YEAR 8 YEAR 8 YEAR 8 !!

We had a tantrum about bedtime last night. I sent her upstairs at 9.15, saying she could read or do something quietly in her room. She went ballistic as she wanted to stay up and watch TV.
Is 9.15 too early for a 12-year-old? I feel maybe I shouldn't be making her go upstairs at the same time as DD2, but then she gets to read until 10pm or so, whereas DD has lights out earlier. DH and I do look forward to having an hour or two to ourselves in the evening to chat or watch something we want to watch on TV.

No homework this weekend! HOORAY!
He's kept on top of it all week, which helps. But the school is being heavily hit by swine flu, so today apparently teachers were saying it wasn't fair on the half class that were in to set them homework!

So tomorrow we can all have leisurely lie-ins and a generally relaxing day.

MAS - how nice to see you

I think I will have to look into a more robust raincoat type of thing. DS does have one, but it is not lined, it really is like a zip up paca.

Roisin, you must be so pleased and proud for you ds.

btw -mention of art homework - am having to sit on my hands to avoid questioning the teacher's odd marking of ds's homework - obviously it's my opinion but things I think are good are marked lower than the more average stuff -it seems bizarre to me - art is subjective of course, but it seems to me that if you do something other than what is precribed it doesn't go down well (I daren't say anything as I don't want to seem like a know it all better than you type of parent !)

woo ! well done roisin's ds and that's really fab too about your dd deaddai
To get round the coat dilemma last year I bought ds a more robust fold up raincoaty thing,with a fleecy lining which can be rolled up and stuffed in his rucksack - this seems to work - keeps him dry and reasonably warm. I was asking him about vests, but I think he reckons they a bit babyish so am going to get him some short sleeved t shirt type ones,just for an extra layer. Apparently there are school jumpers but very uncool to wear them !!
Ds made risotto this week - was nice but dh was in a pickle about reheating it as it was already cooked rice - am sure it would have been fine ! Next week is cheesy potato bake

Roisin, that's fantastic about your DS - you might need more than one hanky.

Your DD sounds lovely, Deaddei.

That's fantastic deaddei - you are rightly proud. It's wonderful when they love school, isn't it?

In two weeks' time we have the awards evening for the whole school (1000+ pupils, 11-16), and apparently ds1 has won a fistful of prizes!

I'm so proud of him. He is very bright and has shedloads of potential, but it's the fact that at school he has been motivated to work extremely hard too and really put the effort in. So I'm delighted this is being acknowledged/rewarded.

Dh was talking to one of the teachers he knows, who said the awards evening is the climax of the school year and is really emotional at times .. so bring a hanky!

Well done to your dd deaddei - I would feel proud too!

My dd wrote to her headteacher to say what a lovely term she's having/new teachers are fab- and she got a lovely handwritten reply. And the head came up to me yesterday and said "head girl in the making".
How proud do I feel!
She's not in the academic set, but she is making her name known. (for the right reasons)
And 48 merits so far

The meaning of the sock crackdown is revealed - Ofsted landed this morning. I saw them stalking the corridors tonight when I went to pick the DDs up from orchestra - they looked a scary bunch.

Hello

Not sure what DS's school policy is on illness when they are there. I know at the secondary school I work at, the kids have to go to the Head of Year and then they go down to pupil reception who I think assess them and then parents are telephoned.

Am glad you got an apology Nancy.

DS made risotto yesterday at school. He had it for his tea (we all had a taste and it was actually very yummy).

He brought a letter home last Friday about a spanish trip that is to take place in the last week of the term in July - the money though had to be in the same day to guarantee a place - so not sure how that one would have worked out. Anyway, he said to me Mum it is £540 so I think it is a bit expensive - tis for 4 nights. So I am glad he did not ask to go as we will be going away on a family holiday a couple of weeks after. The trip was open to KS3 and KS4, so I know places will be limited.

Well, head of year finally phoned this evening & apologised that we hadn't been called - I got the impression that some of the pupils try it on sometimes so I suppose they tend to take a fairly hard line.... think the fact that was Friday afternoon also was a factor - they thought she could struggle through till going home time.

ds1 has a school coat. It's lightweight (so can fit in his bag/locker when not in use), but good quality and cool/trendy. (It's a sports kind-of thing.)

ds1 wears it most days, as he has to stand at a cold/windy bus stop at 8 am for an unpredictable length of time.

Hee hee hee at socks!
This summer I threw out all the boys' socks and bought them all new - coloured socks for hols/weekends, and grey/black socks for school.

Both boys regularly wear the coloured socks for school.

She did love Fame, although the reviews I read were not great, but obviously it appeals to 12-year-old girls. And she LOVED going to Pizza Express without a grown up. Apparently the birthday girl's parents had arranged for a cake to be presented and the whole restaurant sang Happy Birthday.
As regards getting ill at school it seems to be pot luck really. They are sent to the first aid post - sometimes parents are called and sometimes not. I have been called to collect my neighbour's child on occasion. But sometimes a child is kept in the first aid room, not sent back to class and not sent home, which I don't understand.
DD informs me this morning that the school has launched a crackdown on coloured socks and she now has to wear blacks socks. This is after I bought her a dozen pairs of brightly coloured socks because "no one cares what colour socks you wear".

At least my dd has a blazer so not wanting to wear a coat is not too much of an issue.

I bet your dd loved the birthday outing LGP - I've been wanting to see Fame myself but have heard it's not very good!

Can I ask what your dc's schools do when a child becomes unwell at school? DD felt ill on Friday, was sent to the office but they sent her back to class after a while - she was very distraught after school (phoned to ask me to collect her - she usually walks). She had a high temperature and a headache and spent most of the weekend in bed. She's gone to school today but still looks a bit wiped out. I'm a bit cross that the school didn't call me on Friday...

(It's GFM btw)

Me too LGP with the coat situation with DS.... He does not wear the school jumper, so he just has a polo shirt on.

We have a new big Debenhams opening on the 15th October so I will take him for a look round the designer section to see if any of the coats catch his eye

I am still waiting to see if DD will deign to wear a coat this year. She did last year on occasion, which is just as well as she won't wear the school sweatshirt (which is optional) just her thin opennecked cotton blouse.

Dd has "winterized" her school uniform - nice scarf, beanie hat and a pair of fingerless gloves... shame a coat isn't part of the ensemble Grrr. I'm just glad we only live 5 mins from school.

I bet she is excited LGP - how grown up

DS1 hates art with a passion - says he cannot draw (must admit he is right though)!

He is cooking on Monday - had the choice of doing risotto or gloucester pie - he has chosen the risotto. Poor thing, he will be ladened down as he will have pe kit, normal bag, cooking stuff and his guitar. I have told him I will take him to school rather than getting on the bus with everything, although I cannot pick him up as I will still be at work.

How was everyone's week?
DD has gone off for a birthday treat with a friend who is turning 13 - they are going to see Fame and then go to Pizza Express. The birthday girl's parents are dropping them at the cinema and they are going to ring when they are nearly finished at Pizza Express so the BG's parents can come and pick them up and pay - DD is wildly excited at going out for a meal in a restaurant with just a friend and no grown ups!

Yes, strangely, DD spends more time on her art homework than any other subject!
And, as with journey of a cheese sandwich, any homework can be art homework if you try hard enough...

Too busy with the "Journey of a Cheese Sandwich" biology homework - DS got too caught up in the drawing cartoons idea rather than the explaining the science of digestion. Its the third time this particular homework has caused angst in our house and since it was 6 years ago that DD1 did it perhaps its time the science department changed a few things! He is now drawing a dragon for Art homework with a look of extreme concentration on his face.