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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@icanbewhatiwant

Ds has made flash cards for history and wanted me to test him on dates etc. I have I know idea how he remembers it all. I can't even remember my 3 boys dates of birth! As I've got older my memory seems to be awful.

Empathy on the memory loss . The positive side is that I can re-watch films I enjoyed before without remembering what will happen!

@cariadambyth dd is having similar issues with History, although things have improved slightly. She was given a 9 for GCSE (and usually got full/nearly full marks in essary) so it's been a shock. Her first assessment was an E! Recent ones were a B and a C so she feels she's heading in the right direction. A friend whose dd is in year 13 and of similar ability said it took her till around Easter of year 12 to get the hang of the techniques so I guess it's early days.

Psychology seems to be a real slog! Not helped I think by her teacher being quite dull and just teaching via the 'copy this down' approach. Dd wants to do a Psychology degree, with the hope of some kind of career in Psychology, but we'll have to see how the next year goes!

@Monkey2001 yes. I often say "I've seen this film" when asked what happens then...I say I can't remember.

Completely agree with the views of history and it’s relative toughness to achieve high marks. The bar is very high!

However, hopefully once our DC have mastered the nuanced technique behind the subject, things should start to improve.

DS is being assessed for dyslexia today, and I should also find out if a separate ADHD assessment is needed.
He is happier with 2 A levels, ironically Psychology and History. His progress report gave him D in Psych and B in History, but its early days.
He really enjoys both, but on a bad day when he can't focus, no work is done at all. I hate seeing him so stressed and anxious, but hopefully the assessment will shed some light for us.

Its. Love autocorrect and its inability to interpret grammar in context correctly...

We had our parents evening last night. A bit like speed dating, but so much better than the usual mass bundle, with teachers running late and parents not getting the hint to leave. DD had excellent feedback. Interestingly, her teachers said that she had the basics of essay writing/question answering, but obviously techniques for A level were different to GCSE, and these would be worked on throughout the courses - this was for all subjects. DD is loving psychology - probably her favourite, and still keen to take it at university.

Anyone else feeling nervous about being told to self isolate over Christmas because of school?
I'm probably still suffering after half term and can't face a lockdown Christmas...
School work seems to be going well here - DD was worried about Chemistry but a tiny class (3) and a good teacher means it's okay.Geography is a quantity issue though...

So interesting to read about those finding psychology frustrating: it was ds's wild card (the other two have been dead certs since the start of GSCE) and he's loving it. BUT a) he's a maths and process type person, which is the bit of psychology I suspect most people don't enjoy (inc me when I studied it!) and b) he has a couple of really excellent, engaging teachers. He came home yesterday having studied Milgram (which many of you I'm sure will know) and amused that someone in a previous year completed a question about the experiment with the answer 'Milgram was just evil' and still got one mark!

Also good news that ds (with more than a little help from my contacts!) has managed to track down someone perfect to interview for his comp sci project, which will get his teacher off his back ;-)

We are probably having a four-of-us Christmas, @Wheresthebeach. My mum is bubbled with my bro and they are planning to travel so won't see any of the rest of us; my dad is not esp bothered about Christmas; dh's parents are vulnerable and I think don't want to take the risk. Might try and see if my sis and her new baby are up for bubbling, but they are in a smallish flat so not sure how that will work with social distancing... I am more worried that the kids will only just have had a full week off school, and the idea of them unwittingly giving someone covid just gives me the shivers :-(

Oh, and good luck to your ds for today, @Fern204 - hope it goes well and feels helpful. Will they let you know straight away if they are recommending an ADHD assessment?

Hope it all goes well Fern - DD would be lost without the extra time that the assessment gives her.

Yes...the kids giving relatives Covid is a concern...

Wheres - mine both break up on the 11th so less risk for us but they were talking about this on the radio this morning, schools are expecting a huge amount of families taking their DCs out for the last week to avoid jeopardising Christmas.

Fingers crossed for today Fern
We were due to see my Dad (last saw him Dec last year) weekend before Christmas. Was thinking of other dates but DS not finishing until 18th and feel risk too high due to Dad’s age and health.DD back on 9th so less of an issue .

Dad originally said he was prepared to take the risk but i’m not and his partner not keen. Mine have both been so good following rules, they would be devastated if they passed it on . Dad had the hump a little at the start but he’s slept on it and hearing today my friend’s colleague (age 40) is in intensive care and not doing well he could see postponing is sensible.

Thanks all, assessment went well. The assessor said it seems more like autism than adhd, but may be both. Along with dyslexia. So now trying to arrange further assessments. It’s such a rollercoaster, and poor DS was exhausted after it all. He hasn’t been able to do any college work today, hoping he can focus tomorrow.

Well done both of you for getting through it @Fern204

Had notification from college that last week of term will be online only. Which, actually is a very sensible idea in the hope of not passing on Covid unknowingly over Xmas (if sensible social distancing maintained whilst not in college) I wondered if anyone else had been told the same ?

Schools and colleges been absolutely forbidden to do this, very explicitly , by DfE and Boris.

Ooh interesting @piggywaspushed I shall have to investigate 🔎

A whole academy trust in Manchester were threatened and had to u turn. The college may be getting around it with their remote learning but I am sure the warning shot included colleges.

Personally, I think it is a good idea.

We have had the same, online lessons from 11th December to minimise any need to self isolate over Christmas. 6th form in Brighton.

Fern Glad the assessment went well. Hopefully more time and resources will be forthcoming.

I agree a week online before Christmas would be a good idea. Government may change it's mind yet if numbers start rising again after Dec 2nd.

Ds1 made 2 huge lasagnes tonight.
That sounds really positive Fern.
CrazyCrofter Ds is adoring his psychology. His favourite subject. I've listened to bits of his lessons. His teacher sounds fab. Was thinking of signing up for A'level psychology myself!

I spent £162 on Amazon textbooks for sociology, psychology, business.

Both my ds's have been home for 2 weeks. I can't wait for them both to get back to school next week.

I work at home, for one of my jobs, 2 days a week. Ds2 is sat at the dining room table with me. Listening to Ds2's lessons, is painful. He has 6 lessons a day. My algebra is shit hot again though!
Miss science teacher in her Spanish accent trying to teach ds2 science is painful. I can't listen to her. Plus he's shit at science.
Plus ds2 has a new RE teacher. A young man, transgender. He's about 6 foot 5, an enormous rugby player. With a dress. A black wig and black eyeliner. Big feet, sandals have to be made specifically for her. Her Adam's apple is very huge and meets you before her black eyeliner does.
I've decided NOT to send Dh to parents evening for RE! 🤣 But I've been especially impressed with how enthusiast he is, and how extremely knowledgeable he is about RE.

I've got covid fatigue. I feel this lockdown nonsense is going to damage us more than covid ever will.

Ds1 says his GCSE certificates are due out in the next 2 weeks.

Fern the assessments are exhausting. DD was shattered after her dyslexia one.

Why don't they want remote learning for w/c Dec 11? Seems sensible to me. How daft of them. I asked school if school could do it, got a sympathetic response and a promise to discuss but have heard no more.

No remote learning final week here, unfortunately (although I understand the DofE's reasoning to some extent) - interesting to hear some schools/colleges are finding ways round!

@Fern204 - so glad the assessment went well - they are exhausting (I was shattered after ours, never mind ds!). DS has a dyslexia and an ASD dx, and the extra time and laptop use (plus being in a separate quiet room for exams) that has afforded really helps him, esp for more essay type exam formats.

For the mathematicians: is ds the only one who hasn't got his UKMT results back? I'm suspecting he's missed a memo ;-)