Corona Cohort Y12 into Y13, braving the storm of the third wave

Sorry to hear that Piccolo. Well done her for speaking up.

Thank you to whoever posted on here re vaccinations. I've been told that if 17 years old turn up, the National protocol covers them so they can have the vaccine They won't be turned away.

Thanks for the birthday wishes a great day ! I'm not sure how I feel about seeing so many ...nervous and a bit happy ..everyone was having such a great time...a bit of life !

Just hope and pray it doesn't lead to anything.

Come on England !

@Orangecinnamon21 I forgot to say happy birthday to your dd too. The voices raised on the football and I got distracted. Not quite sure why I'm watching...I don't like football.

@Orangecinnamon21 yes I can imagine it felt strange with all the people. When Ds had his driving lesson in Norwich I went for a walk into the city. I felt really uncomfortable with all the people. I've been used to staying around our village and not going far. I only work with 2 others. I have been online food shopping for a long time. So it felt quite strange. I guess I'll have to get used to it again.

We got the email of doom for DD in year 10 today - she’s a close contact of someone who’s tested positive for Covid and so has to isolate. Should have been her singing exam tomorrow .

DS is working at a local pub tonight - his main interest in the football is that he has England in a sweepstake with his friends

piccolo - sure, but I don't know much I'm afraid. They don't exist for all courses, but where they do they have lower entry requirements than the standard degree. If you pass, you can then continue to the first year of the degree. Check the individual unis for the course you are interested in - they will normally indicate if a foundation year is available. The downside is obviously an extra year at uni.

I can imagine the busy-ness didn’t feel comfortable right now, but on balance, central London had/has suffered so much more than its suburbs. It really had been like a ghost town in the main, so I’m pleased to hear it is getting some traffic back again, having taken such a big hit.

Happy belated birthday to your DD Orange. Sounds like it was a wonderful day out!

DS has another important test tomorrow in first period, he is very angry about it as he wants to enjoy the football with friends tonight at one of their houses. He wanted to stay over but I’ve compromised with him, he can go but he’s being picked up within thirty minutes of the end of the match. He is being stupid about it and behaving like a proper Kevin. . I do think it’s a bit crap to expect the pupils to sit this test after a World Cup final in a boys school particularly and in the final week of term where half the year are off isolating. Is it really that necessary just after they e finished their UCAS exams?.

@Alsoplayspiccolo that must have been so hard for her, what an awful thing for her to go through. I’m glad that the other boys spoke up, so many children think they can’t say anything.

Alsoplayspiccalo my Dd also had a situation where she stood up and told school what was happening. The police got involved . Unfortunately he’s still at the school. Dd often wonders whether it was worth it (lots of girls sided with the boy who was great at playing misunderstood - I read on another forum about ‘DARVO’ and it all made sense) but she had to speak up. Thank goodness the school are on your side. Good luck to her and well done her for speaking out.

Thank you so much, EwwSprouts - I was really moved by what you wrote and I hope DD will see this in time; right now, she feels that she’s caused more problems than she’s solved by speaking up, but she has said that the boy who confused in her in the first place cried with relief when he found out she’d told someone, because other friends had known what was going on but didn’t do anything.

Seeline, I hadn’t even thought about a foundation year (school hasn’t mentioned them, AFAIK), but DD seemed very interested when I mentioned the idea to her.
Can I DM you for further info, if needed, please?

So was Dd birthday yesterday and we went up to the West End for eats and a show. I don't think covid concerns exist anymore in London except within shops and restaurants for facemasks etc. It was incredibly busy especially around Soho and Covent Garden. The outside covered areas seem to have encouraged more people. We ate at Dd favourite Vietnamese chain but it was do narrow.
One part of me felt glad to be there..I'd missed our trips/the vibe so much. Another part felt very anxious!

Six the Musical was great though !

[quote KingscoteStaff]@Orangecinnamon21 I’ll see your 57 homework tasks and raise you the (massively optimistic) reading list that DD has set herself![/quote]
Great reading list for the Summer..Good luck to her !

DD’s supposedly off to Spain next weekend, a week’s language school with another student; that’s if she doesn’t get SI’d or test positive beforehand. I’m not going to lie, I am a little anxious given the day to day flux of everything. But she knows Barcelona reasonably well and her teachers have approved the choice (it exists, reputation etc) so fingers crossed it’s a positive experience. Apartment is on site and central so all very independent but safe (as it gets at least).

Lots of reading on her list too, but long work shifts are apparently conducive to grabbing the odd 30 mins head down reading time from time to time. This is going to feel like the shortest summer break!

Ooooohhh, what is HM? That's a fab set of books there! Has she watched Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TedTalk 'We Should All be Feminists' or read it? (v short!)

@Alsoplayspiccolo - so sorry to hear about what your DD is going through.

Thanks for the driving congrats for DS. He also has a lot to do over summer - NEAs for all three subjects plus EPQ. Has been working really well since mocks and says he is going to do 2 to 3 hours a day over the summer. Will see!! Did some of Lancaster Open Day today - accommodation bit as we couldn’t see that on the tour and the history specific bit. Still his top choice I think.

@Orangecinnamon21 I’ll see your 57 homework tasks and raise you the (massively optimistic) reading list that DD has set herself!

@Alsoplayspiccolo so sorry to hear what your daughter is going through.

Thank you @singingstones your advice was really helpful to DD. She submitted her draft PS last night and it's a good starting point. She's identified she needs to do more background reading, etc and also needs to start looking at uni courses and content so she can start to draw up a short list and try and visit a few places over the summer too.

@estherfrewen Congratulations on the pass. Our DD is August born and still no sign of her provisional licence back from the DVLA so think driving lessons are a long way off yet for her.

AlsoPlays I realise your DD has been to a dark place but hopefully with time she will realise her bravery was a light to others and together they stopped the boy in his tracks.

Piccolo so sorry to hear what you and DD have been through. Re uni - I'm not sure what course your DD is looking at, but would a foundation year be an option? My DS has just finished one after having his grades mucked up in last year's fiasco, and has found it really useful.

Orange 57 tasks!! That's not much of a holiday! DD finished on Wednesday - she has to re-draft her PS, and work through a module for biology. She is planning on reviewing everything she has done this year, and going over anything that she has completely forgotten or didn't really understand but that's her own choice.

Thanks, everyone.
I cannot fault the school - they reacted immediately and sensitively, and have offered ongoing support to all concerned. DD has been offered sessions with a counsellor, and we are in regular contact with the SENCo.
Unfortunately, the boy is also in DD's youth theatre group, but he has absented himself since.

DD has said she would not consider our local uni, but we may revisit that possibility, and a gap year or even grades in hand is a strong likelihood. I just hope she can find a way to compartmentalize what happened, so that she can find her confidence again and enjoy her last year at school; despite everything, she is still very happy that she moved schools and loves being there.