GCSE’s summer 2020 thread 5 - And then there were none..

Hope you got to partake of some baked goodies @Heifer?
Sorry for all those festi goers who are dissapointed

DD has been giving me gel manicures and pedicures. My trotters have never looked so good

My Dd did not go until Y12 and went for several years after that, even though she had left school. It’s not just for Y11s!

Interesting, DS says that all the year 12s go too at his school. He is staying on as are the vast majority of the year (not many leave to go elsewhere as a general rule) so will have the same groups of friends.

DD is saying ‘It won’t be the same next year - it’ll be full of Year 11s’!
Also, 2 of her friendship group are moving elsewhere for 6th form and they might want to go somewhere with new friends. Her plan is to get a refund and go to a different festival next year.

We had the reading email too. I’m sort of glad as they will be older next year but also sad for them for missing even more this year. Are you all rebooking? We had the conversation but we’re unsure at the moment. My view is that it will be twice as busy next year and tickets may sell out quickly. Also might be more expensive next year!

Leeds Festival also cancelled - we knew it would happen and tbh I had already told DD that I didn't want her going as she has mild Asthma , so relieved it's definitely off as will save a lot of argument if her friends were still going. Tickets can be reserved for next year and as already paid for, something less to pay for next year :-) I have to admit I'm secretly happier that she will be a year older...

Not much work going on here, she is looking at some of her A level pre reading but not much. Plans to do some baking and dropping them off at friends houses sometime this week, as one of her friends did that last week and it was a really nice touch and made DD feel special.

This years timings meant DD could go, its a week later than normal. Next year DD we think won’t be able to make it due to sports. Its just another kick in the teeth. Look like the national comps will also be cancelled. There is literally nothing left of her celebrations/things she loves.

Yes I thought it would be cancelled but now that it’s confirmed they have nothing at all to look forward to. Though ds doesn’t seem too disappointed (and I am secretly relieved - will feel more at ease about him going next year).

Oh dear - Reading definitely cancelled. I knew it would be, you all knew it would be, but DD was still desperately hoping...

Paddington, DS is doing the Benedetti sessions too. They seem really good so far.

It does feel odd that DD would have been doing her French exam this morning and Biology this afternoon. Agree with the alternative universe analogy.

DD signed up for the Benedetti Foundation virtual sessions orchestra for the next 3 weeks which got her out of bed before 10am yesterday. She enjoyed them and said she’s really missed all her playing with others. She’s also been doing some music theory and composition.

@KingscoteStaff I had to do that when I started A level many years ago ...our
English teacher warned us not to complain as apparently the previous year had. If we didn't want to do it we were to choose another A level

That sounds better @Alsoplayspiccolo and glad school are helping a bit. I really hope there is something put in place for musicians etc music has become so prevalent during lockdown as has the need for exercise, connecting with people etc.

All ok this end worrying about how Dd going to fit in extracurriculars for her music degree application for Uni what with social distancing. The college has a big intake for popular performance and a tiny intake for Alevel not sure the opportunities will be there.
She has her heart set on Southampton not very far from us at all, she really is a homebird and lockdown has highlighted to her how close she is MIL i think..early yo think about but music is her life and grts her through it all.

It really does feel like we are in an alternative universe.

@AnneOfCleavage She’s doing Lit - her school don’t offer Lang.

Their syllabus has a huge focus on analysing unseen writing, so they spend the first 2 terms reading a massive range of texts from all eras to give them context whether they’re faced with pre 18th C drama or post modern poetry. They start their actual texts at Easter of Year 12.

This morning’s session was on Tony Harrison’s Them and Uz, which she loved. I hope Biology is as positive tomorrow!

Now gone out to buy ingredients for cookies.

Dd just woken up. She would have slept through one exam and been late for the next!

DD would have sat Latin language paper this morning.
She has Latin A level bridging work from current school and new school so has enough to keep her out of mischief
This week we would all have been sharing our DCs impressions of the papers and hopefully laughing at circulating GCSE memes...
Just seems unreal

DS should have been sitting Computer Science and Religious Studies today.

Instead, he is currently explaining all the exam rules and regulations to DD (Year 9). I guess he is missing sitting his exams :)

Thanks, @OrangeCinnamon.

We 're doing pretty well, all things considered. I've moved all my instrumental teaching over to Zoom lessons, which my pupils and their parents have been really supportive of. It means I can keep my teaching practice going so that I have work to go back to after lockdown AND can earn in the meantime.
DH qualifies for the self employed support grant, so we'll scrape by in the next few months. DS's school has been incredibly supportive, regarding payment of fees, and we're in the process of applying for an emergency bursary for DD's.

DS is having all his instrumental lessons via Zoom/Skype and is also taking part in various online music education projects, such as the Benedetti Foundation sessions, so he's happy. He has a very manageable online learning timetable from school, with tutor group video chat sessions twice a week to keep his peers connected.

DH and I have managed to do a million jobs around the house and garden that we never normally have time for, including redecorating the music room (hard to do when you teach from home!) And creating a vegetable bed and cutting garden.

Of course, DH is still concerned that he won't be able to work possibly until next year, given that theatres will be some of the last places to reopen, but we've both come round to an attitude of acceptance, and gratitude that we have this time as a family.

How are you doing, @Orange?

Kingscote is your DD doing English lit or Lang? If Lit what books is she studying?

Tomorrow DD would have had 2 French and a Biology exam so this last weekend would have been so stressful instead we made scones for VE Day and had a lovely weekend as a family - I introduced her to Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth version natch).

I believe if she logs on to her school's 6th form page she can download her courses of choice and make a start today but she still has to do maths and Eng Lang stuff plus Kip tests weekly all the way through to end of summer in case she wants to resit. She's not happy as is confident she would not need to resit as she should pass everything (maybe not as high as real thing but a pass in a subject not taken as an A Level is fine).

Her hayfever seems to be under control so she would have been fine if exams had gone ahead this week.

DD was up bright and early, ready to start her English A level course! She spent yesterday rationalising her shelves and storing all her non-A level books and notes in boxes.

She has finally come to terms with the fact that she will get no school sport this summer -I think the hope had still been there until yesterday’s announcement...

Well done her ! @alsoplayspiccolo - hope you are doing ok ?

DD got her year 11 summative report on Friday.
No grades, unsurprisingly, but it is a really fantastic report, talking about her determination and work ethic, the progress she's made in year 11 and what a pleasure she is to teach. 😍

Her first exam.should have been tomorrow; I finally feel like I can relax over the whole situation.

S he started bridging work with her current school a couple of weeks ago, and starts work with her new school today.

DS2 had a report in March but the grade columns were blank

Driving - the best apps are the official DVSA ones. The questions in the real thing look like they come from the same bank. Try to encourage your DC to be strategic about the hazard perception test. It is a stupid test, if you see the hazard too early you get no points. When DS1 did his theory he got almost full marks for the main part but failed hazard perception by 2 marks because he got 0 marks for seeing it too early or full marks if he was a bit slower! The advice is to click when you see it, then click again shortly after in case you were too early. You can click more than once but can't continuously click (obviously).