Year 8 support thread 2024-25

[ElvenDreamer]

Hi all, new shiny thread!

Welcome back to anyone who was in last years yr 7 thread expertly hosted by @BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Welcome anyone who wishes to join us fresh this year!

@Gingeristhenewblack43 Picking up on your last message from previous thread, so good to hear your DD is branching out in terms of new friends, sounds like she's handled everything really well.

Thank you @ElvenDreamer

Thanks @ElvenDreamer

We've got one week left of term but DS is looking tired and and dreaming of a lie in.

Y8 has started well, he has struggled with some Maths for the first time in his life which I think through him but he now seems cool with it

Joining in too....
2 week half term starts tomorrow which DS thinks is the best thing about his school

Thanks for the new thread @ElvenDreamer
Really glad it’s going well for your DD Ginger (can’t tag you for some reason…)

We have decided to apply for an Academic Scholarship for Yr 9-11 for DD, if for nothing else but to help with fees + VAT. We have put the application in and DD has assessment + interviews after half term but I'm really wavering. I'm just not 100% comfortable with adding any more pressure to her. She's doing well and her tutor from Yr 7 has endorsed her application but she's got a spiky profile, rather than being an all rounder, so we may not even be awarded the scholarship.
I think my concern is burnout before Yr 10+11 and the impact that may have on her during GCSE years.
Sorry, more of a brain dump than seeking advice!

Morning everyone!
@twistyizzy what does holding an academic scholarship mean in reality? I mean, I know music or sports scholarships expect the child to dedicate a lot of extra time to those activities, but with an academic one, I assumed it would stay on place providing she manages to stay above a certain threshold? Is that what you are worried about putting on pressure?
As long as DD doesn’t think this is something she HAS to get / maintain in order to stay at the school, I’d let her try for it and see what happens i.e. it would be a nice-to-have?

Four more days at school for DS. I think we’ve finally caught up on the homework 🤪 and this week it is mainly revising for end of unit tests. He had a bit of a meltdown yesterday because he keeps getting emails from attendance saying he hasn’t signed in at student hub when he has gone for a music lesson, but he HAS! I get that it is annoying, but I thought his reaction was a bit over the top… I will put that down to end-of-half-term-tiredness, I guess.

@TeaandHobnobs thank you, yes the pressure of having to maintain grades in order to maintain the scholarship.
To be honest I'm probably worrying unnecessarily as she is by no means guaranteed to be awarded one anyway. Her friend has one and was really upset after Yr 7 end of year exams when she got lower marks in a few subjects and was then worried about losing the scholarship.

@twistyizzy That’s great that they are backing her for it, hope it goes well.
DS breaks up on Wednesday which is good as he’s tired. Been a good start - great to see him enjoying his rowing more and settling into new friendships.

Made it to half term! Hope people that had it this week had a good time. No particular plans here other than let the kids lie in. We will probably go to the cinema etc DS2 has started a campaign to go trick or treating despite a) no costume as yet and b) having to miss his swimming/ lifesaving lesson (two weeks in a row). I am torn. Halloween not my thing, never has been but I tried to be semi keen when the kids were little.

So relieved to be at half term, DS badly needs to reset. Unfortunately school have set a fair bit of homework but at least he gets to lie in so swings and roundabouts I guess!

Has it been an 8 week first half? If so that's incredibly long 😕

It was here (well week 1 they started on Weds so 7 1/2 I suppose). The autumn term is like that though - second half here is still 7 weeks.
The lie ins are popular here too :).

Ditto to the 8 week half term here too. It was a slog to get through the last week!

Next half term is 7 weeks, but we have DD's 13th birthday to look forward to in the midst of that.

I have this week off work to spend with DD but she hasn't shown much interest in any of my suggestions.

There is some homework set but school are in the middle of moving from one online system to another to bring them inline with the other academy schools in the trust. So for now it's all set on paper and some of it doesn't seem to be marked or even collected in by the teacher.

There is a lengthy piece DD did on The Civil War for history that has gone back and forth to school for two weeks but not been requested by the teacher. I'm sick of seeing it but if I chuck it, it will probs be asked for by the teacher.

DD 13th bday today. Can't get over that I have a teenager in the house! She was distinctly underwhelmed by it 😄

Happy birthday to your DD @twistyizzy 🥳🥳🥳

Ah, Happy Birthday to your DD. Can't believe half term is nearly over, DS has an extra day off on Monday through which my older DD and younger DS don't so he is feeling very smug lol.

How are all the DC doing?

DD last week of term next week. She's had 2 weeks of end of term tests and now has 1 day (sunday) of carol concert followed by Tues-Thursday Festival of 9 which finishes around 9.30pm. Based lb last year she will just make it to Friday and then crash for the first week of her holiday.

We found out yesterday that she has got the Yr9-11 academic scholarship which is amazing as, due to VAT, they are only awarding 5 across the whole school for next year! Only a 5% fee reduction but every single penny helps + she will now get more academic support + enrichment through the scholarship programme as well as a monthly 1-2-1 with the Headmaster.
Been yet another hectic term so we are all ready for the break.

Bit so so here - DS2 damaged his wrists falling over ice skating a couple of weeks ago. In theory not badly but school takes about as much out of them as they heal overnight (not helped by the fact that now they are feeling a bit better he has a tendency to wave his arms around while talking and accidentally hits things). So it’s kind of dragging on and making everything difficult. Plus none of our relatives can make it for Christmas this year due to health issues so he’s upset about that. Can’t wait for the end of term tbh. Roll on the 20th!
Very well done on the scholarship to your DD @twistyizzy .

Brilliant news @twistyizzy
Sorry to hear DS is injured @Walkingbkwrm

Finish on 18th here and DS is definitely ready for the end of term. He’s generally done well academically this term although maths is still his biggest issue.

He seems happy enough and enjoys his clubs especially rowing and minatures painting (Warhammer!). Ski trip in February too.

We have to start thinking about GCSE options soon which seems very early! They all do maths, English x2, 3 separate sciences and a modern language. He needs to choose his language by the end of next term from German or Spanish- he dropped French last year. Then he needs to choose 3 from Latin, Classical Greek, Music, Art, DT, Computer Science to do next year. He could also do both languages.
They carry on with RS, Geography, History and games next year regardless.
He’s thinking German, Latin and Computer Scirnce but is unsure of his other choice. He’ll drop it in favour of History at GCSE I think so I have said do another year of something fun- DT or Art?

@HalfasleepChrisintheMorning thank you
Yes DD drops 1 of music/art/DT/drama for start of Yr 9 as they keep the 2 x MFL + Latin so suppose they need to free up timetable space. They they choose opting by Feb half term of Yr 9. It is all flying past so quickly!
DD broke up on Friday so is currently spending 60% of her day in bed!
Hope everyone has a great Xmas