Corona Cohort’s Year 12 adventures

[FoolsAssassin]

We’ve made it into year 12 and rapidly approaching the end of the first half term .

Lots of challenges we could never imagined as we started the year but we’re all keeping on keeping on and this thread is for anyone who would like to jump on board to share the rather unusual journey this is turning out to be.

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Wow indeed! I often thought every politician should have experience of teaching as schools are a microcosm of human life. I remember a program where famous ‘authority figures’ in their academic field tried to teach their subject - it was painful watching.
Dd says the general behaviour has slipped in a couple of yr12 classes but so far not so bad. It’s a typical lads group altogether getting a bit rowdy. The teachers aren’t supposed to be swapping pupils places (due to track and trace) so that strategy can’t be used.

This thread suddenly got very serious! I don't think I have met any murderers, so can't contribute, just look on in shocked realisation of what life is like for some people.

There was a programme on R4 this morning about body image for boys, and I know it is a massive issue for girls. It wasn't really a thing when we were young was it? I am always stuck at school events by how unusual it is to see an overweight girl amongst all the girls in much short skirts than they are supposed to wear. DS seems to be aspiring to a "hench" Disney muscular look as the girls go for the slender legs and long hair of Disney princesses. I don't know where it starts, but clearly much too early! It is heartbreaking to see these lovely kids beating themselves up because they have not achieved perfection in the areas of life they care about.

I agree Monkey, DS being a tall skinny thing is currently using protein powders to try and bulk up. He’s just not got those kind of genes, he’s strong and muscles but finds it impossible to put weight on and feels self conscious about it.

Especially in a school of rugby players.

So sorry to hear about the ED Zanda and Theyseeher, must be very tough to deal with. Was talking about ED with a school friend a couple of years ago and she was saying if you look back now it is obvious that one of our friends had bulimia. We were pretty clueless at the time.

Zanda blended learning sounds like a very good plan in current circumstances.

Was really shocked a few years ago when my Brother was telling me that someone he was at school with killed his Father . He has Schizophrenia and his Dad had been begging to have help for him but he slipped through the net, so sad.

DS very tall and skinny but at the moment seems to just accept that is how he is. He’s really benefiting from the rest this week, think we all are. Much more sociable than he used to be which is lovely.

I used to think (naively alas) that the stranglehold of body image issues on girls would recede as we became more aware of how damaging it is

Instead, it's become so pervasive that boys are falling prey to it as well

Thanks again for good wishes, dd2 is doing quite well this week We're hoping she might be able to return to school after half term, perhaps on a part-time basis at first

Hello Fools I think something got confused upthread, Dd hasn’t got an eating disorder but has daily to weekly seizures as a result of catching an unknown virus last December. No idea if is was an early case of covid but it makes her very anxious about catching any kind of virus again. The amount of meds and their side effects are unpleasant too.

We don’t know of anyone with an ED but it must be horrendous to go through as a family as well as the individual.
...............

.... So to change the subject back to more lighthearted four legged animal things....my pack are specialising in bringing me things/throwing up things for family to step in this week. So glad we have a bidet we can easily hop to! I was crying with laughter when I heard another familiar shriek yesterday as I knew what had happened but didn’t know what offering to expect to clean up.
My animals are gorgeous and horrific but are a fantastic distraction. And luckily I look where I am going .

So sorry Zanda, I didn't read back as daf ad I should and I think got muddled.

Our furry friends are stressing me our as 2 of our cats are very hit and miss with the litter tray so we hsve puppy pads on the kitchen floor which they are mostly using. Except when they don't. Plus the insides of a mouse were smeared on the floor this morning. And the dog smells and sneaks of at night whilst we are watching TV, opens door to our bedroom so can jump on the sofa.

Apart from that they are great DS loves them and I love it Friday nights when he is back and the dog is on her spit curled up by his feet and he has a random cat perched on his blanket.

Fools a teacher I know said they always had to leave 5 minutes at the end of her Year 7 zoom lesson for a chat where they all showed each other their pets. It really bonded the class. And there was a rule that pets weren’t in on the zoom chat before as they were taking over!

Weren’t in on the lesson (I mean) as the lesson deteriorated quickly!

@Zandathepanda aren't pets delightful? We have 2 labradors. They seem to like eating the most disgusting things. Then throw what they've eaten up....but for them the best part is eating it for the second time after it been down once. 🤢🤢

My sister had a lab who passed in the summer. He was so gentle and kind.
I don't think I ever heard him bark.
At her Christmas parties he'd get nervous and walk around in circles passing wind. Then happily help himself to whatever food on the buffet table.The next day we'd all go for a walk together, very hungover he loved to do the puke trick too and even eating his own poop. I had to remind myself every year not to look at him the day after...

Piggy, I watched the composer with dementia on Gogglebox last night and ugly sobbed my way through it - so poignant and extremely pertinent, given the state of the arts at the moment. If anyone needed evidence of the incredible power of music, this is it.

You can't have ugly sobbed as badly as that annoying Mary woman!

@Alsoplayspiccolo Yes watched on gogglebox too. It was lovely. @Piggywaspushed do you think Mary is annoying...she always makes me laugh she's a bit dramatic when something is sad.

I don't mind any of them but when she cries I find it a bit awkward because of the noise she makes! I prefer Jenny's crying...

DD and I laughed at Mary's crying tbh - I cried again watching it on GB. It's DD favourite programme (that she watches with me). Always disappointed when it's over. I want to spend a Covid free Christmas with the brother and sister as they seem such fun

@Piggywaspushed she does make a funny noise 🤣 I see programmes on gogglebox and wonder why I'm not watching them.

Have any of your DC wanted to go out for Halloween tonight? We said no, and he was really cross. Then said that he could if he could persuade a group of less than 6 to break away, but not to join a big gathering. I now wish I had just made it a simple no. We did discuss the reason that the country was about to go into lock down, he knows he has to keep his distance and has taken a mask.

No DS has never been that bothered by it. We've stayed in and had a mixed platter of BoJo, Strictly and a Steven Segal film.

DS has been out with some friends - he got back about an hour ago and has been discussing Plato and Aristotle with me. I am trying to make the right noises in the right places

Mine used to go trick or treating, DD (14) still went with her friend till last year but decided to stay home this year. DS (16) used to go too but stopped a few years ago - he enjoyed staying home and handing out sweets to T&Ters instead. Neither are part of large friendship groups. I gather from FB there were large groups meeting in the woods.

We decorated and put some sweets outside, then watched Nightmare Before Christmas, Boris, Strictly and Gogglebox. DS who is Aspie gets quite a lot out of Gogglebox, the banter, interactions between people, clips of programmes he'd never normally watch (he tends to only watch sport).

No DS has never done Halloween. He sat in his Disney Mickey Mouse Halloween "ears" bought aged 5 in Florida watching Gogglebox and The Returned with us. We are also watching The Big Bang from scratch on Netflix as he has never seen the early series.

Morning all, so after Bojo's 'surprise' press conference last evening, this morning has twitter full of #closetheschools and talks of cancelling exams again this year. Even though I don't have any DCs taking exams this year it's honestly making me really anxious after last years debacle.

The talk is only of GCSEs and does sound like the exam boards have been told to write one 90 minute exam per subject for some kind of spring mock. I don't actually think that is a bad idea- but a decision really needs to be made so the poor kids don't end up getting massively overloaded with exams!