Oh! Oh! My firstborn starts secondary school in September. Surely that warrants a support thread?

[Cadelaide]

Am I a bit too early for this?

I mean it's months away yet, isn't it?

I just wish he would let me kiss him, or hug him, or gently poke him with one finger even.

He's just not touchy. He left on Monday for a school trip and I wasn't even allowed a hair-ruffle.

We have our new parents' evening tomorrow, then dd has her induction morning on Monday. Gulp. She has a full induction day in September too. I am starting to think about uniforms....
Both exciting and a little scary for all of us (although dh is too cool to admit it)

Parents' evening was great, and this morning dd has her induction, gulp. She was excited and a little in awe of her new school and the big people there. I think she'll have a lovely time though, can't wait to hear what she thought.....

Ours is this week and I am much more excited than nervous for my ds.
The whole application and transfer process has taken soooo long that we just can't wait to get on with it. Helped by the fact that DS hasn't done any real work at school since sitting the SATs.
He'll probably have forgotten everything by the time he moves up in September

How did your dd get on at her induction FrogPrincess?

DS1 has got his on Monday. He is so upbeat and confident about going to secondary that I think I'm worried about him going there on Monday, seeing what it's like and then coming down to earth with a bump! Hopefully that will not be the case....

Someone mentioned earlier that their DC had not done any 'proper work' since SATs and DS1 is the same. He is cruising along at the moment so I think he's well ready for a new challenge. He'll be 12 a week or two after he starts his new school so he's well ready to move up I think!

I'm dreading the primary school 'Leavers Service'. I cry every year and up to yet, I have not had a child that is leaving

It went very well, thanks. She enjoyed assembly very much, which is probably a first (apparently the boys' choir sang some very good songs), met a few teachers, did some games to get to know her classmates, exchanged numbers with a few of them, then did some music (it's a music specialist school).
She wants to go to the school's end of year concert next week, which is a great sign.
She has been very busy since the SATS, I think it's a real shame so many Year 6s seem to do nothing much afterwards, it sends the wrong message to children doesn't it?
Anyway, good luck to your ds for Monday 3plusbump!

DD has had her CAT tests now. There are 2 other girls and one boy from her primary. We had a 'family' interview although DD spent more time with the HT alone than with us She seems quite excited now but still sad to be leaving her old school

Next week for induction day and parent's evening.

ds2 had induction day yesterday, with a big meeting/assembly for parents in the afternoon, and information stalls/fair. He found out his new form tutor and met the other students in his form, including the one boy from his primary. [phew] Dh took him on the bus and he seems quite confident and happy about that too.

A couple of weeks ago we had our family interview, which was a useful opportunity to ask questions.

He seems quite happy about it now and looking forward to going.

Ds has his on Thursday. We have an evening meeting to be introduced to his form tutor, but he spends the day at school first.
He has already met his HoY - he came to ds' primary to chat to the four boys who are going to the same school.
Glad to hear everyone is enjoying theirs - I am finding the run-up to the end of primary school unexpectedly upsetting

DP and I went to a meeting this evening, met DS's tutor.

I am not reassured at all. He has no friends at all in his tutor group and his tutor is, well....a PE teacher.

(I know, I know, that shouldn't mean anything at all and I mustn't bring along my old school baggage...)

Oh can I join....DS is starting in Sept, and I have just dropped him off for his taster day in the new school, could tell he was quite nervous as he was sooooo quiet this morning, as he walked into the area that they were all wiating in I could see clusters of kids from different schools, DS saw some of his mates and he was off ...delighted. Saw a mum i recognised and we shared our nervousness....however as I walked away, there was a cluster of girls and they were talking about DS (they were from another school so dont know how they know him) - they mentioned his name so i wasnt imagining it..."oh which one is DS?," and being rather girlie about him...I wanted to hisssss "keep your eyes off my boy" ....oh God he is growing up , god help the first girl who breaks his heart..!!

LadyCad, my friend's DD is THRILLED to have the PE teacher for her tutor, and apparently she is very pretty too

My DD has had her Induction Day, but they have not been put in forms yet or met their tutor. - she'll have to wait for September for that!

Wow, they moved him to another tutor group so he can be with his friends!

(And his new tutor doesn't teach PE, but that's not the reason we got him moved, honestly! )

Two induction days next week and a horrendously expensive uniform/kit list. It's all happening.

I think it's rather a pity that some children aren't told what tutor group they are going to be until September.

DS wasn't looking foward to moving up as he was the only one from his school, but after induction day last week, he is a bit happier as he has found there are a couple of boys in his group who he at least vaguely knows from sports/clubs outside school.

He wept on the way home from school today.

They're doing "sex and relationships education" and it's all a bit much, i think. He's still a "young" 10yo. He's worried about moving up to secondary school and puberty and everything.

Ds doesn't know anyone in his tutor group but that's no problem- he's going there to make friends, and is going on the 2 day summer school where he'll meet a few.

DS had his two induction days this week. He had a fantastic time. He will not be with friends from his last school but some of the boys in his form he does already know. He also participated in a sports day organised by the secondary school where his school competed against the other feeder schools. He is so relaxed about it all.
Spent a fortune on school uniform Tuesday night.

Yes, I have got just about all the uniform now, too. Including the blazer which was the smallest size available, but is still huuuge on my petite DD

Only 2 more weeks of Primary school left - I'm starting to feel like I may get tearful!

Ds had a very good time at his induction day. Two really fun taster lessons, his form tutor seems very nice, he is in a form with one other boy from primary - it went better than I ever imagined.

Blazers are weird I find, dd tried an M&S one which could have fitted 3 girls, let alone just the one... We bought a John Lewis one in the end in a small size and she's very happy with it. I never thought she would like blazers, but what do I know?
Jumpers are proving difficult too, they all seem baggy. And I hope the skirts we've picked are going to be long enough come september. Now waiting to receive the sports kit.

Dd is excited about her new school, but she's missing her old school already (she finished Friday) as they make a big deal out of the end of year 6, which is lovely as it's a very warm community, but obviously made her feel sad to be leaving. Friday was also her birthday so it was a double emotional whammy! Still, I took her and some friends to see Eclipse after school so it helped with the sadness at leaving her friends behind.

She's quite tired though so I'm going to let her chill out all day again today

DD1 got her induction day last week, she loved it. 5 frieds from her class will be in her form including her best friend.

I think worry much more than her TBH! I think what is going to be really hard is to not have her arround anymore to walk to school. It is nice having her chatting happilly. I will definitely miss that!

Bump for Dingle!

Thanks again!

Oh I'm hating all of this, tbh.

Too much emotion. Leavers' Assembly today, I'm just bottling it all up and it really can't be healthy.

Is it normal to feel this wobbly? I mean it's a good thing, after all, moving up to another school.