Generic Virus Thread

[darrenm]

Could've quite easily got Chromebooks out to kids during last summer, got all of the remote learning platforms properly sorted and not had kids going back into schools in September. Avoided mutations, been in a much better position now. Everything's too little, too late.

[Vive_La_Villa]

I still know people that insist there is no virus. It’s all a hoax.  Its shame they are related to me or I could avoid them like the plague. 

[Davkaus]

14 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I still know people that insist there is no virus. It’s all a hoax.  Its shame they are related to me or I could avoid them like the plague. 

There's nothing wrong with disowning extremists in your family. 

[HanoiVillan]

25 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

My 6 year old daughter asked me why she had to go to school today if she cant tomorrow.    
 

What’s the answer?

There simply isn't a good one I'm afraid.

[darrenm]

Could go into either Tory thread or this one really. But as he's the vaccine deployment secretary, it's relevant here. Nadim Zahawi sets up a medical company.

 

 

[Davkaus]

You could play her the Christmas #5  

[The Fun Factory]

So for example I think the county of Herefordshire has in about a months period has gone from Tier 2-Tier 1-Tier 2-Tier 3-Tier 4.

How can any business plan for that?

It makes you pine for Jeremy H*nt being the PM. Well nearly.

Edited January 5, 2021 by The Fun Factory

[The Fun Factory]

2 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said:

Welcome to 2021, I think a nationwide depression will set in pretty soon, I think a lot of people were pinning hopes on a new year bringing about a new hope but that’s gone already, new year same shit.

Like supporting Villa circa 2011-2018.

[bannedfromHandV]

1 hour ago, The Fun Factory said:

Like supporting Villa circa 2011-2018.

I think most people would take COVID over that

[jackbauer24]

As a teacher, I am just stopping for the night... we've prepared for most things to some degree but the ridiculous late nature of the announcement and the timescale in which to react to it, against a backdrop of us being told (threatened?!) with the absolute opposite scenario has resulted in an absolute mess where we can not possibly open to ANY children tomorrow.

In summary we have been given 12 hours, assuming no sleep/dinner/family commitments, to;

Prepare online resources for tomorrow (sketches were in place so can react ok to it - however, all planning/resources for onsite teaching is wasted)

Organise Vulnerable children list (largely up to date from last closure but most multi support agencies closed before Xmas to verify)

Organise Key Workers list (another words ask parents tonight if they qualify and hope numbers are accurate)

Rewrite risk assessment, using incomplete data with new questions (can new bubbles be formed of now mixed ages?)

Organise paper packs of current curriculum (can't be generic packs) and get them to parents without laptops asap.

Begin Free School Meals processes again (massive ball ache!)

Respond to academic and pastoral concerns from parents. Also reply to angry parents about situation we have no control over but blame us for.

Do this on reduced staff due to their family commitments at short notice. Timetable this within guidelines.

And from yesterday's message being COME BACK TO SCHOOL to today's message of closure for SIX WEEKS made jaws drop. Knowing the government would screw it up, some back up plans were in place but they covered two weeks maximum. We have been told over and over again children are returning so have had to fully immerse ourselves in planning a full curriculum for this half term, it is not possible to have two high quality curricula planned alongside each other, there is not the time.

Scotland had at least already told schools they were delaying opening so they now have a week to prepare.

Yes it's the same for lots of people now having to sort childcare or what not but what gets me is the constant abuse teachers get through this, and were getting due to the unions stance, today every single teacher in my school and every single teacher at my wife's school turned up ready for the next term, the next battle, the next challenge to make life normal and happy for children, yet apparently many believe we'll be skiiving for 6 weeks...

Rant over

 

[Rugeley Villa]

7 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I still know people that insist there is no virus. It’s all a hoax.  Its shame they are related to me or I could avoid them like the plague. 

Oh it’s definitely real . I know one or two that don’t think it exists, which is just being thick . The conspiracy lies within where it actually came from and when. Wherever it came from it’s a good job we don’t all put in for compensation. Very expensive mistake . 

[DCJonah]

5 hours ago, jackbauer24 said:

As a teacher, I am just stopping for the night... we've prepared for most things to some degree but the ridiculous late nature of the announcement and the timescale in which to react to it, against a backdrop of us being told (threatened?!) with the absolute opposite scenario has resulted in an absolute mess where we can not possibly open to ANY children tomorrow.

In summary we have been given 12 hours, assuming no sleep/dinner/family commitments, to;

Prepare online resources for tomorrow (sketches were in place so can react ok to it - however, all planning/resources for onsite teaching is wasted)

Organise Vulnerable children list (largely up to date from last closure but most multi support agencies closed before Xmas to verify)

Organise Key Workers list (another words ask parents tonight if they qualify and hope numbers are accurate)

Rewrite risk assessment, using incomplete data with new questions (can new bubbles be formed of now mixed ages?)

Organise paper packs of current curriculum (can't be generic packs) and get them to parents without laptops asap.

Begin Free School Meals processes again (massive ball ache!)

Respond to academic and pastoral concerns from parents. Also reply to angry parents about situation we have no control over but blame us for.

Do this on reduced staff due to their family commitments at short notice. Timetable this within guidelines.

And from yesterday's message being COME BACK TO SCHOOL to today's message of closure for SIX WEEKS made jaws drop. Knowing the government would screw it up, some back up plans were in place but they covered two weeks maximum. We have been told over and over again children are returning so have had to fully immerse ourselves in planning a full curriculum for this half term, it is not possible to have two high quality curricula planned alongside each other, there is not the time.

Scotland had at least already told schools they were delaying opening so they now have a week to prepare.

Yes it's the same for lots of people now having to sort childcare or what not but what gets me is the constant abuse teachers get through this, and were getting due to the unions stance, today every single teacher in my school and every single teacher at my wife's school turned up ready for the next term, the next battle, the next challenge to make life normal and happy for children, yet apparently many believe we'll be skiiving for 6 weeks...

Rant over

 

Great post.

Very similar at my school. The message went out last night that there is no way we can open today for key worker kids as we have so much to prepare and get ready. 

Luckily, we had an inset day yesterday and were able to do some remote teaching training. 

I had an email from a concerned parent at 10.30pm last night worrying because she's got one laptop and 3 children that need to do their school work. We can sort this hopefully, but if we'd had notice it wouldn't be an issue. 

The teacher bashing in this society is something I've never understood. 1 in 3 new teachers leave the profession in the first 5 years. I can only see that rising in the future after all of this. 

 

[Genie]

My children’s school has also had to completely close today too. Available for key worker children from tomorrow. 
 

[Amsterdam_Neil_D]

8 hours ago, The Fun Factory said:

Tier 2-Tier 1-Tier 2-Tier 3-Tier 4.

How can any business plan for that?

Wedding cakes is all I got.

[Amsterdam_Neil_D]

6 hours ago, jackbauer24 said:

we'll be skiiving for 6 weeks...

Nobody with a brain would think this. 

It's amazing you can keep going 

[sidcow]

9 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

Undoubtedly we are a nation of snitches and curtain-twitchers.

This is why we all need a Bill Gates vaccine so that the peeper can become the peepee. 

 

 

[mjmooney]

5 minutes ago, Amsterdam_Neil_D said:

Nobody with a brain would think this. 

True. Tens of thousands (at a guess) do think it. Draw your own conclusions. 

 

[desensitized43]

My partner and I have a wedding booked in November. We've currently paid £1000 for the venue and a few hundred quid to secure the date with caterers and photographers. In total no more than £1500 paid out so far.

We don't have insurance that would cover cancellation due to covid as all the products were pulled last March when shit hit the fan. I know that's our fault as we planned to get it 18 months before so the timing couldn't have been worse.

We're due to pay the next installment for the venue - £2000 in February but we're getting very nervous about shelling out what would in total be around £6000 if we can't guarantee we can have the people we want there. To us both it seems pointless to have a big venue and all the meal/DJ etc with 15 people (from a limited number of households). Trying to anticipate what the country will look like in 11 months is impossible right now.

The (future) Mrs is fed up with the uncertainty of it and isn't too fussed about cancelling, writing off what we've paid already, and just booking a registry office wedding/reception with minimal family and just using the money we've built up over more than 2 years for a mega holiday and home improvements. I must admit although the prospect of a stripped down wedding and a holiday of a lifetime type thing does appeal, I do feel like we're surrendering to the circumstance and I'm disappointed we're having to make these decisions.

[sidcow]

10 minutes ago, desensitized43 said:

My partner and I have a wedding booked in November. We've currently paid £1000 for the venue and a few hundred quid to secure the date with caterers and photographers. In total no more than £1500 paid out so far.

We don't have insurance that would cover cancellation due to covid as all the products were pulled last March when shit hit the fan. I know that's our fault as we planned to get it 18 months before so the timing couldn't have been worse.

We're due to pay the next installment for the venue - £2000 in February but we're getting very nervous about shelling out what would in total be around £6000 if we can't guarantee we can have the people we want there. To us both it seems pointless to have a big venue and all the meal/DJ etc with 15 people (from a limited number of households). Trying to anticipate what the country will look like in 11 months is impossible right now.

The (future) Mrs is fed up with the uncertainty of it and isn't too fussed about cancelling, writing off what we've paid already, and just booking a registry office wedding/reception with minimal family and just using the money we've built up over more than 2 years for a mega holiday and home improvements. I must admit although the prospect of a stripped down wedding and a holiday of a lifetime type thing does appeal, I do feel like we're surrendering to the circumstance and I'm disappointed we're having to make these decisions.

I would be absolutely amazed if we're not back by November. 

They will have been able to vaccinate the entire population by then with both stages of the jab. 

And if the virus mutates they will have been able to adjust the vaccine by then also. 

Edited January 5, 2021 by sidcow

[Genie]

10 minutes ago, desensitized43 said:

My partner and I have a wedding booked in November. We've currently paid £1000 for the venue and a few hundred quid to secure the date with caterers and photographers. In total no more than £1500 paid out so far.

We don't have insurance that would cover cancellation due to covid as all the products were pulled last March when shit hit the fan. I know that's our fault as we planned to get it 18 months before so the timing couldn't have been worse.

We're due to pay the next installment for the venue - £2000 in February but we're getting very nervous about shelling out what would in total be around £6000 if we can't guarantee we can have the people we want there. To us both it seems pointless to have a big venue and all the meal/DJ etc with 15 people (from a limited number of households). Trying to anticipate what the country will look like in 11 months is impossible right now.

The (future) Mrs is fed up with the uncertainty of it and isn't too fussed about cancelling, writing off what we've paid already, and just booking a registry office wedding/reception with minimal family and just using the money we've built up over more than 2 years for a mega holiday and home improvements. I must admit although the prospect of a stripped down wedding and a holiday of a lifetime type thing does appeal, I do feel like we're surrendering to the circumstance and I'm disappointed we're having to make these decisions.

I think by November the world will look a completely different place. If it’s not, then a cancelled wedding will be the least of our problems.