It's Friday!

[finleysmaid]

On ‎26‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 08:48, Mouseketeer said:

That’s pretty harsh, they should just think themselves lucky the child wasn’t doing the higher number of hours from the start of the term...if a child dropped a few hours say half way through the first half term can you keep the funding  until the end of term?

 

hence why we now insist on 6 weeks term time notice of changes!

[sunnyday]

Ridiculous amount of rain here today, youngest granddaughter experienced her first thunderstorm - she has apparently always been asleep before, we enjoyed watching the lightening flashes and counting up to the thunder and singing 'I hear thunder' over and over and over again!  Her baby brother has 'slept for England' his mummy said "he always sleeps so well for you" 

Right now to put the house back together  

[sunnyday]

Busy working on my TDL - can you tell!  

[Mouseketeer]

34 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

Busy working on my TDL - can you tell!  

Well done ...I’m just putting the kettle on, can I get you one? ☕️ 

[sunnyday]

17 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

Well done ...I’m just putting the kettle on, can I get you one? ☕️ 

Coffee would be good, thank you! 

[zigzag]

Today’s TDL was to get up early and get to the Trevi Fountain before the thousands of other people.  We did visit on our first night as it is just round the corner from our apartment, but you couldn’t get near it for the people!  TDL achieved, arrived at 6am and only a handful of other people were there🙂.  Was able to have a bit of an emotional moment in private thinking about my lovely sister who loved the Trevi and has some of her ashes placed there.

Rome is amazing, but so, so busy (and scorching) think half the population of the world are also here, or maybe that is the country bumpkin in me showing!  Visited the coliseum yesterday which is seriously impressive.  Also managed to tick of a few sights on a whirlwind afternoon stopover in Paris!

Cant remember the last time I had a break and didn’t do anything for work, it feels so good. 😎☀️🙂.  Enjoy the rest of your half term and take a day off from the TDL and relax. Xx

Edited June 1, 2018 by zigzag
Added photo

[Froglet]

Zigzag - what a wonderful thing to do!  I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself.

My Friday TDL currently has cleaning the oven, fridge and kitchen cupboards on it but later I'm meeting a friend for tea and catching up and I'm also planning a bit of crafting (am working on a notebook cover at the moment), reading (book group book) and a walk round the park.

[sunnyday]

zigzag - how lovely - so pleased to hear that you are having a good break 

Can someone/anyone tell me how it can possibly 1st June have never known a year to speed by so fast...….

Think that I have completed my 'must do' list, of course there is always plenty still on the 'to do' list but I'm not going to worry about that!

Have had a good week, lots of family time which is always good and the weekend should bring more of the same  

[Froglet]

Sunnyday - sounds like a lovely week.  I've been similar; have got all the must dos done.  Also, for the first time in ages I feel like the time I spent working was genuinely productive - no kidding myself into feeling like I'd been working for hours when I hadn't really.  The house is clean and tidy, I have seen friends and family and I feel rested - what more could you want from a half-term? 

[Cait]

20 hours ago, Froglet said:

Sunnyday - sounds like a lovely week.  I've been similar; have got all the must dos done.  Also, for the first time in ages I feel like the time I spent working was genuinely productive - no kidding myself into feeling like I'd been working for hours when I hadn't really.  The house is clean and tidy, I have seen friends and family and I feel rested - what more could you want from a half-term? 

Actually, memory calls to mind that it would have been lovely for someone else in the team to say 'I've left today free to give you a hand with paperwork, or whatever you need.  Don't use up all your holiday on Preschool stuff, we can do a morning together then I'm taking you out to lunch!'  😁

[Mouseketeer]

3 hours ago, Cait said:

Actually, memory calls to mind that it would have been lovely for someone else in the team to say 'I've left today free to give you a hand with paperwork, or whatever you need.  Don't use up all your holiday on Preschool stuff, we can do a morning together then I'm taking you out to lunch!'  😁

Sounds like my world Cait, someone likened my staff to rats and sinking ships not so long ago, never any offers of help at the end of the day, (it’s promptly down tools and woooshhhh) or holidays with anything ...I understand those that have to get away due to school commitments but when it’s your senior staff with none at all and they know they’d get over time just the occasional “can I help with anything before I go” or “do you want me to help go through whatever during the holiday” would be nice ....and I would pay for lunch if it ever happeneded 😝 

Edited June 2, 2018 by Mouseketeer

[blondie]

4 hours ago, Mouseketeer said:

Sounds like my world Cait, someone likened my staff to rats and sinking ships not so long ago, never any offers of help at the end of the day, (it’s promptly down tools and woooshhhh) or holidays with anything ...I understand those that have to get away due to school commitments but when it’s your senior staff with none at all and they know they’d get over time just the occasional “can I help with anything before I go” or “do you want me to help go through whatever during the holiday” would be nice ....and I would pay for lunch if it ever happeneded 😝 

I would happily help out with paperwork, cleaning / clearing cupboards with or without pay / lunch but my owner keeps everything close and won't let anyone near anything like that - shame really as I have lots of experience having run a setting for many years.

[Mouseketeer]

1 hour ago, blondie said:

I would happily help out with paperwork, cleaning / clearing cupboards with or without pay / lunch but my owner keeps everything close and won't let anyone near anything like that - shame really as I have lots of experience having run a setting for many years.

Silly them, I guess I understand that a bit more though when it’s ‘owners’ but I am Committee run and employed the same as the rest though it sometimes feels like everyone else forgets that (including the committee).

[sunnyday]

3 hours ago, blondie said:

I would happily help out with paperwork, cleaning / clearing cupboards with or without pay / lunch but my owner keeps everything close and won't let anyone near anything like that - shame really as I have lots of experience having run a setting for many years.

Blondie could you please come and work for me 

[louby loo]

22 hours ago, blondie said:

I would happily help out with paperwork, cleaning / clearing cupboards with or without pay / lunch but my owner keeps everything close and won't let anyone near anything like that - shame really as I have lots of experience having run a setting for many years.

Or me!!!

[sunnyday]

Whoosh! That's another week gone 

Really good week here - yay!

Had occasion to ring Ofsted today - guess what came out of that conversation ....... and I quote "well you will be inspected in July anyway" - okay no big surprise we are more than due - but still a bit of an 'eeek moment'

Busy weekend in store for me - youngest granddaughter's 3rd birthday tomorrow and out with friends on Sunday - lovely

Have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing

[finleysmaid]

4 hours ago, sunnyday said:

"well you will be inspected in July anyway" - okay no big surprise we are more than due - but still a bit of an 'eeek moment'

Blimey ...when were you last inspected?

Busy weekend in store for me - youngest granddaughter's 3rd birthday tomorrow and out with friends on Sunday - lovely

Ahh taking out a little one on Saturday...don't get to pinch one that size very often!

busy week and feel im on the train to the end of term already! leavers presents bought/party sorted/ school visits coming in thick and fast!!

 

[sunnyday]

March 2015

[Mouseketeer]

Well that narrows it down sunnyday...it will be interesting to see if they do show up in July, 

[sunnyday]

32 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

Well that narrows it down sunnyday...it will be interesting to see if they do show up in July, 

Yes it will, a little part of me wondered if that was just his way of getting me off the phone 

[Mouseketeer]

It will be pretty unfair if they don’t now ...I’d be on the 📞 with “oi where are you” if not turned up by the last day 😝 

[sunnyday]

'ere we go again - it's Friday! 

Really good week for us - long may it last!

Have one heck of a TDL this weekend - need to really knuckle down tomorrow and try and leave myself Sunday clear for a bit of r & r 

Happy weekend one and all 

[finleysmaid]

busy week deputy off sick for a couple of days...so back on after school club duty! visits from schools seem to have kicked in (or not!) Day in the forest today so exhausted and smelly...just about to go and have a bath,

[Froglet]

Oh my goodness. I have rarely been so glad to see the end of Friday as I am today! What a day (and week/month!).  Sunnyday I am hoping to do the same as you but given the amount on the TDL plus my inability to stay awake at the moment it’s not very likely. FM - a bath sounds perfect!

[sunnyday]

26 minutes ago, Froglet said:

Oh my goodness. I have rarely been so glad to see the end of Friday as I am today! What a day (and week/month!).  Sunnyday I am hoping to do the same as you but given the amount on the TDL plus my inability to stay awake at the moment it’s not very likely. FM - a bath sounds perfect!

Good luck then young Froglet

[zigzag]

Well I am currently trying to work out opening hours for September.  Losing 9 to school and have a current lull in numbers.  Am trying to please everyone but fear I am going to fail miserably.  Think our opening hours are going to reduce drastically which makes me very sad.  I know it’s only for a short time but even so.😭.  Think it’s time for a coffee and look at it again tomorrow with a clearer head. 

[sunnyday]

36 minutes ago, zigzag said:

Well I am currently trying to work out opening hours for September.  Losing 9 to school and have a current lull in numbers.  Am trying to please everyone but fear I am going to fail miserably.  Think our opening hours are going to reduce drastically which makes me very sad.  I know it’s only for a short time but even so.😭.  Think it’s time for a coffee and look at it again tomorrow with a clearer head. 

Ah that's tough zigzag - we are also 'quiet' in September and will be running at 'break even' - not good really

[finleysmaid]

well this is yet another problem with the 30 hours for us...….last year an influx because it was in the press every day now I am having very few enquiries regarding full time places. Every year AFTER a funding change we have a 'bad' year then we even out again.....

[Mouseketeer]

11 hours ago, zigzag said:

Well I am currently trying to work out opening hours for September.  Losing 9 to school and have a current lull in numbers.  Am trying to please everyone but fear I am going to fail miserably.  Think our opening hours are going to reduce drastically which makes me very sad.  I know it’s only for a short time but even so.😭.  Think it’s time for a coffee and look at it again tomorrow with a clearer head. 

We are also very low September, the problem for us is a low school year next year, 9 chn less than this yrs and the normal school yr group, that’s 9 chn who would have been doing a min of 15hrs each and coupled with a less than normal Sept intake, we are finding more and more people are waiting for funding and the 30hrs has given rise to more shared care, I think eventually we will have to consider longer hrs and holidays to solely keep those chn, that will bring a whole new headache as my staff team are with us because it suits their own school hours and holidays and won’t want to increase and neither do I if truth be told :-( 

[finleysmaid]

10 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

We are also very low September, the problem for us is a low school year next year, 9 chn less than this yrs and the normal school yr group, that’s 9 chn who would have been doing a min of 15hrs each and coupled with a less than normal Sept intake, we are finding more and more people are waiting for funding and the 30hrs has given rise to more shared care, I think eventually we will have to consider longer hrs and holidays to solely keep those chn, that will bring a whole new headache as my staff team are with us because it suits their own school hours and holidays and won’t want to increase and neither do I if truth be told :-( 

I think this is a familiar story for term time only settings...the governments drive is to get parents back to work they therefore need childcare in place for the whole year. Schools will also have to work towards this in the future I suspect or at least be able to signpost to provision. The government wants school building not to be sitting idle for 14 weeks a year. The problem with this is that it's such a huge cultural change for all of us as parents and teachers. In America lots of kids go to camps but that is for those who can afford it! not sure how other countries get around this problem

We have put in after school provision until 5.30 but the trustees are already starting to push for holiday provision too but we are too small to offer the sort of things our larger competitors can ...like trips out

We are lucky that many of our families work for schools and therefore have the holidays off too but that's not usual for the rest of the country