Thread 35 - Covid Cohort from GCSE 2020 'What They Did on Their Summer Holidays'

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades. It's all relative!
Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.
Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will find a thread within the Further Ed board.
Possibly a move to Parent of Adult Children Board in future? Post Results?

Previous Thread

@Wheresthebeach , so sorry to hear this. Really hope the surgery goes well and she makes a speedy recovery 💐

@Wheresthebeach that must be gutting. A friend's DS who was very good at football did that, and combined with Covid meant that he was unable to carry on. I hope she can men's well enough to resume elite level.

@Volterra may also be worth digging out GCSE certificates in case those are required for enrollment.

We had an "interesting" night last night. DS2 came back from Truck festival last week with a chest infection after throwing himself into the experience with great gusto. He was ill whilst we were in Cornwall, missing a meal at our favorite restaurant. He seems to have passed it on to DS1 who has reacted very badly and ended up with very low blood oxygen so I took him into A&E at 2am and he has been given all sorts of things and looks like he will have to stay in a second night. His GF is with him, so keeping me informed. I am not worried as he is being well looked after. Just hope it clears up fully and quickly.

@Wheresthebeach - really sorry to hear about DD. Wishing her a speedy recovery.

@Monkey2001 - hope your DS have a speedy recovery too.

Oh no @Wheresthebeach that must be a big shock, especially with her being an elite sportswoman . I hope she's not in too much pain.

We have been in this house 20+ years, the loft is tiny and useless so has little in it. In fact I've never been in there! We do have the 'loft' style rafters in the garage like @icanbewhatiwant. That is full to the brim. Again I have never been up there, it is a DH job!

@Monkey2001 really sorry to hear about DS1, hope he is better very soon.
Good point about GCSE certificates, thanks.

Am going to crack on with packing a box or 2 . 9 more days and I am moving home again, can’t wait 😀

Oh no @Monkey2001 i hope your DS is soon on the mend too.

@Wheresthebeach eo sorry to hear about your DD - I hope the surgery goes well and that she is able to recover fully

@Monkey2001 hope your DS1 improves soon

@Wheresthebeach what bad luck for your DD! Hope she isn't in too much pain and can get surgery sorted quickly. Hopefully she will be able to rescue the latter part of her gap year.

@Monkey2001 that sounds like a horrible infection - hope DS is on the mend soon.

DD has got herself a summer job! She is very chuffed with herself. All those years of me insisting she had decent school shoes will see her in good stead

Has anyone heard about how AQA are dealing with the Chemistry leak to make sure the grade boundaries are fair? I can't seem to find anything using Google.

Hope your DS feels better soon Monkey

Sorry to read about Dd @Wheresthebeach I hope she recovers OK and can rescue a semblance of a gap year.

Thanks everyone. It was a shock to watch for sure.

So sorry to hear about dd @Wheresthebeach what a blow for her and for all of you. I hope she recovers quickly and can still make the best of her year out.

Hope ds gets better soon too @Monkey2001 .

We've had another couple of days of peace - ds is away on another camp this week and dd is still in Cornwall, back tomorrow after lunch. I feel like I have so much more time to myself, without the kids around, even with working full time! I could definitely get used to it! Dd is going away again on Saturday, until the following Wednesday. It's a bit of a foretaste of what's to come - she's definitely ready for uni and a bit more independence.

I've not heard anything about the Chemistry leak. I expect they're hoping everyone will forget all about it!

Congrats to your dd on the job @seeline!

@crazycrofter That's my concern...and grade boundaries will go up (which we really don't need!)

I saw something on Twitter a few days ago where someone asked about the chemistry leak. They replied that they were still investigating and no-one will be disadvantaged, same blurb as earlier really.

Oh dear for @Wheresthebeach dd. My ds did this and it was a long recovery. Also sorry re @Monkey2001 ds1. Interested to Learn the symptoms that indicated need for hospital. Mine has asthma and I don’t really understand oxygen levels.
Just been gardening with her for my friends Dm who has been Ill and got depressed. We worked really hard for nearly 4 hours and she said thank you and gave us an envelope with £20.00. My bad, should have made it plain that we wanted to be paid. So I had to give our girl another £20.00 and buy her lunch. I’m not doing that again! If I’m gong to pay her ,it will be my garden she’s doing!

Both DS and DD will be away from Monday to Friday next week - they’re going up to Scotland as their dad’s parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Will be quite nice in some ways (and will find out if they are the messy ones 😃)

That is the news no parent of elite sports kids wants to hear Wheresthebeach, I’m so sorry for girl and can totally relate to the devastation.

Monkey, hope your boy is through the worst of his illness. DD’s trip was plagued with most developing strep throat for the duration, a couple of them ending up seeking serious medical attention.

House selling/buying. A complete nightmare right now. I feel like my DH and I are in some parallel universe having become Marty and Wendy from Ozark over how we have accrued savings over the years (source and evidence, right down to when I pee’d in 1995). I wish I could say it was a lot, for the horrible intrusion to go so far back. But someone’s clearly got to feel the pain of years and years of washing money through the UK property market.

Thanks all for your good wishes.

@Zebracat do you have a pulse oximeter? For future reference, most people should have oxygen saturation between 95-100. If it dips to 93/94 you need to monitor hourly, if it goes to 92 or below you need to go to A&E. I dropped DS and GF off at 2:15, he was triaged as "majors" and was on oxygen by 3:15, which is pretty quick for A&E. This is the first time he has ever had to stay in hospital so we were feeling our way through.

Oh no @Monkey2001 and @Wheresthebeach ! We worry about the usual and then you get blindside by something completely out of the blue! Wishing them both well.
Well done @Seeline ’s DD.
O am exhausted from loft day two! Lots of charity shop runs and one to the tip. Have sweated so much, not really the best weather to be in hot loft and up and down a ladder but it feels good to have cleared so much. I did have a moment as I drove away from the charity shop and I caught sight of Bagpuss in the rear view mirror. 😢

Oh @Benjispruce4 one thing I’ve always kept is Bagpuss!

@ealingwestmum our buyers said yesterday that everything is done apart from their money laundering checks! Is this a new thing as I don’t remember it from last time we moved (7 years ago)? What’s involved?! 😬

Enjoy your break @MirandaWest - it’s really nice being child free!

Blimey, everyone is going through the wringer!

@crazycrofter Don’t!!!!! 😫

Years of foreign AML resulting in enormous property fraud Crazy, but it’s not as if the govt didn’t know this and was previously happy to turn a blind eye. And the local councils…anyone been to Oxford St lately and bought a packet of £8 sweets from the billions of ahem…American sweet shops?

im hoping I may have an over zealous solicitor, and I’ve nearly walked away but stopped short of being so petulant. They’ve gone through 15 plus years of bank statements; you need to verify the source (and evidence) your deposit/savings/whatever that is being used for the purchase, including IDs. If receiving monies from 3rd parties, same process, including gift declarations (and they too need to identify source/savings). I currently have my brother’s funds from US on segregation as he refused to go through it all, and they were not prepared to represent me. When I asked if it could be used to pay for Stamp Duty/Fees, the fact that we asked the question, meant that his money was excluded on those elements also.

If all your legacy paperwork is up to date, you’ll be fine. If you have a husband who refuses to use online banking, may be less fine!

Bonuses, car disposals, family money from whatever means, self employment ups and downs…all up for scrutiny.

@Monkey2001 , yes, thank you for reminding me that I do have a pulse oximeter. I will make her up a little kit for Uni and include 1. She is off to her DF tomorrow. Looking forward to the break.. I’m exhausted after the gardening, letting the obscure reaches of the Commonwealth Game# wash over me. Think it’s called street ball