new Year 7s

[bruffin]

Anyone else have homework for their new school?

DD has a science project to do and also a long book list for which she has to chose 2 to read and write about.

[cuppateaplease]

none here!
How does your DD feel about doing the homework? I know Ds is looking forward to starting his new school and actually learning something (Hasn't been alot of learning at primary recently!) but he would not have been impressed with holiday homework.

[katiestar]

Not here.in fact they don't get any homework for the first 2 or 3 weeks
I actually think it is quite a scary thing to ask of a child , to do a project for a school he hasn't been to yet.

[bruffin]

She doesn't seem worried about it, it's experiments like what makes coke go flat. It's an extention of what they did on their transfer day in July.
DS started there 2 yrs ago and he didn't have to do the science investigation, but had to read 2 books.

She is so excited about starting there. We bought her uniform on Saturday and I think it will be the one and only time she will look smart. She's one of those dc's whose cardigan is always hanging over one shoulder, tie will be wonky and shirt untucked[grinned]

Are your dc's looking forward to starting?

[hatesponge]

No homework here, or reading lists but I wish we did, DS is bored already - and sadly me teling him to read or setting him work has no effect

Not sure if we are looking forward to him starting either - the open day didn't go well, they did some quizzes etc & according to DS many of the class seemed to struggle with pretty basic numeracy & literacy skills Am not optimistic about the school unfortunately

[bruffin]

When do they set the classes Hatesponge? DC's school set from the beginning. They did CAT tests in July.

[hatesponge]

they dont sort out the sets until sometime after the first half term break apparently. think it might be a long first 7 weeks!

[cuppateaplease]

Is it just us four for the new year 7s? Although DS is looking forward to starting, I'm actually starting to get nervous - have I bought the right stuff, have I forgotten anything....

Ds has been assigned a class for the new year, but we have been told that there will be 'tests' soon after they start - I assume these are the CATs - ? I know nothing about 'em!

Have got nearly all of the school uniform - except for the school badge and tie - these were out of stock 2 weeks ago and are still out of stock now - starting to get a bit worried........... (knew i should have started getting the uniform in June )

[bruffin]

DD has met her form/house but will be allocated her tutor groups on the day they start. They are set for English, Maths and then another group for all the other subjects.
My main concerns are she will one of 3 girls from her primary going together on the train to school.
Ds was in a similar situation 2 yrs ago and we did not have a good first 2 terms. It was very much 3's a crowd and DS was the butt of their jokes and he was being bullied. Thankfully it eventually was sorted out and DS is much happier now, but it has really made me worry about DD.

[cuppateaplease]

three can be an awkward number - what was the relationships between the girls like at primary? How they are divided for the sets may influence the relationship too...yet more to worry about.. Do lots of children catch the same train? At least there would be potential for others to join the group.

I know people always say that the children meet new friends and are less reliant on primary friends but it is always a worry.

Only one other boy from DSs primary school will be at the secondary and they have already been put in different classes. DS not bothered as although the two boys were friendly enough they were not in the same group of friends.

[fircone]

ds has been put with a couple of good friends from primary school, but now he's complaining that one of them is a bit clingy, and that he is keen to make new friends too.

They don't set at first, so I suppose they do these CAT things. What exactly are they? Like SATS? Or are they 11+ type non-verbal reasoning?

[bruffin]

CATS are NVR, VR and Quantative multiple choice, supposed to be a test of innate ability.

They are all in the same form, but I suspect they may split them a bit for tutor groups even if they are similar levels.

Not so worried about DD so much as the girls a both good friends of hers, but am a bit worried about what might happen between the other 2 and DD being drawn into it. They are all lovely girls and considering they are all 11 yr old girls there has been very little bitching or falling out in DD's circle of friends and any rows are made up very quickly. But girl A has started saying girl B gets on her nerves a bit and there was a bit of mild teasing in the car the other day from girl A to Girl B.

[fircone]

I suppose they're all lurching towards teenagerdom. Ds displays flashes of it - and he's not 11 till next week!

And I've just started to get the "Don't be so embarrassing" hissed at me. I can't wait for puberty - NOT!

On the tutor group thing: they said at the New Parents' Meeting that the groups were random, but they clearly aren't. Ds reports that about a third of his top maths set from primary school are in the same group.

[bruffin]

DD has had "teenage attitude" at home for a good year now
I'm not allowed to go to her swimming class anymore on a saturday morning.

[serenity]

jumps in

DS1 starts in Yr7 on 4/9 and he's fine, but I'm nervous. We had it all planned - we only lived a short walk from the school, but we had to move unexpectedly, so now he has a bus journey... I'm sure he'll be OK, but we now have to do last minute 'bus training'

[bellavita]

Good luck to your dd's/ds's!

This was me last year.... all worried and nervous. There really was no need! DS1 has to get a school bus. Would he remember to get all his things off the bus, would he remember his coat, would he remember... would he remember...Don't suppose he has done too badly, someone took his pe kit (all named) and left theirs (no name), DS never though to take thatone and just left it. We replaced everything then he managed to lose a rugby shirt and pe top. He cobbled along with them as I said if he lost anything else then he would have to pay for replacements. He since found a rugby shirt and pe top (unnamed) in the lost property so he brought those home.

The first year of secondary has flown by. I now know that DS1 hates wearing a coat (they all wear hoodies), he will not wear his school jumper as he says it prickles (not the best wool in the world, so I can sort of understand), won't wear his top two buttons on his polo shirt done up, wears his rucksack down past his bottom - actually for Yr8 he has requested a bag that goes across the body.

All in all, he hasn't done too bad. He got a glowing parent/teacher consultation and year end report. We also received a letter from the Head about him (he and two other boys are redesigning the school website), the letter was just so full of good things about him. They are of course talking about a different child to the one that we actually live with

[marymoocow]

Another one here starting on 7/9. Ds seems ok. Have bought the last few bits today including the school bag, which I have been worring about....which one is cool, which one will make him a target for bullying, which one is practical. In the end I left it to him. I can't get the blame then .

[bruffin]

We just got back from holiday yesterday.
We still have to get DD some shoes, both her bfs have got clarks , so I can now take her safely to clarks without too much argument.

She seems fairly determined to use her Jonas Brother bag for school. I'll give it a few weeks then maybe get her another more suitable bag from surfdome for her birthday.

[2sugarsandapuppy]

bruffin, I know exactly what you mean. I was (kind of) organised enough to get the (sports) uniform before we went on holiday - we got back on Saturday - but this effing 'Outstanding' school has no flipping uniform.

MMC, the girl at the local stockist for the PE kit went to dd's school, and she says they used to take it in a plastic supermarket bag

[2sugarsandapuppy]

And, bruffin, dd1 is DREADING tomorrow. Have just had a butcher's at the school's OFSTED inspection, which I should have done ages ago but didn't - I knew, through my nephew being there, that it was fine. And one of the teachers there is mum to one from dd's class.

Do I sound like I'm trying to persuade myself?

[bruffin]

I'm sure she will be fine 2sugers.

We didn't end up with Clarks. DD has very high arches and all the clarks cut into her foot and we got a flowery hippo courier style bag from Smiths, but suddenly remembered I haven't bought her a sketch pad for art,so will have to get that this afternoon and still got to get their train tickets.
They changed the rules and I can't get their seasons tickets until the afternoon before they need to use them, which is a pain.

[cuppateaplease]

We've just braved clarks and of the huge choice of three pairs of black shoes available in Ds size - he said that one pair were comfortable- so sorted!
Still need the termly hair trim this afternoon and to finally get the school badge we've been waiting for - it's finally come in today.

Must admit we are using the school bag from last year as it wasn't too shabby. Unfortunately i have no idea of what is considered 'in' and what is not - consequently neither does DS! hopefully it's plain enough not to notice!

Only thing we haven't sorted is a phone. Ds always communicates with his mates on MSN so don't want to spend a fortune on a phone but I guess this really is one area where he needs something reasonable. Does anyone know what the most popular ones are at school?

[bruffin]

How were todays starters?

DH took DD to the station where she met one of her friends. He said he had never seen two children so excited about going to school
I was hoping for a text lunch time, but I couldn't top up her phone this morning.

[Babysamrocks]

Hiya everyone my ds1 starts secondary school on Monday. Think we've got everything we should have except football boots, and i'm going to get them once we know when football starts!! Ds is looking forward to going even though he only knows a couple of other children.

Cupoftea, we have brought ds this phone www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/mobile-phones/SONY-ERIC-T280I/PPAY It was fairly reasonably priced and ds can still hold his head high in the playground!!!!!!! HTH

[cherryblossoms]

Hello everyone - signing in for support ....

Today-starter here, too. Ds cheery (oh, may it last); me weepy and tense.

Anyway, it's been accomplished. tomorrow, as Scarlett says, is another day. time for a drink now, I feel.