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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We just had an email from school saying the school will break up on 17th a day early to allow a 6 day window for the children to be home before Christmas. What is 6 day window? Not heard of that.

We’ve got the same and we’re told it’s to allow Track and Trace to contact school leaders for the week following college closure in the case of a confirmed case whilst allowing staff to have a break from Christmas Eve on.

Student cookbook going in stocking .

@TheySeeHerRowling - DS (y12)'s school have had cases, but DD (y10)'s have had none so far, the odd person SI due to outside contact but that's all so far.

@ChristopherTracy - good tip about hand protection for the pull up bar, I think gym or climbing gloves might be useful

@pasanda - glad things have improved for your DD.

@AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore - my DS is also not ready for driving yet, but I think we need to start looking for an instructor, we are going to need to choose carefully because of DS's SNs.

Christmas lists - neither of my DC have asked for many things. DD has recently decided she'd like some airpods but that's the only thing she's asked for (apart from her usual tube of Pringles in her stocking). DS is yet to come up with any suggestions.

DS got his grade sheet today. they do MEGs calculated on GCSE results which are AABB . He then got current performance of ABBB and predicted grades of AAAB (with B in the soon to be dropped Spanish). Delighted with that. Sociology teacher giving him currently a B is a bit on the mean side but he is aiming for an A* in that one and I reckon he may well do it.

So different from DS1 if anyone on this board lived through my travails with him!!

The track and trace thing is ridiculous, really. the idea that headteachers should be 'pleased' to get Christmas Eve off is bizarre beyond belief. Most laypeople don't realise that SLTs have been providing a pro bono tracing service for Dido and co since September and were expected to carry on doing that right up to Xmas Day, thus being the ones to phone someone's home on Dec 24th and tell them to SI, even though it wouldn't affect school attendance at all!

Those are great predicted grades @Piggywaspushed. It must be hard to have your 'tricky' child first! Ours are the other way round, so I feel like I was gently eased into the whole parenting/secondary schooling business. I will be asking your advice in a year or two's time!

Ha, OK!

He was completely untricky until year 8 : then many things went wrong...

I am in awe of DD’s school Piggy. She has a fantastic head of L6th, who hasn’t missed a beat with getting SI emails out over weekends, ringing homes for close contacts, the minute she gets notification of a case. It’s so joined up, from reception. medical staff, how to get books to students etc. No sight of Dido and team for days, if at all. Official T&T has been so varied in its effectiveness across the country for sure.

We've also had the email to say it's an inset next Friday. It came at lunchtime and DD had history first two periods and the teacher was adamant there was no inset but I wonder if she was just joking with them

Thanks for the heads up Re ringing an instructor now Fools as DD definitely wants the same instructor she had for under 17s so I'll text him and ask to be put on the waiting list.

Some great results reporting coming through from your DC. I think it’s too early to worry about lower grades in subjects unless specifics are flagged.

Also don’t know what acronyms ALIPS or MEGS stands for

I have idea what the acronyms are either! Remember friends’ DCs starting off with D, E and U and then going up gradually.

DD is my tricky one, nothing has been very straightforward since nursery!!

@Piggywaspushed I remember your DS1 as I encountered you after GCSE results day 2017 with my DS1 and his ridiculous review of marking for Eng Lit which went from 6 to 9. I got the impression he was thriving at university though - is that right. Well done to DS2 for his great results.

@ealingwestmum has your DD considered an EPQ? You can get more UCAS points as A* is available and you can do it on anything that interests you, did not need to be related to A levels. Points count for Ireland, I looked into Irish options for DS1.

DS had a dress up day at school yesterday and went in skimpy girls clothing, showing off his rugby legs and the shoulders he had been working on for the last 6 months. He is 6ft 2 and looked ridiculous (deliberately) - people congratulated him on being "bold"!

We have been having Christmas confusion. Had planned to have our 3 bubbles as my sister's family and parents, but both DSs will be seeing girlfriends, DS1's GF staying for a couple of weeks, but seeing her family with split parents and we realised we can't see any of our family within the rules, so will now just be the 4 of us on Christmas Day, but we will meet others outside for mulled wine and mince pies. I felt like a party pooper to be the one cancelling the plans, but turned out that everybody had been feeling anxious. We will just have to plan a big Easter party post-vaccine.

Thanks monkey : I remember that silly English situation and our group therapy sessions on remarks!

Socially thriving to an extent : academically not so much. But he has grown up at least!

MEG = Minimum Expected Grade.

So many acronyms these days!

GCSE certificates came home with DD today. Have scanned and saved copies just in case.

Also had an email saying last day of sixth form is now the 17th instead of 18th. Happy they are finishing early as definitely ‘endoftermitis’ here too.

Progress report due tomorrow so will be interesting to see.

piggy those are some great grades

Ah, thank you @Piggywaspushed.

@Monkey2001 I think the EPQ is a great option but she’s discounting it on the basis of timetabling. I think it gives her the same number of points as AS if top marks gained. Worth mentioning again though.

Hello all, DS went back to school this Monday after two weeks of isolation and really patchy online learning - the less said about economics the better. He came back this week to a stream of exams and testing that they ae being told about the day before (min two per subject) and one of his English mocks today which he was only advised last Friday about and has been in full panic mode after marking of essays between C- and A* and not enough feedback for him to assess what he did and didn't do well in them!

The one he hasn't worried about and has done well in is History which was his lowest gcse grade of his A level subjects (they gave him the same as his mock). I'm surprised to hear so many saying they are struggling with ti, I wonder if it's the topics? DS is currently doing Russian and French stuff .

I am also looking at booking driving lessons for a few months time but can't decide who to go with, I'm worried about block booking lessons only to find he doesn't get on with the instructor - does that happen often do you think??

Those are great predictions @Piggywaspushed - you must be delighted.

We're awaiting news on more self isolation...really dreading hearing esp as Oct half term was ruined with isolation.

School has done nothing about the EPQ which they are insisting is done. Starting to get very very frustrated about it, and a bit worried.

At DD's 6th form the EPQ is done in year 13 which will make her last year quite busy but she really wants to do one.

Just had two emails from school to say parents evening is mid January and to tell us our DD has qualified for a end of term reward which is a half day of her choosing next week to go Christmas shopping - as long as it coincides with her free periods She has 3 days to choose from it seems so perhaps with having Friday off a half day Thursday could work well. Up to her though.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn I haven't heard of anyone not getting on with their instructor. But it must happen. We only have a few instructors in our area. I've always gone by recommendation. The chap who taught ds1 was great, but he's giving up as he has another job starting in March. So wouldn't take ds2 on. He recommended 2 other instructors. One of them we booked with back in August to start mid nov. But now after the last lockdown he won't take ds on until next year. I happened to see a post on Facebook about instructors and a new instructor commented. So I decided to book ds with him until jan. Ds had his first lesson last night and has asked if he can keep with him for lessons. I don't know whether a new instructor is a good thing or bad thing.

It's difficult isn't it @icanbewhatiwant, I saw some FB recommendations on the village page about a month ago but can no longer find the posts! I think I know who I might go with I'm just a bit nervous. It's also expensive - £34/hr, seems a long way from the £9 I used to pay!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn yes Facebook is a good place to ask for recommendations. It's cheaper here. All lessons are for 2 hours. £54 for the 2 hours. Still expensive though!

Dd starts EPQ in Jan with the aim of finishing it over the summer holidays. She is thinking of doing something around feminism and musical theatre...needs to narrow it a bit! Managed to get tickets for SIX on her birthday in July though that's a secret I'll have to keep. Online learning started yesterday and she has been sharing kitchen table with me. We had a hot chocolate break at 3pm today it was yum! Current predictions still all Bs but she is so much happier than she ever was back in the days when these threads first started.
No driving lessons here yet I will have a search.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn I do know a couple who haven’t got in with their instructors and have changed but it wasn’t an immediate switch , they did a block of lessons first. Have seen lots of people ask for recommendations on our local FB page,.

OrangeCinnamon that’s so lovely to hear she is so much happier 😊

Good week here by the sounds of it which has been lovely to hear about.