Starting School in September Club 2007

[Bouquetsofdynomite]

Can't seem to find a thread so thought I'd start one. Some things I am nosy about, thought others probably would be too :
*Do you feel your child is ready or not?
*How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school?
*Got/seen any uniform bargains?
*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches?
*If you work, how does your childcare work?
*How are you feeling about it?

[nutcracker]

Oh a club i can join

*Do you feel your child is ready or not? Erm yes and no. He is ready in that he doesn't seem bothered about going there at all, but not ready in terms of that he is quite behind in some skills.

How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school? He starts on the wednesday and does wed, thurs, fri 9-12 and then full time from the week after.

Got/seen any uniform bargains? Yes I got 6 polo shirts, 3 pairs of trousers and a pair of pe pumps for £18 from M&S, very impressed.

*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches? School dinner at the mo, but packed lunch as soon as I get a job.

*If you work, how does your childcare work? If I ever get a job, I will be using the schools before/after school club.

*How are you feeling about it? I am dreading it, he is my baby and I don't want him to go.

[Bouquetsofdynomite]

LOL.

*Child is ready or not? Yes, she's desperate to start!
*'Settling in' / faffing about? 3wks faffing, switching hours etc, starts fulltime Oct.
*Uniform bargains? M&S check dress for 50p at fete! Has spoilt me now though, only M&S will do, it's such a nice shape
*School dinners or packed lunches? Dinners, hoping it will help her fussiness
*Childcare? Hoping to start working at home during school hours, sending youngest to CM a couple of days a week.
*How are you feeling about it? Excited as she's my oldest, this is the bit of parenting I've been looking forward to!

[BorisofWales]

Right, DD is 3 in September and is meant to be starting nursery school.

I have an open day next Monday where I will find out more.

Do you feel your child is ready or not? Mentally yes she is ready, she's been going to creche since she was 6 months as I work and she knows the score about sitting down when told, her speech is spot on and she is potty trainedHow long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school? I'll find out MondayGot/seen any uniform bargains? Ooooh no but I will be looking soonAre they having school dinners or packed lunches? It will only be mornings so that question doesn't count for usIf you work, how does your childcare work? * I think she'll be there 9-11.30 so I'll have to change her creche and they'll pick her up until I finish work.How are you feeling about it? Nervous school is a whole different ball game to creche. An old school friend works in the school so I'll ring her this week and have a chat with her about it all *

[mummydoit]

Can I join? DS1 starts in September.

Is he ready? I think so - seems enthusiastic but he took a while to settle both at playgroup and at nursery so I'm expecting a few wobbles at first.

Settling in period - he does one week of mornings only, staying for lunch and leaving at 1.00pm, then it's full-time after that. We've been for a one morning 'taster' session and had lunch there one day. There were also two story-time sessions but, unfortunately, we were on holiday and couldn't go. All designed to familiarise them with school.

No uniform bargains yet as I'm not buying till the end of the holidays in case he has a growth spurt!

He'll be having school dinners. They discourage packed lunches at this school and packed lunchers have to eat at a separate table, after everyone else. Seems a bit harsh to me! However, DS1 is a very, very picky eater and I'm hoping that school dinners will encourage him to be more adventurous.

I don't work so childcare not an issue.

How am I feeling about it? Terrified! He has a severe phonological disorder and I'm worried they won't understand his speech, plus he doesn't have reliable bowel control so I dread 'accidents'. I'm going in to talk through these problems with them before term starts but I do worry that he has these additional problems to cope with.

[Ladymuck]

*Do you feel your child is ready or not?
He is little for his age, and he'll find the full days a bit tiring, but yes he is ready.

*How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school?
3 days. He goes for 1.5 hours on the first 2 days (with a third of his class), then for 2.5 hours on the Friday (with half the class) and then they all start fulltime on Monday morning.

*Got/seen any uniform bargains? Have already got everything bar shoes. M&S sale 3 for 3 was great!

*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches?
School dinners (compulsary)

*If you work, how does your childcare work? I'm taking a break unilt he is settled so will probbaly go back after the October half-term. Will then use an au pair for after school.

*How are you feeling about it?
Can't believe where the time has flown to. A bit sad that it is the end of babyhood. But glad in a way because they are a bit more independent.

[Scanner]

DS starts in Sept

Do I feel he's ready: Oh yes, he's been bored at nursery and is keen to go to school with his sisters.

How long to settle in: 6 story reading sessions this term, then straight into full time in Sept.

Uniform bargains/: Not yet

School dinners: yes, he's a fussy eater and I hope it'll help, his sisters have school dinners too because I think it's better for them, although the cost per term for three of them isn't funny.

Childcare: I'm about to start working for myself and hope to fit it around school hours.

How do I feel: Mixed, he's looking forward to it and very ready, I'll get more freedom than I've had in years and that is something I'm looking forward to, but... he's my youngest and it's the end of an era, I still think he's a baby I'm going to find it very hard.

[Troutpout]

OOh mine too

*Do you feel your child is ready or not?

Yup...she's been biting at the reins for agea

*How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school?

4 weeks usually ...but there will be 2/3 new teachers this year so it may be different

*Got/seen any uniform bargains?

Not bargains as such...but got a few buy one get 1 half price jobbies ...and got a few bits for ds at the same time. All named and ready (smug emoticon)

*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches?

packed lunches...the dinners are not good.

*If you work, how does your childcare work?
No ...don't work yet..Planning to sort the house to put on the market, then do a back to teaching course come jan or March and then return to teaching next year. I figure i'm owed time off for good behaviour.

*How are you feeling about it?


I should be sad shouldn't i?...it's the end of an era for me (no more babies)...but i feel like 'enough already!!'.

[nally]

*Do you feel your child is ready or not?
ds is ready, i am not!

*How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school?
ds is a summer baby so does half days until jan 2008

*Got/seen any uniform bargains?
nope. we have to get jumpers with school logo

*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches?
half and half like dd1

*If you work, how does your childcare work?
am a childminder!

*How are you feeling about it?
he should stay at home with me forever!

[coppertop]

Can I join too?

*Do you feel your child is ready or not? - Yes. Ds2 has been desperate to go for a long time.

*How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school? I think they do 2 or 3 weeks of half-days before starting full-time.

*Got/seen any uniform bargains? I got a couple of jumpers from Asda but nothing else yet.

*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches? Packed lunches. Ds2 has already chosen his lunchbag.


*How are you feeling about it? A bit nervous but also pleased for ds2.

[hippipotami]

Hi!
Dd is my second child to start school, so I am probably a bit more relaxed about it this time round. Ds is nearly 8 and in Y3, so we have been doing this school thing for 4 years already!

• Is dd ready - Oh yes, yes yes. She is 4.7 (nearly) and a busy, clever, knowledgeable little bean. (probably due to having a big brother) She has been at the nursery attached to the primary for a year, and will be going into a reception class with 10 of her nursery friends. She is itching to go!
  
• She will go for an hour on the 5th and 6th of Sept. Then on the 7th there is no school but I get to go in for an appointment with the teacher.. From the 10th of Sept whe will go fo rhte mornign only. On the 14th Sept she will stay till after lunch. Finally on the 17th Sept she will start F/T.
  
• No uniform bargains spotted yet. I have been given a lot of hand-me down dresses from the mums of ds's girly friends. I rate the Adams polo shirts as they don't appear to need ironing so much (a looser weave if that makes sense) Also, dd has to wear joggers for the first term, and that is the nursery uniform, so she will just carry on with that!
  
• Packed lunches. She is a very fussy eater.
  
• Don't work, but am hoping to help out in the school and they know I am hoping to become a TA.
  
• My baby is growing up but excited for her as I know she is going to love it!

[sarahhal]

DS starting part time, afternoons only in Sept. He was four in May. He is ready to start and shows a huge interest in letters, numbers etc, but I can't imagine him sitting still for long enough to learn!!

The part time situation is complete PITA but DH is starting to work from home in September so that at least gives us a bit of childcare!

[bobsmum]

We're in Scotland so ds will start on 20th August.

*yes, but only because there's been a whole load of work put in by both his nursery and primary to aid the children's transition.

*Fulltime from day one

• My mum has paid for his top half - all school logo stuff. I've still got to get his bottom half and school shoes/gym shoes etc.
  
  *Packed lunches for now. But the dinner menu looks fab - paninis and wraps - yum!
  
  SAHMExcited on ds' behalf - this is going to be the change and structure he needs having had a free for all at nursery and been left to his own devices a lot.

[bobsmum]

Eeek - SAHM wasn't meant ot be in bold - not shouting at you

[ChasingSquirrels]

*Do you feel your child is ready or not?

• yes, probably, he gets stretched alot at home, but has just recently outgrown pre-school
  
  *How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school?
  
• starts on the thursday, 7 days doing mornings 8.46am - 12noon (ie thu, fri and all the next week), then start staying for lunch and they expect them all to be full time by half term. Some years they are all full time well before this, some years not.
  
  *Got/seen any uniform bargains?
  
• got a couple of school sweatshirts and polo shirts and am off to asda, tesco or matalan at some point for trousers and some plain polo shirts.
  
  *Are they having school dinners or packed lunches?
  
• packed lunch
  
  *If you work, how does your childcare work?
  
• my mum/the cm (mum has him 3 days, goes to cm 1 day) will drop him at school, I will be home in time to pick him up (apart from the settling in period when mum/cm will pick him up). Fridays I will take and drop off.
  
  *How are you feeling about it?
  
• Its just another stage in his life, I am neither unhappy/happy, worried/pleased etc.

[OldieMum]

DS is four and a half and will be starting school in September. There is no settling in period - she'll be doing the full day from the beginning.

She does seem ready for it - she is increasingly independent and able to concentrate on something for quite long periods now. She's also very keen to go. But she'll also miss her nursery, which is much more fun than I expect school to be. She is also concerned because none of her friends from nursery are going to that school. I think she will find it a bit challenging to start from scratch with making friends and anticipate some heartache about this (she went through the same thing last year, when she changed nurseries). But she now has a good circle of friends, so expect the same will happen at the new school.

The school had a secondhand clothing sale on the 'meet your new class' afternoon, but I didn't find much in her size.

Packed lunch - no school dinners available until she's seven and moves to the upper part of the primary school.

Childcare - not an issue next term, as I will be around mostly. Then probably a combo of me finishing early, DH doing the same perhaps on one day and after school club.

How do I feel? Sad about her leaving her lovely nursery, particularly this term, when she has spent so much time learning about flowers, frogs and birds. Almost Wordsworthian, in fact ("Heaven lies about us in our infancy etc etc). But I'm also pretty confident that she will love school.

[ekra]

Do you feel your child is ready or not?

Yes. She'll be 5 in November and she is so bored in the afternoons at home with me and DD2 who is not yet 2.

*How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school?

Only one half day and then it is full-time school. The March - Sept birthdays go part-time and start full-time in January (I think)

*Got/seen any uniform bargains?

Uniform seems quite cheap all over except for the stuff we have bought through the school. I'm looking for grey pinafore dresses without pleats though if anyone sees any....

*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches?

There are no school dinners in my county so it will be packed-lunches. I think I might get DH to take care of it.

*If you work, how does your childcare work?

I don't but I am hoping to start p/t work in the following year. There's no after-school club or breakfast club but luckily there seem to be a lot of childminders around here.

*How are you feeling about it?

Relieved! I've found the past year difficult trying to amuse 2 children 3 years apart and I am looking forward to giving DD2 some attention - taking her swimming etc...

I'm slightly worried about DD1 making new friends. None of her pre-school class will be going to her school and DD1 can get overwhelmed by new situations and people. But, I think she will like the other elements of school and hopefully will settle in soon enough.

[slalomsuki]

DS2 starts in sept also
Do you feel your child is ready or not?
Mine has been ready for about a year even though he is not one of the eldest in his nursery group. He is just playing around now and needs something to stimulate him more than nursery
*How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school?
Our school goes straight in to full days with no breaking in time. to be fair he has been at the nursery attached to the school for a year full time so he knows the routine and wants to be up in the big boys school.
*Got/seen any uniform bargains?
Another M & S one here suplimented with hand me downs from ds1. Best bargain was school shoes from M & S for £4.50
*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches?
School luches are compulsory but he likes them since he gets second helpings
*If you work, how does your childcare work?
I work but can collect and pick up OK. After school club is free until 4.15 and then £1 an hour until 6pm.
*How are you feeling about it?
A bit sad since it seems like yesterday he was born but also relived that he will have some stimulation and will be tired at the end of the day

[Sparkletastic]

Finally a MN group that I can join in properly with rather than just lurk!!

DD is deffo ready - and my word so am I... She is very high maintenance so lots of schooly stimulation is just what she needs.
She has been for 2 storytime / afternoon play sessions and is doing 2 half days with parents / grandparents looking nervously on. She then goes part-time until Xmas.
Am well into uniform research but haven't made any purchases yet. Will stump up for some school insignia cardies but am hankering after M&S for the rest as it looks so much nicer (says she coming over all middle class). No doubt I'll resort to Asda etc in the end though. Adams looks cheap but quite stylish surprisingly.
Am going for school dinners as she eats way more at nursery (where she has 'proper' lunches) than she'll deign to eat for me.
Was stressing about this part-time term as wouldn't be able to pick her up at lunch with my job but praise be the school has an on-site nursery and they are offering to have part-timers for a bargain fiver a day until normal school chucking-out time. Phew.
I'm feeling nervous for her - although I bet she won't be as she's a brazen madam compared to me - but really happy as I loved primary school and I'm sure she will too.

Next dilemma - what to wear to parents evening tomorrow and what incisive and thought-provoking questions to ask to strike the right tone?!

[slalomsuki]

well I went in to school to pick up ds1 tonight and the reception teacher says there is a meeting for all parents tomorrow re their littlies starting reception. I said I wasn't going to go since ds1 is in year 1 and I knew the score at school. To which I was told there would be a pack of homework sent home for him to do over the summer and that she would get it to me if I didn't attend. Could we do it so she has an idea of where he will be at the end of the summer hols

[Sparkletastic]

What???!! Surely the first few weeks of term can be spent finding out 'where he's up to'?! Why ruin your summer?! Is it punishment for not being a keen-o new parent

[ChasingSquirrels]

Have to agree - I don't think that is on. Guidelines for homework for reception are 1/2 of reading a week I think. And that's reception, not pre-school.
Have to sy I don't think I would be doing it.
BUT I do think I would be going to the meeting, regardless of already having a child in the school, and if that pack was handed out at the meeting I would be very vocal about my opposition to it at that point.

[coppertop]

Homework before they even start? Surely they'll have some idea about where the children are up to from the profiles that the pre-school(s) send over? I wouldn't be happy with homework at that stage. Some of the children will still only be 3!

[PinkChick]

Do you feel your child is ready or not? - hmm, she might be, im not!

*How long is their 'settling in' / faffing about period before fulltime school? -there isnt one, its straight in full time 5 days!

*Got/seen any uniform bargains? - havent looked yet!

*Are they having school dinners or packed lunches? dd wants packed lunch which tbh will work best as she eats like a sparrow!

*If you work, how does your childcare work? im a childminder!

*How are you feeling about it?

[PinkChick]

im told dd will be going into recpetion for a few visits over next few weeks, we are going for our school dinner tomorrow and have meeting with reception teacher and head next week!