Year 11 GCSE support thread 6 - exams and proms

[HSMMaCM]

Good luck to those still taking exams.

Oh no Littleham, how stressful for you all, glad Charcoal did the trick.

HSM I have a feeling DD is going to be very miserable to be back and the summer will be long.

Thanks Errol. He did very well and got L6 in Reading and Maths, which laid to rest him failing the 11 plus by half a mark. I think I mentioned before he'd had a hard year so a lovely finish for him.

AuntP, another one here who doesn't know what Scouse is?

Little - sorry for your DD, my DD is in Spain too at a summer language camp. 2 days in she says she is bored in lessons as she doesn't understand a word of it, so she's asking to move down groups. Otherwise Ok I think, but 3 weeks away is going to be a long time for her (and us).

Sugar - level 6s - congratulations to your DS. It was y9 before DD got them.

japan and Madagascar sound very adventurous!

You lot have never lived! scouse recipe and info here!

Well done mini-SugarPlum!

DD is a bit bored currently, so I am hoping that will mean that she enjoys our holiday all the more!

Ha you're all rubbish! What's scouse? Tut tut tut though BTM that's posh scouse that is 2 types of meat, mines stewing steak , onion potatoes water and one of those stock pots meat on bottom of pan, half the spuds and cover with r water add stock thing cook about 1.5 hrs low heat then add other half of spuds and some more liquid to cover cook another hour. My plan yesterday was first half done in slow cooker and 2nd half on stove the 2 settings of spud gives you really soft mushi ones and harder ones . Served either brown sauce beetroot and red cabbage delish....

House still stinks, though ds has done all washing of bedding stripped and remade beds with clean linen, hes scrubbed at my pan some more and it's looking fit to use again. And he's made a start on his Japan stuff.

Well done to your DS Sugarplum. That's quite some achievement.

I'm beginning to dread the GCSE results.......

God I'm knackered! Helping DS pack for his trip; trying to fit everything into a 65 litre rucksack - 65 litres sounds big but it's taken some doing. We've done it though!! Just got to weigh it - I'll go mad if it's over, can't take much less really

My washing machine is out of action which is not ideal when prepping for a trip, and DH has crocked his back, so he's neither use nor ornament The cat has had a fight with next door's stray, but apart from that all is well

DS goes tomorrow and THEN I can rest (and start result stressing ).

Leeds, how've you found the OpWall organisation in Madagascar? Has everything run smoothly?

Well done SPT DS - great grades AuntP when does your DS go?

That sounds lovely AP, DD would like that.

Horsemad am not surprised you are knackered. Nightmare the washing machine has broken down on its own, without all the other things. You can collapse in an exhausted heap when he's gone.

Dropped uniform into school this morning and did have a moment about the results. Quite glad DD isn't here for DS ' S results, it must be hard when you're struggling to get the grades needed to get into 6th form to have your Brother pull off 2 level 6's. Not going to mention it to her unless she asks.

I was busy telling him the results don't matter before they came out but will admit to being incredibly proud he pulled of a 6 in reading when I saw the percentage that get it. I just hope DD will come into her own in 6th form when she can do what she wants to do and it isn't as much as a struggle as year 11 has been.

Quandry: can DS take aerosol deodorant in hand luggage? What about all the creams/tablets for first aid kit - hand luggage or in the hold? And these clear plastic bags that liquids have to be in - are they given out at the airport?

TIA

Don't know about aerosol she took a roll on Mitcham. We did most meds in the hold with a couple of ones she needed with her in hand luggage went in the clear plastic pencil case she used for the exams. She hasn't said how it went so assume no problems.

Thanks SPT, I will get him a roll on I think. . I've out all the bite protection stuff in his main hold luggage, so hopefully all OK.

Horsemad - I was at LHR Terminal 5 the other day, and there was a stand at the back where you could help yourself to clear plastic bags if you didn't have them. There were a couple of members of staff giving advice and I saw various people re-packing bits and bobs into their checked-in luggage.

DS always travels with essential meds in his cabin bag (in a transparent bag). I have a fear of checked-in luggage going astray. It does sometimes. So I wouldn't put any crucial medicines in the hold.

Switch Horsemad
I was at T5 the other day too, (dropping DD1 off for 3 weeks in Spain).

To the left of the check in areas, there is a whole area specially set aside as a 'repacking area'. Not seen one of those before.

Hope trip goes well.

I don't think you can take aerosols in hand luggage.

As others have said, there are loads of clear plastic bags available to put liquids in. Like the idea of using the exam pencil case though!

Thanks, I've now put some bite stuff, antihistamines and rehydration sachets in his hand luggage in case his bag goes AWOL At least he'll have something to combat the mozzies then!
His anti-malarials and travel sickness tabs are already in hand luggage.
Crikey, I'll be glad when he's departed and I can do no more!

Crikey you guys. I was bad enough just packing for a family holiday. Your DCs will appreciate your efforts. Maybe not today, or this year, but one day.

*HSMMaCM - yep, the kit list is pretty extensive! I've just watched a video on the organisation's website of packing for this trip - the girl had the tiniest sleeping bag I've ever seen honestly, it was about the size of a gent's hankie when folded!!! No way can a sleeping bag be that size!

I have found that they start out looking tiny, but once they have been unpacked it is impossible to restore to the original size!

Ah well, the silver lining of missing our holiday is that I miss the holiday packing too!

DH home and in reasonable shape, he and DD are watching a DVD lecture in a series on robotics which gives helpful tips on equipment and parts. She'd started listing the components she needed and was being a bit too parsimonious - free delivery on orders >£30 so we're encouraging her to stock up rather than order dribs and drabs and then get stuck with a delivery charge every time.

Horse, you can get Lynx roll-on

Good luck to all departing DC!

Back from yet another visit to our friendly pharmacist (on first name terms now )for last minute items. I am now putting myself under house arrest to stop me buying yet more stuff

All packing is DONE and came in at 14kg which amazed me, thought it'd be much heavier, tbh.

Good luck travellers! Loving the idea of the exam pencil case being used for flight liquids. Genius reusing.

Popping with pride here. Dd had graduation type assembly today and won the English prize and the vocational prize for 'performance' (no sure what that means...but anyway!!)

Please give me strength, I've given ds v specific jobs to do to make sure he has everything for Japan still he hasn't done them! Ok his loss, but tonight when we talked about getting packed he said " I'm only taking 3 days worth of clothes what's the problem ?" After just gawping at him like he was talking Japanese I laughed and said "ha v funny!" No this is no joke for 3.5 weeks he thought 3 days worth of clothes was fine as then he'd wash them!!!! At a campsite when he's having fun with loads of activities to do and the temp is running at 34°. Oh god no common sense whatsoever.

Well done spuds dd that sounds great, my dd yr 8 got a christians values award today so me and ds went to the assembly, she hates any sort of attention and fuss and refused to come into the hall to start with, we got her in and she was one of the first called out so she didn't bolt out again, I tried to get a picture, but think whyl E coyote and road runner, she is a blur on the photo . And her award was for courage!!

Well there's nothing like learning from experience AuntP. It sounds like he's gone for the old adage 'one clean, one on and one in use wash' which is fine but somewhat austere! Add in a couple of extras and he's got it about right. Great learning experience.

well done spuds DD!

Well done spuds DD!

AuntP - your DS and DD - well done her!