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.

Old thread:

previous

Good to hear @Monkey2001

Happy New Year Corona Cohort pals hopefully next academic year we can think of a different name for them

Happy year to all. Let's hope it's better than 2020!

Good news @Monkey2001 - you'll be so pleased to get him home.

My 3 DC are also surprisingly positive about 2020. DD got great GCSE results, no exam stress and a new BF. DS1 got to university and DS2 spent a lot of time rowing in our garage. DH is really pleased with all the family time we've had. And I have got fit during lockdown.

So it's not been a complete washout of a year. But 2021 will be better...

Happy new year guys! Lots of love to all those dealing with ill health within their families, here’s to keeping our DC going through till Easter when things should start to improve...

Happy New Year to you all 🍸
Strange to think that at this time last year we thought they would be doing exams!
Really glad DH doing better Monkey and that better news for everyone else with ill relatives.

Happy new year to you all. So sorry to read of so many struggles, let’s hope for a better 2021!

Here’s to a positive new year!

Historically I have had better odd years than even years, and am willing to share my odd year fortune 🔮 with you all!

We have had our email from school. Exam years 11 and 13 will be taught remotely starting 5th jan. (they are hoping to do live lessons) year 12 have nothing that week, even though they do have exams in May/June AS levels and the business equivalent has the exam later this year too (they do the coursework year 2) Then week starting 11th years 7-10 and 12 will have work set online. Return 18th. I'm a bit disappointed year 12 won't be doing the remote learning too. I'm assuming all this is subject to change depending on covid cases. It also says they will offer covid tests but they are optional.

We have had a letter too. On line until Jan 18th. I had assumed that if primary schools in the area are closed then secondary will be too but that doesn’t seem to be the case which doesn’t make sense to me.

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2021.

Great news Monkey on your DH's discharge. Nothing like your own bed.

DM had to attend an emergency outpatient appt yesterday and it was really quiet. Staff said they were actually trying to get people in for outpatients but no uptake. It's a separate building to the acutely ill wards. DM's tests seem ok.

Happy new year everyone, fingers crossed for a lovely positive one.

We've had next to no info from school. An email on Thursday that was as vague as vague could be. All I know is that they need to log on to Teams on Monday. No proper info on testing or mocks (other than they will go ahead but I don't know if that's just yrs 11 and 13).

I'm dreading going back to work on Monday, not sure how I'm going to work with DS2 sitting next to me getting himself all stressed out every day (dyspraxia anxiety), the last lockdown was exhausting with it.

Just had an email from school - training day on Monday and then lessons via teams for everyone from Tuesday onwards (unless vulnerable in which case in school).

Also information about lateral flow testing and the availability of tests at local testing centres before they go back to school. Cant tell whether they are encouraged to have tests before they are back or whether they have to have them. There will probably be much debate on school Facebook group

@MirandaWest we have been told the covid tests are optional. That is the government guidance. I guess they can't force people to have them can they? It should be recommended though.

Great news @Monkey2001

Our school emailed to say exam years in from 4th, remainder will all be doing online lessons (live) from 4th. Tbh, I'm anticipating that they'll all be online for aaaaggeees now (T4 here, edge of greater London). The dc aren't wild about going back to online, but at least it'll all be live lessons now. They both had the last day of winter term as a test of teams. It worked well for ds, but dd (first year GCSE) had a few clowns who kept unmuting to ask stupid questions and make stupid noises which was frustrating her! Their school is insisting on pupil cameras off for safeguarding reasons: which makes total sense but I obv makes it easier for those not engaging to mentally switch off. How has everyone else found remote live lessons?

Happy NewYear everyone. We are on Teams from 5th with 4th as a training day. Not heard yet about COVID tests but Head says there is a local meeting for schools and will update when he hears more. DS has had two periods off with COVID and then self isolating. Online was hit and miss depending on subject but I think with everyone off it may make it easier than when it was partly for those in class and partly online. That’s what he seems to think anyway.

His senior tutor has agreed dropping AS maths is a good idea. Just need to sort out paperwork to do it. He will probably have taken the exam by the time that happens...

Mine is back in from the 6th (special school). He's a bit nervous but I do think it's the right thing. They will all be having lateral flow tests on Weds and again on Mom. It has small class sizes, very few corridors and lots of outdoor space. So far neither of mine had had to SI in term time, DD (y10) has had to over the holidays but that was from swimming club not school. As we have been in tier 4 since Boxing Day swimming club is closed again so she hasn't missed much TBH.

Online for two weeks as it seems everyone else. But has to go in for one morning as the AS exam proper is mentioned as still on.

@AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore the live lessons really vary in my experience - someof DDs have been great but DS finds them a complete turnoff and doesnt engage at all - him and his mates seems to run a side meeting where they just chat through them all as they dont have cameras on.

DD has to have her cameras on for some and it makes a massive difference.

I did wonder about needing cameras. Ds doesn't have a webcam on his pc. He has an iPad which I guess he could use if need be. But I don't think they will need them. It's just work set next week. The following week they might get some live lessons. I'm hoping he will have to check in at 9am. I'm so fed up with him sleeping all day. Well...all 3 dc's. He got up early today, 7am. I have been nagging him every day to get up and come for a drive, but he won't get up, finally he was up early this morn. I went up to him at 10am he was asleep. I've been up numerous times suggesting we drive...but he mumbles something and goes back to sleep. Now it's almost dark.

I really don't get all this sleeping. Are anyone's else's dc's as bad? We never spent hours in bed asleep as teens. Or is that because we didn't have gadgets to play on half the night? Ds1 (19) got up at 1.30pm for breakfast. That's the same most days. Ds2 did get up early today but soon went back to asleep, most days he gets up about 4pm. Ds3 (11) got up for breakfast 11.30am. 😡😡

Mine gets up at 7 am every day. Always has done . That's Gian Ford for you!

That said, DS1 always used to and doesn't now . He went to uni , was puzzled when no one else got up and adjusted his bodyclock. DH still makes him get up by 10 though!

I do think phones and gadgets in rooms are partof the issue.

When they were babies none of them were particularly good sleepers. None of them slept all night until well over a year old. Ds1 was more than 2 before sleeping all night. They all got up at 6am every morning through to mid primary school age. I didn't know back then, through all the exhaustion that one day I'd never get them up. My boys are spread out in age...so I was always tired. What the hell happened? Ds2 I'd have to tip cold water over him to get him to wake up when he doesn't see why he should get up. I do worry about him going to university because he just cannot get up and stay awake, unless he's out of the house.

I shouldn't complain. It's only something minor compared to what is going on in the world. Still winds me up though.

The good news @icanbewhatiwant is that your boys are completely normal! Sleeping in, amongst other traits are apparently necessary for their brains to develop (synapses, front lobe development etc....I am NOT medical in the slightest so will not insult anyone in attempting to explain this)!

Frustrating yes, but it will get better. If my DD hadn’t had 10 years of early waking for sport she’d be exactly the same right now

DS has got up in the last half hour.

DD(13) is yet to be prised from her lair despite me going in and opening her curtains. It's Sunday and back to school (online lessons) on Tue and I just can't muster the energy. We take DD's phone and laptop away from her before 9pm so no access to tech in the night.

Thankfully, DS has always had more self control and have managed to self regulate more reasonably.

Email from school with a timetable and slots for lateral tests to be delivered in the school sports hall over the next fortnight with the Y11/Y13's first up. They're organised at least - let's wait and see whether those lateral tests are delivered to every single school......

For the first time, I do feel some qualms about the DC having face to face lessons this month. We live the other side of the heath to our local hospital which was full last week and I do feel that we have reached the point of no choice but to close our schools possibly for the whole term. I prefer face to face teaching but our hospitals are full.

I know this will be naive and they’ll be many logical reasons as to why it can’t happen, but, I wish they’d vaccinate the 16 plus to uni students first, inc teachers from now. The whole hassle factor of lateral testing (administration, hours of lost time, risk and let’s face it, questionable accuracy) could be offset by going straight to Vaccine, reduce transmission in the most congregated community sector. There will be those that abstain, but this would at least break some transmission?

I lost a little faith in the govt medics when there was initial talk about mix and matching the vaccine doses across brands - thankfully this is no longer on the table. For now...