Yr7 new starters

[simpson]

Hi...

Just wondering if other parents/kids are worrying about starting secondary school. We have had tears (from DS) tonight and we still have another week to go!!

I am sure he will be fine but I am worrying (as is he).

DS1 is losing the will to live with Maths as well...in fact I have never seen him so completely demoralised by it all. His school don't set for maths/english at all in Y7 and Y8-they are all mixed ability sets.

He spent the last 2 lessons ordering numbers and doing place value...which he could about 4 years ago. He said it took 5 minutes and he spent the rest of the lesson sitting there after he asked the teacher for some harder work but she wouldn't give him any.

Iheartttc - that is exactly what DS has been doing, place value. He is so bored, but at least he has been told after next week things ramp up.

He is finding Spanish v hard and a bit demoralised by it.

He finds out if he has got into the yr7 football team by Friday, am keeping my fingers well & truly crossed!

DD is a bit better this week after a spectacular meltdown last week over 'not knowing ANYTHING except SATS' but we are both finding the homework heavy going. She's been doing at least an hour, and often two every night, which I think is far too much for the first few weeks of high school.

Last night was two pages of maths, a (nother bloody) poster for IT, two pages of science and a French quiz online. Tonight is more maths and yet another poster for D&T - which is less, but she won't start it until 8pm as she's at Netball right now.

Oh for weekly primary homework again...

Colouring - it's a comprehensive school here too. Just with ipads.

Also hope your son is OK.

DS also didn't get in the school football team either despite playing for a local team. He is no Wayne Rooney but he is quite good so he is all upset about that as well.

Oh wow at all the homework!

dd has had about 4 pieces so far, each very easy. Several were 'create a title page for the topic'

I am very relieved that they are giving them a gentle start, there is enough to adjust to.

ipads!!!!!!

That would be a No then.

We've just had a big piece of dt homework. At dds school they get two 5 hour projects a fortnight. This one looks horrible. It has 5 tasks. Think she might get a music one today too so will have to do an hour a night from now on plus English, maths and languages homework.

We had quite a lot of homework in the first week but it has really tailed off this week. Either that or he's not writing it down, which is entirely possible.

Just got a letter about the year 7 summer camp. There goes another 330 quid!

DD has much more homework than her brother ever did. Apparently it is very common for girls to have far more homework...

DS just came home in tears (again!) over a nightmare journey home.

The good news is he made it into the school football team.

I have just bribed him into doing 2 pieces of homework tonight.

She finished her homework at 9:30 last night.

Tonight she's done a written page on Auschwitz and a PowerPoint on Hardwoods. Thankfully she thinks her maths tutor 'forgot' their homework tonight

DD asked us for help in Maths last night. She says she's way behind everyone else and is getting stressed about it. I've told her we'll sit down at the weekend and go over whatever areas she's behind.

It isn't really a surprise- her brother was way behind in maths as well when he started at this school.

Noodle - I think there is a gap between primary and high school maths. You'd think that it would be a bit more seamless, but my DD is finding the same thing.

I have a funny story for you (which may out me badly)
Y7 parent information evening last night. First 15 minutes in classroom with tutor, then into hall for various presentations.

At the end of the classrom bit, the tutor asked if there were any questions. One Dad next to me had been fiddleing with some cue cards with writing on, he asks a question:
Dad - we have been really struggling with some homework
tutor - right well...
Dad - I'll read it to you shall I?
(tutor doens't have a chance to say yes or no)
Dad - (reading from his little cards) "Find a story about Bhudda which isn't the 4 enlightenments"
That's it! I mean what is she supposed to do with that ? It is an unacheivable peice of work!!!!
Tutor - well, I am not sure I can help with that specifically, as I am not the RE teacher, but we are always happy to talk to you about a problem, so perhaps the best thing would be to drop them an email.
Dad - !!??? But it is ridiculous it is just not a doable peice of work ??** !!

As we walked out I was next to him and he was still going on about it. I said gently - I think dd had the same homework, she googled it and found a story and printed it off and took it in.....
Dad - but it just isn't acheivable, there are not instructions, it doesn't say print it off on a peice of A4, it doesn't say read it, it doesn't say write it out in your own words. My dd read one, and then told her teacher she had read one and then was told off because she hadn't brought it it! She was set up to fail!
Me (very gently) - I wonder if maybe it is the difference between primary homework and secondary, they are expecting a little more independence and initiative of them now?
Dad - But it is UNACHEIVABLE !!!!!

we parted company, and I sat next to a friend who had over heard him. She looked at me and nodded Google? Print it off to show you've read it? Or take in the book? ? It wasn't rocket science was it?
We had a little giggle and then at the end the dad was going to the head with his cue cards to complain to him!

Bonkers

Jesus wept!

DS has come home with another 2 pieces of homework

But he had a great day

Lots of homework here for the weekend. Yay, looking forward to that.

Thank goodness i found this thread. We are in scotland so S1 for us. New school and 1 hour teavel each way. Endoplasmic your cartoon made me laugh cos thats what its like exactly. Huge change in homework style ie they didnt go over it wails DD. Me thats secondary and repeat. Deep breath. Loads of homework and huge sportkit with rucksack to be carried. Will watch this thread with interest. That and the preteens thread on dealing with meltdowns...where did i put that book.Get out of my room but first take me shopping

Oh we've had fun with homework this afternoon. Still got more to do tomorrow. I'm glad I quit teaching this year, because I don't think I would have been able to get all my marking done as well as supervising homework! I'm trying to get him to be independent but there's a question or complaint every five minutes.

well, at the moment my year 7 is going quite well.
My year 9 ds on the other hand has hit being a teenager with a vengence. I am tearing my hair out.
Was at a primary school event yesterday (dd2) and there were several parents who also had older ones in ds' class. They were all complaining about the sudden arrival of a real teenager in their midst having been lullled into a false sense of security by year 7 and 8.
sigh

year 7 'bring your parent to school' after school next week. Me - so shall I come? dd - no, I just get to show you the classrooms and stuff it is really boring.

hmm.

Urgh the homework. The horrible, horrible homework. DD is currently trying to write a paragraph for history to explain the following - Time moves forward, why and how do things happen? Relate this to causal links. My head is about to explode.

Titsy -
Don't think I could answer that!

Is it based on stuff she's covered in class Titsy?