Thread 15 - Corona Cohort Year 12, 2021 Lateral Flow & Driving Tests

[orangecinnamon]

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Belated well done @icanbewhatiwant's ds! How has everyone's easter hols been? Ds has been doing a spring pod course which he's quite enjoyed and has half his EPQ drafted so a reasonably effective holiday for him. Even better all done with pretty much zero nagging: I do think the pandemic has built some study skills. Well, apart from in dd who has basically laid around on her bed watching k-dramas all holidays ;-)

Well done for theory test successes and good luck for those about to take it. Ds is a bit meh about it. Wants to drive but doesn’t want to work at it!

He’s off to an 18th birthday garden gathering today with some friends from college. A few in his little group are a year older having done re-takes/level 2. He told me the “lads might be having a few bevvies”. Ds doesn’t drink but said he might be persuaded to have one. I was a bit anxious as I’ve just had my Covid vaccine and was worried about being able to pick him up if needed. But I’ve had minimal side effects. Anyway, he’s said he really doesn’t want to drink (unlike dd he’s never even asked to try anything apart from a tiny bit of peach schnapps). I take comfort from the fact he’s been discussing it with me.

He also has a contingency plan. The party is being held just a 3 min walk from his girlfriends house and if he feels uncomfortable with anything he will go there.

Well DD has had her first driving lesson post lockdown and, surprise surprise, we haven’t taught her too many bad habits!

In fact, ‘You know, mum, John says the same thing as you about me braking too early going into a bend.’

Who’d have thought it??!

That's good news @KingscoteStaff - DD has managed to rebook her theory test in a nearby centre for 01/05. Previously the only close by slot she could get was in August 😮

DS1 returns to university tomorrow and his college seems to have given up and let everyone back into their accommodation.

And I've had my eyebrows done and am about to get my hair done. Happy days.

Hair done here too! And then went to the outdoor pool and now look like a bedraggled guinea pig...

I was glad to get the boys haircuts done fri. Ds3 looked very 1960's. I quite liked it though, he didn't have much off. But ds2 likes the current trend of clipped sides with longer on top. The last time I had mine cut and highlighted was July. So it badly needs doing. 4 weeks to wait.

About an hour ago I read an email (sent 5pm) from the school to say please do a lateral flow test tonight or before school starts again tomorrow morning. So dragged Dd from her essay (in for tomorrow, naturally). She got excited that the C line showed up until I told her that meant control! She’s never bothered looking at the test lines before. She really hates going back!

@Zandathepanda thanks for reminding me...I have now put the covid test boxes out on the kitchen island so I remember to get them to do them in the morning. Last Monday ds3 was just about to put a spoonful of cereal in his mouth when he asked "aren't we meant to do covid tests before school on Mondays?" thank goodness he remembered. Ds2 might remember but wouldn't tell me he's always rushing too much.

Yes, I remembered the lateral flow tests about 10 mins ago just as DD was going to bed. DS isn't back till Weds so his can wait.

Both of them having big wobbles about tests/exams this week

Ds was supposed to do them throughout the holidays but didn’t. It was a trauma getting him to do it earlier today.

Well I’ve just had the half term school report through saying DS2 has gone backwards since November and has produced some terrible topic test results so currently working at B/C, C/D and D/E level for his three subjects 😱😱😱😱. In November they said B/C for all three which I was OK with at that stage. And they also say that he has done fuck all in his EPQ. Every time I have said “why don’t you do some work/revision/EPQ” this holiday he has told me to “chill” and that he has everything under control, so I have just gone totally bananas at him.
It is maddening because if he just pulled his finger out and worked not particularly hard but consistently he would be easily working at A/B level ready to ramp it up next year. He is just making life unnecessarily difficult for himself - why doesn’t he see that???
I do NOT have the time to spoon feed him and supervise him, I work full time (and the rest, I was working for a full 12 hours in my study today). Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

Does he have to do the EPQ delphi? In the end that can prove a distraction and a waste of time. Not all schools do them, and unis that lower results for them generally want an A or above in EPQ.

My older DS was like this(although never A material). I commiserate.

That’s a good question piggy. I agree there is no point him doing it unless he gets an A but if he does well in it that will reduce his offer on 2 of the three courses he is particularly interested in (from ABB to BBB) and just might swing a university to accept him on the day if he does just miss an offer?
The school doesn’t require EPQ but his tutor says he would “just like to see him engage with something academic in a positive way”. I think it might help him decide whether he does want to study this subject at A level.

If I thought ditching the EPQ would mean that he spent the time focussing on his studies and improving his grades I would ditch it in a flash, but he dropped his 4th subject early at Christmas for that reason and the time has been spent drumming and sitting in fields with his mates...

Sorry I mean help him decide if he does want to study this subject at university, not A level!

My Dd is just doing the 3 A Levels and dropped EPQ. She could have done well in it but she needed the time for her 3 other subjects and other out of school activities.

@Delphigirl. One of DD’s friends has decided to restart year 12 again in September - changing one A level.

She’s had a tough lockdown, feels she hasn’t done herself justice in Lower 6th, doesn’t feel enthusiastic about any university or course and wants a more ‘normal’ 6th form experience.

Do you think your DS might think about that? Or might that suggestion give him a bit of a shove?

Morning all! DS had his first 'proper' driving lesson on Saturday. Despite my initial reservations he liked very professional when he turned up and DS loved the lesson and drove for pretty much the entire hour. He really enjoyed it so we have booked again - hoorah! I am going to let him drive home from school at lunchtime today, he's been doing more practice during the holidays and we have been trekking further afield so hopefully he'll manage - fingers crossed.

Haircuts for the boys happening today, mine is booked for Thursday and I cannot wait!

Sorry to hear about your DS's report @Delphigirl, hopefully the report will have given him a kick up the backside and motivate him.

DS is handing in his form to drop a subject today so I'm hoping it will give him more time to focus on his Biology which is lagging.

Ds has asked to drop the 4th A level early. But school have said not until they start year 13. He has exams over the next few weeks. He would rather concentrate on 3. But the school usually like them to wait until after AS levels results.

I know ds has a business studies exam today as we had to cancel the driving lesson. I asked at the dinner table last night if he'd been busy revising, the reply was why would I be revising when there's football on 🤷‍♀️

Ooops just seen the LFT box on the table. Was hoping it would remind me to get DD to do it - we've done them twice weekly all through Easter hols - but DH had moved the table to the side and I've just noticed them. Eek!

Haircuts done here too.

DD has mocks all week here so she's gone into school nervous.

Waiting for her provisional licence to arrive. They said 2 weeks and that's up today. I'm not holding my breath

In other news she has officially gone on Pointe and had her first class last Friday. I apparently have made the ankle elastics too loose so there's now more sewing to do. She also need new ballet and jazz shoes so more expense but she loves dance so much and is overjoyed to be back in her studio again.

Hope everyone's DC who is back at school today has a good first day back

The first pair of pointe shoes is a special moment. (sadly due to injury dd probably won't go en pointe again although the physio is doing some work with her.)

Being a mum of 3 boys and obviously not into dance myself I had to look up pointe.

Boys can do pointe these days too (after many years of lessons and strengthening of course)

I am thinking that’s the wooden blocks in the toe of ballet shoes.....goes off to google....

...ow
It’s a bit more sophisticated then but looks painful.
I have two Dds but only managed a copy of ballet years. I was chatting about it recently and Dd2 said she went for the cake!?

Couple not copy