Coronavirus: General discussion (see opening post for rules)

[LeMarchand]

Attendees at San Dimas High School's "Virtual Graduation" got a special message from the school's most notable alumni:

[Dos_Box]

Attendees at San Dimas High School's "Virtual Graduation" got a special message from the school's most notable alumni:

 

Excellent!

[caffrey]

How are you all dealing with IT suites ? We're looking at partition screens but I've not got the foggiest how that will work or get them ordered delivered and installed by the 15th....

[Garacesh]

How are you all dealing with IT suites ? We're looking at partition screens but I've not got the foggiest how that will work or get them ordered delivered and installed by the 15th....

 

Can woodwork/RM not knock up something?

You essentially just need a big board screwed into two feet.

[StevieM]

Attendees at San Dimas High School's "Virtual Graduation" got a special message from the school's most notable alumni:

This is all I could see:

I hope that wasn't the special message for the poor 'graduates'!

 

Edit: It's working now. Most excellent!

Edited June 5, 2020 by StevieM

[Rob_D]

How are you all dealing with IT suites ? We're looking at partition screens but I've not got the foggiest how that will work or get them ordered delivered and installed by the 15th....

We removed (on unplugged in the case of IDesk fixed PCs) 2/3 of the PCs so the student workstations are 2m apart.

[caffrey]

I think that's what we may end up doing.

 

Daft idea, but I've suggested clear plastic shower curtains hung from the ceiling grid

 

All of this for 2.5 weeks of year 10 and 12

[paulkerton]

How are you all dealing with IT suites ? We're looking at partition screens but I've not got the foggiest how that will work or get them ordered delivered and installed by the 15th....

 

In secondary? What kind of engagement with Year 10 and 12 are your school attempting to do? They're not asking children to be in every single day are they?

We're asking them to come for a 2 hour session every fortnight, with 20 minutes blocks with their tutors and core subject teachers to discuss any problems and issues they've had with set work. No catering. No being on site for absolutely more than is needed. No teacher on site for more than a day a week.

The IT equipment won't be touched for now. We're working out what we've got to do for September.

Edited June 5, 2020 by paulkerton

[caffrey]

We're bringing in the entire yr10 and y12 cohort apparently, and ALL the teaching staff in. This has left the issue of teaching at school and still teaching the remaining years.

 

5 days left to get everything sorted and some decisions were made today and who knows what else the .gov change between then and now

 

Fed up of it all tbh

[caffrey]

[Linfit]

How are you all dealing with IT suites ? We're looking at partition screens but I've not got the foggiest how that will work or get them ordered delivered and installed by the 15th....

 

We are not even going to try using the IT suites this term for returning pupils.It was recognised early on in the planning here that they are too big a source of potential infection and virtually impossible to sanitise.

Lessons are in classrooms with Bubbles " of 10 students, Its been agreed, no laptops or anything in use, just the staff PC, and they have been given detailed instructions about cleaning between teachers - (teachers are moving to pupils)

 

Three of our IT suites are in use by children of key workers and vulnerable kids who have been coming in every day, but they have their own machine that no-one else uses.

 

Early next week I am going to round the staff work rooms and staff rooms and remove some of the machines in those spaces to enforce the social distancing rules, and staff are not allowed on site if they are not on the teaching rota, to minimise numbers using those areas.

 

I must say our trust have been very good in producing detailed risk assessments and planning.

[paulkerton]

We're bringing in the entire yr10 and y12 cohort apparently, and ALL the teaching staff in. This has left the issue of teaching at school and still teaching the remaining years.

I'm flabbergasted. Dunno what to say.

I'm guessing no bubbles then? No teachers moving and pupils staying in the classroom they're assigned?

Feel for you.

[Linfit]

We're bringing in the entire yr10 and y12 cohort apparently, and ALL the teaching staff in. This has left the issue of teaching at school and still teaching the remaining years.

 

That is frankly ridiculous. Unless you have an enormous campus like site to spread them out in ?

[caffrey]

As far as I'm aware it's timetabled as normal....

 

Shouldn't be impossible as the cohorts are smallish but for the sake of a few weeks is it worth the work ? Don't get me wrong I feel for the students

[paulkerton]

As far as I'm aware it's timetabled as normal....

 

We're looking at an 80% takeup with our current plans which is basically 2 hours per fortnight. If we went with these plans, I would be surprised if we got near 40% turning up.

 

The Government advise is quite clear, and whoever the "ambitious" one in your SLT that is pushing this is, I feel they might have some horrible explaining to do in the near future. I really hope they don't though.

 

secondary schools, sixth form, and further education colleges to begin offering some face-to-face support to year 10 and 12 pupils to supplement their remote education, which should remain their predominant mode of education during this term

given we are asking secondary schools not to have whole year groups in school at the same time... ensure that only a quarter of children are ever in the school on any one day

 

Best of luck to your staff and children. I do hope your staff are communicating with your unions on this.

Edited June 5, 2020 by paulkerton

[caffrey]

Thanks, I've just had a read around - going to have to get some clarity on this, information isn't very well communicated here

[smurfomatic]

Apparently we have 18 Year 6 students returning on Wednesday, with Nursery to Year 1 back on Monday. I was asked about using the ICT room, said that if they used every other computer they would be fine - giving 9 in total.

 

So obviously it has been decided to use the school hall for one bubble and the foyer area outside a set of classrooms for another - neither room has any desks. this means a lot of moving around furniture, equipment (including two Chromebook trolleys) that will have to be done by the ony two maintenance staff that aren't furloughed.

 

Still, I was explicitly told to be off site unless absolutely necessary, and normally I'd lend a hand doing this kind of thing (though I'd perhaps point out that the building with one of the Chromebook trolleys in has six empty classrooms, as well as a drama studio and music room that could be used - saving the need to move stuff around)

[smurfomatic]

Also, some good news in the family, eventually...

 

My maternal grandmother (just turned 84, has asthma, diabetes and Parkinson's amongst other health issues) was due to go into a care home on Monday. The pre-admission COVID test was positive, which meant a no-go for the home. As she wasnt symptomatic she couldn't go into hospital, but she was admitted on Monday evening for other reasons. Mum and two of her sisters have been caring for her alongside working full time, and can't cope (hence the care home). Initial admission test for COVID was negative, as well as the follow up, so she's in the clear! Staying in hospital for the meantime as the care home now doesn't have a place, and the "children" have said they can't care for her at home. Hopefully there will be a place at the care home soon, as they have a few people in who are just on respite.

 

Mum was also tested and is clear - so she's back at work tomorrow after a week off!

[stevejp]

Also, some good news in the family, eventually...

 

My maternal grandmother (just turned 84, has asthma, diabetes and Parkinson's amongst other health issues) was due to go into a care home on Monday. The pre-admission COVID test was positive, which meant a no-go for the home. As she wasnt symptomatic she couldn't go into hospital, but she was admitted on Monday evening for other reasons. Mum and two of her sisters have been caring for her alongside working full time, and can't cope (hence the care home). Initial admission test for COVID was negative, as well as the follow up, so she's in the clear! Staying in hospital for the meantime as the care home now doesn't have a place, and the "children" have said they can't care for her at home. Hopefully there will be a place at the care home soon, as they have a few people in who are just on respite.

 

Mum was also tested and is clear - so she's back at work tomorrow after a week off!

 

Nice to have some positive news amidst the doom and gloom.

[StevieM]

Nice to have some positive news amidst the doom and gloom.

 

Or negative news, in this case...which is...positive.

 

Either way, I’m glad everyone is ok.

[Andrew_C]

We're bringing in the entire yr10 and y12 cohort apparently, and ALL the teaching staff in. This has left the issue of teaching at school and still teaching the remaining years.

 

5 days left to get everything sorted and some decisions were made today and who knows what else the .gov change between then and now

 

Fed up of it all tbh

We wanted to bring all of one year back, and not the other. DFE and insurance said 'no'.

[mikeprice]

Local council here has decided that it is no longer recommended that schools open on Monday - due to the local R number which is over 1

 

 

they announced this yesterday (Friday) afternoon

 

 

wonder how my old school is going to cope with this as the parents have a very bad record with keeping the school up to date with their phone number - which change quite frequently for unknown reasons (cough cough dodgysimcard coug cough)

[6Foot2]

Link: Street artist making us smile during the pandemic [bBC News: Outside Source]

 

David Zinn is a professional chalk artist who's on a mission to show that you don’t need fancy equipment to draw. His work has appeared on subway platforms in Manhattan, village squares in Sweden and even street corners in Taiwan. (Photo: Street art. Credit David Zinn)

[stottio]

Wow, sounds like we work in the same school. All staff in last week for two days, HOYs and HODs met on Wednesday then departments all came in Thursday, no idea why this couldn't have been remote, guess they wanted everyone to get used to the procedures. For Year 10 I think they are planning on doing English for a week, then maths, then science with a meet for all pupils with their form tutor also. Crazy for what will be 4 weeks of School with lots of staff having to come in also, especially on the support side, even though most could still work from home.

[pooley]

So all school will be open for all year groups from the 29th (Wales schools) for 4 weeks, max 30% attendance and current users of HUB provision (Key worker babysitting service) get priority. Works out that each child will get 2 days in school in that 4 weeks, that's 2 days total. What is the actual point?!?! Parents are going to be miffed when they hear how little provision will be provided.