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

[weegiemum]

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.

Ds' last exam is 27 May, so he gets a week "off" before starting his S5 timetable on 6 June. Although I think he's missing the 1st day - his rugby coach (PE teacher in charge of the School of Rugby) wants him to go to something rugby related on the 6th (it's either that or a triathlon - I just get given the forms to sign a day or two before).

He's said that he's not going to sign up for his results by text. He doesn't "need" to know earlier than the postI suspect he'll change his mind next year for the more important Highers

I just mentioned to DS1 that he should sign up, so he will unless it means having to go and ask someone about it!

Ds said the default is snail mail: you have to sign up for the text results.

I've now been informed that his "day" out is on the 9th at Blairvaddoch Outward Bound Centre - some sort of adventure race involving mountain biking (which is why ds was chosen even though he's a road cyclist ), Kayaking and ???

They only have 2 weeks back at school and then they're off on Work Experience, which this year the school is doing at the end rather than the start of the school year.

Hmm - If he gets a form given out or something he will do it but he won't actually go and ask for one. He isn't getting work experience until next year. Only the 4th years that were planning to leave (about 4 of them!) got to go and the rest were 5th years. I think they have 3 and half weeks back at school in 5th year before they break up for the summer.

Our 4th years do it in December!

It was agony waiting for snail mail last year - DS is signing up for email this year, so we'll all be awake in the middle of the night this time around

My niece woke her mum up at 2am 2 years ago and her mum sent her back to bed! Her mum takes meds at night so didn't comprehend that her daughter had got into uni and my poor niece had no one to celebrate to as we were all asleep as she told us she was getting snail mail

Our post comes at lunchtime so I'm sure dd1 will sign up to get it quicker than that. I'm very glad they don't do the going into school to get results thing that you see on the news from England on their results days.

She's currently packing and tidying her room - we leave this evening to go to Harris for a week where she can study undisturbed by the internet or phone reception, and practice her gaelic on the neighbours! Her case weighs a ton - its half books and notes! Dh is going to help her with her maths and physics while we're away - you'll be able to hear the tantrums from them both!

We've not got a reward system in place, i suppose we'll make a fuss in some way when the results come in. Not sure when the new timetable starts, but that will see ds moving into S3 and starting on his N5 courses, and dd2 go into S2. Thanks whoever mentioned the senior tie, I'll need to get one for dd1 (plain red rather than tartan).

its really nice to have other people to talk to about this - its so different approaching it from the pov of a parent - not a teacher and marker!!

Ds doesn't get a "senior" tie until S6.

He'll also get a new blazer for S6 only He's promised that if he does S6 he will wear it - it's different to the "ordinary" blazer. I gave the one I bought for ds (when he started secondary) to our neighbour, whose ds started S1 in August. I think ds had worn it for about 2 whole weeks before reverting to just his black V-neck jumper and/or a dark hoody/winter jacket.

DS got a senior tie for S5 £7.50 and the transfer has already worn off it. I'm not buying him a new one for S6. He had to get a blazer last year too and this year he has to get braid sewn on it. Lord knows what that will cost. I can't even use the blazer for DD as she's so much smaller and apparently girls and boys blazers are different anyway

I was only going to incentivise ds for French - and would've tried to think of something suitably personalised. It was dh who introduced an overly generous scheme for all the subjects. Ds was already motivated enough for the rest of them. Weegiemum has met him and knows him. Weegie - I'm sure your dd will be fine. All the quality 1:1 time with your dh

I'm presuming the Gaidhlig will be more difficult because she's at the Gaelic school and therefore sits it as a "First" language (like the English Nat 5 for most pupils). Being up in the Western Isles will be good to get in the Zone.

Our Blazers are £45 a time and I'm hoping DS1 manages to keep his current one (No.3) until the end of S5 (where he will need a 6th year blazer and another tie again). He needs a 42L and they don't actually do them anymore it was just that the lady found one in the stock room from a time that they did do them. Ds2 in on blazer No2 (42 inch chest) and he will need another soon as it's too short but I don't know what we will get to fit him - he is a wee bit broader than DS1 so maybe the 44 will look alright on him - it drowned DS1. They change ties for S4 & s5 and then change to a black braided blazer in S6 and a black tie with crest. No blazer isn't an option

Thier crest is a sewn one rather than a transfer so it seems to last fine - Ds1s has been through the wash numerous times and looks unscathed.

Girls and boys blazers are indeed different. i accidentally bought a girls one when DS1 started high school and didn't realise until we got home - it fitted him much better than the boys one did too! Our 6th year girls ones have a slightly shorter cut than the normal ones and are quite fitted - they actually look really nice. The shop actually come and measure the whole 5th into 6th group and fit them properly.

I think Dss will both do 6th year - I think about 90% of the school do.

It's S4 for a tie. Then in S6 they get a different colour one. Got one more year of sweatshirts for Ds.

Ah we don't do sweatshirts at all in High School. Shirt, tie and optional v neck sweater, sleeveless sweater or cardigan. Quite a lot of the boys were doing cardigans, teemed with as skinny trousers as they could get away with and pointed toe shoes - haven't noticed that quite so much so not sure that it's still a "thing".

Girls' blazers also button on the opposite side to boys' blazers: db was irredeemably traumatised by being forced to wear my homemade at that handmedown blazer at primary school

Iirc, the 6th Year blazer is a different colour to the ordinary blazer. Instead of black, it's purple and has braid on it. Blazers are only £30 though - and apparently made from recycled bottles

School is trying to encourage blazer wearing but can't/won't force it. As long as they broadly adhere to the school dress code (black trousers/skirt/jumper, white shirt and tie, they're ok.

and our girls blazers have no flaps :)

Ours go to black with coloured braiding in 6th - otherwise the only black items of schoolwear are trousers/skirts and shoes (probably socks too :) ) So there is no hiding place and no pretending . I like the black though, it does look really smart. At the local school that my kids don't go to, they have the option of black shirts/blouses as well as white and I think it looks nice and a bit different.

Our school is laid back enough about uniform. As long as the shirt is white, the tie is on and the bottom is black they don't make much of a fuss - all of my dc wear black jeans on a regular basis. Senior tie is S5&6, the rest wear the same one as the primary.

I can confirm that prettybird's ds is a very focused young man, though the idea of uni in Australia is a new one on me!

It's so he can develop his rugby at the same time Weegiemum!

We're desperately trying to encourage him to focus on doing a first degree here and think about postgrad - for which there are more bursaries/grants available to "foreign" students - if he still wants overseas experience.

I thought it would be rugby related! Dd1 has her heart set on Glasgow School of Art and she puts huge effort into Art at school and at home. And she wants to stay in Glasgow because The Boyfriend hoped to do physics at Strathclyde.

My Ds2 might have just found his motivation. He's obsessed with Japan (Manga/Anime/Computer games etc) so he happened to drop into the conversation about the 2020 Olympics being in Tokyo. After I enquired what event he was going for and we all stopped laughing, I asked him "how old will you be in 2020?" "19" says he. "Yes" I replied, "you'll be a grown man who if he gets his head stuck into studying and saving over the next few years just might have enough cash to treat himself to a trip to Tokyo....." :o

We've had a number of schools closed in Edinburgh. I have a number of friends worried about the fact their is uncertainty if they will be back and my dd's friends panicking about the practical exams this week. Not sure what will happen.

Saw that Groovee one of them is my old school. When I did my exams it was when the teachers were on strike.

Hello.

Stressed mum of unmotivated S5 DS here. No work ethic. Aspergers and can't find it in himself to concentrate on subjects he isn't interested in. Which is at least half of them. Doesn't seem to get that having a general understanding of the course work isn't sufficient to be able to answer questions in detail and in a set way. Aaaaagh. Not enjoying the holidays at all. Very envious of focused DC. Ds is very musical but his particular interest is extremely competitive. However his sibling got into a conservatoire so you never know. (not enjoying it though - she doesn't have a good work ethic either). It's a huge distraction.

Only two days of study leave before High English and Higher geography is the following day. Coursework in three of his subjects isn't finished yet.

If anyone knows what the correct thing to say to motivate your DC is please let me know - or sell me the book. You'll make a mint.

Subjects are English, Geog, Maths, Music and Physics.

Pressed send too soon! Why were the Edinburgh schools closed?

Just read the thread about the Edinburgh schools. Awful.