It's Friday!

[Panders]

6 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

Eh?

Quite!

The children used to unroll them, its like a long sticky ribbon, usually red - so I suppose strawberry or raspberry flavoured.   Packed lunches are an eye opener - or were a few years ago.  Kellogg's Fruit Winders

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Panders

[Panders]

He's delightful Froglet.

[sunnyday]

9 minutes ago, Froglet said:

I didn’t thanks, I will investigate… I have to admit that I get increasingly frustrated at the disappearance of smaller packets.

Panders I have got a couple of recipes with custard powder in but those sound delicious!

Anyway, thought I’d share my afternoon’s work. He needs some jingle bells for feet and felt for a beak but I’m pretty pleased with him. Might go for a lighter shade of brown and red.

 

So cute - you are a very talented lady young froglet

[sunnyday]

8 minutes ago, Panders said:

Quite!

The children used to unroll them, its like a long sticky ribbon, usually red - so I suppose strawberry or raspberry flavoured.   Packed lunches are an eye opener - or were a few years ago.  Kellogg's Fruit Winders

 

Thank you - they have passed me by (just as well perhaps)

[louby loo]

14 minutes ago, Froglet said:

Anyway, thought I’d share my afternoon’s work. He needs some jingle bells for feet and felt for a beak but I’m pretty pleased with him. Might go for a lighter shade of brown and red.

He's really sweet. 

[sunnyday]

Daughter-in-law has had a message from school to say that all children must take a LFT in the morning (primary) ☹️

[blondie]

On 12/11/2021 at 21:26, Cait said:

Isn’t it magnificent! 

beautiful x

[Cait]

1 hour ago, sunnyday said:

Daughter-in-law has had a message from school to say that all children must take a LFT in the morning (primary) ☹️

So does everyone have a stash of testing kits at home? 

[sunnyday]

20 minutes ago, Cait said:

So does everyone have a stash of testing kits at home? 

Good point Cait - I don't know, DIL has some I think...all feels a bit 'here we go again' ☹️

[zigzag]

I’ve just been notified that two separate families from our setting now have Covid in the household. Both children were in last week and one especially was not quite herself. It’s suddenly getting very close and very real again.  

[sunnyday]

34 minutes ago, zigzag said:

I’ve just been notified that two separate families from our setting now have Covid in the household. Both children were in last week and one especially was not quite herself. It’s suddenly getting very close and very real again.  

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that zigzag

[louby loo]

One staff member for us this morning 😩

 

[zigzag]

1 hour ago, louby loo said:

One staff member for us this morning 😩

 

Hope they are ok, and none else gets it. Xx

[sunnyday]

1 hour ago, louby loo said:

One staff member for us this morning 😩

 

Oh no ☹️

[zigzag]

Well one family are isolating until they all get negative results which I am really appreciative of. The other family who have two positive cases in the siblings still sent their child to school. (She did have a negative  LFT)  I really struggle with this, it’s not for childcare purposes as she doesn’t work.  I just can’t help,thinking it’s quite selfish. 

[Mouseketeer]

19 minutes ago, zigzag said:

Well one family are isolating until they all get negative results which I am really appreciative of. The other family who have two positive cases in the siblings still sent their child to school. (She did have a negative  LFT)  I really struggle with this, it’s not for childcare purposes as she doesn’t work.  I just can’t help,thinking it’s quite selfish. 

I agree zigzag, and if funded it’s not even their money to worry about loosing it 🙄

 

[sunnyday]

1 hour ago, zigzag said:

Well one family are isolating until they all get negative results which I am really appreciative of. The other family who have two positive cases in the siblings still sent their child to school. (She did have a negative  LFT)  I really struggle with this, it’s not for childcare purposes as she doesn’t work.  I just can’t help,thinking it’s quite selfish. 

Never mind 'quite selfish' that is very, very selfish in my opinion

[Cait]

1 hour ago, sunnyday said:

Never mind 'quite selfish' that is very, very selfish in my opinion

Mine too!  😡😡

[zigzag]

30 minutes ago, Cait said:

Mine too!  😡😡

I’m glad it’s not just me, I was wondering if I was being too sensitive.  I’m tempted to ask for her not to come in until everyone gets the all clear but don’t know where we stand doing that with funding etc.

[sunnyday]

26 minutes ago, zigzag said:

I’m glad it’s not just me, I was wondering if I was being too sensitive.  I’m tempted to ask for her not to come in until everyone gets the all clear but don’t know where we stand doing that with funding etc.

I don't know

My DIL has just forwarded to me a letter that has been sent out from school today...it explains that there is a problem with Covid in Y5 (not in letter but I have heard that there are 13 positive cases today), Y5 is back into a 'bubble' situation, however, siblings of those positive children must attend school as long as they don't have symptoms, if they don't they will be recorded as 'unauthorised absence'

I absolutely do not blame the Head, her hands are tied, this is advice from LEA. For pity's sake it is going to spread right through our lovely school again, just as it did in December of last year

Edited November 15, 2021 by sunnyday

[Froglet]

1 hour ago, sunnyday said:

I don't know

My DIL has just forwarded to me a letter that has been sent out from school today...it explains that there is a problem with Covid in Y5 (not in letter but I have heard that there are 13 positive cases today), Y5 is back into a 'bubble' situation, however, siblings of those positive children must attend school as long as they don't have symptoms, if they don't they will be recorded as 'unauthorised absence'

I absolutely do not blame the Head, her hands are tied, this is advice from LEA. For pity's sake it is going to spread right through our lovely school again, just as it did in December of last year

I think that is the problem - schools can't insist children isolate and have to give them unauthorised absences if they stay off when they don't officially have to.  Back to 'normal' is a nightmare.  I'm sure other schools are having the same staffing issues we do even if a member of staff is just off for a day while they take and wait for a PCR result.  The necessary ratios in early years make it even harder.

[sunnyday]

33 minutes ago, Froglet said:

I think that is the problem - schools can't insist children isolate and have to give them unauthorised absences if they stay off when they don't officially have to.  Back to 'normal' is a nightmare.  I'm sure other schools are having the same staffing issues we do even if a member of staff is just off for a day while they take and wait for a PCR result.  The necessary ratios in early years make it even harder.

It is a really difficult situation, as I said, I have nothing but sympathy for the Head, she is just following protocol

[louby loo]

It's all a bit if nightmare, we had one parent annoyed that we asked her to get her child tested and she insisted no as he had no symptoms- even though he'd spent over 30 mins sitting with a staff member waiting for her to collect him as he wasn't well, staff member found out later that day she was positive! 

I'm just glad we have such low numbers the moment, we gives us a bit of ease with staff ratios. After Christmas it will be a whole different ball game though 😳

[Mouseketeer]

9 hours ago, louby loo said:

 

I'm just glad we have such low numbers the moment, we gives us a bit of ease with staff ratios. After Christmas it will be a whole different ball game though 😳

We have low numbers too but sooooo many 2 yr olds that practically need 1:1, added to that most are still in nappies (or pull ups -even worse) and also a few of next years school cohort showing no signs of toileting (or much else) independence it really doesn’t feel like we’re over staffed, so dreading what January will be like.

Every year we loose one school group I am always amazed at how quickly the next cohort step up but this next year group really haven’t and I don’t see it happening any time soon and so many behaviour issues to manage on a daily basis, stubbornness, defiance, it’s clear who calls the tune at home 💤

[louby loo]

Same here, this cohort all seem so young.

Dreading January as that's when me seem to have a massive intake of 2 year olds😩

[zigzag]

We are low numbers and thankfully one of the children with the more challenging behaviour has after much input managed to gain control of his more unfriendly actions and behaviours and wow the impact this has on the rest of the group is amazing. It’s taken a year but we finally got there with him. So for that I am grateful.  
I know what you mean about the pull ups, we have never had so many children in them! And unfortunately they all seem to fill the pull up at some point during the session. Really hoping that the new ones starting in the spring term may be potty trained already!      I am currently trying madly to get in touch with a child’s HV. Have left numerous messages, given her both home and work phone numbers and email address, but am getting nothing from her.  It’s so frustrating, I just want to chat to her about a child who she has had concerns about in the past before I make a referral for him.  I get that they are busy people but I want ten minutes of her time. So much for ‘working together’ 

Good news, my son finally has a hospital appointment tomorrow to get his MRI results on his knee injury. No thanks to our atrocious GP surgery as this could have happened a couple of months ago!  Let’s hope he can now get the operation/treatment that he needs so he can get on with his life instead of being housebound.

Have a happy day all, stay safe. Xx

[zigzag]

I have a question and would appreciate your thoughts please.  Our small community has been hit by Covid massively. The senior school is at the heart of it with 80 cases currently (and it’s only 500 place school) So cases in our small community are sky rocketing. We have two families with older siblings who are positive, one has stayed away from pre-school but the other has kept attending, with strict instructions to do daily testing.   I have a staff member going in for an operation next week, leaving us a staff member down until January. I want the committee to vote that a child, who has any household member with a positive Covid tests has to stay home until the household are clear. I think this is the only way to try and protect our staff so we can hopefully remain open.  My chairperson has said she doesn’t think we can do this. I have said we are not statutory education and as long as we offer to pay back the funding I think we can.  Your thoughts on this please?  On a personal note I have a very vulnerable elderly father who I live in fear of taking something into and a son who is now having an operation next week so needs to be Covid free.

[sunnyday]

Dearest zigzag - I would do that in a heartbeat, whether that is the correct advise or not, it is exactly what I would do. Your committee need to give you their backing here. You may remember that I 'tore up the rule book' last January when the case rates were ridiculously high here, I came under enormous pressure from the LA, they made threats to never fund me again unless I agreed to reopen which was Government guidance, I refused, and you know what they were just that 'threats', it never came to anything. I had to protect Mr S who is CEV and that was all that mattered to me.

Sending you a huge virtual hug xxx

[Panders]

I agree with Sunnyday, Zigzag.   If nothing else your Chairperson or Admin should be talking to LA about re-funding, just to know where everybody stands.  Depending on how many days these children do, it could be they attend extra days once the current scare is over and therefore use up their hours that way.  Your employers must look at protecting their community - i.e. your families.   If one family is being difficult - well they are always free to go elsewhere aren't they.

[Mouseketeer]

A bit late, but as sunnyday and panders, do what you need to zigzag, we have stood our ground and said if in the house we want a neg PCR test, I know it’s only a snapshot result at that time but it has bought time for the child to show own symptoms or parents have opted for isolation period (their choice so no funding implications). 
 

I am utterly fed up with how many children are coming in coughing and getting the ‘but it’s because they have a bit of a cold’, you’d think this far in they’d know our rules and they are not getting that whilst it might not be a Covid cough if staff get it we’re all off testing and the setting closed so just test the child and instead of them loosing one day they could lose more because we can’t open ….the selfishness of some is beyond belief (especially the non-workers) 😞