Y13 Summer term: Finishing Lessons, Starting Exams and leaving Sixth Form

[catslife]

So our dcs are now on the last term of sixth form, finishing off lessons and starting their exams.
How did that happen - doesn't seem that long ago since they started Y12.
This is the thread where we support each other as our dcs revise and start their exams, finish off coursework, leave sixth form and make plans for what to do with the rest of their lives. This may involve going to uni or other alternatives.
Every Y13 parent is welcome to join in whether new to these threads or if you have been with us for a while - the more the merrier.

It's supposed to be business as usual this week but today's first lesson is cancelled and this afternoon is collect the mock and do it in your own time. Like yesterday, he is going in for one lesson. Like yesterday I'll take him in, wait and bring him home. After two years of running the home to college taxi service I have had enough. When he enrolled there was a bus that did the last leg of the journey six times an hour but it was taken off before he started. Now he would spend three times as long travelling as he would be in the one lesson.

I can moan all I like but he had no real alternative, there were only three options if he wanted to do music, one was ten miles away and required mass and full uniform, the closest didn't offer English which left the one ten miles in the other direction. If the bus service had been pulled sooner I would have pushed for him doing English with literature so he could go to the closer place that he could have got to on a service bus. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but you have to take the best decision you can at the time.

Tomorrow he has one lesson but that's cancelled too so at least I get to stand down. I still have no idea what is happening after half term, I don't know whether it's revision sessions (optional or not), tuition or just come in for the exams.

I hadn't thought about gifts for teachers. I'll give dd a prod, she wouldn't even think of it.

Almost done with the taxiing knitting. Buses are a real issue everywhere.

I think dds stress levels are under control much better now. She realised she couldn't keep working at that pace and so has eased off considerably. It's making a big difference.

I've just come back from taxi-ing dd to school; she has booked me for every one of her 9am Gsce days... still I suppose it is worth it, but an hour of driving is enough to knock me out physically, I feel completely stiff and sore. I'm not picking her up. She usually takes two buses or a long tube journey with lots of walking - I suppose we are very well off for public transport.

Driving kids has its joys though, you sit and talk, you listen to the radio, you see the world through your windscreen. Every day that I drive her I pass various historic houses, gaggles of different uniforms, so I suppose I quite like it. But only five miles, not ten miles.

Knitting ds is at the mass and school uniform sort of school - I cannot say it has been that successful for him (although a lovely school in some ways...and they try their best for him, just so inflexible on some levels, but that is bureaucracy rather than religious - everyone is very caring)

today is the nightmare gsce for the twins. English Literature. Bell tolls. yesterday was spent NOT helping dd at all, as I tried to stuff ds2's brain full of Macbeth analysis techniques and remind him of the language use in Christmas Carol. watch this space if he gets a 6, I will be soo soo proud of him (ds1 received a C, which explains why he is finding the A level impossible )

Ds1 is still very much taking a back seat in this...he says he is writing lots of essay plans for the music paper though. refusing to discuss what he is going to do in the holidays except for vague talk of helping out in the family business.

Presents sound very good. I've always been wary of giving presents to the teachers recently for fear that they might think I am bribing them to give ds a good report (it has been that bad) However, now that everything is handed in, perhaps the time has come to say thank you for all the trouble ds has caused them...and the fact that he has come through without combusting.

DD and her classmates were delivering a fabulous French breakfast to their French Teachers this morning - they had somehow worked out when the last subject faculty staff meeting of the term was and were planning to turn up and surprise them.
I'd love that kind of thankyou!

I think the maths class are buying vouchers for the pub/restaurant that the maths teachers have a pub quiz team at.

I'm not sure if they've thought of anything for history yet, but they are definitely doing "class" gifts rather than individual ones.

Dd has lost a whole morning to dealing with bitchy girls and he said she said....
It’s so immature it hurts my head
Thankfully dd has found a teachers group for history and joined under a ‘fake name’

Gritted teeth Fantasy for her and you. Remember the mantra "not long to go".

Wine. The teachers have all had wine. His form teacher has had a hamper of chocolate, prosecco, biscuits and other unhealthy stuff. She is fab and also one of his very supportive subject teachers.

We chose to send the DC to a school 10 miles away out of catchment, I'm not sure I entirely knew what I was letting myself in for. I pay a small fortune for the out of catchment school bus, but very often have to collect after school as well after extra-curricular activities. Like nettle said its often a good chance to talk though, and I am lucky its beautiful scenery each way. I wouldn't have like to do the morning run as well though.

DD is mostly driving now it now though.

DD worked from home today rather than going in for one lesson, I am trusting her to do whatever she feels is best.

The drive to and from school is a time I am going to miss with DD. On the way in we are usually messing around or singing to the radio. On the way home it is a full run down of the day. It makes me sad that I won't get that full run down every day from September.

DD, who was adamant she was going to do all her revision at home has discovered that the study area in school was rammed today, and after a session with her therapist has decided she'll go in tomorrow too. I have to say, that since that contains so many things she would have run from 5 months ago, I am delighted! A bit sad though, because I'm working from home tomorrow, and had been looking forward to just the two of us for a couple of hours at least!

Have to drag my arse out of bed in the morning, apparently, to fully participate in DD's last day. Banana porridge anyone?

Last ever day at school. It's pretty momentous really.
I don't think I remember mine though. There was definitely no banana porridge!

3 days left for DD.
Not sure she's enjoying this week to the fullest. A mouthful of ulcers, especially on her tongue, have rendered her pretty much mute today
Anybody got any good tried and tested treatments to get rid, fast?

It's a sure sign that she's been overdoing things, so at least she might listen to me now when I try to get her to rest a bit over half term.

3 more days for DD as well. She has been to see a band in the next city, and the last train home has been cancelled. Fortunately her boyfriend's dad is picking them up. He is grumpy at the best of times, so it won't be a joyous ride home.

DS1 also has his last day of actual school on Friday. He doesn't have any lessons on Fridays but might pop in so he can share the last day experience with his friends.

He has been doing quite a lot of History revision, and has intentions of revising Politics, but seems to have mostly given up on English Lit.

Because his exams don't start until half-term, most of my attention has been on DS2 and his GCSEs.

Second maths exam today. I've found out that his school are doing the hardest exam paper (mei). Why would they do that! Apparently the chemistry board is the hardest too.....

Good Luck for maths today Derek's DS, and any others.🍀

Don't get me started on the different exam boards - the GCSE thread is a real eye opener this year. Some DC still have coursework and open book in exams while others don't. It seems so unfair.
I still don't understand why everyone doesn't just do the same exam!

Which board for chemistry derek?
DD is doing AQA

Well, it is beginning to hit home here now. DD had a very late night last night so I let her have a lie in and took her to school (she usually gets the 7.50 bus). She told me of the plans for Friday.

They will be going in fancy dress, eating cake during the two "lessons" she will be having, then the school are ordering pizzas from Dominos. Then they are off to the pub. As DD is still 17 and looks about 15 she will just be drinking Coke while everyone else gets drunk.

Then it is back to school after half term for exams only.

Dd has her second exam today. She seemed reasonably happy about it.

Interesting to see how different places celebrate 'the end'. Dd has a barbecue on Friday. After half term they are on study leave but she will probably go in most days as she works better at school.

lobster dd gets mouth ulcers with every period. GP recommended corsodyl mouthwash though dd found the taste too strong (sensory issues associated with her ASD). He also suggested salt mouth rinses which she can tolerate though they only help a little. Sympathies mouth ulcers are truly miserable.

Goodluck to those with exams
Dd is finding it harder to grit her teeth they called her a bitch and she just said i enjoy been a massive bitch it’s fun
Told her the more she agrees with what they say the more it will annoy them she isn’t biting

dd does mei too. It is more rigorous, bu it makes better mathematicians as a result.

Cooked breakfast made again this morning! Another exam done and dusted.

Thankyou NoHaudin
We got her some corsodyl mouthwash, and although it's agony to use it does seem to be clearing them up.
DD has always been prone to the odd one or two when she's run down or tired, but nothing like this before.

DD's plans for Friday are 2 lessons, both consisting mostly of cake, then a yr13 final assembly, then the pub for the rest of the day!

They have their leavers' ball at the end of June to look forward to.

DD is MEI too.

Her last day is June 22nd!

dds last day is at the end of June. It seems ages away!

My heart breaks for you and your daughter when I read your posts Fantasy

I was watching a DCI Banks yesterday, and one of the (female) detectives came out with a brilliant put down when a suspect tried to patronise her. I can't remember it exactly, but it went along the lines of "you demean yourself when you say that".

If only your daughter had the courage to say to these bitchy girls "the things you say to me say far more about yourselves than they do about me"

I wish her all the very best, and hope she does brilliantly in her A levels and hope that these bitches do badly

Right, who has an English language student? Ideally one that wasn't raised by poets but one that has got to grips with analysis of texts through incomprehension followed by hard work. I'm after recommendations for "Noddy does analysis" because one of us is struggling and the other of us did sciences and doesn't have a clue if it doesn't have numbers in it.

My BFF Google keeps coming up with stuff but one of us is somewhat negative at the moment and it's all rubbish or irrelevant. He says that he's never understood any of it and it's all gone over his head and I am biting my lip to avoid asking who he got to do his assignments then as clearly he's never been capable of A/B.

It is not turning out to be a good day.