Year 7 Starters

[pippistrelle]

The new uniform is all ready, pens and pencils bought, as many of the practicalities that I can deal with now have been dealt with. So, just a few days to go. Daughter is getting nervous and, to be completely frank, I am a bit too. Not because I don't think she'll be fine but because, well, change can be daunting.

Anyone else at that stage too? Or, if you're already past this phase, how long did it take until you all settled in to a new routine?

(Couldn't spot any other general Year 7 threads, but apologies if there are any others already.)

Maybe the people who spoke to you about his timetable didn't really understand the number of changes that can occur with 6th form and unwittingly made false promises. I agree it can't be easy for your son at all. Hopefully once it's all in place it will remain stable so he can get used to it.

He's not in 6th form - he's just going into y9. We had assurances from senior staff who should have known what they were talking about.

Thanks for your help and kind words.

Oh I see, sorry I thought he was going into the 6th form for some reason. I have no idea then, unless there was a series of staffing issues. Can't defend them promising though. That seems silly.

Mine has just set off to meet her friends, i'm just heading out to start a new job -not sure which i'm most nervous about

I think staffing issues is highly likely. They had several teachers simply walk out with no notice last year (ds had 5 English teachers over the year) so the same could have happened again. Have had to send him in this morning with absolutely no idea what's happening for him first period, as he has subject on his timetable that he doesn't do. Unfortunately, by the time he gets home it's too late to contact the school to sort any issues, so we're always working a day behind.

Well, not so great with ds2 this morning. He was beyond exhausted, but managed to get up and ready, then broke down just before he had to go out. My fault, I pointed out he had food around his mouth and told him to go and wash his face and he freaked out about being late and his friends not waiting for him - which wouldn't happen, as they are all good lads and really look out for each other. Daft thing is, they are still meeting at the same time, despite arriving half an hour early yesterday.

It's horrible here this morning too, misty/foggy and feels very damp and cold. Don't think being late was the real reason for the tears, think he just needed to let go of all the stress of everything being new and scary. Hopefully he'll be ok now.

... actually he's just text to say "I've arrived, almost ..." after I text to say I hoped he was ok, that he'll be fine and reminded him he has a great timetable today with ICT, DT and Science, so relax and try to have fun. Not sure what 'almost arrived' means, but it's probably just that he hasn't actually crossed the crossing to the school yet.

Hope everyone else has had a better start to the day.

Good luck Emochild. Hope you both have really good days.

My dd came home buzzing since starting on Friday, really nice to see her happy and having other girls to talk to after spending the last 4 years with the same girls that ignored her.
She was a little worried this morning and I'm not sure if it is due to the bus she has to catch so her Dad waited with her at the bus stop this morning.
The bus is the only thing that is worrying me, it seems to be a terrible bus company. She asked for a monthly tkt yesterday and was told they don't do them anymore only weekly and a season tkt (not what I was told last week) so she got a weekly tkt. Two phone calls by me to the bus company and they seem to just make things up as they go along and say different things to different people.
It would seem they are given a certain number of preprinted weekly and monthly passes and had already sold all the monthly ones before they got to my dd stop so the driver just lied. I really hope it doesn't knock her confidence, it also seems to always be 15 mins late at pick up time from school even though her school is the first pick up.

allwornout so pleased your dd is enjoying school and making new friends. Bus company sounds really unprofessional, no wonder it's making your dd anxious. Hopefully she'll be able to get a monthly ticket soon and then at least she won't have that aspect to worry about.

Hope you and your daughter both have good days, Emochild.

My daughter is doing okay, learning names, finding her way around. Nothing bad has happened, but she just seems so... subdued. And prone to the odd tearful outburst too.

Ds2 is similar, he was also pretty subdued last night, but then he was so exhausted.

I think the combination of having to be 'grown up' all day, plus the stress of it all and the walking to and from is bound to have an effect. Hopefully it will improve as they start to relax a little. His tearful outburst was definitely non-specific, think he just needed to release the pressure valve a little - and have a hug to remind him it's still ok to need your mum sometimes.

I also think that the sudden teary outbursts of the new year 7's is just due to being overwhelmed by it all. My DD started last Thursday and loves her new school, got to know and likes loads of the kids, loves the lunch, love the after school clubs, love the subjects and teachers and... still burst into tears every morning!

Poor kid. I don't think they should give homework for the first couple of weeks. It's tiring enough for them as it is with so much for them to take on board. Dd's school has just given things like covering books so far (which i quite enjoy doing ) She has a maths homework but it doesn't have to be completed until 21/9. The first two weeks are blocked out for homework in year 7.

Well, briefly, DS1 seems fine, I am knackered! He has moved up with eight friends, but none in his teaching group. Has remembered his books and pe kit. Has eaten a hot meal every day. Hasnt cried yet. And this is a child who struggles with transition. I am so tired with the worry, it feels like having a new born.

Electrolux, I feel your pain....homework seems a lot for a tired child who gets home at 4.50pm after a 6.30am wake-up and is trying to adjust from summer holiday hours!

For dd, who came from a laid back state primary with 1-1.5 hours per week of homework at most, the daily tasks are starting to feel hard. Novelty is wearing off already - eek, what will the next few months bring?!

But on the plus side, she has met loads of 'really nice girls' and a few 'really nice boys' and thinks most of the teachers are 'really cool'.

Which is fab

Elibean ds1 gets up at the same time and arrives home at 5.00pm, but is fortunate enough not to have to walk. He was exhausted at first, but did adjust eventually.

Electrolux poor ds. I do think proper homework is a bit much in the first few days at least. Ds2 has had book covering and assembling his recipe file for food tech and that's it so far - oh, other than sewing on his house-badge, which he just told me about before retiring for the evening and given his fine motor skills, I think that one will be down to me. He also struggles physically, having Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and is really exhausted. Dh suggested he have a nap as soon as he comes in, which is apparently how dh dealt with the first couple of weeks at secondary. So today he had a snack, then went for a lie down and got up an hour later, much brighter and more himself, so I think we'll keep that up.

I do have to say, I was really worried about the school not taking his JHS into consideration, as we still haven't had a meeting regarding setting up his care plan for pain relief etc, but they have actually been great. They checked he was ok with the stairs on the first day, made sure he is seated properly in class and today offered him a high-backed chair, rather than a stool in the science lab, so I'm pleasantly surprised.

Glad he's finished the homework and is feeling a bit happier.

I told ds that there are plenty of other tearful dcs being mentioned on here and that's it's perfectly normal to feel that way and he said that made him feel better.

Yes novelty worn off for one of mine. Twin 2 loves it and can't wait to get there. Twin 1 hates wearing a blazer,tie and shirt,hates carrying a heavy rucksack round all day,hates all the rushing,hates getting up at 6.30 and getting back at 5.15, hates the bus as it makes him sick( all the year 7s on it seem to be suffering from coach sickness), hates the hour journey as " it's the same every day" [ hmm](welcome to commuting) but loves the lunches and the actual work.

Have had filling in planner issues,he forgot to write dates for homework which are kinda crucial. Just wanted to wrap him up in cotton wool yesterday.He's so little and looks knackered. His blazer swamps him and already has a splodge on.Starting to wonder if letting him go to grammar was the right thing to do. We both had a bit of a melt down last night.

The bag packing each night x 2 is a pita. They're in different houses so everything is different.

Electrolux could they amend his care plan to include a break during double PE, to give him some rest and a chance to take some glucose? Ds2 couldn't cope with two hours of Rugby, although actually he's not supposed to play Rugby at all, so we'll have to see what happens about that. He has some hypotonia and also gets exhausted easily from constantly having to stabilise his joints, it's so hard for kids that aren't as robust as their peers.

Lily re coach sickness. Ds1 suffers from travel sickness and we've found mints to be the answer. Boiled ones like humbugs help, but sugar free travel mints with pure peppermint are even better. The best ones we've found are 'Eskimos' which we buy in bulk in Ireland every summer, but we haven't found anywhere selling them over here yet.

Ds2 has twice managed to write the wrong due-day in his planner. I think the two-week timetable is throwing him a little, but even taking that into account he didn't have those subjects on the due date he'd written in. Can you contact teachers directly via email for confirmation of homework? Some places are happy for you to do that. Fortunately ds has one of his friends in both classes he's got the due date wrong on so far, so we've been able to text them to ask when it's really due.

Ds1 doesn't have a planner yet this year - because his school forgot to order them.

Many many thanks for the tips re mints,will get him some tomorrow. Apparently they all feel sick so the big boys nab the front seats( in my day at comp the back seats were nabbed) and the newbies have to sit at the back.

Told ds to ask his teachers first thing re the dates he forgot and bless him he did.

Dd came home much happier yesterday (after much cajoling to get her there in the first place). She said her mentor had spoken to her at lunchtime regarding the problem with the yr8 pupil and had reassured dd that it would be dealt with.The yr8 in question has since left dd alone, so maybe whatever they did has worked! I received an email from said mentor informing me that she would be discussing it with the head of house and letting me know how they will be managing/monitoring the situation. Dd does seem much better, I still cringe when she tells me some of the not-so-nice comments that older children are making to the her and other newbies, but I guess she has to learn some resilience sometime! I want to say thank you again to all the Mums who have left comments for me. I only joined Mums et the other day as I was dreading dd going to secondary school and wanted to see if anyone else was concerned, it has proved to be a good move for me and given support when I needed it most. I can't mention the ins and outs of it to a lot of the Mums I know as we are in a small community and it would soon get back to the parent (who is extremely volatile), I couldn't face the backlash of it all. So, Thank you! X