pfb -in fact only child - off to secondary on Thursday...

ha ha ha! ds1 will be so impressed (not) if he gets to make salad in Food Tech!

He thinks they will swap tech teachers at Christmas and Easter and at some point he will do one term of cookery.

Oo cakes! I doooooooooooooooo so hope DD makes cakes obiously for the ease of transportation back home with the....

MAS - how did DS get on the rest of the week with his lunch money?

From what DS has said, they do not switch around for languages, he is doing Spanish.

DS is making Fat Rascals next week in cookery - a bit like a scone/rock bun with a cherry on top. I made some on Thursday night to the recipe he has been given and they turned out lovely.

My diet will start some day (maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow - but soon! )

Thanks for that Roisin.DD is finding Spanish alot easier than German and at least now my bargain pound shop Spanish dictionary will be put to some use!

Magentadreamer - at ds1's school they've always all done just French all year in yr7, but as a trial this year they're doing 1 term each of German, French and either Italian or Spanish [I can't remember which]. I don't know what the plan is for yr8.

ds1 has a fantastic, very enthusiastic, MFL teacher and is doing German. He has learned loads: I am completely stunned at how much he's picked up, how keen he is, and how utterly fearless at having a go and trying to make up a sentence.
This week they started doing the past tense
He has more merits for German than any other subject, and more merits in German than anyone else in his class.

(I'm a linguist myself, and after the shaky start he's had with the government's fantastic primary MFL strategy, I'm relieved and delighted that he's loving it.)

Thankfully DD's school didn't have a non uniform day but they did have 4 students sponsered who were wearing their PJ's all day!

DD starts cookery next week - must remember to dig out tins etc for bringing stuff home as I don't want to be digging pizza out of her backpack!

They have now started Spanish instead of German for this half term not too sure if they'll go back to German after xmas for another half term. do other schools do this? I know the other local High School does a term of each plus French in yr7 then they pick which to do for the rest of KS3.

Ofsted is coming on Monday as well hopefully the school will get a good report from them. The Head has been in place for just over a year and talking to a Mum who's DC's are in Yr9 and 11 she's really made some dramatic changes that appear to be working. I was looking at the extra activities on the web site and every day there are at least 10 different things on offer from knitting to live saving to GSCE help plus all the different PE stuff.

Phew - DS1 walked in and I said were you supposed go in non-uniform today, he looked at me like I had two heads and said no.

He has had a great day though from what he has said - all the teachers had to dress up as band members and perform - DS got to be one of the judges! The Spice Girls won.

Oh roisin - I always worry about things like this. You are like me - like them to look nice.

DS1 has not mentioned anything about non-uniform although it has been charity week at their school and have had all sorts going on at lunchtimes - throwing wet sponges at teachers, tug of war, guitar hero.

I am sure DS1 would have said......... (but now you have got me wondering arrghhhhhhhhhhhh)

The only decent pair of jeans (the only pair now in fact) he has have been ripped and we are having a trip into town tomorrow to get some more, admittedly the two rips are on the inside of his leg towards the bottom but still....

ds1 had me worried this morning. 10 mins before he's due to leave the house ds2 comes downstairs in non-uniform for Children in Need Day (which we knew about via letter from school).

Cue ds1 saying "Oh, erm, I think we've got non-uniform day today too" and goes back upstairs to change. Think? Is he sure? It wasn't in a letter, and whilst this isn't necessary in secondary, at this school I would have expected it.

I check the school calendar online and there's nothing there.

Fortunately dh agreed to delay his departure by 5 mins so he could drive past the bus stop and check the other pupils were in non-uniform. And even more fortunately they didn't arrive back, so I'm presuming ds1 was correct.

I'm still a bit annoyed with him though for not telling us before. He doesn't have many clothes and mostly just slobs around in crummy shabby things. I would have been out and got him something new for non-uniform day if I'd known in advance so that he would look a bit smarter.

Thanks ladies.

Rugby and football boots are the same thing in this house.

MAS - that sounds like progress in the right direction. Hope the loan is re-paid soon!

Not exactly a breakthrough MAS for you, but at least a step in the right direction?

Is there a difference between football and rugby boots? DS will be playing rugby from next Monday and this weekend I will have to source some boots from somewhere............ will also have to go out into the garden to pluck some money from that tree again! Hope it has reproduced since last time..

Oh dear, this isn't easy is it MAS?
Do you think he understands why you don't want him to lend his money out?
Hope you get this sorted.

Tbh, it would really bug me not to, but I would leave his tutor out of it for the moment.

See what happens tomorrow ie. if he pays the money back. If not and he asks for more and DS gives him it then I would give him the packed lunch for a while, then when you go back to lunch money, give him less so there is no extra money to hand out.