GCSE Summer 2020 - Thread 11 Carry on Corona Cohort - Starting New Terms and Settings

[OrangeCinnamon1]

Welcome all to the 11th Thread for this year's GCSE cohort - The Corona Cohort!

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs regardless of the institute they attend or the grades they needed. It is respectfully requested that we are all supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate e.g state vs private - please don't within this thread.

Similarly it should be recognised that the grades our children need/deserve/want will vary across the board. One same grade outcome can simultaneously cause Joy and Despair for different posters. Please be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since I started first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. It is hoped this will continue. Going forward any new threads should have 'GCSE Summer 2020 Thread # : Carry on Corona Cohort' in title just to make it easier to find. Not fussy about who starts those !

From now on our DS/DD may go down various paths such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed, so we decided not to be exclusionary and stay right here in Secondary - at least until Mumsnet HQ chuck us out .

At this precise moment in time we have had GCSE results . It has been decided that the higher of Centre Assesd Grades and Calculated Grades will be awarded - the algorithim seems to have been applied a schol level to the detriment of some students. Lots of our young people have already started on the next stage of their journey with some still to start.

We are all STILL trying to protect our young people's mental health, which the government claimed was their priority...when they talk about wanting students back in schools/college in September...now we have their physical health to consider too as the mingling at various settings starts up again. Hopefully a positive experience this term!

First Thread

previous thread

@crazycrofter yes ds really enjoyed the theory side of PE. It's a shame he couldn't continue it for A level. All 4 of the A levels he wanted to do were in the first 2 columns. So he had to not do the PE and also economics. He's doing business and film studies instead. The fourth column didn't have anything he wanted in...so it had to be film. He will more than likely drop that after AS.

@crazycrofter that is JUST like my DS. He has done so much research during lock down and knows all the muscle groups and has been engaging in various debates on line about nutrition, particularly with vegans. Currently trying to cut out processed food and eat whole grains - which I had given up on trying to persuade my DC to do ages ago! He is also alternating between cutting and bulking and talking about what sort of muscle development that supports.

He did not do PE GCSE and I don't think that is an issue for A level PE, so not doing the GCSE will not close any doors for your DS.

@Monkey2001 that's funny, my ds is a younger version of yours! He is maximising his protein at the moment (is that bulking?) - 3 fried eggs for breakfast, no lunch at school as it's too unhealthy but a chicken breast or two when he gets home, protein shakes etc! He had a pull up bar and punch bag for his birthday so spends a lot of time on that. I think we'll save PE until A Level unless he's really insistent!!

My DS also has a pull up bar and keeps doing press ups. Went to check he'd got up this morning and was met with him doing pull ups

@crazycrofter, @MirandaWest lunch was 5 poached eggs here (he had frees in the afternoon)

DS isn't quite that hard core but does have protein shakes

Crazycrofter & Miranda
On the matter of protein shakes can I ask which ones are your ds’s are buying? DS who is very slim has been buying Tesco ones but we can’t see if it’s having any effect yet. He desperately wants/needs to bulk up but hasn’t got a big appetite.

My DS gets Pure from Amazon - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00SP3047S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8 and then other protein products from MyProtein. I mentioned his Thai best friend who has a small build but did a great job on developing muscle over lock down, I think he uses USN Complete Protein 3 Stage System (at least that was what he gave DS for his birthday when starting him off on protein shakes).

We had a Zoom meet the tutor group last night. Gosh some people have tidy kitchens!

We then had a really good talk from Head teacher, Head of 6th Form, Head of Year 12, Head of Pastoral and Head of University applications. Any questions at the end? Apparently one of the 6th form common room microwaves isn't working...

Thanks. I’ve heard of Pure but the milk shake version. What’s the frequency with which it needs to be taken? DS hasn’t used any powdered ones before.

@KingscoteStaff That’s hilarious!

@shimy ds had a big bag of why protein for his birthday! He puts it with fruit and milk in the smoothie maker. I noticed the other day that Home Bargains have a protein section now - I bought some pots of ready-porridge and they do protein bars and shakes too that don't break the bank. Ds has been doing weights and sit ups at home since before lockdown and the pull up bar/punch bag for the last month and his shoulders are looking very broad. Your ds will get there if he keeps at it.

Dd had a really good day today, she's managed to speak to all the boys who take her train now and she feels she's building a bit of a friendship group. It was nice to see her fully relaxed after school.

@KingscoteStaff love the question about the microwaves! These are the important things...

Whey protein not why!

@crazycrofter We’ve just ordered it. I think after yrs of everyone pointing out how slim/skinny he is, something has finally shifted and he’s decided to do something about it. He just doesn’t love food, he just eats to survive. I’ve told him he’s got to stick to drinking it regularly or else he won’t see any difference. How often does your DS drink the whey (I know you meant ‘whey’) as in how many cups a day?

@shimy I think at the moment only once a day, plus a protein bar and lots of eggs and chicken breasts! It’s difficult to know what impact the diet has had versus the exercise. @Monkey2001 might be better informed? There’s loads of advice videos out there on YouTube too. When ds got his weights I was really dubious he’d stick to it but I think once they start seeing results it motivates them.

@Shimy I will ask DS to answer this when he had finished his piano practice. I think he has it within an hour of a work out which he does 3 times a week.

Thanks @Monkey2001 &. @crazycrofter

Glad to hear everyone is settling in ok, sorry to hear your DD is unwell Also, I hope she feels better soon, what a rough start.

DS has done a week now, he's "absolutely knackered, mate" but loving it. I can see a change in him already, he's more focused and more confident, just holding himself differently. Also surprisingly organised, asking for ring binders and dividers, whereas before all his books were in a huge heap and when it was time to revise, some of his notes were in such a state they were unusable. It's lovely to see

@KingscoteStaff
Thankfully, my virtual meet, next week, with DDs Form Tutor to discuss how she’s settled in, is on a one to one basis!
Meanwhile, I’ve had an AIBU moment on my commute home.
ABS light came on and the car was driving like a bag of hammers.
Soo, ‘hoys’ hazards on hoping to nurse the sodding thing home in inside lane- whilst been subjected to copious lorry drivers sounding horns at me and flashing lights after they’d overtaken me.
Have the GAVs or CAGs malarkey addled my brain?

@Shimy @crazycrofter @Monkey2001 I don't know anything about the protein shakes you are all talking about. Is this something they combine with exercise? As I said upthread Ds only weighed 6 stone 4lbs. last time he got on the scales a few months ago. He won't get on again as he's too conscious of being so light and skinny. He doesn't exercise much...just football at lunchtimes. Meaning he's not eating all his lunch because he's playing football. But he does finish it when he gets home. He's never had much of an appetite.

Ds bought forms home from school for us to sign if we are going to collect our dc's regularly when they have a free morn. or afternoon. We are signing to say they will study at home too. But ds only wants collecting every other Tuesday. So I had to sign the Tuesday week 2 box. It's not that easy as most parents work. Only the school buses travel there at the usual time. So it'll only be parents that are not working the free afternoons or dc's that can walk, cycle etc.
My oldest stayed all day until he could drive. But the forms are new, due to Covid I expect.

@icanbewhatiwant the shakes are high in protein so can be used alongside exercise to help build muscle. They are good for very slim people who want to increase muscle mass/bulk up plus & body builders use them as well. There are so many different types on the market to the extent it’s difficult to know which ones to buy. They come in two different forms (I think), powder or ready made milk shakes and in 3 different flavours: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.
Naturally when I read that some ds’s had been using it to build, I zoned in on it. To get the most out of it some form of weight building exercise needs to be done as well (this will be the tough bit for ds1 the most unsportiest person ever!).

Thanks for new thread @OrangeCinnamon1 - just been catching up from end of last thread. DS so happy to be in school, very chatty and surprisingly organized- also feel that my original son has gone missing 😂😂. Economics really popular so largest class, and some have already dropped out of Maths (they had a test first lesson) so think school are focused as they know it could all go to pot. We’ve had Covid here but just hope we don’t get it again 😱

@KingscoteStaff snorting here at the comment about the microwaves! It's all about priorities I guess!

Interested to read all the comments about DC interest in health, fitness, protein etc. DS1 is studying biology A level and is very into exercise - he has a punch bag and does daily exercises with weights as well as attending two intensive karate sessions a week. He is now 6ft 1, has really good muscle definition and a stomach like a washboard But his interest does absolutely NOT extend to clean eating, non processed food or protein shakes. He'd have to give up his coke, pizza and chocolate habits and that is so not going to happen In his defence he has a lot of food sensory issues associated with his Aspergers, which impacts on what he can tolerate - he would never manage any kind of milk or protein shake as he would gag. And he wouldn't recognise a wholegrain if it came up and said hello...

Is anyone else glad it's Friday tomorrow?! I feel as if it has been a very long week. DS seems to be taking college in stride but I'm slightly concerned that he hasn't quite taken on board the requirement to do 4-5 hours of independent study per subject per week. Homework prep has been done but that's it.

Seems like there’s a lot of dc here doing Economics. Very interesting subject, thoroughly enjoyed it when I did it back in 1988.

@Shimy thanks for info.