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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Corona Cohort’s Year 12 adventures

999 replies

FoolsAssassin · 13/10/2020 20:36

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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OP posts:
CoconutGrove · 01/12/2020 16:21

That does sound like your dh could have a false negative Horace. Hope you are feeling ok.

Zandathepanda · 01/12/2020 16:34

Oh no Piggy and Horace! My Dd refused to do an improvised dance with a girl last week (no masks, no social distancing, lots of touch for an A Level Assessment). That girl is now isolating as a member of her family is positive. You couldn’t make it up. I can’t even work out how to reply to the ‘we want (Dd) to feel safe’ email without sounding sarcastic.

Monkey2001 · 01/12/2020 16:39

@Horace123 sorry to hear your family has been hit so hard. Hope it does not get any worse. Flowers

@Zandathepanda Hmm

Piggywaspushed · 01/12/2020 16:42

I am glad your DD stuck to her guns!

orangecinnamon · 01/12/2020 17:38

How is @sandybayley? Were you awaiting a test result?

I'm in desperate need of career advice...feel like I'm on the brink of telling my workplace to stuff it. Problem is have worked there 19 years.

sandybayley · 01/12/2020 19:18

Thanks for asking @orangecinnamon - I'm feeling rough. Chesty and temperature. DS2 got his positive test back this evening and I'm waiting for my result. If it's negative it would be a miracle with 3 household members testing positive.

Sorry to hear you're unwell @Horace123 and @Piggywaspushed - at least it will be done by Christmas? Got to look for a silver lining...

EwwSprouts · 01/12/2020 21:02

Sorry to hear so many suffering with symptoms. As we're all dotted around it doesn't paint a great picture for the move to tiers tomorrow.
I hope everyone recovers quickly. Not near enough to deliver cheesecake sorry.

sandybayley · 01/12/2020 21:25

We feel a bit unlucky to have come down with it now but I had a big work project last week and Christmas is looming so this week is as good as any. I have had to cancel my highlights on Saturday and was itching to get back to yoga at the gym.

But we're all OK and are very fortunate compared to so many. I should ask DD (who is good at maths) what the R number is in our house 😬

KingscoteStaff · 01/12/2020 22:13

DD’s entire Year 12 have been sent home - 4 positive cases who have a ridiculous amount of close contacts between them. All learning online for them and back in on the 15th for 2 days!

DS has just returned from university and DH is v. miffed to have his lovely calm, peaceful WFH experienced disrupted by 2 lumpish teenagers eating everything and doing energetic online work outs between their online teaching.

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 02/12/2020 10:04

Oh blimey: lots of testing, positives and isolating to read about this morning: hope everyone is feeling well @sandybayley @Horace123 @Piggywaspushed. It's a useful grounding technique for me, as coming out of lockdown into T2 and the vaccine news is leaving me on a bit of a high at the moment ;-)

@Zandathepanda : what a crackers situation! Given all the amazing socially distanced pieces of dance I've been seeing on SM outside, it's frustrating that the A level constraints haven't been able to flex to encourage creativity within the current constraints rather than just carry on as normal....

In personal news, I got a new job yesterday! I've been self employed since ds was born, so not sure how going back into a proper job will feel and it may all crash down at speed: but I'm looking forward to buying a work wardrobe at least ;-)

Horace123 · 02/12/2020 10:24

Congrats on the new job @AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore - how exciting! When do you start? Will it be remote working (which I think is hard for new starters) or will you be going to an office or similar? Luckily there are lots of sales on for your new wardrobe shopping.

@OrangeCinnamon1 Sorry to hear you're a bit fed up at work - hopefully it's just a phase that will pass. Otherwise maybe it's time for a change? Scary as that is after so long.

Thank you for all the good wishes. I do rather regret compulsively watching documentaries, news broadcasts etc about viruses earlier this year - I keep imaging in quite graphic detail how the virus is attaching itself to my cells and injecting its DNA and using my metabolism to replicate and form protein ...

orangecinnamon · 02/12/2020 10:34

I think so Horace Sad
@sandybayley @Horace123 @Piggywaspushed Flowers Cake just to help you along !

Congrats on the new job too @AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore Flowers

ChristopherTracy · 02/12/2020 11:10

@orangecinnamon can you manage to hang on until the NY. I feel the same in many ways but I think it is part of the way a lot of us are feeling - there's just so much work, long days and no holidays in sight and I'm stuck in this small room just taking video meetings.

Seeline · 02/12/2020 11:36

Sorry so many of you are poorly - get well soon.

Not much to report here - DD has decided to carry on with 4 subjects ATM. She had the option to request dropping the 4th after parents evening. She is convinced she only wants to do 3, but can't decide which one to drop! She has another chance after the first lot of mocks in February so hopefully things will be a bit clearer. She breaks up at the end of next week.

DS coming home from uni on Friday hopefully. Need no one in his flat of 6 to test positive (at least 3 have already had it), the forecast snow not to happen, and my replacement glasses to arrive tomorrow (broke them last night, foolishly don't have a spare and can't drive without them). He'll then have 2 weeks on line.

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 02/12/2020 19:01

@Horace123: apologies - realise I missed you out of my covid roll call! Yes, will be remote initially: I don't have a start date yet (mid-form-filling) but assuming early Jan. But obv worth stocking up on some clothes anyway ;-)

My lovely neighbour - in her 90s - was hospitalised after a fall, and diagnosed with covid whilst on the ward. She is asymptomatic, and they are sending her home tomorrow as she's been doing so well: I am so delighted, as she's an absolute sweetheart so we've all been a bit worried when we heard she'd been diagnosed given her age. My other neighbour had covid and was hospitalised before Lockdown 1, so we're trying not to lick our walls too much ;-)

ChristopherTracy · 03/12/2020 11:56

Argh DS' whole sixth form have been sent home until the 17th - we were so nearly there as well.

Seeline · 03/12/2020 12:04

Whole sixth form! How many is that? They can't all have been close contacts surely! Still probably better now than having to isolate over Christmas. Hopefully they have a decent on-line set up.

DD breaks up next Friday - crossing fingers.

ExpensivelyDecorated · 03/12/2020 12:08

Sorry, not keeping up with the thread very well, but sorry so many are positive or SI. The whole of y11 have been sent home at DS's school this week, due to a positive student, a few y12s also because of a positive teacher, but not the whole year. DS is fretting a bit about it all, but says the year is flying past and he's starting to feel worried about leaving after 6th form (he has SNs and has been at the school since y7 and loves it). He isn't really sure what he wants to do next but uni isn't high on the list. We are planning a bit of a careers focus in the holidays, look at uni possibilities, understand UCAS points etc, plus apprenticeships, starting to follow relevant businesses / bodies on social media etc. DS doesn't use SM at all but I think he needs to dip his toes in at this point.

CoconutGrove · 03/12/2020 12:10

Dd's sixth form shut for 2 weeks too up til last Friday. Normally they only send home close contacts but when there's an outbreak and it goes above a certain number they are advised to shut it to contain the outbreak. The school is also short staffed due to teachers either ill/isolating or having to care for isolating kids so they are having to rotate sending other years home too as not enough teachers

Chabbylis · 03/12/2020 16:33

Hi, I’d like to jump on board. Sorry to hear so many sixth forms are having outbreaks. My Dd is deeply unhappy at her school (state) sixth form and I’m not sure how to help her. Her friendship groups have changed and she feels others don’t “get” her and she’s often left out of conversations and the big one this time of year - secret Santa which i find really sad. Not sure how to help her. Any advice?

ChristopherTracy · 03/12/2020 17:18

Apparently there were 2 positive cases in Year 13 but as they all use the common room/study centre then they have all go to go.

So today DS did an online lesson but I could hear him with his mates in a break out room mucking about and laughing Hmm

orangecinnamon · 03/12/2020 17:25

Hi @chabbylis you could be talking about my daughter this time last year. What she did was really threw herself into her lunchtime music group and ended up making a couple of friends with year below etc she reframed her notion of friendship from not having girl bestfriends but her muso group friends any age, girls and boys.

Is there an extracurricular group your Dd can drop into ?

Now Dd is at a different institution for college she worries a lot less about having 'best friends' and fitting in . A lot more easy going because she realised last year that there was a different way .

icanbewhatiwant · 03/12/2020 17:40

@ChristopherTracy yes we've been told if any cases in years 12 or 13 they all need to isolate because they all share the common room.

Chabbylis · 03/12/2020 20:28

Thanks @orangecinnamon, I’m afraid she doesn’t have any extra curricular activities this year at school, though DofE may be starting. I guess she could always start one! Mixing with other year group bubbles is prevented at the moment and sadly there is no PE scheduled for sixth form.

Heifer · 03/12/2020 20:36

@Chabbylis- I am really glad you game over to the group ( I found her on another thread and suggested she join us).

I can't offer much help as DD has been lucky enough to have been in the same friendship group of 10 since Yr 7 (and 5 of those she was friends with in juniors, although not close friends).

I def think trying new activities is a good idea - if she can find any running. I know you asked in the other thread if we thought it was a good idea to move schools? There are definitely some on here that haven't gone to the same 6th form as senior school - and I think some are finding it hard because it;s hard to make new friends completely when there isn't anything going on.

Sorry to read about of those of you and your family that are suffering, hope you get better soonest, and over and down with before Christmas..

DD breaks up 16th Dec, so really hoping we can crawl across the line. Our numbers are down, Tier 2 not 3 as before. They dont have to wear masks in lessons now, athough DD said most are still.

She said she showed a photo of her class to her friend from another school who was horrified, as DDs desks were spread out and they were all wearing masks, where as her friend sits tables of 4 and no masks at all! I know which school I would rather DD be at :-)
although have to admit the results at the other school are a lot better.

Hockey is back - well sort of, training ok, matches locally ok but no one can travel in the same car as anyone outside their bubble so that limits it really. At least DD is running around a hockey pitch as we speak.

DH birthday tomorrow, so due to lack of presents for him (Christmas and DD bday soon always take priority bless him), I've just had a Sainsbury delivery more of less just for him. Bday cake, wine, beer, fresh crab, bagettes, lots of cheese etc etc..

Hope you all have a nice weekend - are your DD/DSs off out with their friends yet? DD has said everyone is going out for meals here..