and was told nothing in place or had been considered. Few education centres had ad-hoc arrangements but mine didn't.

MarshmallowPop · 03-03-2021 04:24PM

highland212 wrote: »

If the department had any cop on at all they would have used the last 12 months to create a system that linked up high risk teachers (including teachers who are pregnant) with children of families with high risk members in their household and allow these teachers to teach these children remotely. Surely you could pool all of the JI/SI, 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th and 5th/6th class children around the country and assign them to teachers on Seesaw/Google Classrooms. It's absolutely ridiculous that no contingency plans were made by the Department over the last year and they are still making it up as they go along.

I am pregnant and I am teaching any child in my school who is off for a Covid related reason. It is working very well so far.

When the children who I am teaching at the minute go back to school, the Seniors will be expected back and I can see more children being off then.

I have plenty of work to do for my own class and supporting the sub in for me.

I do work in a big school so there will be lots of children off at any one time.

I do think the Department could be a bit more proactive in trying to pair up High Risk teachers with High Risk children.

MacDanger · 03-03-2021 04:27PM

penny piper wrote: »

According to dulin live today another school in the south side of dublin has been closed from today until further notice....The school informed the parents that the children will be contacted by their teachers and will return back to remote education...
Not good news at all....

Closed for what reason? A cluster of cases or what?

penny piper · 03-03-2021 04:42PM

MacDanger wrote: »

Closed for what reason? A cluster of cases or what?

The article said the school was working closely with the HSE.. and the situation was beyond their control..it also said the school had sent home a letter to parents regarding a covid letter update.....it didn't go into any further detail...only the school would contact the parents with email/text updates as when they could...

am_zarathustra · 03-03-2021 04:42PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

The UK proposal is very similar to our July provision system. Main difference is that there is also an element for secondary.

What restructuring would you have for the holidays?

July provision is available in secondary right the way through. There was also provision last year, and I assume this year, for a summer school in DEIS schools in August to help with the return to school and to work on numeracy and literacy in advance of being back in the classroom. This is for a larger number of kids that need less targeted help but there would be no reason why a student struggling could not attend both.

Small groups and a structured timetable to ease them back in, worked well in our place.

wirelessdude01 · 03-03-2021 04:51PM

penny piper wrote: »

The article said the school was working closely with the HSE.. and the situation was beyond their control..it also said the school had sent home a letter to parents regarding a covid letter update.....it didn't go into any further detail...only the school would contact the parents with email/text updates as when they could...

Is that the school on Orwell?

wirelessdude01 · 03-03-2021 04:52PM

am_zarathustra wrote: »

July provision is available in secondary right the way through. There was also provision last year, and I assume this year, for a summer school in DEIS schools in August to help with the return to school and to work on numeracy and literacy in advance of being back in the classroom. This is for a larger number of kids that need less targeted help but there would be no reason why a student struggling could not attend both.

Small groups and a structured timetable to ease them back in, worked well in our place.

Every day is a school day, did not know it was in secondary as well.

am_zarathustra · 03-03-2021 05:00PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Every day is a school day, did not know it was in secondary as well.

I've done it a few times myself, very much geared at kids on the spectrum, similar to primary. Great experience actually, gave me a real insight into how kids that are neuro-atypical think, I kept saying "you know how you feel when" or "you know when someone is sad" etc to explain subjects like english, kids had to educate me on the differences in how they perceived the world. Young teachers should especially consider it, some of the best CPD I've ever done.

I'd love to see the DEIS summer school continued indefinitely. It was such a help for some of our nervous kids from difficult backgrounds, the small groups and undivided attention of a good adult really made the transition back smother. Gave them a much stronger relationship with the teachers involved too. That might be a positive to come out of all this.

penny piper · 03-03-2021 05:18PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Is that the school on Orwell?

Sorry I haven't a clue (i live in leitrim) just happened to notice @ dublin live

Another secondary school in cork...coachford community college has just confirmed a case of coronavirus in their school

Marty Bird · 03-03-2021 05:22PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

The UK proposal is very similar to our July provision system. Main difference is that there is also an element for secondary.

What restructuring would you have for the holidays?

Is the UK not proposing a return for all schools students? our July provision is only available to students with additional needs not open to all students.

wirelessdude01 · 03-03-2021 05:29PM

Marty Bird wrote: »

Is the UK not proposing a return for all schools students? our July provision is only available to students with additional needs not open to all students.

As far as I have read no. It's entirely optional.

highland212 · 03-03-2021 05:36PM

Marty Bird wrote: »

Is the UK not proposing a return for all schools students? our July provision is only available to students with additional needs not open to all students.

It's entirely option and it is geared towards Year 7's who will be transitioning from primary to secondary school. This is the cohort they are pushing to take part, I believe.

khalessi · 03-03-2021 05:47PM

penny piper wrote: »

Sorry I haven't a clue (i live in leitrim) just happened to notice @ dublin live

Another secondary school in cork...coachford community college has just confirmed a case of coronavirus in their school

Wonder if one of these schools is where the teacher has been hospitalised

wirelessdude01 · 03-03-2021 05:48PM

khalessi wrote: »

Wonder if one of these schools is where the teacher has been hospitalised

Ohh hadn't heard that.

khalessi · 03-03-2021 05:49PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Ohh hadn't heard that.

Saw it mentioned yesterday

penny piper · 03-03-2021 05:52PM

khalessi wrote: »

Wonder if one of these schools is where the teacher has been hospitalised

Doesn't really give out much information on these schools at all....I didn't see anything about teachers.....

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

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