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Original poster

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:
EerilyDeleted · 19/10/2020 06:47

We aren't far from the New Forest either, had a lovely weekend staying near Lymington just before the start of term. New Forest and IOW are our go-to short notice UK breaks as they are both close but feel like properly getting away. DS is on 2 week half term now but DD only has next week. Neither of them is inclined to go anywhere this time and we are having some work done on the house so staycation it is. DS has spent some time over the weekend planning his half term workload which is good.

ealingwestmum · 19/10/2020 07:43

Lovely to hear some of you getting some short, respite in. A little jealous, love the New Forest too.

DD is working next 2 weeks; with book in hand for down time breaks, so won’t see her much.

Mummaminnie · 19/10/2020 11:34

Happy half term everyone! This usually feels like a long term but this year it's flying by.

DD breaks up on Thursday and first progress report comes out this week too. 🤞🏻

RedskyAtnight · 19/10/2020 11:51

Not half term here until next week. Very jealous of those who've already broken up.

Both children were like zombies this morning. DD (Year 10) plaintively came (I wfh) and asked for a lift to school at 8.55am (school is 15 minutes walk away and starts at 9.30am, but DD has current mobility issues so has standing permission to ask for a lift if her foot is hurting - actually I'd be happy to take her every day, but she normally prefers to walk with friends). Turns out there was nothing wrong with her foot but she felt exhausted and couldn't face it. Went and banged on DS's door and said I was leaving in 5 minutes if he wanted a lift. Which turned out to be fortuitous as he'd turned off his alarm and gone back to sleep. Eventually left 10 minutes later. DS was so tired he didn't even argue with DD over who got to sit in the front. Feels like a long half term, and I think it's been harder than normal as acclimatising after no school for 6 months. Certainly I don't ever remember a day that both children were basically asleep on the way to school. Not even as if they are doing much out of school as all their old activities aren't running.

Original poster
FoolsAssassin · 19/10/2020 12:03

I feel like it has gone on forever, very grateful for an inset day Friday.
Am familiar with the going back to sleep thing Redsky, you have my sympathies. Expected it this morning but he was up and ready to leave at 7.

OP posts:
crazycrofter · 19/10/2020 12:38

I also drove ds (year 10) today as dd has a training day. This gave him an extra ten minutes in bed - well, in reality we could have left much later as we got there with half an hour to spare, but you just never know with city traffic. I’m jealous of the time your kids get to leave the house @RedskyAtnight! Ds usually has to be out by 7.20 and dd by 7.50.

Both of them are exhausted with one week to go. Next half term will be even harder, as it always is. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a couple of weeks at least of online learning!

TheySeeHerRowling · 19/10/2020 12:45

Dd is exhausted too - luckily for her she only had morning lessons today

She's unwinding in the bath with a Lush spooky bath bomb as I type

It doesn't help that her sister's half term started today (different schools), although sister is unwell and can't go out at the moment

RedskyAtnight · 19/10/2020 12:59

crazycrofter They are starting an hour later this year due to Covid staggered starts (DD used to leave at 7.40 as she walked past various friends' houses; DS was more of leave-it-to-the-last-minute so was after 8) so it does seem very late. I did ask both DC as they were struggling this morning at 9am, how they would cope if it was usual times!

MirandaWest · 19/10/2020 13:54

Another week of school here as well. Both DS and DD (year 10) seem to be coping all right - DS does have the advantage that he doesn’t have many lessons first thing. He often used to fall asleep after school and rarely does that at all now. Think only doing subjects he is interested in helps with that.

Who knows what tier we will be in by half term - currently tier 2 but sounds like it could be tier 3 before long...

Monkey2001 · 19/10/2020 16:28

DS was supposed to be at school here this week but he had a streaming cold which kept him awake so I called school to say he would be off for the day and they said that it is 2 weeks off for a cold Sad. I would have just said he had over-slept and would be in late if I had known. At least next week is half term and he does not actually have to isolate as he had no covid symptoms.

ealingwestmum · 19/10/2020 16:38

Gosh, when did a standard cold become 2 weeks off school? Totally agree on the being economical with the truth if that’s where things are heading Monkey...

Zandathepanda · 19/10/2020 16:45

That’s crazy about 2 weeks off for a cold.
On the other extreme Dd had someone in her class that tested positive for COVID and the school sent one other person home who was sitting next to the positive person. Apparently the others were too far away even though no one wears masks in lessons.

mummaminnie · 19/10/2020 16:46

That's strange monkey as having a runny nose is not a Covid symptom and DD's school would not have expected her to stay home when she recently had a cold. There has been a cold doing the rounds.

In saying that, school sent an email to say that a child in one of the lower years had tested positive for Covid and some of that year would be advised to self-isolate but not the whole year.

Piggywaspushed · 19/10/2020 16:50

Anecdotally, a lot of uni stduents who are testing positive in mass testing have runny noses...

Zandathepanda · 19/10/2020 17:06

Apologies with the COVID in capitals upthread. It’s my phone what’s making it shout, honest! It reads like I am sensationalising it.

Piggywaspushed · 19/10/2020 17:29

My phone ahs started putting COLD in capitals. this seems to have been started by students and their parents emailing me asking for work because they are absent with a COLD brackets NOT Covid close brackets...

Zandathepanda · 19/10/2020 18:23
Grin
Monkey2001 · 19/10/2020 22:01

So Piggy, I am guessing your COLD (NOT Covid) students don't have to self-isolate!

To be fair to the school, the bubble is the whole Y12 of 350 students, so they don't want to take any risks, but DS is a very snotty boy! He had a nose op in Y5, but still gets colds for most of the winter. At least he is only isolating from school and it will not affect his ability to go out over half term. Also he is on line half the time anyway, so Wednesday and Thursday will be on line days, just missing Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Piggywaspushed · 19/10/2020 22:28

Yes, that's right because they have a COLD , NOT covid! Grin

Interestingly , our two cases to date both had bad stomachs.

sullden88 · 20/10/2020 08:59

Hello can I join? I recognise a lot of names from the once 11+ threads, so I'm pleased to see you're all still at it!

I've got one in Year 12 who is doing 4 A levels and feeling the pressure (self-inflicted).

ealingwestmum · 20/10/2020 10:01

Welcome Sulden88! I can’t remember so far back but have never changed my user name, so hello again if we were ever on the same 11+ thread!

sullden88 · 20/10/2020 10:06

Thanks ealingwestmum I was castlesintheair still then I think. I had to change my name because I was one of the leaked names I think, can't remember the details. Anyway I change it a lot now and don't post very much. My DD didn't get into any schools but we ended up staying abroad anyway. Now back in UK.

KingscoteStaff · 20/10/2020 10:19

Hey castles! Sorry, @sullden88!!
There are quite a few of us old lags around.

4 is definitely stressful - DD watched her brother fighting through 4 essay subjects last year and has firmly decided on 3 and an EPQ.

sandybayley · 20/10/2020 11:18

@sullden88 - DS1 did 4 A Levels but only one was an essay subject. It was hard but not impossible. He managed quite a lot of sport at the same to me. Having to work really hard in 6th Form has set him up nicely for university as he is doing a notoriously time-heavy degree (45+ hours commitment a week).

DD is doing IB which, from the first half term, looks to be on a par with the workload - possibly more TBH.

sandybayley · 20/10/2020 11:19

And hello the poster formerly known as castles!