Just want to weep

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Spirit
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:39 pm
Location: Birmingham

Just want to weep

Post by Spirit »

DD got through 11 + preparation, all of school up til now and no previous problems.
First days of this term she has been weepy in car and clingy at home and a bit grumpy. She is just so overwhelmed at the moment by school. Had vast school project which ruined the Easter holidays. May be I should have reined it in but if you give a conscientious girls a project it just fills all available space. She also had SATS papers to do. She has now 2 weeks of SATs preparation which will fill up more space and then SATS, school trips, another project and then school exams and frankly I find it hard to keep up.
I know other children are feeling it too from speaking to other mothers. Bad for all at the mo, no matter where they are in the class academically.
I would just take her off sick but I work part time, her father would not approve and she would worry about missed lessons prior to exams.
Was angry. Now feel defeated.
Poor girl said she just wanted to enjoy last term at school but doesnt seem like it will go that way which is v sad.

Thanks.

Hopefully I will get angry again soon and get to grips, but she would not want me to go to school and admit any weakness.
I know that lucky not to have had previous difficulties and she is academically able but really want to help her through this.
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Post by tiredmum »

I am sorry for you and your dd. As a mum you really want them to enjoy their final term at primary, things will never be the same again. My dd will be leaving her friends she has known nearly all her life to go to secondary school and i say to her every day, "have fun". I think it is very harsh of your dd's school to give two projects in the last term as well as SATS prep! It is a time for letting them take more responsibility around the school and to feel ready to leave primary. There will be enough work when they move into year 7. My dd has had school SATS prep but thankfully no projects just the normal weekely maths and spelling homework. After the SATS tey will start rehearsing for the annual year 6 end of school show, so she is looking forward to gettin the SATS out of the way. All i would say is while your dd is working hard tell her it is important to play hard too :D
katel
Posts: 960
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:30 pm

Post by katel »

What would you like her to be doing?
Spirit
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:39 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by Spirit »

Thanks TM
Spirit
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:39 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by Spirit »

Katel
I suppose I would just like her to be doing all the stuff along with all the other children in her year but not to be so overwhelmed by it all. She usually enjoys her school work and the main problem was probably the project over Easter meant that she (we) did not get good break from school which she needed before a busy term.
marigold
Posts: 656
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: essex

Post by marigold »

Hi,

My son is at a state primary school but is feeling exactly the same.
A huge pile of sats papers to do over Easter and he has gone back this week to yet more practice exams. I am almost hoping his headmistress may be one of those who had decided to boycott the bloomin things. He came down yesterday morning asking if he could be home schooled for the rest of term, I didn't even know he was aware of such an option.

Last night I got the calender out and went through it day by day with him, pointing out all the nice things he has to look forward to and broke down the term into manageable chunks. Seeing it all on paper seemed to help. He has a school trip and a school production to look forward to and has made a chart to count the number of days until his induction day at his new school.

I agree with tiredmum. Emphasise all the nice bits on the way and reassure her that it will all go by in the blink of an eye. She will have 6 years of happy primary memories and hopefully these last few weeks will not colour the whole experience.
Spirit
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:39 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by Spirit »

The chunking bit was exactly where I had got to too.
If I knew about psychology, I think my problem could be labelled as transference. I will have to deal with my concern so that I can do the useful stuff like chunking, highlighting positive, making time for the good stuff etc.
Equally usefully, I will get cooking. Roast dinners are a very simple way to perk her up.
marigold
Posts: 656
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: essex

Post by marigold »

I am brilliant at chunking time but have totally failed to understand the chunking method in long division ( or is it multiplication ? ).

Cooking is going to be a huge feature in this household too. We will all be as fat as butterball turkeys by July
Rugbymum
Posts: 349
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:05 pm

Post by Rugbymum »

I think this is the worst stage - just before SATs. Last year DS was so bored and fed up with the revision at school that he pretended to be sick so that he could have some time out at home.

Once the SATs started, he had a great time esp since the school made a fuss of them with breakfast and extra playtime at the end of each day and then it was all school trips, summer play etc etc so hang on in there 8)
Milla
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:25 pm

Post by Milla »

Mrs Slack wandering in here.
First up what IS your school thinking of having exams on top of SATs, I mean what IS the point???
Our school is quite stressy about SATs (tends to do well, no question of boycotting them I think; DS2 has broken his wrist and there was anxious muttering about getting him a scribe. God help the scribe) but NO homework, no past papers. Vague suggestion we might glance at woodlands junior website (not done). Frankly although I hope he gets his 5s, it will mean nothing to me if he doesn't.
I completely agree with the responsibility / cycling proficiency / different things round school / putting on a performance thing / etc.
I would object most strongly at having to give a stuff about exams on top of SATs. Being such a wild rebel I'm afraid I'd just tell her not to worry, it's not going to affect her GCSEs; not only is it the summer term but it's the last time of being care-free so these arbitrary stresses are absurd.
Holiday homework is the utter pits - I whinged about it big time under "castles" in "beyond the 11+". You're right about it dominating and taking over. just ruins the holidays which in my HO should be times for dossing / doing completely different things.
Still the school trips bit sounds fun, non??
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