Slipping Through My Fingers

teafor2

  Whenever we say that it's really funny watching people work out exactly what we've said, then when they get it, it never fails to make them laugh. xx 

teafor2

Afternoon

I'm just looking for some comparisons please from anybody with teens at high school. It was DS's first full day back today and I knew he'd be staying in the same classroom for most of his lessons and the teachers would do the moving around. I also knew morning break had been done away with, but apparently nobody is allowed to go outside at lunchtime either so he's been sat in the same room for 6 hours. They obviously get break and lunch but have to stay in class. Is that what other schools are doing? xx

Sunshine_girl2

Hi Tea , I don't have children in high school but this is what my godchilds school says about lunch. Not sure if this helps . 

teafor2

Thanks Sunshine Our letter reads almost the same as your godchild's apart from the only food available is at lunchtime and there are only 3 options to choose from. DS takes a packed lunch so that doesn't affect him although if he bought lunch he'd be able to leave class to go to the canteen and eat.

We were told DS's bubble would be his year group which I was OK with as they have to do some moving around and mixing with different students with it being his GCSE options year. I just  assumed the lunch bubble would be outdoors with his year group, rather than indoors in a class bubble, although it doesn't actually say that.

To be honest I think being stuck in a class for 6 hours is a bit mean. None of his friends are in his main bubble either so he's not even able to talk to his mates. So much for getting back to normal.  xx

beanielou

Not allowed out of the school here.
THere has been a big backlash on FB. xx

teafor2

Thanks Beanie. I've been really impressed with what they've put in place but the fact they have to stay in class all day and aren't allowed out at lunchtime seems to have been glossed over. I'm sure they could at least make some provision for them walking a couple of laps around the yard in socially distanced groups, just for a change of scene and to stretch their legs. Being cooped up all day might be OK to start with, but I reckon they'll get fidgety and restless as time goes on. They only have PE once a fortnight now as well because of the way their timetable runs. xx 

beanielou

Yes, it is certainly not very healthy me thinks xx

MrsMe

Hi Tea, it was my girls first day back at school today (other than a 2 hour induction that they had last week). They are in Y11 and Y10 this year. They've had a different experience to your DS in that they are treating the whole year group as a bubble. They have a break and a lunch (weirdly the break is longer than the lunch!) and they can go outside during these times and see their friends in other classes. They've staggered these breaks so that year groups don't meet. They have worked the timetables so that there is minimal movement between classes for the kids with the staff doing most of the moving around. They've also banned going to the loo during breaks/lunch so it doesn't get crowded in there but the kids can go during lesson time instead. They have also been 'assigned' a toilet to use and mustn't use any other loo! We've just had an email telling us that all staff and students must wear masks in communal areas as of Weds this week. Its still early days though so I expected there will be further adjustments down the line.

Hope your DS's school allow a bit more movement in the coming days. Spending all day in the same room doesn't seem healthy to me at all!

teafor2

Thanks MrsMe Your DD's set up is pretty much the same as DS apart from being allowed out! We had been told that their year group would be their bubble and at their induction day they were all given masks, which they have to wear when moving from one class to another and I assumed they were also to be used at break and lunch. However, yesterday the form teacher told them they were staying in because they had to stay in their class bubble. But really there is no class bubble because they have to mix due to options.

I really don't like the idea of him sitting in a room all day. I have a thing about fresh air and viral overload even regarding a common cold and sitting in a room for 6 hours cooped up with 30 other students doesn't seem healthy to me either.  We've always said that as well as education there's also a social side to school and for a generation that doesn't seem to go out much, school is sometimes the only face to face interaction they have with their friends. 

Thanks for replying. It just gives me a yardstick as to what other schools are doing. I'm going to contact them today to find out what their thinking is behind them not being allowed out. xx

Sunshine_girl2

I hope you get an answer , I spoke to another friend last night whose son has only been back 3 days and he is off again due to a positive Covid test in his year bubble. However he was following the same regime as Mrsme children.