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Original poster

Nat 5/Highers etc - Anyone getting ready with their S4 - S6 dc?

862 replies

weegiemum · 05/04/2016 15:39

My dd1 is in s4 and about to sit 8 Nat5s. I don't know who is more wound up about it - her or me! (and I'm a teacher!!).

Wondered if there's anyone else out there to hold hands with?

DD is sitting English, Maths, Ghaidlig (Gaelic native speaker), French, History, Art & Design, Physics and Design & Manufacture. First is English on 5th May.

OP posts:
Lidlfix · 02/05/2016 10:58

Have lots of Cone Gatherers stuff I can send and will see what I can dig out for rest. Never p'md before is it straightforward ?

Groovee · 02/05/2016 11:06

Thanks Lid

She's got the cone gathers sorted. She's messaged to get quotes from the bridge one and feels happier. She's going into school as her dance shoe is missing along with her outside drama script X

Lidlfix · 02/05/2016 11:59

Ok, would recommend BBC bitesize for Cone Gatherers (I was abbreviating it to CGs until my lovely class told me that had a very different meaning) as the Daniel Sloss clips are very funny and memorable. Magnum great clips for Bold Girls too.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 02/05/2016 12:00

Thanks Lidl, I'll get him on it.

Groovee · 02/05/2016 12:39

Thanks Lidl. She's going into school tomorrow to search.

prettybird · 02/05/2016 15:14

Ds seems to be putting in some good studying for his English. He's just come down and asked me if you can say that someone has an "altruistic side" and whether they can organise an "altruistic rebellion", so he's thinking through potential answers to questions about "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".

Groovee · 03/05/2016 07:16

So I am up for work, Ds is up for school. Going to wake dd soon as she's going to meet friends to do English revision before they have lunch then back to school for their usual period of English today.

hidingwithwine · 03/05/2016 07:21

This is DS1's last day in S5 ShockHe's pretty chilled about English on Thursday but not so much about Graph Comm next Tuesday. Also mixed in with everything I'm in hospital next Tuesday which I'm really playing it down but I think being evasive is making things worse Confused

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 07:58

This is DS2's first day in S4. Eeek what has happened to my baby?!

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 08:00

Sorry to hear about hospital hiding. Hope all goes well. Flowers

Groovee · 03/05/2016 08:03

Hope you are ok Hiding.

Scary stuff magnum X

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 03/05/2016 08:29

rogue ...dodgy buildings, structurally unsound in cases and hasty panic stricken checking for the safety of the rest

I have the last of three doing Adv Highers, on the surface he's very meh about it, but has actually been seen at his computer revising. Also has put the kibosh on his driving lessons which he finds quite stressy.....think Sheldon Cooper too evolved to drive, but promises to pick them up once the exams are done. Maths, Physics, Chemistry and a crash higher in Graphics, which is turning into a complete and utter fucking nightmare thanks to an extremely inadequate teacher.

He's had the pep talk, is very bright but lazy, knows it all. He does seem to have taken on board some of it as he was disappointed in a couple of his results last year, lack of effort and exam technique read and answer the question they ask, not the one you want to answer!!

He's looking at a local uni, the older two are settled ish in town so there will be plenty of opportunities for sofa surfing and not having to come home. Although DD has had a change of heart and is changing from Biochemistry to Nursing, with a place for this year and next so she is pondering a year out and coming home!

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 13:18

Destined not to get the house to yourself then Tond Sounds like they are all doing well though, I bet you are proud.

Got DS1 up and breakfasted this morning and he was in the shower before we left. It will be interesting to see if he has actually achieved anything today. I told him not to put his own PC on until he'd completed what he had on his study plan and instead use any of the other PCs downstairs or his laptop if he needed to go use the internet. the temptation to go gaming on his would be too high especially if he sees friends on-line.

Original poster
weegiemum · 03/05/2016 16:25

Dd1 has had her last day in S4 today (on her way home now!).

She's getting pretty stress about it all. She's had periods of self-harm and she did it for the first time in ages about 3 nights ago. I'm very glad I'm quite very part time at work so I'm going to be around for her. I'm doing a masters and working on a research project right now so we've agreed to sit at the dining room table together to work and eat chocolate.

She's really good at English (got an easy A in the prelim) so fairy ok about that one. Its the maths and physics she's stressed about. History, Ghaidlig, Art and D&M will be fine. French is a bit wobbly. Her 'thing' she really wants to get is passing maths! She's been working hard at it but it is stressing her out.

OP posts:
OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 16:34

:( weegie

DS2 has just informed me that he currently has the same Maths teacher as last year - the one he just doesn't "get". Then starts rambling on about it maybe not being permanent etc. I've told him that I am going to ask that he is moved as this year is too important to faff about waiting for something to be resolved. He didn't come clean until late in 3rd year that he was having issues with maths but said to leave it as he'd be getting a new teacher soon. I'm not leaving it to drift though.

Jeez I'm really going to have to be "that" parent.

Also says he arrived in History to a class of 37! They were then asked if they wanted to switch to Modern Studies or geography. he's already taking MS and all he was worried about on the selection sheet was that he would be able to take History and MS. There were other things in other columns that he would have preferred but just got on with taking what was available as he had his dream 2. Luckily he kept his mouth shut so is still in History. Class limit was 32 but "someone" adding in 5 extra thinking it would be fine Hmm not enough seats in the room apart from anything else.

Seems happy enough after Day 1 and has already decided to crash Higher RE in 5th for definite as the teacher caught him in the corridor and said he'd ace it no problem. again Hmm.

Groovee · 03/05/2016 17:04

Pukka pad has been found! In the modern studies folder!

Weegie huge hugs xxx

prettybird · 03/05/2016 18:47

{{{Hugs}}} to both you and dd Weegiemum - and Chocolate of course Wink

Magnum - I had to take up a concern about one of ds' teachers with the headteacher (would've done it via the HoY or Pastoral Care but when I asked her which, she said me Grin) and things really did improve, so don't worry about being one of "those" parents.

Ds seems very relaxed about his exams - came down a couple of hours ago and said he'd done his quota for today and was feeling good about both exams. He also doesn't know what else to do for Maths next week - he's almost started getting worried that he's getting cocky about it. I keep trying to suggest he does a wee bit of French but he's resisting it

Dh and I can't claim any credit - when the teachers say "Just keep going with what you're doing" but we don't do anything - don't even see his homework Confused except, very occasionally, his French

I'm sure we'll get our comeuppance some time! Grin

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 19:00

trying to get through to anyone in school is not the best. The email address doesn't seem to be manned at all and now with the cuts the office is only open for calls a few hours each day and that's after I find who it is I actually want to speak to, leave them 5 messages and then get no call back to find that no messages have actually been passed on. It's great Hmm

Groovee · 03/05/2016 19:16

Magnum are you in Edinburgh?

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 19:22

Nope Groovee - I'm in a city to the north of a point roughly central between Edinburgh and Glasgow Wink and my DSs go to a school that is in a nearby "city" by ceremonial status only, by placing request. There's a wee riddle for you that isn't too hard for a Tuesday night.

Groovee · 03/05/2016 19:26

If it was Edinburgh I could have got you a direct email. I normally go through dd's head of house.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 19:40

Thanks groovee I've got the name from the website - hopefully it's up to date - technically it should be quieter since half the school is on exam leave so i may get lucky.

DS says that they haven't moved them classes yet and they've to stay where they are and also that 4 boys are being pulled from every class to make a new class. I asked if that was maybe those that would be doing nat 4 and he said not, just that there was an extra teacher so they could split them up. Also curious that it's just boys but the year is 2/3rds boys anyway so for every class of 30, 20 of them are boys.

This is a boy who was a Maths whizz who has now lost confidence completely and doesn't want to take it past Nat 5 and is already thinking he is going to fail. :( he needs to be moved.

Groovee · 03/05/2016 20:10

Eek what a nightmare.

Apparently our school is getting another year group from the closed school op from Friday. Ds said it was nice and quiet today without the seniors about.

Lidlfix · 03/05/2016 20:13

Crap - another SQA headline for the wrong reasons! Dyslexic DD sitting Higher English now convinced it's going to be harder. Will have lots of (already) anxious pupils to reassure tomorrow Sad

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 20:14

DS2 is impressed that he is now on duty on the lunch queue as the most senior year in school. It's the little things in life. As they have very few leavers in 4th and 5th year, effectively half the school is off. I'm sure last year 6th year was the biggest year in the school, as in there were more pupils in 6th year than there were in 1st, 2nd 3rd etc.

Car park is amazingly quiet for pick up :)