Ah well, I had already got the Day 1 tests sorted privately myself because it was Christmas and the HSE was a mess so...🙄And we actually just got private tests today for Day 10 (actually Day 13 since the first pos antigen) and are still neg.But I can't be shelling out this much money if this happens again.Whole thing has been a very expensive farce tbh.
My family had PCR tests today. Myself and my husband had positive antigens and I got my kids tested too incase we test positive! Would today be their day 0 and then another test on day 10? So they can return to school on the 17th...its a nightmare! They haven't classic cold or flu symptoms either but had a couple of things wrong with them in the last week that could be covid related!
Oh, my sincerest apologies. I read your post all wrong. I thought you were being really ignorant and doing the usual 'jealous 9-5er who takes their own unhappiness with their work/life balance out on teachers' routine.
I thought you were suggesting that teachers might have been visiting family or doing their shopping or maybe even going to the pub or getting a few Christmas presents and that you disapproved of this, in a way that would mean that you are of unsound or of no mind and all.
But I was wrong. You care. You're a good guy. I'm sure they teachers will be delighted to get those well wishing emails from you in the morning or you might even pop in a card to the school
Fair play to you
You've actually made me wonder and now I too am curious - what it is your sister in law and the whole family were getting up to to end up with it too?
I'm not sure to be honest. I didn't ask, I would assume a mix of both.
I feel your pain! We were the same before Christmas, one positive and two negative. I was told on the phone the 17 days and couldn't believe it. Was the first time I had heard of it but as a previous poster said a few days ago I was told 17 days because I wasn't isolating my child with covid. Think if we had put him in a room it would have bee the day 1 test and day 10 test.
Might have changed because I also received emails from our school this eve giving the same info you just mentioned. Honestly the 17 days was so hard no way will I do it again.
Just to add I think the hse website has been updated. I definitely read 17 days when we were going through it in early Dec. I couldn't believe the contact tracer and had hoped I'd get different info from the hse.
Pity you missed the calls because they automatically send you your day 1 and 10 test appointments. Hope you are nearing the end of it now!
Missing because they're isolating or parents don't want to send them in?
Our class whatsapp have a good few kids out, but other parents stressing over whether they should send their own kids back tomorrow
I am entirely for real. What's the problem with my comment? It's unfortunate that so many staff are ill or isolating and I wish them well. The school has made a good call in prioritising the exam years. I am also wondering how so many of the staff came to be in this position at the same time. It seems a normal thing to ponder. My sister-in-law's house came down with it and after the initial concern and well wishes the first thing that was asked was how did they get it? I'm confused by your outrage.
Spent the last week doing this tortured calculation.1 pos, 2 neg here.
The HSE were telling people 17 days isolation on the phone.I haven't spoken to them myself, missed their calls and no way to call them back.BUT.....this is not what is written on their website.In addition, I have received 2 emails from the school today, one quoting the HSE's advice direct from their site, the other a letter forwarded on by the principal from the Acting Director of Public Health in the HSE.Both say isolate for 14 days, get a PCR on Day 0 and Day 10 and if both are negative, they are ok to leave isolation. I've added the link below, I am not sure how old your kids are.
I do not know why the advice on their website contradicts what they are saying on the phone, because I know they are saying 17 days to people with kids.But as far as I can see, the correspondence I have received so far mentions 14 and 10 days, so I am going with that.The obvious struggle being the part where you have get two PCR tests for them🙄
If your still around by then. What with the schools being such a scene of carnage.
So true. Can't wait to hear about it in 6 weeks time when I'm about to go back to work after yet another week off for Feb midterm
Ah yeh.
I should have done a Tony Holohan on it and referred to the whatsapps as anecdotal instead. That would make it much more believable.
Ah, the infamous boards.ie poster/s coming on here and listing imaginary WhatsApp messages throughout this pandemic! It's as reliable now at this stage as death and taxes!
Couple of relatives who are teachers giving out stink on whatsapp at the moment. Saying parents treat school as a glorified babbysitting service. Well duh. Its part and parcel of schools. They arent happy at all. Apparently to do with safety. One of them on a foregin holiday with his kids over Christmas. LOL. Chancers.
Are you for real with a comment like that?
Do you think that of everyone in the country who is either positive or isolating tomorrow?
The absolute cheek of you
Got word this evening that my child's secondary school is only open for 3rd and 6th years tomorrow and Friday due to a staff shortage. Seems like a sensible call to me but I'd love to know what the teachers have been at for the last two weeks. Half of them have already been out with covid during the Autumn term.
Just got word that we'll be missing between 35 and 40% of the students tomorrow going by the parents that have emailed so far. Not sure about staff. Going to make continuity of education a bloody disaster.... this is going to be a long month....
I’m VHR so they had spotty teaching last year, then I went down with a bad dose of illness this year and they missed more time. It’s not their fault and not like I could have done anything about being sick but there’s no qualified subs. So they’ve missed a lot
Never said they were a burden ... Just that they are driving me daft.
Anyway, I'm happy common sense has prevailed and schools will open as normal tomorrow.
Well that's sort of my point, there's been millions spent on hand sanitizer, stickers etc., measure after measure, euro after euro, to what gain? Placating the public and keeping them off the Govs back. They won't bloody purchase masks/air purifiers or test kits for school and they are the only thing half useful.
Even in your situation, which sounds perfect, but really I doubt it's much safer than our classrooms despite having what sounds like military precision planning. I mean there's no virologist in the world who would stand over 1.1 M being an effective measure for airborne virus, someone in the Dept got out their calculator and divided the avg class size in M by avg class size in students and voila the Dept have a safety measure to be rolled out, it's a red herring.
The Government needs to be seen to have an element of control and hence these easy to repeat measures are parroted and if they do it enough times people believe them. It's all optics and I wish they were called out on it by the media.
Probably not. I'll be honest, I don't know. But, my principal and lead workers made huge efforts to at least make the effort and I really appreciate that and I tell them that regularly too.
In an era where wellbeing is the buzz word of the century, what harm in taking out a couple of presses and bookshelves if it makes teachers and some kids feel better? (there are some students nervous of Covid, whether they need to be or not)
Well the kids mix anyway. Way to school and way home. Outside of school. In the yard.
Just let them at it now. Obviously masks should remain but anything apart from that is probably not helping a lot.
Wow. That's interesting. What is it that they just don't help?
Well, I dunno. Your principal is not very good in that case. It is hardly making demands either - the role of the lead worker is to liaise with the principal on your behalf, regarding all things Covid-related.
I don't know, maybe I am just really really lucky, but we have two lead workers and they are absolutely smashing! Cabinets, lockers, presses etc were removed from all the classrooms to make space to separate students out. They painted little dots on the floor to mark out the 1.1m distances so that when the tables and chairs got moved, they could easily be fixed back to where they were supposed to be.
Our principal is 100% open to everything that is suggested. Our principal assists with S&S if we are stuck or if we point out a black or blind spot.
The Department is beyond useless, but that's not a Covid thing. They've been like that since as far back as I can remember. At least Covid has outed them to the general public!
Agreed. I think though we have reached a point where we don't need measures enforced anymore. This thing will rip. Children aren't in danger at all from it. I wouldn't be worried at all if they got rid of all measures in my kids school in the morning. They just don't help.
Haha no,at least in my experience in the classroom for the last 2 years. Perhaps from the far corner of a desk to the back of next person's chair but of course students sit behind desks not at the front so definitely not 1.1m apart. Even if it was the desks would need to be bolted to floor or else they get moved throughout the day. Not to mention most classes are plus 30 seats/desks and all the other things like cabinets etc. Have to fit into rooms. Again this "control" has no impact on an airborne virus, like most of all the other measures, like spaces between seats in a canteen or washing hands, it's airborne. The only effective thing is open windows/wear masks, which should be done, the rest of it is for optics/hubris that the Dept or school can control the school environment regarding this virus and keep mammy and daddy from calling their local TD.
Look I'm happy to be back in, easier to teach in person but the PR spin put on these covid measures is frustrating and flat out lies in some contexts.
As regards making demands of our management, c'mon, your having a laugh there?
17 days?
Not to be shooting the messenger, but janey mack - if you were a builder I'd definitely be looking for a second quote....
Your desks and chairs are not 1.1m apart in your school? They should be - why are your lead workers not enforcing this with your principal?
At break and lunch they eat, but in our school there is a strict policy of remaining in their seats to eat with mask off if they must remain indoors, but they are encouraged to go outdoors to eat. A huge amount of planning went into rezoning areas of the school to make sure every year group has access to outdoor space. Yes, we have the space to do it, we are lucky.
You guys need to go to your lead workers and tell them you need more supervisors. There is money to provide additional supervision, it can be used on the halls and corridors if that's where you need it. Your principal and deputy should be patrolling too to ensure compliance.
How long is your lunch time? Ours was 50mins but we reduced it to 30mins and shortened the school day by 20mins. 30mins is less time to supervise so you can have more teachers and it also doesn't allow students to get too wound up because, to be fair to them, they are only doing what comes natural to them at break and lunch.
I'm sure your kids feel the same about you, being that bitter of person must wear on people.
What a parent you are. Maybe you shouldn't have had kids if they're that much of a burden?
FAO Teachers. Yes, schools are "safe" .. not because of any mitigation measures put in place. They are safe because Covid is a very mild disease. It's likely you have had it / will have it and not even realise 😮
FAO Teachers Unions. There's nothing I love more than seeing you put back in your box. 😁
Looking forward to walking my 3 kids to school tomorrow. They are driving me mad 😨
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