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

[orangecinnamon]

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To be honest, I don't just want to...

Our school was also hit by the cyber attack so all our systems have gone down and loads of data lost.

It's been a tough week for sure.

Got to keep swimming.

@Piggywaspushed - feel for you. That is shit. You just have to wonder who on earth would have allowed a party in their house. Just astonishing.

Keep swimming - when the pools open...

Maybe I'll just use a bathtub!

Well, yes,and also who allowed their child to go to a party! I feel very cross on behalf of the rest of the sixth form.

I think subject choices make a difference. Ds1 didn't have much work to do at home. Ds2 has a lot more. He says the majority is history. He says there's so much to do at home. Or maybe that teacher likes setting homework.

@Piggywaspushed

billie, did the school offer any constructive help? It sounds a bit harsh otherwise!

I'd say get him to draw up a timetable and stick to it. Allocate actual tasks to his study periods and stick to this. Find somewhere quiet to work (not always easy at school). Tell him to tell his mates he's in a bit of a situation and that he needs to get his head down to catch up. Good mates will support this.

These things worked a bit with DS1. The main thing that worked was allocating times for subjects and him having to show me/discuss what he had done or achieved. I have also never let mine have devices in rooms at night so that did help to get proper sleep at least.

The college have been lovely but I think because Of the trauma and the lack of contact due to Covid it's been a perfect storm.

Thanks for all the responses they have been helpful. DS has opened up a bit and we are trying to get him back on track.

Oh Piggy what a nightmare! I can't believe someone thought hosting a party was a good idea (because parents can't be out of the country) and then many others thought 'count me in'.

Mind you, I spoke to the manager of an Asda superstore this week and they had to close the entrance temporarily on Saturday as they reached capacity. They have become "a day out destination"!

I just wanted to say that I have an older DD who absolutely mucked up her A levels ( pre Covid). She got a D, D and E! Then she did retakes and got an A*AC. The C was only 2 marks below a B. So there is hope.

I feel for young people right now.

@Piggywaspushed that’s so ridiculous I can’t even comprehend how someone (multiple people!) thought a party was a good idea.
I know it’s tough for young people but it’s tough for everyone right now.

We are trying to focus on booking a big holiday next summer. We haven’t been away in years and never been able to take the kids abroad so looking forward to planning this.

Question for those who know these things:
DS1 will be year 13, will he finish college early (after A level exams) and if so, roughly when is it usually?
DS2 will have done his GCSES so trying to work out if we can save some money and go before the official summer hols!

You may have a window early July or Early September you may get something cheaper @fiddlersgreen? I can't remember if national contingency day was the same for GCSEs but that was end of June ...who knows what will happen next year !

@Piggywaspushed that is so frustrating! DS1 suffered from a similar thing - Spring break cancelled because stupid, inconsiderate people had parties, ignored other rules and caused a Covid outbreak which had consequences for all those people who were missing out on so much already to comply with the rules and are now missing out on even more.

@Fiddlersgreen Don't forget things like Proms, Graduation evenings etc often happen at the end of term after the exams finish.

@orangecinnamon @Seeline
Thanks both.
Good points regarding proms, graduation etc.
We won’t be booking anything just yet, just making some loose plans

Bah proms.
DD’s unworn prom dress still in wardrobe. It is very unlikely to fit her in Year 13 but she’ll give it a try!

@Zandathepanda I was about to say ‘on the note of proms- I’m hoping DDs frock will get an airing in 2022!

DD was so lucky - her school always held the Y11 prom after mocks. It seemed really weird sending her off in open toed heels and strapless dress in mid January with frost on the ground, but at least she had her prom.

@Fiddlersgreen: we're thinking of a summer holiday next year for ours too as I have a GSCE and an A level finisher next year: it's going to be fun un our house next year! I'm really hoping we can scoop something in before end of term/get a bit of a cheaper deal too!

Ds's zoom parents eve tonight: 5 mins per teacher felt SHORT (where it felt like a decent time for GCSE teachers). But all really lovely, positive feedback and gave him a real boost: which I think he needed :-)

DDs prom dress also hanging unworn in the wardrobe. I think they have a sixth form ball but in year 13 so no doubt it either won’t fit or won’t be fashionable by then!

Positive LFT at DDs sixth form but just close contacts sent home. Not sure whether it was confirmed by PCR test.

One positive test here too at dd2 sixth form. I'm surprised, as they've escaped any, the whole year before in pupils. But I guess this was before testing for asymptomatic cases. Helps that it's almost fully boarding. None in ds1 school yet.
Dd2 had her first proper term exams for over a year today. She said they were so hard & she is very out of practice. Online exams are definitely not the same.

I'm not sure the delayed prom will be going ahead in June...even so Dd has moved on from that part of her life. She was treated pretty badly by some she thought were friends who basically blanked her (there is a name for that?)as soon as lockdown started. Here is a pic of her in her prom dress of dreams as I doubt it will ever get worn again. She wanted to look like a sparkly fish !
I don't think it is the style for future Uni balls?

@Fferny1

One positive test here too at dd2 sixth form. I'm surprised, as they've escaped any, the whole year before in pupils. But I guess this was before testing for asymptomatic cases. Helps that it's almost fully boarding. None in ds1 school yet. Dd2 had her first proper term exams for over a year today. She said they were so hard & she is very out of practice. Online exams are definitely not the same.

Hopefully that will be taken into account, surely ?they are all out of practice! The problem is doesn't do anything for their self esteem Dd feels much the same.

@orangecinnamon your daughter looks beautiful in the dress. She is better off than these so called friends who have treated her badly. Hope she is doing ok now.

@orangecinnamon ahhh lovely dress, I feel so sorry they didn’t get the event my elder Dd got. I darent post a pic of Dds dress (just in case) but I think I mentioned before it was ‘warrior game of thrones style’, possibly to be worn with a spiky crown she could bow and charge at some similar type of people your Dd has to put up with.
I have a friend who does wonders with dresses. I am sure she could make the one you’ve posted into a cocktail dress for example.
I have seen pics of dresses worn at uni - loads of different styles.
Dd says she’ll wear hers for Yr13 - if she finally gets to go to one there will be an eclectic mixture of dresses I am sure.

wow, @orangecinnamon: that's an amazing dress, and your dd looks stunning in it: I think she should wear it for as many future events as she can - I can't see any reason it wouldn't work for uni balls at all!

Aaah thanks all - she says she wants to keep it and may wear it to a big singing performance or something.
I feel sad for them all really, so many missed life events. Fingers crossed next academic year is better.

@orangecinnamon that's a lovely dress. When ds1 had his prom I did think how much easier it must be to have boys like I do when it comes to things like proms. I can imagine girls taking a long time to choose a dress...then there's hair and makeup.

Ds2 obviously didn't get to go to a prom. they have one at the end of year 13 but when ds1 had his that year no one had dressed up. He wore black jeans and a shirt. But I expect as Ds2's year didn't have a year 11 prom they will want to dress up.

I feel for ds this week...we've have 2 quite large clothes deliveries from ASOS as they sell men's xxs. But most of it is too big and had to go back. I ordered some plain t shirts from next in age 13. Perfect fit. But he doesn't like anything else in the child sizes. So clothes buying is proving difficult.