GCSE '18s (20) - half term beckons!

[mmmz]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3355907-gcse-18s-19-new-beginnings

New thread... Hello and txs mmzz
loose great news re RE!! And also so happy he's enjoying Music A Level. DS is so far very happy with all his choices. English is making him read so much more. EPQ seems to be focusing on research and critical thinking, with lots of homework! Already playing in several concerts too. All in all, he's busier than ever and individual music practice is suffering a lot. Wouldn't care if it wasn't what he wants to do afterwards...

Brainmelt thanks! And I’m impressed by your DS and his EPQ - think mine is too chaotic for that! He does sound extremely busy, but it’s great to see them doing what they love.

Great news on the review Loose. Glad to hear he got the grade he deserved (and you won’t pay!)

DD hasn't caught the cold yet, so reduce it to over 2999 students potentially getting it! She is just getting annoyed with someone who chews their fingers noisily in class. A snuffle would be a positive joy by comparison.

How do you chew your fingernail noisily?! Mmmm.. mmmm.... hhhhhrrrrm...... crunch, crunch??! I've never had the displeasure of listening to that!

Not the fingernail, the whole finger, knuckles & all.

Congrats to looseslittle.
Well dgd managed to put 2 sentences together when attempting to chat to handsome boy sitting next to her in biology.! she put enough makeup on this morning to plaster my bedroom this is her first attempt to chat one to one with a boy. Perhaps next week she will manage 3 sentences if she has enough makeup left

Sostenueto I hope the handsome young chap appreciates the effort!

Sost - but if the boy is anything like ds he won't have managed anything but a grunt back!

Good for her Sost - it might be a bit of a slow burn though at two sentences per lesson.

Bit weirded out by the finger muncher!

I think boys need it spelling out to them sometimes when a girl is interested. Luckily that's where male friends come in! They don't do subtle hints when they realise someone fancies their friend.

Just think... someone is mother to the finger muncher. They've brought them up, done the best they can... and then they send them off to sixth form college after 16 years of nurturing... and their DC ruins it all by forgetting that eating your fingers isn't "nice"

DS1 is also struggling to fit the music practice in. One of the pieces sounds quite beautiful, but another sounds horrendous. Some of the scales are flawless, others are a complete mess.

He went through the grades from 1-7 quite rapidly, skipping a couple on the way, and I think this is the first time he is actually having to work at it.

The orchestras are all going well though, and his woodwind quartet have been invited to play in the foyer at the school of music while people are arriving for the concert.

Sympathies TheThird It's a bit the same in our house! Entries have gone in, hoping for the latest date possible as ds has first round of exams starting on 5 Nov which is also the first week of music exams. 2 out of 3 pieces ok, scales STILL variable, sight reading ....hmm...but at least he has been practicing it every day.

Sympathies to those facing exams already (including music). Don’t think DS has any til next June

The girl concerned is welcome to chew her fingers noisily, just not in history classes for 5 hours each week. Perhaps Classical Civilisation or Mandarin classes are the perfect home for finger chompers instead.

DS has his first exams this week. This weekend has been highly reminiscent of any one of the weekends in April or May.

It seems early, but I'm glad in a way because it's sort of like the last bit of settling into school. Also, it's a reminder of how close June 2020 actually is.

Remember how the GCSEs seemed like something miles into the future during the first term in year 10, and then, before you knew it, the mock results were coming in? Well DS1 is now thinking the same of the A levels, so I'm glad he's being forced to work.

Also, these interim assessments are important in and of themselves because they inform the school's A level predictions that will be important to the university applications this time next year.

This is our first time as a family seeing one of us do A levels and I'm having to remind myself how quickly it will all go.

End of topic tests are a very regular feature of sixth form, at least in sciences and maths. They have a few uses IMO.

The teachers can see if the class have understood the teaching, if there are still any misconceptions they need to iron out.

They are a chance for the students to get some revision done at an early stage so the pre exam revision isn't the first time they've looked at it.

As well as to give teachers a clue to predicted grades. With some subjects they'll improve their skills throughout the 2 years, with others each topic is more stand alone, so topics don't get 'harder' as such, you just learn new material. So in those subjects the grade you get in the first year is likely to be close to what you get in the end exams. If you have adequately revised...

Always a problem for my DS it seems. I don't know anything, of course. I'm hoping he matures a lot over the next 2 years. That, at least, is something he has time to improve on.

Blooming growing boys...
DS has just announced that he can’t do up the top button of any of the lovely 15.5 shirts we bought him and can he please have five 16 collar shirts. Back to eBay we go...

Excellent news for DH, who will now benefit from hand-me-ups!

*kingscote" I was in the big Primark in Tottenham Court Road the other day. Truly beautiful shirts, either mixed or 100% cotton, for 8 pounds. Came back with a bunch of pure cotton patterned shirts and DS loved them all.

^^ kingscote

Another vote for Primark here. Got some casual shirts, tracksuit bottoms and PJs we had been looking all over for. Good quality and price.

Yes, but that involves me actually going shopping - like, entering a shop...

You can do it, Kingscote!

I love Primark for the boys' clothes. Especially jeans. They grow so damn quickly that they never get a chance to wear out.

wished I'd caught up earlier, bought DS a shirt for 6th form £20 from TK Maxx.......clearly should of gone to primark