Is there a Year 9 thread?

[Thiswillbeinteresting]

Just wondering if there was a year 9 thread, for those thinking about GCSE options, the beginning of coursework and general school chat?

DD has gone back for her first day since March today, armed with the knowledge that she needs to pick her options over the next couple of month - could be tricky as she has no idea what she wants to do in the future

Mine takes packed lunches everyday in a hot thermos & majority of her class sit together in a circle in the playground to eat (at distance). Works well for now. Come winter they will be eating indoors perhaps in their classroom.

Despite a slightly turbulent y7 & y8 with regard to friendships, groups, certain subjects, my DD seems to have settled well in Y9. The forced separation in lockdown & bubble-togetherness now seems to have eased past tensions & made the girls stick together

My DD is having a mixed time. Quite liking the year bubble and their designated area outside is probably the nicest of all of them. It's an area normally dominated by older years and the younger ones don't get a look in so this is a nice interlude, plus there's more room and less dining room stress about sitting with people!
The new hygiene rules are meaning some people have appointed themselves to police the other kids (not always tactfully or appropriately) or deciding it's uncool to be careful and mocking the kids that are..

Ds seems to be getting more homework. Not sure if that's year 9 or that they're trying to make up for lost time.
If he ever gets one more lot of physics homework that will be too soon.

He's enjoying the relaxation of some of the rules, like being able to go in in games kit, although he always wears shorts anyway, so it makes little difference to him in a lot of ways.

What I have noticed, which I don't know if it's round here or replicated is that there are far more year 7s being walked to school (often hand in hand) with parents. Normally this is unusual from about day 2 or 3. This year there's probably a couple of dozen. I wonder if it's a bit of others doing it so we can or effect of lockdown and not having the last half of year 6 to grow independence.
Ds keeps saying "they're so small" which is funny, and complaining about the number of girls from his drama class, but I think he secretly quite likes it.

DS is getting very little homework - think teachers are overwhelmed with having to set online things and teach for those self-isolating though lots of it just seems to be links to Oak Academy. Suits him not to have much homework.

Glad to have first week over, today was fine but no mentoring session so not sure what happened there, maybe teacher got called elsewhere. Have a nice weekend everyone.

My DS has only had one tiny piece of homework so far. Fine by me - he's shattered!

Ds is very happy to be back and everything is mainly the same, aside from a strict one-way system and having to wipe down their desks. He is itching to choose options (drop ones he hates). He's sorry all his friends are doing triple science as he doesn't want to - he's all about the humanities and is hoping he'll be allowed to take history, geog and RS. As well as French and drama that'll be it.

DD got singled out in tutor time this morning, and asked to "sort out" paying for food tech ingredients. Which would be fine, except she has FSM and the school said that the cost of ingredients would be covered by her PP.

Not happy, and waiting for a call back from the school...

Oh that’s really harsh. I hope it’s sorted out. How embarrassing for your DD :( Hope she’s ok

Finally got it sorted yesterday, phew! Very apologetic, and couldn't say why she was approached at all as she was definitely on the "doesn't have to pay" list.

Anyway, DD has bounced back and is fine, which is a relief.

Inset day here so mine is hanging around like a bad smell. Homework has at least been done before she sets out for 3 hrs of basketball training.

Just found this thread.

DS has proudly announced his gcse choices, which coincidently! are totally the same as his big brothers were! Although, tbh, by the time they have to do the compulsaries, he only seemed to have a choice between 1 or 2.

We seem to be into the homework swing again but he is very tired and full of cold at the moment.

Can anyone advise? DD is determined she wants to do Latin and Classics for GCSE, which would mean (I think - we havent had the choice list yet) she couldnt do History. She is more STEM orientated but does really enjoy Classics, English not so much.

Friend who is science teacher is strongly suggesting that both Latin and Classics would be a waste as in it wouldnt lead to a career. DD really looks up to this person and feels torn between what she wants to do and what she feels she should do

I'm not a teacher, but I would have thought that at GCSE level doing a subject you enjoy and are therefore more likely to work at and get better marks for, seems to make sense, (assuming, of course, she's not likely to want to take History A'Level).

Can you ask her school what they think? Most are keen for high GCSE results so may steer you in one direction.

Thiswillbeinteresting, This is GCSE, and presumably your dd will be doing double or triple Science anyway. I don't know what the syllabus for each subject involves, but presumably Classics involves essays and/or written answers, and with all the compulsory subjects that should give a good range of knowledge and skills to build on after her GSCEs.

I don't know many people who have studied Classics subjects at A level at all but of those who did, my grandfather probably didn't do A levels as such because he was a New Zealander, but did a second bachelors' degree in Greats (Latin and Greek etc at Oxford) and went on to be an senior academic publisher and writer. My dad decided to study Chinese (which was entirely classical at Oxford in his time) and became a professor in Chinese Studies and a translator. A childhood friend I sadly lost touch with, rather closer to my age (so about 50 now) chose a Catholic state secondary school where she could continue studying Classics, and is now apparently the editor for that subject at a well known literary publication, working with the wonderful Mary Beard.

Then there are the famous broadcasters and writers like Mary Beard, Natalie Haynes (whose recent novel I'm reading at the moment) and others.

So it has led to a great career for some people, and I think if she really enjoys the subects, she won't regret studying Latin and Classics to GCSE at least, among the more usual career-orianted subects!

I meant to say that, so long as your DD does a range of subjects which keeps her options open, doing some that aren't obviously vocational won't prevent any future career choices.

DD revealed yesterday that they had a talk about options "last week sometime" but hadn't felt the need to mention it

She has to do:
English x 2
Maths
Triple science
A language (one of French, German, Spanish)
A humanity (History, Geography, RE)
2 from the rest: art, drama, music, computer science, business, food tech, textiles, resistant materials, a 2nd language, a few others she couldn't remember.

Then there are two twilight subjects on offer if they want, Latin and photography. She quite fancies both of those, obviously! :o

At least she has until about March to decide, as she currently has no idea what to pick!

@RueDeWakening no school talks yet, other than ones about Covid!

I think DD has ruled out Latin now and is requesting Classics, as she enjoys learning more about the history and culture as opposed to the linguistics of Latin. So current choice is Classics, Computer Science and History. I think she will end up doing double science as, as far as I know, only the top set do triple and she is in 2nd set. As she dropped Art, Music and DT at the end of Y8 she cant now pick them up again. Roll on January when the options choices go in and we dont have the weekly drama over what to pick!

I think option talks aren't until January here, luckily know from last year with DD as DS never says anything about that of thing. He seems to already know what he wants though at least. Eng x 2, Maths, Add Maths, Stats, Triple Science, French, Geography, History. Almost the same as his sister is taking other than she is doing computing and RE instead if French and Geography.

Both the kids have the orthodontist today though whether we will get anything before a lockdown who knows. It's been 2 years to get this far.

One third of our Y9 off isolating due to a postive result. Wonder how often we will need to do this?

@KoalasandRabbit DD needs a brace fitting, but given that she had to be sedated to remove a tooth and have a polish the dentist is reluctant to refer her because of the Covid wait. Surely it makes sense to refer her now as I expect at least a year wait, but her dentist isnt doing regular appointments yet so I cant argue my case!

@Helvmutter my sympathies. We've had a couple of close calls here, most notably with the school bus (driver) but school said that only those pupils sitting on the first two rows need to self isolate, DD says no one sits there ever too uncool so at least that's something.

I think it makes sense to refer her. I contacted the orthodontist directly as wait was so long and turns out our dentist never filled in form and so they added us. Maybe worth trying directly. DS is getting an enhancer (?) rather than braces which is good as he's very sensory and doubt would cope with braces. DD says it pushes bottom teeth out.

@KoalaRabbit

I think it makes sense to refer her. I contacted the orthodontist directly as wait was so long and turns out our dentist never filled in form and so they added us. Maybe worth trying directly. DS is getting an enhancer (?) rather than braces which is good as he's very sensory and doubt would cope with braces. DD says it pushes bottom teeth out.

Why didn’t I think of that - that’s exactly what I did with DD1 I’ll contact her orthodontist and see what they say

N/c'd Hope your DD can see the orthodontist. Mine both have a second appointment on 26th and currently its still on, just hoping they stay open until then.

Went back to school on Monday. DS got himself in a flap on Monday as DH had washed his meal card for school (Squidcard) - I managed to resolve it by buying a new one and getting senco to deliver it so he got lunch but he stood outside for an hour in the rain first part of the day. Much better day yesterday for DS and he did the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge which he said went well and also did RE homework with me. Just hoping schools stay open a bit longer. Our old house went under offer so busy trying to sort that but at least they've allowed you to do things connected with moving this time.

DS now has to self-isolate until next Friday as close contact has covid.

Parent of a Y9 here!

GCSE options were chosen during lockdown as school required their choices. Difficult when ds couldn’t talk to the teachers about some he was unsure of. Still think it was too early to decide really with all things considered.

There’s been a few periods of isolation for the whole school year. Remote options lessons meaning interest has waived in some subjects.

Can we talk about Science lessons, no experiments in Ds school, really worry about this, there’s reviews soon, Ds is one of those children who thrives on a hands on approach, that teamed with the amount of disruption and time off since returning really doesn’t leave me with much hope that he’ll do well this term. I’m not sure why reviews are going ahead.