Have we got a year 7 support thread this year?

[KangarooLady]

Hi all! DD1 is starting secondary this year! She's very nervous about the travel (train and bus) but definitely looking forward to it . Any other new year 7s?

@QueenMabby

Hi all. Can I join? DD starts yr7 on 8th Sept. Her older brother is at the same school and going into yr10 so she’s familiar with the school. All of her year group from yr6 bar about 5 children are going up into the same seniors so she’s hoping she’ll know a few in her form - they won’t get their forms and tutor details until the first day! Fortunately 8th and 9th are both induction days so I’m hoping it’ll be ok. Still my baby though! Can’t believe I won’t have any primary aged children any more!

That will hopefully be me in 3 years time when Dd2 will start Year 7 and dd1 Year 10 👍

DS has spent the last few weeks telling DD which teachers are nice and which are not (in his opinion!) so she’s not sure whether she’s coming or going bless her! I know she’ll be fine 🤞🏻🤣

Hi everyone. I'm another with a small for his age, socially awkward boy starting in year 7. They have changed the school bus provision and it now looks too complicated so we are going to take him in initially. He doesn't want to go, I don't really want him to go (obviously not letting on). Scary times.

I've just taken out dd's PE kit to sharpie her name on it all, only to discover the labels are black not white 🙄 So now I'm going to have to iron on some name labels instead 🤦🏻‍♀️ Haven't even looked at the uniform yet 😳

Just did a last minute run to Clark's for shoes and managed to beat the super long (socially distanced) queue. Haven't done labels yet. Nervous that if we're missing anything, DC will get detention and it will be my fault! (At first, anyway...)

Starting to see more buses running now with "BUS FULL" signs in the window here in West London. Worried that all the buses will be full once schools start, leaving kids stranded and late for school. And that it will be extra complicated due to "staggered start times" per year group. I guess we just have to wait and see, and trust that schools/local authority/public transport will adapt over time.

No staggered start times here, most of the kids have either moved to the area where the school is or they come in on the trains, buses ect.

@BoudiccaAnn

Just did a last minute run to Clark's for shoes and managed to beat the super long (socially distanced) queue. Haven't done labels yet. Nervous that if we're missing anything, DC will get detention and it will be my fault! (At first, anyway...)

Starting to see more buses running now with "BUS FULL" signs in the window here in West London. Worried that all the buses will be full once schools start, leaving kids stranded and late for school. And that it will be extra complicated due to "staggered start times" per year group. I guess we just have to wait and see, and trust that schools/local authority/public transport will adapt over time.

Have you not heard? TfL are going to be running special "School Service" buses on popular routes in the mornings and afternoons to allow students to travel without without mixing with the general public. They will be running 7.30-9.30am and 2.30-4.30pm on week days.

Thanks @Meredusoleil !!! Hadn't heard. Yay. Local bus route I was hoping for is not on the list but good to see lots of others are, so should help to alleviate pressure on transport in our general area. Hopefully. It does mean though that some kids will mix with general public on other routes but better than nothing for sure.

Saw that some schools are postponing extra curricular activities. Ours supposedly will offer some but only non-contact sports that can be played in a single year group 'bubble'. Has anyone else had confirmed that after school sports clubs will start in Sept? If so...which sports?

@BoudiccaAnn

Saw that some schools are postponing extra curricular activities. Ours supposedly will offer some but only non-contact sports that can be played in a single year group 'bubble'. Has anyone else had confirmed that after school sports clubs will start in Sept? If so...which sports?

Nothing here until after October half term at least!

No fixtures for us for the first half term, but sport is generally by year group anyway so am expecting some netball for dd. Not sure we’ll get much music though which will be gutting for dd as that’s her first love and she was really excited for all the musical opportunities a senior school offers.

@QueenMabby, my DD is also into netball, sorry to hear about the music situation. Hopefully it will be back soon!

Under the circunstances School Services sound like a great idea which will hopefully help all bus passengers as well as school users. Hope it takes the pressure off for people here. Is anyone else in north London?

@QueenMabby ahhhh yes our school now has a 'no singing' policy and curious to see what happens with instruments particularly woodwinds/brass...hopefully schools can still cover other aspects of 'music' for now (and then resume learning instruments/singing once we understand a bit better how to undertake that safely)...? heartbreaking nonetheless. heard there are other schools where singing is allowed for sure by year group bubble only.

DS and DD both play woodwind instruments and their individual face to face lessons are going ahead this term but with social distancing (DS starting secondary, DD at primary). It does sound like the secondary school hopes ensembles will resume at some point later this term but can't say when and I do wonder how this would work across bubbles, especially as DS was hoping to join the senior windband and orchestra, which will be mostly older boys.

I am feeling very tense today as my DH has woken up with a cough (no other symptoms). He has booked a test and obviously if positive DS will miss the start of school. I just don't know how I would break it to him, but one step at a time I guess.

Definitely a wait and see. DD plays piano and cello. Lessons are definitely happening in person at school. Fingers crossed for some kind of same-year chamber groups. Choirs are looking less likely although she’s still hoping to start singing lessons... 🤞🏻

@TheyThoughtItWasAllOver hope your DH tests negative and feels better soon!! I hadn't really thought about it much until now...but I always develop a slight cough around this time of year (as the weather gets cooler or pollution gets worse or both). So now I'm extra determined not to catch a cold this autumn/winter so that it doesn't impact DC's school attendance. (sigh)

Thank you @BoudiccaAnn - he got his results today after 24 hours and they were negative. So relieved! We hadn't told the DC he'd been tested because it would have worried them so much. He was only feeling a bit 'off' really (but with a random cough, which has stopped), but as a teacher and with the DC going back, better safe than sorry!

Best of luck for all back tomorrow!

@TheyThoughtItWasAllOver, that's great news! Hopefully all the DC starting today have a great first day at their new school!

DD just came to me and told me she's started her period. This is her first one. She starts school tomorrow! Fingers crossed she won't be too heavy 🤞🏻

OH NO! I've been dreading that happening with dd1. She has a team bonding trip tomorrow with half of Y7 (she started at the school today) and it would be awful timing!

Hope its just a light period to start with.

@Meredusoleil, hopefully she'll have a light first one! I had light periods when I started so hopefully she will too!

Hi! Can I join? My oldest started high school this morning, she was going to the school she wanted, round the corner with almost all of her primary school and in a form with her best friend since nursery, so very lucky really and she was excited and confident but I've cried on and off all day! Blaming pregnancy hormones. Counting down the minutes until she gets home and can tell me how it went, toddler has had an extra long nap as well so haven't even got her to keep me entertained.

@KangarooLady I've been dreading that happening! No sign yet but shes gone in with a purse full of sanpro, wipes, spare knickers etc as I've an irrational fear it will suddenly start in school and catch her out

@ShinyGreenElephant, I'm sure she's having a great time with her friends from primary and maybe a few new ones too!