YEAR 8 YEAR 8 YEAR 8 !!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we are, all ready for the new term !!

We got M&S trousers too - for the opposite reason! ds1 is rather chubby atm, but tall for his age. He has got age 16, short leg trousers, and they seem to fit well.

He's been away all weekend at a festival, back at midnight last night and - like me - doesn't want to even think about school tomorrow. But I think we're all set.

I'm a bit concerned his sweatshirts might be a bit on the small/tight side, but I couldn't brave school outfitters today anyway. So if it is, he will have to cope with it til the weekend.

Thanks everyone, good luck for the rest for the week to all your DCs

good luck too from me - ds starts back on Monday...

ds1 has been a bit grumpy today, but I think it's cos he's exhausted from the festival and a bit nervous about tomorrow.

(For the whole of yr7 they were taught with their form group, now I think there'll be a big mix-up and some of 'setting' across the whole year. He'll also get new teachers too, but he is continuing with some of last year's as well.)

Dh kindly took him to get new school sweatshirts this morning, so he'll look much better in those than the tight ones from last year!

LGP, I am impressed you got your dd to agree to shoes from M&S - had no trouble getting my dd to agree to Clarks last year but this year she was adamant she wanted those ballet pump things (that will probably last a month at the most). Unfortunately the ones at Clarks didn't fit properly and she has ended up with some from New Look . Maybe once she has a had wet feet a couple of times she will change her mind!

My dd didn't meet up with many classmates over the hols - a lot of them don't live in our town and were away when we were around and vis versa.... she has seemed happy to do things with her younger siblings still, don't know how long that will last!

Back to school tomorrow so I need to double check she has everything - haven't needed to buy anything new since last year yet!

Grapefruit Moon - I got her these in black, from the adult range as she is now size 6 . They are a good compromise I think.

I didn't think of looking at the adult range - she didn't like any in the children's range. Though she would have objected to the strap on the ones you got anyway...

I got ds1 some new trainers the other day and he is size 4 already (he's only 8). That's what dd was last year - so no way will I be able to pass on the football boots dd had last year which she wore only a few times and are now probably too small. (He doesn't do football at the moment but will need some eventually for secondary school).

Hmm maybe I should force him to do football so we can get some use out of the boots!

My dd2 has those shoes too, and dd1 has announced they are too shiney - I'm in Cork so different set up but shoes are a worldwide difficulty! Cocopelew, I had friends in Coleraine whose ds went to the 'local school' for similar reasons to your dd, and they found it excellent.

Did anyone else go back today. DD had a good first day - she is in top sets for everything, which means she is with more of her friends and fewer of the annoying people, as they were clearly too busy being annoying last year to do enough work to stay up.

Sounds like a good day all round for your dd LGP .

Ds doesn't go back till next Tuesday. Just need to get his shoes. DH will take him on Sat (I have had a knee op and not up to going anywhere yet)

My dd went back today too. Think they are staying with their original form but will move around a bit for the subjects that are taught in sets (not very many though). She still doesn't have a locker or a full timetable. She's just been told she needs to bring back some of last year's exercise books to continue with rather than have new ones - luckily we hadn't got around to sorting through them and putting them in the recycling bin!

That's great news LGP

Thanks guys. When I said top sets for everything, I meant maths, science and MFL which are the only things they set for in her school.
She has just had a total meltdown because we insisted on TV off and upstairs to bed at 8pm. She was sitting on her bed howling and sobbing that it wasn't fair, she is 12 and should be allowed to watch TV till later, and she was clearly absolutely shattered. Turned out she hadn't slept well last night and the cat woke her up at 6am, because he thinks her bedroom window is an extra catflap. I think she's asleep now.

Awww LGP poor dd.

ds1 actually has got on really well all last year with his mixed ability form group - they were taught all subjects in their form group all year (except Maths, where they had a 'high aptitude' group from about March).

Now he is in 'High ap' for most things (not PE or dance LOL!), he's finding some difficult characters in there

I think it is just that he has had chance to get to know his form group really well and vice versa, and once he settles into these new classes he will be fine. There are changes between subjects, but clearly there are a core of students who are in 'high ap' for a large number of subjects.

dd goes back today- I'm quite excited about it

Yr 7 was v much about finding her feet; this feels more like the real thing

Can I ask those of you with DDs, do I need to be thinking about periods? DD has been absolutely vile the past few days, really touchy and weepy and she has a bad outbreak of spots as well. I have suggested she pop a couple of towels in her schoolbag, just in case, but she is in denial unkeen.

no dd of my own, but I have just updated the illustrations on a very good book called Have You Started Yet ? which you could leave in her room..
ds home from first day back, happy enough until I pointed out he'd left his ABRSM singing book there after his lesson and I am not about to fork out £12 for another -so he huffed off back to get it...

MAS - I have given her two books about periods in the last couple of years - she stuffed them in her bookcase and refused to read them! It is all gross and disgusting and she doesn't want to think about it.
Hope your DS finds his book. Which reminds me, better get DD to do some music practice before tea.

Oh, MAS my DD has that book, I bought it from LL .
LGP, my DD is 12 in December and I think her periods aren't far away. She's been gettng a discharge and it looked like there was spots of blood in it a few weeks ago. It should be interesting, blood makes her vomit .

I did explain periods to her, but she looked at me with a pitying look and said "Mummy, I think you must have that wrong". Hence the book!

I left Living with a Willy in ds's room and he was quite interested in it

oh, and singing book was found,thank goodness...

Dd had her first period two years ago, so we've got over that one.

Hello

DS1 went back today - seems to have taken it in his stride. I was a bit worried as I have started my new job and this is the first time he has let himself into an empty house. I rang him from work at 4.20 and he was just stuffing his face with a few biscuits. He was fine and only on his own for an hour. From next week and after than (Mon and Tue) DH will be home at 5.00pm.

He has got one piece of homework.

How are we all getting on? ds1 seems to be getting quite a bit of homework already, but is knuckling down and mostly organising/motivating himself to get it done.

He's doing/intending to do more after-school activities this term, which I view as a "good thing", so it's even more important that he keeps on top of the homework.

He's in "high aptitude" groups for most subjects, and the homework tasks seem to be more demanding and also more interesting.

I just hope he doesn't get too exhausted. He looks very tired already this evening, and it's only Tuesday, and it's 7 weeks til the holidays.