A staple part of daily life at the end of the autumn term in a primary school is the production of the Nativity play. In my last full time job, there was a tradition of using a real baby for Jesus. He (or she) lay in a full sized crib and was not touched by any of the other actors, so was quite safe and, oddly enough, there always seemed to be a new born candidate produced at just the right time.
In my present school, we are sticking to the artificial substitute and daily rehearsals include exhorting Joseph to pick the baby up gently and remember to support his head as he hands him to Mary. Producing a Nativity play with 22 children is a bit of a challenge - especially when it comes to crowd scenes, which have to be adapted slightly, but we're getting there. (Picture me, if you will, wearing my green visor, megaphone in hand.) Mind you, we are thinking of transforming one of the shepherds into a sheep if he continues to go AWOL - but then someone remembers that the shepherds are doubling up as the crowd, and if we did that, we'd only be left with a crowd of three. See, I told you some adaptations were necessary. Maybe a little imagination on the part of the audience will be helpful too.
On the road to recovery?
Keith is still on a bit of a roller coaster, leg-wise but the doctor came again today, gave him another 2 lots of antibiotics and told him to 'keep taking the tablets' as well as resting his legs and wearing a pressure bandage. His temperature seems to be back to normal now - you can tell because its fall is in direct ratio to the number of insults that issue from his mouth but he's still not eating much more than the odd Cup a Soup, which should give the diet a good boost. It takes a bit of time doing the old Florence Nightingale routine but I have managed to get a few other things done this weekend too:
Counselling course and workshop
Counselling homework (in advance too!)
Washing, ironing, shopping etc
Present buying and wrapping
Card writing
Should I go on? Give that girl a gold star!
Counselling course and workshop
Counselling homework (in advance too!)
Washing, ironing, shopping etc
Present buying and wrapping
Card writing
Should I go on? Give that girl a gold star!
Sad news
In Sainsbury's this morning I bumped into the secretary of a school where I did a few months supply last year. Last time I met her, she told me that one of the staff was very ill in hospital.
"How's Xxxxx?" I asked.
"He passed away last month," she said sadly.
My shopping was piling up at the checkout behind me as I listened to her. I had only worked with him for a few months but he had been friendly (not all the staff had made the effort) and was just a pleasant, easygoing man, always ready with a joke or a lighthearted comment.
I turned back to my shopping and the cashier.
"It puts things into perspective, hearing of someone dying," I remarked as she waited for me to catch up with packing my shopping. (I never can get them to do it for me!)
She looked at me blankly and did not reply.
"How's Xxxxx?" I asked.
"He passed away last month," she said sadly.
My shopping was piling up at the checkout behind me as I listened to her. I had only worked with him for a few months but he had been friendly (not all the staff had made the effort) and was just a pleasant, easygoing man, always ready with a joke or a lighthearted comment.
I turned back to my shopping and the cashier.
"It puts things into perspective, hearing of someone dying," I remarked as she waited for me to catch up with packing my shopping. (I never can get them to do it for me!)
She looked at me blankly and did not reply.
Leg problems
Keith has been off work for two days. For a workaholic like him, this is a sad indication that all is definitely not well with him healthwise. Yesterday he actually called the doctor, who told him he has a blood infection and needed to go to hospital to have intravenous anti-biotics.
"No way, Jose," replied Keith (or words to that effect.) "Can't I just have tablets and stay at home?"
Given the current lack of confidence in our health service, and particularly the problems of omnipresent superbugs, the plea was possibly not that daft and the doc agreed, on condition that Keith rings him in a couple of days to report progress.
Of course Sod's Law dictated that he should fall ill on the day of his outpatient appointment to see the specialist about his ankle (broken in March and still not right), so no doubt he will have to wait another couple of months for his next one. Happy days!
"No way, Jose," replied Keith (or words to that effect.) "Can't I just have tablets and stay at home?"
Given the current lack of confidence in our health service, and particularly the problems of omnipresent superbugs, the plea was possibly not that daft and the doc agreed, on condition that Keith rings him in a couple of days to report progress.
Of course Sod's Law dictated that he should fall ill on the day of his outpatient appointment to see the specialist about his ankle (broken in March and still not right), so no doubt he will have to wait another couple of months for his next one. Happy days!
The Aftermath
Some of the children were anxious today. They had heard from their parents that the school would now definitely be closing.
"Will you still be staying here, Miss?" asked one of the older girls. "You won't be leaving us in the middle of Year 6?"
Others were worried that they would have to leave the school almost immediately. Many of the younger ones didn't really understand what was happening but were aware that something was in the air. The aim was, and is, to keep everything normal (whatever that is) and to reassure both parents and children. So we spent part of our staff meeting composing a letter to the parents from all the staff.
"As long as your children are here, so will we be," we said, "and we'll have a year to remember."
"Will you still be staying here, Miss?" asked one of the older girls. "You won't be leaving us in the middle of Year 6?"
Others were worried that they would have to leave the school almost immediately. Many of the younger ones didn't really understand what was happening but were aware that something was in the air. The aim was, and is, to keep everything normal (whatever that is) and to reassure both parents and children. So we spent part of our staff meeting composing a letter to the parents from all the staff.
"As long as your children are here, so will we be," we said, "and we'll have a year to remember."
Collective noun for soya?
"I'm doing the shopping online this week," Keith announced, rolling up his sleeves at the computer. He began to go through the list...
"Soya milk?" he asked.
"Yes, please, three."
"I wonder what a soya looks like?" he mused.
"As big as a sheep? Would we have room for one on the lawn?"
"Maybe one, but not a herd."
"Is it a herd of soya? Maybe it's a flock."
"No, it's a shower - definitely a shower of soya," he announced firmly. "They have 27 legs and they're black and white."
"Would we have enough grass for a shower of soya to feed on?" I wondered.
"They don't eat grass, they eat coal grit. They live in south Wales because they like the coal grit there better than up here in the north. It's not gritty enough here. Now, what about yogourt?"
It's reassuring to know that one can have these intellectual discussions chez Jennyta...innit?
"Soya milk?" he asked.
"Yes, please, three."
"I wonder what a soya looks like?" he mused.
"As big as a sheep? Would we have room for one on the lawn?"
"Maybe one, but not a herd."
"Is it a herd of soya? Maybe it's a flock."
"No, it's a shower - definitely a shower of soya," he announced firmly. "They have 27 legs and they're black and white."
"Would we have enough grass for a shower of soya to feed on?" I wondered.
"They don't eat grass, they eat coal grit. They live in south Wales because they like the coal grit there better than up here in the north. It's not gritty enough here. Now, what about yogourt?"
It's reassuring to know that one can have these intellectual discussions chez Jennyta...innit?
The end of the road
A message came at 3.30 this afternoon. "Come upstairs to the staffroom as soon as you can."
Gradually the staff drifted in. One look at L. the acting deputy's face was enough to tell everyone there the latest news on the closure. The final attempt to fight it had taken place that morning. The council and it's various committees had been closeted all afternoon debating their decision - or at least, that was what they would have everyone believe. A cynic might take the view that the decision had been set in stone since it was first mooted. The school will definitely close in July.
"I'm sorry," said L. She struggled to say more.
Outside the window, dark clouds were becoming darker and heavy rain continued to fall into the puddles on the flat roof.
Gradually the staff drifted in. One look at L. the acting deputy's face was enough to tell everyone there the latest news on the closure. The final attempt to fight it had taken place that morning. The council and it's various committees had been closeted all afternoon debating their decision - or at least, that was what they would have everyone believe. A cynic might take the view that the decision had been set in stone since it was first mooted. The school will definitely close in July.
"I'm sorry," said L. She struggled to say more.
Outside the window, dark clouds were becoming darker and heavy rain continued to fall into the puddles on the flat roof.
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