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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@KingscoteStaff ds is 5'3" and about 6.5 stone 😆 so that's not his problem.

Ho ho - perhaps not! It certainly is a tricky thing to get that dance going between the 3 pedals. It took my older DS about 4 or 5 sessions in a car park before we let him anywhere near a road. I recommend getting your boy to watch an animation of what the clutch is actually doing (some on YouTube). That really helped DS.

Ok thanks @KingscoteStaff I'll look for that. I found driving quite easy from day one so I'm not sure whether it's just my bad explaining. Ds1 used to drive a tractor at 16 so he got on ok in the car. I taught him to drive the tractor though. It still had the clutch. Ds2 is definitely finding it more difficult. He was better going up and down the drive a while ago with ds1. Ds1 is at university at the moment. He's home soon. He's not old enough to sit beside ds2 on the road. I'll have to put him in the back and try again.
I hope it's not long before they can have lessons. But it must be much worse for those having tests cancelled.

On insurance, we have a policy with Direct Line and they will add anybody, including a learner, for £2/day, but can only add 7 periods in a year, so we went for 10 days at a time. Last time I added DS1 for a weekend they did not charge me at all.

No chance on my car and less than zero chance on DH’s- generally, needs to be a small engine less than 1.4 l apparently during my lengthy call with our current insurer and I live in a low insurance premium area of the country. Obviously, the main reason why there are many parents buying small engine older cars for their 17 yr olds. I remember my friend complaining a few years ago that the annual insurance (with black box) for her then 17 yr old DD was more expensive than the car that they bought her. Might have to try the specialist insurers’ route first though.

I have just had a look and I just cant see ds having his own car or being insured on ours which will be a big blow for him. Plus there isnt enough street parking for the car we already have.

@Piggywaspushed

I don't think DS could do any open days atm as he has no real idea what he wants to study. I have done more research than him! Libreal Arts looks appealing.

I think the next big decision is which A Level to ditch : awaiting all the results from recent tests as a guideline. He is beginning to see that his 'Spanish teacher' is dumbing things down a lot and that the jump from GCSE is huge, even with an excellent , permanent teacher. it'll be a massive shame but this will probably be the one that goes, or history which he likes but finds the topics dry and the standards high. His history class is dropping like flies : only 7 in there now.His DF tried to talk down sociology but DS likes that one a lot and is doing really well.

Piggy..I know someone that is an excellent scholar and passionate lecturer who left to run a LA degree if you want the details pm me. The course looks amazing !

That's if you mean in England of course!

I do mean England! I will PM you later :)

DS got 56/60 on a maths test . And he felt it went well so good that his feeling was accurate

DS got 80% in his sociology test : apparently a B. She is a bit mean his teacher. I read it and was in awe!

Nice birthday pressie for your DS miranda!

Another case in DS's college but he has dodged isolation, thankfully.

We've had "that" email from school this eve. A positive covid test at the school. Thankfully not in either of my ds's years. I'm amazed we've got this far without any cases. But I find it worrying nonetheless. It's only DH I'm worried about as he's in a higher risk group, though not a shielding group.

That’s amazing to last so long without a case. We had another on Friday. Maybe into the twenties? Possibly the third time for a few of the same sixth formers to be isolating. Dd is annoyed she’s missed out missing out! You know when there’s been so many when there’s not a big social media frenzy to work out the ‘culprit’ anymore!

@Zandathepanda yes on our local Facebook page for the school parents were asking what school year it was. A few said their year 9's have been asked to isolate. So we soon worked out what year. Some of those parents know who it is. I'd hate to be that parent/child knowing they've taken it to school. It's inevitable though.

DS's school did their first test in the Bristol University Covid Mapping in Schools project today, I think they are testing students and staff regularly to understand how it spreads. This is the first test for our family, although my wider family have been tested already. I am a bit concerned that lots of testing will pick up asymptomatic cases and may mean a lot of being sent home to isolate, but on the whole we feel lucky to be a part of the project. His only isolation so far was a week before half term when he had a cold and was told to stay away, his year have stayed Covid free so far, which is great as there are 250 of them.

His only isolation so far was a week before half term when he had a cold and was told to stay away,

Gosh, that is interesting!

Morning all, I'm struggling to keep up with the thread.

DS's school have only had two cases so far, both in lower years. He is quite anxious about it all, saying he doesn't want to go back to his sports if they start up again next week as it puts him in too many bubbles. DD's school still hasn't had a case. But not too far from here a large secondary school has closed completely for two weeks because the cases got totally out of control. This was a tier 1 area, will be interesting to hear how we all get placed on Thurs.

Reading all your posts it seems school take different approaches. We get an email about every single case (probably been 15 so far) and told which year group (or if staff member). DD school is 3-18, so they have had a couple of cases in junior school where whole class has to SI, and in senior school it's usually all the girls that have classes with whoever has Covid or been sat with them at lunch/break etc. In Seniors they all have to wear masks all day now, except when eating.
We are in (was what) tier 3, although our numbers have reduced massively since we were put in tier 3.

DD is desperate for her hockey to start again after 2nd Dec (as am I). According to England Hockey it looks like it will, but will depend on Tiers as before (we could only play teams inside our own tier).

decorated, I am very ambivalent about sports, too - mainly because DS's manager is aggressive and very gung ho. I don't believe that, if there is case, any effort will be made to contact trace or isolate the boys.

Still no cases at dd's school - I'm not sure how they're managing it

However, a girl in one of her classes is SI because her mother tested positive, so surely just a matter of time

DD's year is still clear but the Upper Sixth are all off until 1 December and it looks like Year 8 may be about to go off. She finishes 2 weeks on Thursday (10th) and if her year is clear until then it will have a full uninterrupted term. I'm astonished.

Yeah, only three in total at DSs. Parents are VERY resistant to testing round here : even when kids obediently present with at least two of the symptoms!

Piggy not sure it would be the manager's decision? DS plays hockey & every club has to have a COVID officer & that's who we had to notify when DS whole year had to isolate. At county training parents had to sign in with the QR code before DC were allowed on the pitch. Assume other sports must have similar guidance?

They have the guidance but they really don't follow it. The QR code is not really used. The training has lots of contact. We had that case in his team a while back and the manager seemed a) clueless and b) quite angry at the suggestion that there might be contact from test and trace.

I think county level might be done in a more organised fashion but my trust in grassroots sport is zero! I am also not convinced that test and trace are up to much where teens are concerned. They pass it over to the school, even for the kid's contacts out of schools. A lad in our school led to a local football team isolating (most of whom were his schoolmates) but this was organised by us at the school, not the club, who apparently did not help at all and tried to prevent it,!

@Piggywaspushed I would be reluctant for DD to play hockey if it hadn't had been so well organised within our club (and opposition clubs). Every club has to have a well thought out plan, only 2 teams on the pitch at any time, teams leaving the pitch have to use a different exit to the teams coming on (who can't come on until the pitch is clear), handgel before and after. When not in play people have to keep their distance from each other - not allowed to pick up the ball etc etc.