any of your DCs starting S1 this august?

[strangerthongs]

I thought I'd start our own thread seeing as there's threads for S5/6, exams, uni etc.

V nervous about DD starting S1. High school's a whole other ball game isn't it? I remember being badly bullied and feeling overwhelmed in the first few weeks.

Does anyone know what books they tend to read in English in S1 nowadays, and what they study in History in S1 - my two favourite subjects when I was at schools so I'm curious.

In my DD's high school, they will be choosing subjects midway through S1 which seems awfy early (it was S2 when I was at school).

I wonder what the most popular subjects are...there seems to be some really cool options nowadays although I would hope DD will choose subjects that she is likely to actually use/need in her future career and not because all her friends are doing it.

Anyone else have a DC starting high school?

All seemed to go well here. I've been told to stop asking questions about it 😳

How did everyone else starting get on?

DD doesn't start til Monday

that's interesting that the timetable was posted through to you @weebarra

DD got her timetable before the holidays although it doesn't say what rooms to go to so I'm assuming that they will have to go to the assembly hall or something to get a new timetable

I kind of hope we do get a letter confirming that though so the kids are not wandering around not sure where to go!

Monday here too!
I know that our lot are supervised when they get there and are with s6 to get from class to class.

have booked DD a wee mini facial and nail treatment to help her relax a bit and a wee treat before starting on Monday.

DD has gone back to wanting to walk to school with her friends on day 1. Hope they don't let her down like they did on the taster days though.

DD had a total meltdown this afternoon :(

Says she doesn't want to go to school. At all.

Says its not because she's nervous or scared. She just doesn't want to go.

It may have had something to do with me emptying her school bag and arguing with her about what she does and does not need to take. She's packed everything but the kitchen sink.

Tried to tell her that if she's still planning on walking then she doesn't want a heavy bag full of unnecessary stuff.

She won't like having to get up early tomorrow either.

Poor wean

Good luck to all those starting today, will be thinking of them (and you)

Hope your dd got off to school ok stranger

She'll soon learn for herself not to have unnecessary stuff in her school bag, once books and jotters and PE kit are added in

Hope everyone else's dcs are settling in too, if they've already started, or looking forward to starting (if they haven't yet).

Thank you. she went away okay this morning but I'm sitting here in bits, worrying about her.

I know she had home ec first thing so maybe she'll bring home some (brick hard) scones lol

Her friends had fancy designer type handbags. All I could think of was "how long until these bags break" lol

Roll on home time. I will report back on how she got on although I may only get a 'fine'.

Just had a text from DS1, it's break, he's fine!

DD told me very little about how she got on. Says each class was only about the rules for each class and they didn't do any work except for maths where they did addition and subtraction which she said was far too easy.

Did anyone else's DC do any actual work?

No, only maths work (could our DCs be at the same school @strangerthongs ?!)
DS1 has a good day. Apparently they're going to do an experiment in science today, and he has Spanish which he likes.

@weebarra

If you're in the west of Scotland, then possibly!

DD has maths, english, languages, PE, craft and design, science and social subjects today.

I hope she gets homework. I was such a study nerd (still am)

She stained her blazer yesterday though, some kind of chemical or paint or something. no idea what the stuff is but I couldn't get all of it off. Its just a small patch now but I'm glad her blazer was second hand. Hopefully she won't be wearing it much anyway.

How are the new S1s getting on? Settling in? Getting homework?

No homework yet, just going over the rules DD says.

She hates maths because they are not allowed to talk lol

She is appalled at all the graffitti on toilet doors and chewing gum under the tables

She was absolutely shattered last night.

She says some kids have been sneaking out at lunch time despite S1 not being allowed to until after Sept weekend

Ds' old school didn't allow the S1s out for the whole year!

DD has been ditched again going there and back. Has been walking home herself but not telling me. I'm really worried about her now. She doesn't seem too upset or is maybe not saying. She says she has friends in school though.

Not sure what to do about this

If she's happy enough, she may well have made new friends who don't happen to live in the same direction as your home.

Don't worry too much

DD got her first report today

All good or excellent regarding her homework, behaviour and effort.

In terms of what stage she's at, she is doing best with maths, science and business/computing

Lowest stage with social subject, English and languages.

I've been concerned about her progress with English for a while. English and history were my best subjects. I have a degree in the latter. Yet despite my best efforts I have not been able to generate similar enthusiasm from DD

English particularly worries me as it's the subject almost all HE courses and Apprenticeships ask for (alongside maths) so I'm thinking long term here.

Any tips for getting her to improve without continued resistance?

Like me, ds(15)'s is much stronger in maths and sciences with his weakest subject areas being where he needs to articulate his thoughts.

In his school they test for reading ages and he has always been ahead of his reading age, he mostly understands what he is reading but struggles to then get his thoughts down sufficiently on paper.

Recommendations from English and Modern Studies teachers (from early parents evenings) is read read read. They recommend not just books, but also regular reading of quality journalism especially 'opinion' or 'comment' sections where good writers are putting across their views. I have heard biographies are also good for this, but I never managed to get him into one.

In S1,S2 we tried to make sure midweek he did 30-45 mins before bedtime/lights out reading a book, he has never liked reading enough to read during the day. In S3 I would pick articles that I thought he might be interested in from online newspapers and get him to read them 2-3 times a week and then we discuss them, including some of the language/vocab used.

Anything and everything you can do to improve their vocab, ds's vocab knowledge is fair, i.e. he knows the meanings of words such as 'intensifies', 'emphasises', 'elaborates' etc, but as he does not use them in everyday language (do any teenagers!) he finds it hard to remember they are there and instead uses the same weaker words such as 'better', 'stronger', 'more' repetitively. I ask him to think of better words to use when we are having a conversation that would describe the situation/feelings more clearly. It varies between annoying and challenging in a game sort of way, him depending on his mood, but he knows why I am doing it and it has helped.

We are much further in the secondary school journey (S4), but I also have the BrightRed Nat 5 English Course Book which has given me a better idea of what Nat 5 English is all about (it is 35 years since I sat my English O'Grade!), RUAE, critical reading etc and has helped guide me to support ds.

thanks for those tips. I can't see DD agreeing to try any of them though :(

I feel really guilty now because she was crying to DH because she can tell I am "disappointed in her". I wouldn't say disappointed, more worried. So I feel guilty for not being more supportive and positive :(

Aww... It is hard when you feel so much depends on it especially when it is a core subject like English. The important thing to remember is English is a subject some do well naturally/easily, but others need to really work at to just pass. It is only S1 and if her behaviour & effort is good or excellent she is trying hard and should be congratulated for that and encouraged to persevere. Tell her as long as she keeps up the effort you'll be pleased and you will do what you can to help her achieve her best, and talk about what that looks like (find types of books she enjoys, special trips to library/then a treat, read newspapers together etc).

Don't expect her to love English and reading because you did, try to encourage it gently and it might improve, but you can't make it happen. Maybe explain to her you were wrong to make her feel that way, but you loved English and because she is so like you wrongly assumed she would too, but now realise she is growing to be her own person and will like different subjects from you and have different strengths and you'll support her whatever they are. (But english is important so she needs to be her best she can be at it).

Good luck. It's only S1 you have time.

Bugger - I wrote a long post last night which has been eaten by MN It essentially supported what BrokenWing said, with a couple of additional points and suggestions but I'll leave it until I'm back on the laptop before trying to type it out again grrrrrrr

thanks again. I know she's only in S1 but I am always thinking ahead. I used to do lots of tutoring and so many jobs and courses asked for English and Maths.

DH did point out that teachers can have a lot to do with it too and DD doesn't like her English teacher. Always shouting apparently.

DD got an award for citizenship today so that has cheered her up :)