Far and Away

[Zoe7]

@Faith-and-Hope It has been a very strange day. It feels so weird with so much closed and virtually no traffic on the road as compared to most work days. I had just over half the class there but am expecting more away tomorrow. We also have a lot of staff away and even one of the relief teachers had to leave today. That class was subsequently split between several classes so we had a few extra kids for the day after recess. It is expected we will stay open for the remainder of the term with parents having the choice whether to send kids or not. Each grade team is organising work for those that are away so the expectation is the same and shared between all teachers. The bonus of that is that we can work more closely with the students at school and help them even more one on one than usual. We also do not expect that reports or assessments of any kind will be done this year but other than that is is business as usual with whoever turns up. We had a really lovely day with those there - did our usual morning routines, did a drawing exercise and sorted out our art folders ...then they headed off to PE so I had some time to organise things in the class. I still have a little work to do tonight but nothing too taxing. 

Also made it to the chemist - which I needed to do to help with the back pain ...too much sitting today did not help! Going to take it quite easy tonight when I have finished the work I need to do (shouldn't take too long) then settle in on the couch with Tobes for some snuggle time.

How has your day been? 

[Snowie]

@Zoe7it feels like it has been ages since I have chatted with you.

I am glad the day went well, even if it did feel a bit strange.

Enjoy snuggle time💜

[Faith-and-Hope]

It has been a strange day here too @Zoe7 .  I woke up to news that our uni has shut down - as in closed the doors on all physical facilities - as of tonight, with everything moving to online.

I am wondering how they will manage assessments and grading for us too ..... hopefully with a lot of flex.

It might be a lovely year for you in one respect if there are no formal reports or asssessments Hon .... and mixed grade classes shakes it up a bit too, with interesting dynamics.

The streets are much more empty.  I have to empty the car now ..... I have been buying groceries in instalments, anticipating supporting D3 and S2 who have bunkered down in isolation, but WH is supplying them as well, so in one respect that will make my load lighter.  Hard to see them becoming more reliant on him again tho, but I can only do what I can do, and leave the rest to work itself out by degrees.

[Faith-and-Hope]

💖❄️ @Snowie ..... 👋

[Zoe7]

Hey @Snowie Not been on much the past couple of weeks and too tired to post much when I have been. My back pain has not helped either. It is a very unusual situation for us all at this time. We were told today that someone had anonymously left a couple of hundred dollars at the local cafe for our staff - it is acts of kindness like that that we need more of right now.

[Zoe7]

It is the last two terms that are so up in the air now for me @Faith-and-Hope but I cannot focus on that right now and just go with the flow ...as we all need to do. 

I am not surprised uni has shutdown and gone online - I think all education facilities will do the same eventually - but that also has restrictions for many. There is one child in my class whose mother speaks very little English and does not have access to a computer he can use - so it is going to be very hard for him to do anything at home. He requires a lot of one on one work as well because he is quite low in his abilities so I am certainly worried about how much he will be able to do.

S2 and D3 are lucky to have you Hon and it is good that they can live together - makes isolating much easier 👍 You of course have D2 to keep safe as well as yourself  so glad you have been buying things in installments. I have most of the essentials needed, as well as food for a couple of weeks, so don't need to brave the shops for a while. Tobes and Cat are covered for now also - will need cat food next week but have plenty for Tobes for a few weeks. 

Yes we are likely to have combined classes as more and more staff take time off and we have less kids - it could be fun though ...it will be what we make it 

[Faith-and-Hope]

👍 @Zoe7 .... you're a real asset to any school you work for.  The parents are already letting you know how much their children love coming to school for what a day of learning with you is like ..... ❣️

Hi to anyone else around this evening 👋

[Zoe7]

Thank you @Faith-and-Hope If there is one thing good to come out of all this is that teachers may actually get some recognition for all the hard work they actually do. I have had so many parents over the last week thank me for what I do with their kids and whilst we do not do the job for any form of recognition it is nice to have occasionally (like anything in our lives). I am just about to post to all teachers here on the forum - to pay it forward if you like - think in these times and what we are expected to do it is appropriate.

How are you going Hon?

[Adge]

Hello @Faith-and-Hope

Hi @Zoe7

Yes you have always sounded very dedicated to your students.

I deserved teachers like that when I was a child - instead my teachers were harsh & physically assaultive.

Adge

[Faith-and-Hope]

I am so sorry to hear it @Adge ..... but to your credit you grew up to be such a wonderful, caring human being that you became employed as a carer ❣️

It's been a long day @Zoe7.  The kids (S2,D3) have been diagnosed with a cold virus ..... (not COVID-19) but they still have to self-isolate for a week or two.  I went shopping, as I mentioned, but haven't finished unloading the car yet, which is also full of uni stuff I had to bring home.  The boot is full of Nelly-Cat supplies and portfolios .....

WH landed me with a stack of overdue unpaid bills today  that now belong with the home I am living in, but as they are already overdue there was no time to meter out the payments, One was from October !  That was for repair work.   I just had to get them paid.  At least it's done, and I am not going to get the power or phone cut off .....

Upside is that paying the bills makes it feel like it's my home even more ✔️.  Tomorrow I will set about changing them to my name and contact details.