Covid-19

[emma_p]

Are the boys going to school when it starts, olive?

In the UK there are no plans for children to wear masks when they go back to school after the summer holidays. The current government advice is that wearing face masks "in educational settings is not recommended". Kids under 11 don’t have to wear masks on public transport or in shops either.

[Little My]

That sounds ideal, Glint.

My kids will both have to wear masks. A week or two before classes begin I will have to get them used to wearing them over a longer period, as up until now they've only worn them during brief (and rare) shopping trips.

[Kleio]

Our school asked all parents to not buy normal school uniform and instead send children in wearing black/grey jogging bottoms, the usual polo shirt and black trainers. That way they can minimise what is going back and forth and children don’t have to get changed for PE.

Loads of parents are up in arms about it because apparently girls don’t wear bobbing bottoms.

[olive]

Are the boys going to school when it starts, olive?

No, we’ve opted for remote for the first two weeks to see how things pan out.

That’s interesting about the masks, Emma. I think wearing masks will be really hard but we have the benefit of good weather so a lot of classes will be outside so they’ll get plenty of mask free time too.

My kids will both have to wear masks. A week or two before classes begin I will have to get them used to wearing them over a longer period, as up until now they've only worn them during brief (and rare) shopping trips.

How do they feel about it? We’ve started taking them out on the odd errand so they can get used to the masks too.

[Little My]

How do they feel about it? We’ve started taking them out on the odd errand so they can get used to the masks too.

They seem fine with the idea of it, mostly because they're just so keen to get back to school and will put up with it because of that. It will be extra weird for B because he will be at a new school, so if it weren't for lunch break and outdoor time he wouldn't even know what anyone in his class looked like! It will probably take him longer to get to know people.

I'm going to order extras so that they can change to a fresh one in the afternoon, plus a spare.

[Beena]

Bambs has just shown me a photo of one her school mates from Manchester. He was at a party yesterday and there was a group of about 30+ people all piled on top of each other (literally) in someone's garden. Then I looked closely and most of the people were my age and older. It seems his mum and dad took him and his siblings to Stoke for his dad's school reunion. It's fine of course as Stoke is low risk :woteva:

[Edith Bacon]

The temperature thing sounds full-on but reassuring, olive.

A and E’s schools have both said that masks are not allowed to be worn in school. A will have to wear one on the bus for an hour each way and E’s school has cancelled their bus services because they think it increases the risk too much. We live three and a half miles away and luckily I can take her and pick her up with no bother but not everyone will have that luxury.

[Kleio]

So what happens to the kids who can’t?

[Edith Bacon]

No clue, Kleio. Car sharing seems like a bad idea but for that short of a trip and wearing masks It will probably have to be the solution.

[Kleio]

It just seems so difficult. They could have reduced the buses rather than taking them away.

We’ve got a catholic school here that has 6 coaches full of kids bused in every day from up to about 15 miles away. I wonder if they’re stopping those.

[Ruby]

All the kids at my school arrive by bus as it's semi-rural. For this reason we can't stagger start times but they have been told they have to wear masks to and from school.

The government has told schools that masks are 'not recommended' which of course makes it harder for schools to enforce if they do decide to bring them in.

[Rhodonite]

No masks in our school either, but the teachers are allowed if they want to. Any child over 5 has to wear a mask in shops in Scotland though, I think.

We've been told to have the children in leggings or joggers and outdoor shoes, as they will be outside as much as possible. They are using the lunch hall as a classroom, to split the young ones up, and lunches will be getting served and eaten in the classrooms.

[kiwi]

Little niece was telling me she has to take a packed lunch to school from now on, no hot meals. I wonder if it's so they can eat in the classroom in their bubble?

[Little My]

Probably, kiwi.

Edith, I'll be doing a long school run now too. Honestly, I'm not terribly thrilled about having 1.5 hours of extra driving per day. But I am relieved we can accommodate it. (And it's by choice.) Most of the kids use the busing service, but I expect many will avoid it this year if they can - pick-up will be interesting.

[Glint]

It will be kiwi.

At S's school, all food is to be eaten at their (freshly cleaned) desk in x minutes before they can go out to play. Lunches are to be wrapped in disposable wrap, so there is limited school to home transference. They will also have an additional afternoon break.

Our lot have to attend in uniform, but have said no shirt and tie and we are to send in trainers for PE. Originally school bags were going to be obsolete, but the council have decided they can take them if wanted.

[Little My]

At S's school, all food is to be eaten at their (freshly cleaned) desk in x minutes before they can go out to play. Lunches are to be wrapped in disposable wrap, so there is limited school to home transference. They will also have an additional afternoon break.

Interesting. Complete with brown paper bag? We haven't heard anything direct from our school yet, but I suppose fabric lunch bags are probably not the best idea because you can't give them a good clean each day really.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Little niece was telling me she has to take a packed lunch to school from now on, no hot meals. I wonder if it's so they can eat in the classroom in their bubble?

Definitely. Chunk’s school is no longer doing hot meals because it already needed to stagger lunchtimes because they can’t fit all the kids in the dining hall. They provide hot food to other schools so I’m not sure how that will work.

[Glint]

Yes, that 'directive' hasn't gone down too well with some of the more environmental folk. It is a complete waste throwing cling/ foil/ sandwich bags out daily for 200 pupils, but as you say - you can't clean and dry reusables easily every day.

School is also providing all stationery for each pupil to be kept at school, so again, other items not being transferred from home to school and back.

I believe that digital learning is going to be a bit of a focus, for blended learning when it's needed, and I'm presuming that's how homework will be set and submitted.

[kiwi]

A shame for the kids who would only get a hot meal at school too, if that is the case.

[emma_p]

I used the brown bags that were in the shipping for G when he went back the school requested disposable lunch bags. The school still provided lunches for kids who wanted them though. Liv had hers.