[Bradders]

My partner is a secondary teacher. Her school have given everyone the choice as to whether they do the remote lessons at home or from school.

Personally seems sensible to me. It's hard enough getting a class of kids to do anything let alone if you're at home and have the dog barking / parcels arriving / me shuffling in for a cup of tea / etc. Much less forgiving than Teams meetings with other adults. And from a Covid perspective there's not much of an issue her going in as the school is empty without the kids there.

[Oldmanmatt]

Day Eleventy-twelve and eighty of home schooling four teenagers. Polly (at work) decides to order Mc Donalds Breakfast for kids as a treat. She texts them (not me) to get their order. We haven’t even got to morning break time yet and we are discovering new and unexpected avenues of learning:

[tomtom]

:D

[SA Chris]

Our Teams system collapsed one hour in. Kids are writing stories.

[Hoseyb]

My twins (middle of four) are in mainstream primary but both of them have asd to differing degrees. It's been a nightmare to get them to engage in any remote learning. It was their first Google Meet class lesson today, and the chaos drove them both to tears and back to YouTube..

[SA Chris]

My son has Aspergers, struggles too.

[Oldmanmatt]

My twins (middle of four) are in mainstream primary but both of them have asd to differing degrees. It's been a nightmare to get them to engage in any remote learning. It was their first Google Meet class lesson today, and the chaos drove them both to tears and back to YouTube..

Ah man, sheesh! My youngest two, are three weeks different in age (known until recently as “The Dominions” after some sadly mistaken elderly French lady described them as “Deux Mignon/Mignonne” in a restaurant as toddlers. Two little blonde, blue eye, children of the fucking corn).
They exist in one of two states, absolute synchronous plotting of evil or total unrestrained warfare.
Getting them sent to different secondary schools, was not only a huge relief, but had been mandated by the United Nations Security council.
Now they are working, at cross purposes, at the same dining table.

I have doubled my Fluoxetine dose.

[BrutusTheBear]

For those of you with children with a diagnosis of Autism. Your children are entitled to be in school assuming they have an EHCP (at least this is the case in England).  Understandably you may wish for them to be at home. I have 6 of 8 pupils at school today getting support with their on-line lessons most of whom would not be engaged at home.  Some may starting working from home next week once they have got into the routine and know how to use the systems better.  Meanwhile we are able to remotely support those at home and ensure they are following lessons.  Presuming the schools have extra capacity and are not over loaded with 'key workers' children I think it would be reasonable to allocate staff to give extra online support to those that need it.  It would also be reasonable to request it.

2nd week in, no staff or pupils that are still attending have been tested. 

[mrjonathanr]

For those struggling at home, bbc have put programmes onto BBC2
https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p015pksy

CBBC have things to watch/access
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc

BBC bitesize is absolutely first rate for junior and secondary, very interactive:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

and Horrible Histories is possibly the best thing on telly:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b00sp0l8/horrible-histories

Personally, I would view any engagement as a win to start with. Hope you can get them involved in something they can enjoy.

[Hoseyb]

Fortunately both boys are bright enough to coast into year 7. It's their socialisation that's lacking. That and refusing to do anything that doesn't capture their interests.
It's early days, we'll see how this week goes.

[SA Chris]

It's their socialisation that's lacking.

Our concern too. He's meant to be going to local academy next year, and he was going to get enhanced transition, so buggered if we know what is going to happen with that.

[BrutusTheBear]

So we run enhanced transition for all our pupils transferring in from year 6.  Last year that whole process was completely scuppered.  For our new intake we managed to give a virtual tour of our unit and the main school.  Regular online contact to introduce our staff.  Then a phased start of term building to full time by half term...  Some children may well be enjoying the lack of social pressure that being at home gives. Some of our cohort have to work really hard to be a part of social groups or even 1 to 1 relationships, it's like a 2nd curriculum of learning on top of everything else.  So having a break from the school environment can be beneficial for well-being and academic learning.  Although it is important to be able to function socially.

[Oldmanmatt]

I mentioned that youngest two are “Children of the Corn”.

I’ve been meaning ask about this for years. When they actually get close too or touch corn, their eyes turn into matt black orbs of un-fathomable, demonic, depth.
Is this normal, or should we talk to an optometrist about it?

[mrjonathanr]

Sounds serious. Trip to Barnard Castle for that.

[BrutusTheBear]

  I feel for you Matt, send the back to school!

[Will Hunt]

The BBC clearly think it's a cert that nurseries will close from the headline "Covid: How long will nurseries stay open?" 
I wonder when the government's view will catch up with the journo's?


I'm doomed!

[SA Chris]

https://planetearth.imascientist.org.uk/parents-and-carers/

Worth a look maybe?

[tomtom]

Rumours of primary parents to test their own kids before they go in...

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/parents-test-children-primary-covid-19623872

[mrjonathanr]

Well now this is interesting. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has refused to approve the use of lateral flow tests in school.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/14/regulator-refuses-to-approve-mass-covid-testing-schools-in-england

The view against their use in this way is here: https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4848  Notable (for me) is the stat that

A false positive result occurred in two of 2981 PCR negative people—a specificity of 99.93% (99.76% to 99.99%). But lateral flow tests missed 23 of the 45 PCR positive participants, giving a sensitivity of 48.89% (33.70% to 64.23%).

 I have had one of these. Had it been positive, I'd have taken that as gospel.  I took the view that since negative is only marginally less accurate than tossing a coin if you are not displaying symptoms, it told me nothing. Continue to allow for the possibility you are infectious.

https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/01/12/covid-19-government-must-urgently-rethink-lateral-flow-test-roll-out/

More  https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n81

[Oldmanmatt]

When No.2 Son (3 of 4), decides he’s going to “put a suit on”, to “go to work”, today.
(Yes, that’s his wedding suit, not uniform).

[Oldmanmatt]

F me, but that kid’s on a roll today.

He’s just doing RE.

Class is asked to submit the first word that comes to mind, when they hear the word “God”.
Several answers, along the lines of “Kind”, “Allah”, “Good” and even “Shiva” (that sort of school).

Scroll down to his contribution.

“Genocide”.

You know that movie “The Accountant”?

I have concerns.

[SA Chris]

He's even wearing a Mormon Elder's traditional dress for door-to-door "sales".

[tomtom]

He's even wearing a Mormon Elder's traditional dress for door-to-door "sales".

Indeed. Just needs a black backpack and a shiny name badge.

[Oldmanmatt]

He's even wearing a Mormon Elder's traditional dress for door-to-door "sales".

Indeed. Just needs a black backpack and a shiny name badge.

Do Satanists go door to door?

[mrjonathanr]

Why don’t you ask them? They seem very reasonable tbh
https://twitter.com/ChurchofSatan