to feel that school is letting DD down

[Snowfire]

I think I may just be in need of a rant as I'm so frustrated!
DD is in yr6, has always been quite quiet and had a bad experience at a previous school a few years ago which really knocked her confidence.
She has until recently been really happy at new school and all has been well.
In September she told me she was putting herself forward for school council, I thought it was a sign that her confidence was improving would be good for her. She was voted in by the class and I was so proud of her, spoke to her teacher about it who seemed really enthusiastic that it would help bring her out of herself... great!
Two weeks ago DD told me that the council would be going to another school to give a presentation about creative work in their school, she was really nervous but I said that the school would make sure they were all happy with what they werre saying before they went and we discussed ideas she could suggest were included. Heard nothing more until yesterday on way home from scchool, DD told me she had to write her parts os the presentation that night and didn't know what to do. She had been told to write about the creative work in one of the younger classes as well as talking about what the school does as a whole and colsing the presentation. She hadn't had any guidance and was in a total spin. I phoned school as soon as we got home and spoke to HT who reassured me that she would take DD out of class this morning and help her to work it out. Great I thought.
This evening I come home from a late shift to find DD in a state of meltdown as HT didn't find her, they had a supply teacher in (who DD doesn't like) and has the presentation tomorrow. She's scared to go in with nothing because she'll be letting down the rest of the council and thinks she will be in trouble.
I just feel so bad for her and feel that she's being let down :(

I thinl both u and dd need to chill out. She is 10/11 not 6. Give her a piece of paper and tell her to get writting. She's been given her brief.

Brain map time!

'She had been told to write about the creative work in one of the younger classes as well as talking about what the school does as a whole and colsing the presentation. '

Come on mners - any amusing puns, plays on words, (repeatable) jokes on that subject??

It's quite late at night, so I would help her. Ask her to tell you three things about the creative work in the younger class and two things about the whole school. Help her write them out as bullet points and say you can practice them in the morning together before she goes.

Then go to bed (her, not you!)

They will not be expecting amazing standards, plenty of adults can't make good presentations to save their lives (believe me, I have to listen to them).

Both my DS's are on their school councils and have done this

Really, all they're looking for is a few lines in your DD's own words

She can't get it right or wrong, please tell her to calm down.

She has no idea what the younger class are doing. She wasn't in that class having joined late and hasn't been given the opportunity to see what they're doing. I know they won't be expecting anything amazing but they could have given her some guidance.

How is she getting to the other school?

Get off the computer and help her get started!

She's in bed reading, just doesn't have a clue what to write about and worked herself up to the point of being in tears, she says she doesn't wat to go to school tomorrow.
I'm going to ring the school in the morning (I'll be at work at drop off time) and speak to them about it.

Has she got a friend you could phone and ask what their favourite crative/craft activity was in a younger year? Then she can talk about that, and close with something like the main thing for the school is that everyone enjoys it, has a lot of fun and does their best.

How is she getting to the other school?

Are you dropping her there first thing, or is the school taking her?

Sorry yes the school are taking them to the other school. I have to be at work by 8 so my Dad will be dropping her off.

Ive no idea whatsoever what your dds school is like or how long she needs to talk

I moved to Fred bloggs school in year X and one of the first things I noticed was how colourful and happy the school was. There's always so much artwork on the walls and craftwork and its obvious that the younger children really enjoy (insert art form here - e.g. collage, pottery, vegetable printing). I especially like the butterflies that reception year did by splashing paint on one half of the paper and then folding it over. They used this to learn about symmatry which is a great example of how we use creative work to teach other subjects

I love the work that some of our junior classes do with stories. there are often big pictures of fictional characters which they children have worked to produce. I still remember when I first came to the school seeing a huge picture of the owl and the pussy cat ad the piggy with a ring in the end of his nose.

Another way creative work is used is to help with geography and history. for example in year 2 the children have been building models of castles from boxes, tubes and other household items. Thanks to this work they can now name the different parts of the castle like the keep, the court yard and towers.

Overall Im proud to be a pupil at Fred Bloggs school and I hope what Ive said gives you some idea of the great ways we're using creative work to help our younger pupils understand other subjects.

Or that might be a pile of crap but Im bored!!!!

Well done Soandso! That is really good!

Well thank you Cherries glad someone appreciates my fuelled drivel!

Oh ok, it's just my DS suggested that if she goes in a bit earlier in the morning, the rest of the council will probably help her out.

Thanks soandso, that's really lovely! I'm up for work so will print that out for her and get her to work on something similar. I just wish I wasn't working this morning so I could take her in myself and make sure everything is ok.....