I’m glad Liv had such a nice day back and 8 kids to 2 adults sounds ideal, Froozy.
I went to school yesterday to drop off school supplies that the boys had been sent back with before Spring Break and to collect the rest of their stuff as we’re now done for the year.
A group school parents are now up in arms about school reopening in August, whether masks will be worn and whether we get any portion of school fees back.
They are tackling the board at the next meeting about taking the PPP loan (not sure how they know!) and the fact the school didn’t let any staff go and have no plans to for the new school year but our fees stay the same. I’m no fan of the Principal but I actually feel sorry for her having to deal with this particular group of people.
Sounds similar to my Reception parents olive One of them is the same one who always took up 3 parents' evening slots and spoke to the teacher to get updates every day on her progress, even though (as far as I could tell) her daughter seems perfectly normal. On the other hand, I'd still be moaning to Mr P and might have ventured to send a slightly terse email, so it's quite useful in some respects as I did share a fair few of their concerns.
I'm glad the going back to school is going ok for hatchlings.
I've decided not to take up the key worker spaces for my two. I have to go in three days a week from the 15th so on those days, Mr Is will do some home school from 8-10am and then start his job at 10am. I will (possibly) do another hour with them when I get home.
Then on the two days I am off, we will try and blitz as much stuff as we can.
Z and L are both relieved, they didn't want to go back. If it had been their year groups going back I might have sent them in as they're both missing their friends although TBL loves being at home.
emma_p wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:54 pm
Will there be any (online) camps, LM?
We are getting the overnight camps that we had booked for the kids (Our first kid-free week dreams smashed to smithereens! ) refunded.
There are virtual camp options.. I'm not keen. Virtual camps seem to be missing the point of getting off the screens, and I'm fed up enough with having to monitor all the online schooling. Day camps may run, but it all sounds a bit miserable and I'd rather just muddle along without it.
Flora, I am glad for other people doing the complaining too. I agonize over it so much!
Flora Poste wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:12 pm
Sounds similar to my Reception parents olive One of them is the same one who always took up 3 parents' evening slots and spoke to the teacher to get updates every day on her progress, even though (as far as I could tell) her daughter seems perfectly normal. On the other hand, I'd still be moaning to Mr P and might have ventured to send a slightly terse email, so it's quite useful in some respects as I did share a fair few of their concerns.
She sounds like a delight, Flora. I honestly don’t know how parents like that do it. I tie myself into knots every time I have to contact a teacher and worry about coming off as an arsehole.
We’re not doing any camps yet either. I might look into a soccer one at the end of the summer and see how we go.
I'm surprised we've not fallen out with each other yet, as normally I rely on summer camps to let the kids get a break from each other, and to give me some recharging time. It helps that they are a bit more self-sufficient these days for sure. Fingers crossed we can keep going.
I feel bad for the summer camps that may not survive these closures. (I will donate money to the ranch we normally go to.) But less bad for the ones who are treating families poorly by offering no refund.
My pair are getting so wound up with each other that it’s awful. They’re fighting and screaming a lot. They really need a break away from each other but there’s nowhere we can go!
Same here Pip. They’re actually not being bad today because they know if they complain to me, I’ll start trying to get them to do school work. But last week when it was half term and over the weekends they’ve been awful. Screaming and fighting and bickering constantly. Mr S took a last minute day off work on Friday to look after them because I couldn’t cope.
They have been sharing a bedroom (out of choice) since lockdown as well and have slept in various dens, in the garden etc together as well, so not even getting their own space at night. I’m going to start trying to discourage that as I think G in particular needs a break from C. And now we can go out more, I’m going to try and get Mr S and I to do different things with one child each at weekends.
The weekend before this one, we put the bikes on the car roof rack and all went cycling somewhere different for a change. It was the first time the children had been in a car for over two months. This weekend we did the same but with the canoe. I think regular changes of scene are the way forward but getting them out is such a battle!
Talking of G, his autism diagnosis was confirmed just before lockdown (apologies if I’m repeating myself, I can’t remember) and being in lockdown seems to have made him 100x more autistic-seeming. I wonder if the lack of influence from peers is a contributing factor. Also he’s done no school work. I think reintegrating is going to be very, very hard.
We were expecting it as ASD was first discussed six months before that, so we (us and the school) have been working on the assumption that it would be that diagnosis, since then.
The diagnosis on its own isn’t that helpful other than giving us a direction to go in, what G needs and has always needed is help, and I have no idea what to do about that. The same has been true since he was a baby! At school he’s had Lego therapy and art therapy, and we pay privately for OT which the school incorporated into his “movement breaks”, although I’m a bit sceptical about this.
We’ve been told repeatedly that he wouldn’t qualify for EHCP funding and I don’t think I’ve got the energy to fight for this on my own. However, I do think that he’s dropping further behind his peers (I also think he’s dyslexic which is another thing I need to investigate) so I should probably pull myself together and try to do something about it.
I didn't catch your diagnosis news before, Squirrel. I hope it helps with more targeted help. And as much as he is missing his peers now, hopefully that influence is in his favour when he does return to school.
Last edited by Little My on Thu Jun 04, 2020 3:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm happy you've at least been heard and got a diagnosis.
Finally heard from the school - both my boys are going back full time. Almost; it's a half day on Fridays. We got an 8 page letter detailing exactly how it works, F starts Monday then Theo will join him on Wednesday. I've sobbed with relief - things were really going downhill here.
Squirrel wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 12:16 pm
We’ve been told repeatedly that he wouldn’t qualify for EHCP funding and I don’t think I’ve got the energy to fight for this on my own. However, I do think that he’s dropping further behind his peers (I also think he’s dyslexic which is another thing I need to investigate) so I should probably pull myself together and try to do something about it.
I'm not sure it's a matter of pulling yourself together; I think you've been a great advocate for G in a system that seems designed to put obstacles at every turn. Do you have to do it on your own? Would it help to find a group that could support you and guide you through the quagmire?
I'm glad the boys have a place, Luce, and hope it helps life feel a bit more normal and manageable.
I had a call yesterday saying J could have a place after all (Y6 went back today) and I dithered, but asked if there were other parents on the list who definitely wanted their children to return and she said yes, so I told her to offer it to them first. I'm glad I did as the ZOE app deemed me in need of a cv19 test today; I'm certain it will be negative but would still be panicking if I'd sent him in to school.
Luckily ours doesn't appear to be limited places - theyr'e opening full time for all R, 1 and 6 groups. I was really surprised. I assume it will go down to 2/3 days a week once they open it up to the other years. We've been sent a really detailed questionnaire asking us about exactly how each child has got on during lockdown and have said they'll be prioritising mental health and the teachers have been trained by a local schools mental health group.
It wasn't pure altruism as I was torn anyway, so it was a way of making the decision easy. The place will have gone now, but that's fine; I didn't know about the test when I turned it down anyway. I've asked for him to be considered in the next 'wave'; the Head thinks once all (non shielding) staff are back they will soon feel confident to cover two bubbles each, at which point they can have the whole year back 2 days per week.
From talking to teacher friends the difference between part/full time, all/some children seems to be physical space. Ours is a cramped school in the middle of a residential area; it's one form entry and they still have to use two portakabins for classrooms and there are no spare rooms. My friends children go to a school on the edge of the urban area which was built on the assumption it was going to have to expand and didn't, so even though it's three form entry they can have all Ys R,1 and 6 back as they have art rooms, music rooms etc to use.
I'm really glad the school is prioritising wellbeing, Luce. That's the message I'm getting, too. I'm repeating myself, but if it was about the academic benefits they'd have selected different years so it's definitely the right approach.
What years the the ones for academic benefits? Is it year 1 and 5 for SATS reasons, maybe?
Ours have been split into 7 bubbles of about between 8 and 15 ish children. There are kids there that I know definitely won't be going in so they appear to be planning for more children than they'll have, luckily. They've also managed to pair the siblings so the the children in F's bubble have their siblings in the same bubble as Theo. It must have been a minefield.
I’m no fan of the Principal but I actually feel sorry for her having to deal with this particular group of people.
One of them is the same one who always took up 3 parents' evening slots and spoke to the teacher to get updates every day on her progress, even though (as far as I could tell) her daughter seems perfectly normal. On the other hand, I'd still be moaning to Mr P and might have ventured to send a slightly terse email, so it's quite useful in some respects as I did share a fair few of their concerns.
I agonize over it so much!
