Does anyone else have a quiet house today? Children back in school after some nine weeks home schooling and it feels so strange being in a silent house, save for the music on low. I’m certainly not missing the Zoom or Google Classroom sessions, but I am missing the noisy chaos surrounding it all. Never thought I’d express that sentiment
My favourite Zoom home schooling moment - when the teacher said to a child on screen “Otto, please stop drawing eyebrows on yourself with a sharpie marker pen” ! That’s what happens if you turn your back for a second!
As I waved my five year old off at the classroom door this morning, I barely got a reaction as she disappeared off with her friends - felt like a case of “So long, and thanks for all the fish”. Hey ho, onwards.
Where I am (not UK) had not been locked down in February, officially COVID-free for a month until last Wed: then a sudden spread locked us down again. Schools have been as normal through February and into last week. Data coming out since last week has shown a big spike in infections in 5 to 19-year-olds, with near certainty a significant primary transmission vector was child to child being the schools. One third of all current cases are schoolchildren. It has been identified as the Kent variant, which I understand is known to have both greater transmissibility and greater infectivity of children. So if the Kent variant is around in your area watch out in case similar happens.
Yes, I think this could only be a short respite here in the UK, as the more infectious virus mutations spread and take hold, and when / if other variants emerge too. A race to keep the vaccines effective.
These occasional moments of levity have made the home school experience that bit easier to get through, but it has been challenging. I certainly have a new found respect for Primary School teachers and their endless patience.
