I know there is a starting secondary school thread somewhere but I cant find it and really need some flaps and honks!

[Ineedmorepatience]

Dd3's stress levels are going through the roof and I know why but cant do anything to help

We cut our holiday short this week because she was going downhill fast and didnt want to stay. I had planned to be away until Friday so she was occupied and not thinking about it.

She has melted down this morning over not being able to have a coloured door key, apparently our lock is too old And over not wanting me to have a cushion on the sofa!!

We need to make a new visual timetable for the mornings but not sure its a good idea, what do you all think?

Just wanted to say good luck to everyone, and Well Done!!

Oh no polter what a shame.

I hope he is ok!

DD's first (half) day. She went in with smiles, and came out with smiles. But did calmly tell me she spent ten minutes (?) crying because she got lost and couldn't follow the instructions on where to go. A teacher took her in the end.
She seems though to have survived, and chatted to a number of people. Even introduced some girls to someone else she had met.

But tomorrow is the day with everyone in, and proper lessons.

YAY! Dd3 has had another good day and the senco emailed me with a meeting date !!

I dont quite know what to think!!

Great news!!

Oh dear!! Our bubble has burst

Dd3 has got really upset this morning.

School have responded well though I sent an email at 7.40, had one back at 7.50 and a phone call at 7.55 arranging for her key person to meet her at the front door!!

Cant grumble at that, just have to wait and see what hapens now.

Oh No Ineed what set her off? Good that the school seem so on the ball though. Hope she is ok

Polter glad it's going ok so far. The rules and regulations and order are exactly what I meant about secondary making so much more sense than the 'all in' zoo-like feel of primary. Hope he has another good day today :-)

Well I took her as close as I could park to the gate, she was saying she wanted me to take her in but when we got there she decided to go in by herself!

I was relieved because I didnt know if she had enough social awareness to know that its not a great plan to get your Mum to take you to the door in secondary but clearly she does so that is positive.

I really wouldnt mind taking her in if thats what she needs but having done secondary twice with girls already I am very aware of not helping her to commit social suicide

Anyway she is gone, my head is spinning and in half an hour I have to lead a meeting about the new SEN stuff!! HA!!

Have a nice day all

Do you know what she was worried about Ineed - it bodes well that school have been so responsive so far.

ds1 had another good day yesterday.

ds2's on the other hand was disastrous - combination of them messing around with the taxi arrangements and changes at school. We have had to take him in both days so far and the HT got a right ear-bashing from us this morning. Put it like this even dh who is vehemently against home education is considering it. We are hoping he has a better day today.

That is huge that he recognises the need for an exit pass Polter. Such a good sign of things maturing. One of the things we asked today was the school could role play with ds2 to do this. Getting ds1 out of bed is getting progressively harder so I think he has found it tiring too.

Dd3 seems to have had a good day, she isnt saying much and is clearly exhausted but she has enjoyed science and reading lessons.

She thinks she is in the wrong set for English but I can ask about that tomorrow.

We have the same with the exit pass thing! Dd3 was given one by the sen team at her secondary for the whole of the last term of primary and to learn to use it was on 2 IEP's. The primary didnt manage to role play it with her even once, so now the secondary have to do it!

Great news about Ds polter and one I hope Ds1 gets through tomorrow and Ds2 has a better time!

I am really glad I started this thread now, knowing I am not alone during this stressful time is great

DD was tearful at bedtime last night. But after being made to go today, it seems to have gone okay (I'm sure I'll find out the truth at bedtime). She got a credit in RE, for knowing something about Islam (good as she went to a C of E school).
I'm going to suggest she arranges to meet a friend to going in with tomorrow.

Dd3's school sets for loads of things, it is good in someways but it also means that she is with different people for most lessons so she has to muddle along by herself !!

I think that is the hardest part at the moment, new subjects, new rooms, new teachers and not knowing who is going to be in each lesson!

This for the child who has always had an obsession with knowing every child and teachers first and last name in the whole school!!!

No wonder she is knackered!!!

Day two seemed better, no tears at bed time! She thinks one teacher "hates her" but I suspect this teacher is: new (I know that actually), inexperienced, nervous and may not have read the SEN notes. But one out of 5 isn't bad. She also doesn't think all the other kids dislike her today, we've also sorted a system for the storage box the area support people gave her.

On the other hand her big sister wants a label for her SEN - and I'm not sure what to do for a 15 year old, she has a processing problem and I suspect APD or ADHD or...

Now they're both in school today. DD has PE which is a problem area for her, with a strict teacher - but no phonecalls yet!

Hope he was ok polter Dd3 would panic about a lost form too

I think emailing the form teacher was a good idea because she/he is the first port of call for the kids too in the morning.

mummytime Good news that your Dd had a better day, can I ask what the storage box is for? Dd3's school offered somewhere for her to store spare stuff because they have got rid of the lockers but nothing has been said yet.

I met with the SENCO, ASD lead and TA/key person today, they were pleased with how Dd3 has settled and I agree she has had a great week. I did find it slightly irritating that they kept saying "Well this person with Asd did this and that person with Asd did that!!" I wanted to shout "All children are different regardless of whether they have Asd or not!!!"

I didnt though as we needed to get through the meeting and discuss the NIL, we disagreed on whether Dd3 shoukd know that someone is in the room to support her or not which seemed utterly bonkers to me!! Put an additional adult in the room to support a chikd but dont tell the child they are there to help!! How does that work then

Ahh well early days it was mostly positive