>Score: attendance 21, tardy 1, ill 3. And those 3 — well, I’m beginning to wonder if I remember what they look like.

One missed most of last week and might be out the rest of this week as well.
One missed three days so far, and may miss more.
The child who was coughing yesterday was out today.
Two more were coughing today. Tomorrow? I’ll wait and see.

Last time I worked with a student teacher, she didn’t see the entire class as a whole entity for the firts five of her eight weeks. She learned how to handle make-up work, preparing it and then correcting and recording vast amounts of it later. It’s a useful skill; I can vouch for that right now. I had no prep time today other than recess, and I gave up one recess to keep a batch of kids in to finish their homework. Then I used the other recess (15 minutes, mind you) to prepare and copy the make-up work for three, leave one packet in the office to be picked up, gave one to a younger brother to take home, and then zoomed upstairs for a speedy bathroom break.
I keep hand sanitizer in my classroom and asked the housekeeper to refill the anti-bacterial soap dispenser. I’ll keep encouraging students to wash their hands and throw their used tissues in the wastebasket. Most parents have been reasonable about recognizing whether their children should be in school or not. That’s something teachers can never take for granted, so I’m very grateful for the families with whom I work.
And as for Christmas? Note to self: add a personal pack of tissues to each student’s gift pack. Hopefully, they won’t need it, and neither will I.