Year 11 GCSE exam support thread 3 - the exam weeks

[HSMMaCM]

New thread for those of us starting the exams.

Keep calm everyone.

DS has come in saying RS was okay, he confessed that there was one section (religion in the media) he hadn't revised properly so he was glad it wasn't in there!

Apparently there was a lot of overlap between this RS paper and his biology exam yesterday.

I think my DD has 21 papers, having already done the Art. She is also looking forward to the weekend, as 9 of them are this week, so more than a third. However, there is still Citizenship 2 and Spanish Reading and Listening to get through before Friday lunchtime!
Juggling, it is hard for them to keep motivating themselves - DD is trying to focus on Physics for next week at the moment.

I am dreading 2 years time when DS will be doing GCSEs and DD A'levels!

Sugar, hope your DS is OK now.

Afternoon all. DS1 just got home, said ICT exam went well today.

Form Tutor gave them each an exam preparation bag today-two pens, two pencils and a family bag of Giant Chocolate Buttons.

He's having half an hour rest then onto Chemistry revision. In school at 8am tomorrow for flash revision prior to exam.

Then leavers assembly and that really is it. Just in for exams after.

Thanks everyone for being kind & for cheering me up. Accepting the vodka and tonic Amazing.

DD said RS was fine and she knew how to answer the questions. Finished 20 minutes early and checked her spelling / added a few points. Anyway the important thing is she feels happy and came out smiling (thank goodness). I took her a nectarine as a peace offering. Way over 20 exams here too and if you add in the practicals it is even more. Teachers are being fab and handing out treats to keep them going.

Have stocked up on ice creams and like you Lotus I have bought chicken soup. Hope your ds is ok Sugar and that your dd eats some breakfast HSMM. Feel sorry for the sobbing teenager and her mother.

DD3 usually really likes Chemistry (no essays) so I'm hoping tomorrow will be less stressful.

We also have one doing A Levels and they kick off on Friday. Waaaaah.

Ds no exams today but just walked in after 3 hrs of chemistry and announced he hates the subject hates having to remember formulae etc and wants to do real chemistry he's refusing point blank to look at anything tonight as his heads cabbaged and hes going with Scouts to see the Royall Princess cruise liner sail down the Mersey. I think he's probably right to get out he's never so down about a science as he tends to be very scientifically minded. He's demolished 2 of my bargain 5p for 5 still in date custard doughnuts and 2 pint glasses of juice. He's now staring at the tv but I don't think he's really watching pointless!

DD2 had her leavers assembly today and it was very emotional. All the form tutors spoke and her tutor read a poem that he had written about her form that just started the floodgates. DD is leaving to do 6th form in a different school (fingers crossed for the grades needed) and she was in bits. I think I'll make her dad pick her up from prom - I remember emotions ran very high then too.

Chemistry tomorrow and then nothing until Monday.

Ooh dear Woolly. That sounds really sad. I hope DS1 can get through tomorrow.

There is space in the back of ds1's Yearbook for them all to write things, and even the form tutor has written a limerick about him. Some of the girls have written really, really sweet stuff about him-the boys not so much.

Oh Woolly, that reminds me of DS's Leavers Assembly. He was doing his little speech about how much he had enjoyed being there and being captain of the footy team, when his voice cracked and he broke down. The rest of the footy team then followed suit and there was mass hysteria amongst Y6. The teachers were flabbergasted (as I was)

I have no idea of what arrangements for DD's last day, or when it will be. We haven't even had a letter about Prom yet

Got the run down on ICT. DD doesn't know why it was an hour and a half, because she had finished after 10 minutes! She's now watching TV instead of revising chemistry.

Leavers assembly 22nd may. That's when they go on study leave.

That was like DS's leaving assembly in Year 4 Tilly. DS1 started sobbing, and then the whole church joined in-it was awful.

They are leaving it a bit late to tell you about the Prom if there is one.

Sparkling that is lovely. It is nice to read about how your child is liked by other people. Boys huh? One of the boys let off a stink bomb after assembly today. DD and her best friend were unmoved - they both have little brothers and are used to noxious smells

Tilly and it's like mass hysteria isn't it? Both my DDs have loved school which is great on a day to day basis but means they turn into a sobbing snotty mess when they have to leave.

It was a lovely assembly but I can cry at the drop of a hat. I took the same DD and her friends to the cinema one year for a birthday treat and sobbed loudly all the way through Nanny McPhee

No yearbooks yet - apparently only a third of the students have pre-ordered one so far and that's not enough for the minimum order

Sparkling, DD says there is one and the date...

No sign of yearbooks or hoodies here either!

No signs of t-shirts or hoodies here either but the drama students did put their hand prints on the drama studio wall as the students of 2015 today.

We have a prom date and tickets bought, the prom itself doesn't concern me but ds has been invited to and wants to go to an after prom party - this is very new stuff for us, he has ASD and isn't normally social - he has never drank alcohol or even really been around it as we aren't drinkers.

I was a bit when DS1 said about yearbooks TBH. It was £20 for a start. But it's really nicely done and looks like a annual. Each child is featured and a picture and comments made. It's a lovely momento.

Ds1 didn't start at this school, we moved him at the end of Year 8 because he was unhappy at another one. To look at the pictures on FB now with all his school friends and looking happy is just fab.

We only got the Prom letter a few days ago. Hoping no Leavers Assembly or anything I need to go to, DS's in year 4 was another with everyone in tears. Started by one little boy who was the only one not one not going to local middle school. Hit him suddenly whilst singing and he sobbed, teacher had to hold his hand and rest of room cried.

That is lovely for DS1 Sparkling, I remember your threads when you were moving him.

RE all done now. Chemistry tomorrow. DH doing a cooked brekky for her(and me!) every day. Seems cheery enough. I'm sure it won't last.
She already had leavers, so has yearbook and hoodie. And there were tears. she's organising most of the prom, so I know all about it (it's been a brilliant way to avoid revision )
Emosh, people, emosh.

Ok so reread that last post and it didn't make much sense. But in my defence I am tired after a full day at work, piano practice (for me and I'm rubbish), packing for DS PGL trip and was sitting on the loo writing the post on my iPad.
Am I forgiven for typing gibberish ?

Don't worry. We will all be typing gibberish together soon. DD was humming cheerfully while revising tonight!

Cantabulasocitatious gibberepificogilocity mothermeltdownism

All calm in the tbtc residence. Lots and lots of chemistry revision done. He wants to take it at A level so revision is good.

Rhubarb tray bake made. It's delicious. I washed his bed linen today. Normally I insist that he makes the bed up again, but today I did it for him. I couldn't help him with his mass spectrometry revision but I could make his bed for him.

Ice and a slice Littleham? DS not looking forward to Chemistry. A personality clash with the teacher put him off what used to be one of his favourite subjects and he thinks the best he could hope for now is a low A if the questions go his way but he thinks more likely a B.

I know that's not a bad position really in the grand scheme but before this teacher he was predicted A* easily.
Its not entirely the teacher's fault as once DS takes against a teacher he loses interest and even to the teachers who really like him he can be incredibly frustrating and inconsistent.

Amazing. I know what you mean. DD was going to do a physics degree until she got the worlds most uninspiring teacher and she's not even considering it for a level now.

DD skived school today, (with my complete blessing) and spent the time revising the hated chemistry. I think she's spurred on by the thought that after tomorrow she'll never have to look at it again. DH (chemist) has been in his oils explaining the finer points to her. He has singularly failed to get her to share his enthusiasm though.

My DD was put off biol by her teacher, who she reckons hates her. It's a shame when that happens.

She went through the chemistry with DH this afternoon. Apparently there were one or two things they'd not covered in class(unfortunately one teacher off on maternity leave and then the replacement was seriously ill) but he reckons she knows it now.

Its a shame and I hope he gets his A though. I am aware that this sounds a bit whiney and there are parents with children who'd kill for a B or a C and here's to them achieving too! I hope all our children make it through relatively unscathed. God I wish they could have sat some in January like DD did. This is arduous, just 5 weeks of stress and strain. Thanks Gove you knob.

Feels like the calm before the storm here. Boys are all sleeping but I can just imagine what the morning going to be like Ds1 got a Sociology exam and a IT one and Ds2 got his Chemistry.

AmazingDisgrace Totally agree with wishing they were more spaced out, as this has been the first week of exams and it feels like everyone is on edge due to them. Even Ds3 is finding it emotional seeing his brothers mood swings.