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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

pfb -in fact only child - off to secondary on Thursday...

788 replies

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/09/2008 08:07

am being calm but every so often panic strikes me - ds is fine about it, it's just me fretting about roads to cross/ money for the canteen - will it get lost/stolen, what about the lockers, arghhh ! Plus,as with the beginning of every term,I'll miss him - I love having him here in the holidays !
It also means that I have no excuses not to sit at my desk and work on the job I'm meant to finish by the end of Seot...

OP posts:
MorticiaAnnSpookington · 13/10/2008 16:11

it was lovely, fab topping - could have done with a bit of cinnamon but delicious anyway

bellavita · 13/10/2008 16:20

Sounds delic.

magentadreamer · 13/10/2008 18:04

Hope the evaluation went well!

magentadreamer · 13/10/2008 18:05

Hope the evaluation went well!

bagsforlife · 13/10/2008 18:15

Speaking as an 'old hand' of DCs at secondary school, I wouldn't worry too much about your DS, MAS.

I think it takes at least until after Christmas for them all to 'gel' and make new friends. My youngest DS started secondary last year and he didn't really make a firm group of friends until this year.

He was the only boy from his primary school to go to his school (mixed, selective school) and he only probably only got invited to a couple of social things in the first year (mainly arranged by their parents obviously) but he wasn't unhappy and now this term, he seems to be in a gang of really nice boys and has been to a couple of parties already. I think they need a while to sort themselves out into friendship groups while they are all trying to start a new school too, if you see what I mean.

roisin · 13/10/2008 18:15

yummmmmmmmm.... I can't wait!

In Tech ds1 has been making a new house number for grandma's new house. Unfortunately her house sale has just fallen through at the last moment (because of banks/money/credit crunch, etc.), so she won't be able to buy "number 9"

Does anyone live at "number 9" and want a new house number?

bellavita · 13/10/2008 18:17

oh what a shame roisin.

MorticiaAnnSpookington · 13/10/2008 18:35

thanks bagsforlife - that is comforting
roisin - that's sad - my parents are just about to exchange on a house (not a 9 unfortunately) so hope their's doesn't fall through - it's all very alarming - adds to general anxieties I think.

magentadreamer · 13/10/2008 18:40

Sorry to hear about that Roisin. Same thing happened to a work colleague!

MorticiaAnnSpookington · 14/10/2008 16:12

CAT tests for ds this week...
he is also interested in a ski -ing trip to Vermont in 2010, cost over £1k - gah !!!!!

bellavita · 14/10/2008 16:23

DS mentioned a skiing trip to Canada (Feb 2009) at the beginning of term at a cost of £1150 - err I think not!

MorticiaAnnSpookington · 14/10/2008 16:26

who can afford these things ? - have told ds that given the subjects he really likes (geography,languages) there are bound to be other trips which he can go on throughout his school career ! I even have to ask my mum to give me money for his swimming lessons so am feeling v conscious of costs...

bellavita · 14/10/2008 16:46

We have cut DS's lunch money down to £2 from £2.50 as we found he was spending half of it on sweets at the shop and have said to him if it carries on, then he will have to take packed lunch. We cannot afford for him to be doing this, especially as DS1 is having school dinners at £9 per week - I cook a dinner every night as well.

He seems to have gone all moody at the moment, but smiled tonight when I told him next week was only a four day week for him at school and DS2 had to do five!

magentadreamer · 15/10/2008 00:08

Erk@Ski trips to the States! Thanfully DD's school takes them to Germany so I'll only have to sell the one kidney to afford that!

The turn around in DD since she started High School has been amazing. Tonight she was saying she needs to revise for her Maths test next week as she really wants to be in the Top set and not no2 set! Last year she would have sooner pulled her toe nails out then admit she wanted to revise. She switched off so much in Yr6 I was really worried about her. Now she can't wait to tell me all about her day, what she did in this lesson and that one before I got can't remember if I asked her!

bellavita · 15/10/2008 00:22

Gosh magenta - can you send her over here to speak to DS? He is beginning to be soooooo moody

magentadreamer · 15/10/2008 00:26

It's probably a phase she's going throw and stroppy pre teen girl will kick in next week...

magentadreamer · 15/10/2008 00:28

Oh and she couldn't possible talk to a boy cos they're all just sooooooooooo annoying - I'm hoping she'll carry on thinking that for years to save on all the teen angst she'll go throw when she discovers that not all of them are annoying...

bellavita · 15/10/2008 00:48
  • going to bed now, night night
roisin · 15/10/2008 08:56

Magentadreamer - that's great! ds1 is like that too: there seems to be a real sense of achievement in his school and it's "cool to be clever" and work hard and do your best.

I think the major difference to our school is we have vertical forms and actively encourage yr7s to get to know older pupils, who - given the nature of our school - are often a negative rather than a positive influence! And the tiny yr7s quickly pick up the teenage/hormonal attitudes towards school/teachers/homework/wearing your tie scruffily, etc.

MorticiaAnnSpookington · 15/10/2008 09:27

great about your dd magenta - good for her !

bellavita · 15/10/2008 17:06

DS came home with a Student of the Week certificate for his efforts helping out at the open evening last Thursday.

He has brought his pasta bake home and I asked him if he wanted that for tea or the roast dinner that we are having. His reply was "well what if I don't like it?" I told him that was fine and there was enough dinner for him to have if that was the case, but he is not so keen on having that either

magentadreamer · 15/10/2008 18:06

Well done your DS Bellavita!

roisin · 15/10/2008 18:09

ds1 is doing his first concert tonight with the boys' choir. He gets back to school c.8pm, so won't be home til much later - depending on whether he can scrounge a lift with someone or whether he has to wait for the bus.

He was quite nervous this morning: I hope he's enjoyed himself.

bellavita · 15/10/2008 18:09

The pasta bake actually looks and smells lovely - he has had two helpings (not bad to say he did not think he would like it!)

MorticiaAnnSpookington · 15/10/2008 21:43

oh well done both boys