Lockdown (And Beyond) Hatchlings

[Cerise]

Another idea for those struggling or needing to practice division and multiplication relationships is to use arrays. It helps because you can do the different parts without moving anything.

If you’ve got 15 items and you share them into groups of three to get five but then gather them up and share them into groups of five, the gathering up can indicate a New Unconnected Sum. By arrange things in arrays you can see the different groups without moving anything and the child can see that it’s the same.

[Luce]

That is such a clever idea! It would confuse Theo so much though and I don’t know how to find the words to explain. Aargh.

[Kleio]

So no vouchers from the primary school. Apparently the Trust have come to the decision with the catering company.

I’m in bits.

[viggy]

So no vouchers from the primary school. Apparently the Trust have come to the decision with the catering company.

I’m in bits.

I'm so sorry Kleio, that's so disappointing.

[Flora Poste]

I'm sorry, Kleio.

Oh fucking joy, the class galleries are back I get they motivate good work, but we've done every bit of work set, and not a single bit is featured.

[Squirrel]

Kleio that’s awful, I’m so sorry.

Oh fucking joy, the class galleries are back I get they motivate good work, but we've done every bit of work set, and not a single bit is featured.

This would really wind me up.

[Kleio]

So no vouchers from the primary school. Apparently the Trust have come to the decision with the catering company.

I’m in bits.

I'm so sorry Kleio, that's so disappointing.

This weeks parcel came to £4.49 and most of the fresh produce was inedible. The local MP and the council don't have a clue why the Trust would insist on pursuing the vouchers. I've written a long email outlining my issues with it and asked how they're going to credit my children with the £40+ then i've cc'ed in every one I can think of including charities like End Food Poverty.

[Kleio]

I'm sorry, Kleio.

Oh fucking joy, the class galleries are back I get they motivate good work, but we've done every bit of work set, and not a single bit is featured.

Do they motiviate good work? I suppose up to a certain age they do but you'd at least think they'd be fair with it.

[baargain]

This is so disgusting, kleio. I'm sorry.

[Flora Poste]

All in all the first two weeks has been ok. But if I recall from last time the first two weeks felt ok, it was just the next 23 that made me lose my grip on reality

Ha ha - we've just hit Week 3 here! Today has been awful! Getting E to do anything has been like pulling teeth, and it's even more frustrating because they have just been recapping areas she could do perfectly well last week. She seems to have lost any grasp of basic, basic maths

[lorri_b]

Same here Flora.

How do you actually make children do the work? It is taking hours to get them to do anything at all and ends up in tears.

[F'Artiste]

We’re having the same issues, and the school have added more activities (2 activities to do with videos, 2 set activities and a fifth one she can choose). Some of them are quite easy stuff she normally likes (draw a magic cooking pot, label it) but she just wants to play about on the sofa or watch tv and the moment I log back onto work, she stops.

[Luce]

Yeah, all chaotic nightmareness here. I’m permanently buzzing a bit from having to be three people at once.

Theo’s teacher also resigned today. I don’t blame him. But I’m so sad for Theo. He has zero link to that school now; his brother isn’t there, he has no friends (they changed to mixed classes last term so he has no friends in his class) and no bonds to the school whatsoever. It all just seems so sad.

[smalex]

Yeah...this week is harder. Once again hes pretty good about it all but I'm the one who can't hack it. I feel like shit.

Thats sad Luce. Going to make it so weird too, being 'taught' by someone who hasn't ever met him. Ws teacher will go on mat leave in march so I'm fairly convinced he'll end up with a teacher he's never even met communicating with him only via Google classrooms and then come back to someone completely different (he's also in a class of kids that are 75% another year group and not his friends)

[Luce]

It is. That sounds like a very similar situation here! Theo has no friends anymore, they’re all in the other class.

I think Mr S resigning might be the final nail in the coffin. He was there for 11 years and so many families have left and all the good teachers have resigned - it’s since new management about 18 months ago. We’ve got another excellent option but we never wanted to disturb him by moving him when he was happy and with his brother. Neither of those are true anymore. The school feels like a sinking ship. It might be a case of move him now whilst everything is so disruptive anyway and hope the last 4 year of primary are reliable and consistent for him etc.

I have zero emotional bandwidth for this

[Heebie Jeebie]

Beebie's school have started setting extra optional tasks

[Little My]

Everyday when I ask "How was school?", I get the same two different answers:
R: Uuuugh! Online school is sooooooo booooring. I'm over it.
B: It was amazing! I loved it!

Same school, mostly the same teachers.

[Flora Poste]

Not ideal at all Luce, but it sounds like now is as good a time to move him as ever.

[Ruby]

Beebie's school have started setting extra optional tasks

Oh honestly. I can guarantee that some dickhead has asked for it. I've had to field several emails from parents saying their child is bored and can I set them some extra work that doesn't involve screentime. I felt like just emailing back, "No."

[smalex]

WHO ARE THESE LUNATICS?

We've got optional maths extension sheets. I'm treating the whole thing as bloody optional, we're only getting through about 60% of it, and that'll have to do.