Corona Cohort - Year 12 - 2021 - NO 'Self isolating' please.

[Oblomov20]

We just want our kids in school. Please. If at all possible.

And driving lessons. And good Mental Health. And happiness.

In-and-amongst all this Covid nightmare and lockdown debacle.

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@Monkey2001 - really sorry to hear abut your husband - how very frightening for you all. Hope he is on the mend soon. @crazycrofter - hope your DH is feeling better today.

DS is thinking of dropping AS maths. He says it is taking a disproportionate amount of time and he finds it increasingly hard. I don't think 4 weeks online due to SI and testing positive has helped but it seems a bit late in the day to be dropping something. We have no communication from school over anything but he did have a 1-2-1 with his senior tutor the day before term ended and didn't mention anything then which makes me a bit cross! According to DS, a poor grade in the exam will look bad on his UCAS form - I don't know if this is true or not? I've tried to find info but haven't really succeeded. He says he would rather concentrate on his 3 A Levels. I've said he needs to e-mail his tutor and subject teachers today so he can get an answer next week. Due back week today but online for the first week - we are Yorkshire too @MirandaWest. He seems to be doing okay at it - the only marked work I've seen him get was a 21/31 which seems fine to me but he is convinced if he can't get an A then it will look bad. I think not getting anything on the maths challenge has knocked his confidence as he did really well last year in the intermediate one.

How is DH doing Monkey?

EstherFrewen I don’t know the answer to this but think DS probably has a point. When we went to info day at DS’s college they stressed that with the change to A levels there is a general move away from 4 to 3 as better to have 3 good grades. i guess that would apply to the AS in your DS’s situation.

@Heifer: DS is doing EPQ. His is on something to do with AI and medicine iirc: I didn't fully understand it tbh! He went through SO many possible topics before deciding as 'study, um, anything' is a bit vague! His mates are doing a very strange mix of topics: from those that are completely interest driven (one is doin something on skiing; another is doing something super political about the Russian revolution (all science A level students) to more 'vocational' around intended study areas- ds's at least does link to his planned study in comp sci!

DS is also doing the EPQ and is doing it on music. He is not doing anything musical for A levels nor at uni.

DS is thinking of dropping AS maths. He says it is taking a disproportionate amount of time and he finds it increasingly hard.

We're in such similar positions here @estherfrewen; I don't have any advice either other than I hope both your DS and my DD get to turn this round next term, or drop it altogether, as the amount of work and stress it causes is totally disproportionate vs other subjects.

DS has another set of standardised assessments just before Feb HT which he really needs to redeem himself and do better in than the Nov ones just gone. He's had a few days off but otherwise, he's been plugging away - doing a few hours a day. I really can't bring myself to overly nag him too much. His BF's Dad is an A&E consultant at the local hospital and is giving him & his pals daily generic updates during their evening online gaming sessions wrt stats in ICU/A&E. It's grim.......

School is reopening as normal (for the moment) next week for everyone. Y11 & Y13 formal mocks are scheduled for the first week back and everyone will be keen to bank a set of formal grades - just in case. Won't be surprised if this goes pear shaped in the next few days considering the government plan to laterally test pupils is obviously undeliverable.

We've gone from Tier 2 to Tier 4 and cases have absolutely rocketed in the last fortnight. Local hospital is full and staff on twitter pleading with the public to follow the rules!

@ealingwestmum - I knew someone else had mentioned their DC and AS maths - couldn't remember who it was! It is a crazy amount of work and he has more lessons in that than his A level choices. He scored well in recent assessment but it is pointless scoring an A in that compared to A/B in his A levels as he says he feels he isn't doing them justice and has no time for reading round them and doing the extra stuff needed. He has e-mailed his senior tutor and the subject teachers to ask for advice - we haven't had any parents evening or contact apart from a very bland report where everything is fine and his school has a split site sixth form with another school so we have never met most of his teachers. I think if it wasn't for Covid he might have been fine, but remote AS maths is just a step too far. Thanks @FoolsAssassin - I did some research this morning and it definitely sounds like most places would prefer 3 A levels at a certain level than not quite meeting that level but having an AS maths. My brain can't take this ...!!! Trouble is as well he is the sort of boy who just wants to say what he thinks people want to hear, rather than stand up and say what he wants to do.

Everyone doing Maths A Level at DS’s school could take AS Maths at the end of Y12. In practice, there are few takers apparently and the result is there on the UCAS form so it is a gamble. DS has decided not to do it - he’s definitely not dropping Maths anyway. Subject to be dropped will most probably be determined by his end of Y12 exam results in June.

Thanks @sansou that's interesting to know

Hope all OK with DH @Monkey2001.

We have had drama here too. DM had a fall in her flat Xmas eve and DH is having investigations due to heart rate issues.

Still, Christmas was lovely and quiet. MIL lives 3miles away in our bubble still thank goodness. Is right by the sea in a lovely little village. Went for a walk after dinner ..convinced myself I could do village life except comparable house to ours extra 60k.

Was it someone on here that recommended a game called Five Second Rule. Lots of hilarity on Boxing day with that one! More competitive than it seems.

2020 is truly the year that is going to keep giving until the end isn’t it.
OrangeCinnamon I am so sorry to hear about your Mum and DH, how are they doing now?

Oh no @orangecinnamon - I hope your DM and DH are OK? I'm not a huge fan of New Year but am looking forward to seeing the back of 2020 and embracing 2021 - particularly with the Oxford vaccine to look forward to.

We're planning a fancy meal with the 5 of us and will play (yet another!) board game. Will encourage the teenagers to stay with champagne and chocolate. Can't guarantee we'll make it to midnight but we'll try 😊

Sorry to here about your DM and DH @orangecinnamon, I hope they are both OK?

Good news on the Oxford vaccine this morning, the sooner this is rolled out the better chance we have of things becoming more normal again. 🤞

Hope your DM and DH are okay @orangecinnamon. I hate New Year usually but cannot wait to see the back of 2020.

I had read an article where scientists were talking of getting secondary age children vaccinated. But he said on tv they won't be doing any under 18's as the vaccine has not been trialled on them. Sounds like no plans to vaccinate under 50's either. So that's me out too. Teachers definitely need vaccinating regardless of age. I think it's so important to get schools back to normal as soon as possible. Preferably vaccinating university students too.

@orangecinnamon: that sounds tough - how are they doing now? Thinking of you too @Monkey2001.

We are going low key for NYE: I suggested a full dress up/nice dinner but the dc went with 'full on day of slobbing on the sofa and chilling out' instead. Tbf to them, they are doing a great job of helping out so I'm happy to indulge them (still got MIL here and dh and I are trying to work at least a bit too!) Our NYE is usually spent at an old friends house, and she is planning a zoom so that will at least be a bit of joy to see them all: NYDay we usually do a big walk, but prob won't do that if MIL is still here: the dc are delighted with that ;-)

Thanks all DM ok but needs to go into sheltered /home really but she is stubborn and narcissistic (has existing mobility issues and dementia). She had a CT scan that day and by rights should have been hospitalised (2nd fall in eight weeks) but it didn't happen. She refuses to use her emergency alarm on her phone or her phone for that matter!

DH off work (safety critical job) until we get whatever is going on with heart sorted. Is on Betablockers for now.

I'm looking forward to seeing the back of this year too.

DD has blossomed being at home this year though...she must be an 'indoor house plant' lol.

Oh Orange I have been there, used to drive around with bolt cutters in the boot so I could cut Mum’s front door chain if needs be. I could have written word for word what you have written and I remember only too well the stress it causes 💐

Reflecting on this - Y10 through to Y13 are the years most impacted by disruption in that they are the national exam prepping years. I really hope that things get back to a semblance of normal for Y9 DD!

I think DS can kiss goodbye to any thought of a gap year backpacking or indeed any sort of carefree travelling. Yes, it’s a first world problem and not on any priority list. I mourn the fact that for younger generations, they won’t have the travel/work freedoms/opportunities that we enjoyed and indeed took for granted. It makes me so glad that DH & I, along with the DC have been able to experience so many other cultures & countries up to now. Planning/researching our future holidays was a real pleasure although I have taken a little comfort in doing it for uk based holidays. Not the same but better than nowt!

Low key NY planned here too, no different to normal for us, apart from that sometimes we go away for a few days. DD will still be SI. We are planning pizza, telly and board games, which is what we do every year (food varies but always a picnic in the front room wherever we are). The main issue is agreeing what to watch, DH likes the Jools Hootennany, I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than watch that and DS isn't a big film fan. Normally we just stick on a Harry Potter in the background.

Sorry to hear of poorly relatives.

@icanbewhatiwant both vaccines are approved for use for 16 years and over so expect that our DC will be offered it eventually.

Gavin Williamson is making some announcement this afternoon no doubt with the next delay to reopening.

So as it stands, in most places year 12 back on 18th, is that right?

That's what I understood. Goodness, his public speaking is poor.

We were just commenting on his poor delivery.

When are they going to let us know which areas/ schools are not included in that info?

We’ve just had an email from our county council saying they are declaring a ‘major incident’ as the numbers have risen so dramatically that the health and social care services can’t cope. 😱