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    2. silverfox
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    Posts made by silverfox

    • RE: The Work Thread

      I had a chance to talk to interventionists in other buildings and... wow. I'm suddenly very very happy for where I work. One of the buildings has a system that is 100% against best practice. Her groups are dictated to her based on a universal screener that is DESIGNED to throw out false positives (for very good reasons, this isn't a flaw), and a schedule that is utterly inflexible.

      She wanted some advice on HOW to manage that. We all suggested a bunch of things, until we realized she has zero autonomy over her groups. That's when all of our jaws dropped and we went "???? you're telling us WHAT?!" Everything she described went against universally accepted best practice. We commiserated with her before finally giving some suggestions that worked within her schedule. Even with THAT she had to type them all up and email them to her administration for approval.

      I walked up to my principal afterward and said, "Thank you for trusting us to be professionals and do what is best for kids." Because she really does. If we say "X needs y and my proof is z" she goes "Okay, make it happen."

      Not ONCE this year has she questioned what I'm doing with my middle school kids.

      It HELPS a lot that what we're doing is working within a research based famework, and for the kids for whom it isn't, there are other factors involved (missed 30+ days of school, a death in the family, needs evaluated for a possible learning difference.)

      But yeah. I'm glad I have autonomy in my job.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff

      I just feel awful all around. Our outbreak of ringworm is really bad.

      Calypso is missing 12+ patches of hair. Kiva hasn't lost hair, but still. Lyra, Gus, and Arya still aren't showing any signs - but that doesn't mean anything. There is still one more week from when they were exposed for the 28 day incubation period.

      But what is worse is that we just got news that the gem babies (our last litter) have all popped with it. One family took home THREE of them, so they have three kittens losing hair and sheding the fungus. The other family has a dog and a six year old.

      I feel terrible for those two families, especially the 6 year old.

      Then there is the fact that the gem babies were all in the large kitten room with six other cats for several days. So all of those cats are exposed PLUS an entire room in the shelter is infected.

      All because I wasn't careful enough coming home from the shelter.

      I have cried every day this week and basically all morning as I try to disinfect my own home which feels completely impossible.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: Critters!

      No more fostering for at least half a year.

      My Calypso got ringworm, and with it confirmed, I also see it on my elder cat.

      So far neither foster, Arya or Gus, has it, nor my other cat Lyra. Going to quarantine Lyra and those two, and just... start ripping my house apart.

      Regardless of how well we clean though, it will still be six months before we can foster again, meaning we will miss a lot of kitten season.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: The Work Thread

      Kids constantly amazed me. After having to discipline a kid yesterday I knew I had to go repair the relationship. (Like, not back off the discipline, he still screwed up and consequences still will happen.) So when it was his time we sat and I told him to just let it out. Whatever he was mad about, anything, nothing he said in that half hour would have consequences. He laid it out, and then we got to talk about what he thought was most important. I apologized for getting heated, and he apologized for his actions.

      Usually it would end there, good enough. But when I was talking to dad last night dad mentioned something offhand about a brother and things being hard. So at the end of the above talk I went, "Is your brother okay? Your dad said something, but didn't go into detail, totally cool if you don't want to say anything."

      That opened the floodgates. For the next hour this kiddo laid out his whole life.

      And //fuck//. Like, I'm in awe he doesn't get in MORE trouble. I'm in awe he is only two years behind in school. This kid has had to deal with more trauma in his life than ANYONE should ever have to, and he still fucking shows up?!

      I'm still going to hold his feet to the fire and when he really screws up things will happen but... damn if I'm not going to let a few minor things slide.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: RL Anger

      @derp

      That isn't the reality that our kids are living with. It seems real simple to us as adults, but kids are shaped strongly by what their parents say and do. To them it IS a matter of opinion, not unlike religion issue we talked above.

      I'm not going to sit and tell a kid that their parents are wrong and that they shouldn't believe them.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: RL Anger

      I'm currently scared af of kids ostracizing one another over wearing/not wearing masks.

      Things in the general vein of, but not exclusive to:
      "My mom said I can't play with you unless you wear a mask."
      or
      "You look stupid in that mask."

      I'm hoping the kids are able to navigate this more successfully than the adults have.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: Forum wonk

      I just need someone tell me who and when to venmo some money. I come here way more often then I need to and it has become a valuable part of my life.

      posted in Announcements
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: The Work Thread

      Our in school covid positivity rate is higher than it has ever been.

      But starting Monday we don't have to wear masks any more.

      The message from the district is, "It's less serious than just a cold now."

      So, yeah.

      Teachers are mad. We've fought to keep up the masks all year and now they're just like, "J/K, this wasn't that important any more."

      I'm tired.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: RL Anger

      If they are playing with their own toys in a corner I generally help the other child who wants to join in to go and find different kids or start up a game with them

      If they are using plaything equipment or school toys they 100% cannot exclude anyone, everyone can play.

      Additionally if they are letting other kids join but not this one particular kid, then they have to let this kid join also. Deliberate exclusion IS bullying by every accepted school definition.

      From what has been said, and knowing there is probably more to it, because there always is, kids are complicated, this is what I would have suggested:

      1. Comfort the excluded kid, and make sure they are calm.
      2. Ask if they want my help talking to the other kids.
      3. Have the other kids come over and have the child explain how they feel (I would sometimes pre-coach on how to say it using I statements)
      4. Give the other kids a chance to explain their side one at a time.
      5. Review the rules above, and either lay down an edict that the child must be allowed to play if they are using equipment or others are allowed to join, and explain a consequence if I hear this happening again.
      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: The Work Thread

      I'm not in Ohio (Colorado actually) but it's been really interesting to see how different statese/organizations do this sick leave/pto.

      I am going to ask my husband how his company handles it. (Other than telling him 'no' the last three times he tried to ask time off. We asked 3 months in advance this time to get 2 days off...)

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: The Work Thread

      Yeah - I don't know what the difference between sick leave and PTO are.

      These are different things?!

      I just learned there are some districts where if a teacher uses more than their allocated days they have to "pay" for their own sub. Either the full daily sub rate, or at least half of it.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: Critters!

      @arkandel

      HI LITTLE BABY! I am so glad she found her forever home!!

      It is easier to foster succeed when they come in groups. X.x

      My husband and I jumped to get little Gus because then we won't get too attached to Arya.

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: The Work Thread

      It is definitely the thing I get yelled at me whenever I suggest to one side that we stay open. 😕

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: The Work Thread

      I'm not going to lie... I would fight tooth and nail to not go back to remote school. I'm more afraid, at this point, of my middle school students committing suicide, or being recruited into a gang and ending up in prison. (Both things that happened while remote...)

      My heart aches for those dying and sick. ACHES.

      I still wouldn't go back remote. 😞

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: The Work Thread

      My principal came to us with a unique proposal this week, and I'm still mulling it over.

      ***The current situation and the proposal:***

      click to show

      Current Arrangement:
      Our current agreement gives us 11 days off per school year. One of these is automatically donated to our sick leave bank to support teachers who have babies, get sick, family matters, etc. It's a think the union agreed to and it has worked so far. It's not as good as having like, paid maternity leave (especially since K-12 education IS primarily staffed by women...) but it softens the blow.

      The other ten days are for staff to use. At the end of the year you have the option of rolling them over (up to 30 days total) or getting paid out over the summer at 40% of your daily rate.

      I've always just rolled mine over until last year because I'd finally hit that 30 days maximum I could save up. I figured if life was going to really screw me over I'd need them badly. I liked the support of knowing I had the days vs the immediate pay out.

      Proposal:
      Still 11 days, with one day going to the sick bank.

      What is changing is the payout schedule for unused days. If you choose to roll them over, awesome, good, no payout, just security.

      If you don't use any of your days then you get 100% of your daily rate for those 10 days. If you make $150 a day, then you end up with a summer check of $1,500. (Note, this is a made up number for a daily rate, don't come for me on that.)

      It drops from there.
      9 days - 90%
      8 days - 80%
      7 days - 70%
      6 days - 60 %
      5 days - 50%
      4 days (or fewer) - 40%

      It's clearly there to incentivize people to not take days off. Which I 100000% get. If you're not there SOMEONE still has to take care of your children/class. Right now getting a sub is a joke, and so we've run the school a few days by the skin of our teeth. I've subbed in every level but kinder so far this year and it is HARD on the kids to not have their teacher and be faced with a stranger. The little kids cry (especially if it's a less familiar face like one of our middle school teachers), the middle school kids take advantage (with some suspensions happening after the fact because admin/mental health are also subbing and can't respond BEFORE things become a crisis), and a lot of things just don't get done.

      So all in all, it's better for everyone but the person who doesn't take their days if people don't take their sick days. We have a handful of teachers who have NEVER taken a day because they just haven't had the need to do so. They have to take the payout.

      That means they've been penalized in the past for not using their days because they're only getting the 40% rate for that day. Using the above metric that means they'd be netting $600 on that summer check.

      All in all this seems like a win for everyone? No one loses anything if they take their days, they still get the basement 40% if they have 4 or fewer. Those who don't take their days are then punished less for doing so. I KNOW it will benefit me - I only intend to take off one day this year if/when my grandfather passes (It's time. I can't be sad about it because he's so ready to go.)

      I can't think of a single reason why it's going to be a bad policy change if approved by the district/state (we're a sub-set type of school that sits midway between charter and neighborhood school and so our leading plan has to be approved at the state level).

      And yet....

      It's still is somehow rubbing it wrong that we are asking people not to use their sick days. It's their sick days. Haven't we as a society moved towards encouraging people to use their days? Where does this policy sit in relationship to that movement?

      TLDR - The district is proposing a change to how unused sick days are paid out and while it sounds good on the surface I'm still left with a rub the wrong way and I can't pin down why it rubs me wrong (especially since I'm going to benefit from the change.)

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: Critters!

      Another foster!

      His name is Gus. The poor guy has been in a cage for 6 weeks getting daily ringworm treatments. The plan (not liked...) was to get him spayed and then put into the kitten rooms. But I've got our super skittish Arya who ALSO was in a cage for a long time and so I offered to take him now that is ringworm is gone, and see if he and Arya can become friends.

      He is so stinking cute. Because of the ringworm he has never really had much interaction, and what he did have was people with gloves on. He is being SUPER brave on my lap despite being very very scared.

      alt text

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: Girl Scout Cookies

      @wildbaboons

      YOU'RE A MONSTER

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: Girl Scout Cookies

      @tinuviel I had a Canadian friend I'd RP with a lot a few years back. I learned she had never had thin mints before, so I sent her a box! She sent me maple cookies back. It was a good exchange.

      Until a YEAR LATER she mentioned off hand, "Oh, I just found another sleeve of those cookies in my freezer!"

      I WAS OFFENDED. (Because who doesn't eat all the thin mints within a day?!)

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • Girl Scout Cookies

      What are your favorites and why?

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
    • RE: The Work Thread

      @too-old-for-this

      ❤ whoever judged you for letting your kid walk to school can go fuck themselves. Yes there are dangers... but there are dangers EVERYWHERE. I totally support kids walking. (Full stop, no qualifiers.)

      posted in Tastes Less Game'y
      silverfox
      silverfox
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