Why can’t parents look at the term dates for DC schools

[nfg]

Schools here, broke up yesterday. Today on the way to shopping, I saw about 4 sets of kids and parents with children wearing school uniforms. I have friends who have DC attend these schools (2 schools) and there are no day trips or classes today.

My friends knew the term dates as on parents pages and WhatsApp groups

We have five kids, that go to 4 different schools/colleges – two of those schools have repeatedly changed their dates during this year – it’s an absolute nightmare to keep track of!

We create a Google Calendar for every year so that we can work out who’s in school when because it’s so complicated, but when they change it, it makes it impossible to keep track of.

Although we still manage a hell of a lot better than someone else I know who is a stay at home single parent and still has got it wrong twice at schools that haven’t changed the date.

I think some people just carry on as normal until they are personally told. There are quite a few people in my DC’s classes who won’t look at or don’t trust the school website. They would rather than someone phones the school and reports back on the WhatsApp group. Such a waste of time, I just do my own admin now and don’t worry about others.

😂

Why is it ALWAYS other women who are the most judgemental people to other women? We're supposed to support and raise each other up, not put them down for making a mistake!!

people are juggling so much... It's not beyond the realms of imagination that a lone parent might have 3 kids in different schools, with different schedules/end of terms, with 10 different activity clubs, 3 different sets of kids friends all with parties here there and everywhere, dentist, doctors, shoe fitting, uniforms, clothes to buy, their own lives and activities, work and family outings to coordinate.

Your week might look like this;

School 1 has changed the Sports Day to next Wednesday. School 2 is asking for donations to the food bank on Tuesday, which is the same day that School 1 has declared a break the rules day, and School 2 have just cancelled after school club this week, so you need to collect early. The Football club fundraiser is tomorrow, and the Scouts are asking for empty bottles in Wednesday. Hang on no, another email... School 1 made mistake and actually sports day is actually Thursday. Oh and the dentist has just cancelled your appointment and needs to be rebooked, and the parent rep would like to have a meet up on Thursday evening....

Some times they might drop the ball... AND THAT'S OKAY.

It's still early July, far too early for schools to be breaking up for Summer.

School’s out and Wi-Fi is in. OP is bored.

Maybe they're about to attend an awards ceremony for ultra-high performing kids that yours missed out on.

(NB: Smugness usually backfires.)

I agree! We get messages all the time from school with information on. This week there was an extra swimming lesson as a previous one was cancelled. The school messaged with plenty of notice. Some parents put a reminder in the group chat. This morning someone messages to ask if it’s swimming today 🤦‍♀️

I think our whole village knows when the Primary school term ends as they like playing "Schools out for summer," very loudly on the PA system. You couldn't miss it. (Although we will kiss it this year, as the Secondary school finishes on the Friday, and the primary school the following Tuesday so taking advantage of the cheaper flights on the Saturday...)

Both schools have no clubs going on as its now the holidays.

I'm sick of everything being online. Before you got a note with the dates on it. Nice amd simple.

Yes but for at least 50% of children unless the note was stapled to them it would never make it home.

Tell that to teachers in Scotland who break up at the end of June!

I’ve never gotten the last day of term wrong *preens

However, I may hypothetically have gotten the first day of term wrong and gone in a day early. Hypothetically more than once….

How do you know that? Many things can happen in schools during holidays.

How do you know? Lots of schools run holiday clubs. But also things like year 6 leavers events. Did you see the families outside the schools in question ir just walking? How do you know it’s those 2 specific schools? There are 8 primary schools in my town, they break up on various dates and all have different leavers events/assemblies going on.

That's bizarre-the last day of term is such a 'thing'-saying goodbye, taking your PE kit and books home, emptying your tray etc, I'm astonished that anyone could do all that and then pitch up at school the next day!

How many parents have cleared out their DC's bags at the end of the school year to find a wad of school letters at the bottom? Usually been wet in the past when a flask/bottle leaked over them.

Our DC sometimes used to go to sports clubs held at the school during half terms. On the first morning we’d always see someone heading that way in school uniform 😬

My friend who has two DC - just finished years 2 and 4, at the school. Only got school clubs going on in August as the teachers will be on holiday and most families here go on holiday now, as slightly cheaper than later in the month when rest of England and Wales are off.

Edit - Each school has a different uniform. One wears dark red polo shirts.

Wow, dear god that's judgemental! I'm a teacher too and have got a few things wrong (missing a non uniform day for my daughter a few times). I was mortified for her but we are all human (no class WhatsApp and I don't always have time to read school emails!) get off your high horse!

How do you know it’s the same school your friend is at? Did you see them outside it? The sumner uniforms all look the same here - either blue or red. The fact that you saw 4 separate families suggests that there’s something going on. Leavers assembly perhaps?
In any case, chill! Parents get dates wrong. We’ve all been there. Kids in uniform on non-uniform days, forgetting to bring a prize for the raffle, bring a Teddy day, crazy hair day, sports day changing 3 times due to weather etc. Summer term is mental!

Yet four families had kids in uniform. There must be someone happening that your friends know nothing about. There's constantly things happing in my kids school that I know nothing about because my child doesn't take part. There's things my kids do that other kids don't so their parents don't know about it. Your friend cannot possibly know about everything in the school that doesn't concern her kids.

So you have no direct connection to the school yet know more about whats happening at the school than the parents?

Wow you sound nice, just don’t bother replying, I’m sure someone else will. Is it really hard to fathom that people have busy life’s and sometimes quite difficult times? Is that not the point of these watsapp groups? We all helped and supported each other and there was no judgement, in fact we chipped in for a gift for the lovely mum that often kept us all right