The weather has definitely changed but the school at home project chugs along. It will do until the end of the third week in July. After that the so called government is telling parents to send their kids back to school in September with minimal additional safeguard, as it is completely safe. Let’s see how many kids do return….

That’s a thought for another day. Back to the present lets see what I’ve learnt from this weeks school at home project. Remember it’s not true Homeschooling, it’s schools version. They are two completely different approaches.

  • Trying to teach basic cricket skills is no fun during torrential rain and a thunderstorm. Unfortunately the house does not feature an indoor sports hall facility.
  • Clearly the Games Teacher and a certain Dad disagree on what constitutes a good bowling action in cricket. The game must have changed since I was a kid.
  • Old school French to English dictionaries have so many pages yet they don’t seem to have the exact word or phrase you need.
  • School repeatedly sending an email out to pupils with the title ‘Important information about Careers, please read‘ will mean that the email is never opened.
  • Another week and another Food Technology lesson focusing just on puff pastry. As son says “I don’t even like the stuff so I’m never going to eat it. This is a waste of time…”.
  • The school has a really good online teaching infrastructure. Probably as good as any UK school. So it’s so frustrating that with a few teachers we still have to print out a copy of a sheet. Son fills it out by hand and then has to take a photograph to send it back in. What a waste of paper.
  • Getting no feedback on a piece of work does not really help.
  • Drama is such a great lesson when the kids get to watch a ‘live’ theatre production on the iPad. Even his Dad sat and watched Treasure Island.
  • The Dead Sea is sinking at 1m per year. That’s quicker than my football team.
  • Why do all the felt tip pens instantly turn dry and useless as soon as the words ‘for art today you will need coloured felt tip pens’ are mentioned.
  • What is the fascination of doing word searches as a teaching tool. I am trying to work out how finding a word in a sea of letters will help embed concepts and theories into a young mind. Especially a mind which sees words through dyslexic eyes….
  • Without caffeine trying to undertake long division is impossible. So the following words sent shivers down my spine. ‘Dad can you check this sum, it’s 13422 divided by 317′. Really…..
  • I have a policy of not trying to interfere in son’s work but even I have a limit. My limit is where his Form Tutor asks the kids to do 20 minutes quiet reading then take a photo of the book. Sons choice of book – Stephen King’s IT. Just NO, how about a Roald Dahl book.…..
  • Why do school keep asking a kid with dyslexia to read books without additional checks and help…
  • Fukalite is a chemical compound.
  • The school iPad can survive having a full glass of orange juice spilled over it.
  • Apparently Continent’s move at the same rate as your finger nails grow… This is still quicker than how fast my hair grows back.
  • When your son is not wearing his dark blue school blazer it would be smart to put it away neatly in the wardrobe. Leaving it on the back of a chair for 3 months and in front of a south facing window is not such a smart idea. One side has definitely faded in the sunlight. Deep joy.

So that’s it for another school at home week. We can definitely do this.

63 thoughts on “And more school at home”

  1. I laughed that he chose IT. That is something Declan would do too. My other two would just take a picture of any random book and say that they read it. Little buggers.

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  4. My boys don’t have any feedback on work. Nothing for over three months now. That is truly unhelpful. Unusual name for the chemical compound. I don’t recall that being in the periodic table or mentioned in my chemistry A Level class!

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      1. I don’t think mine are even being ‘taught’ anything new. They do have maths via an online programme and I think it gets marked. Initially they were told not to contact teachers directly or at all really!!!

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  5. I remember geometry I think it was and dad could get me an answer but I had to work it back into the stuff(note I dont do math like well lol) and I always think it funny they think parents are school subject teachers this year. Good luck!

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  8. I officially return to online college in the 1st. Can you be my tutor too?!?

    The jacket made me chuckle because I’ve lost clothing to similar mishaps.

    Soooo… if I’m taking biotin to promote hair regrowth (fail) and it’s causing my fingernails to grow redonk faster, am I subsequently causing the ground to move faster too? Please ask the instructor.

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      1. My body hair is growing like crazy but it’s had no impact on my head.

        I have an EXTREME intolerance for iron supplements but chronic anemia. I’m now taking chewable Flinstones kids vitamins because they have both biotin and iron and don’t make me ill. As I once heard from a doc, “the best vitamins are the ones you actually take.”

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  9. I looked up fukalite (because) and apparently it’s calcium, oxygen, and silicon, but who’d a thunk it? Oh and yes it is amazing what technology can take and then after turning it off and on again, work perfectly well. as I learnt that years ago with coffee on a proper old computer of yester year! As for hair today, gone tomorrow. Solar panels are in now you know. As for faded clothes, can you get hold of one of those tie dye kits or sommat?

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      1. I had a beautiful Japanese friend called Fumiko, we went swimming together. When the family returned to Japan, we kept in touch via social media and the phone, but that after the tsunami nothing! I tried looking for her and her family online, but I fear the worst may have happened, as it did to so many.

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      2. Fukalite sounds so Japanese. I recall Fumiko’s husband saying the first part of her name lovingly as a nickname “For me”. His was so easy “Key-O” I think spelt Kyo or Kio, drats and double drats my memory.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Aw, Gary, though this made me smile quite a lot I do feel for you. It’s got to be so challenging and your poor son is a real trooper. I agree with you on Stephen King. My son has all his books but I could never get into them. Especially “It”!

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      1. I have never been able to get into his books, but there was one I managed to read, “The Dome”. I just find he is way too descriptive and I get impatient for him to get on with the story. Mostly I read non-fiction.

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  11. Older Daughter did a book report on Anne Rice’s “Memnoch The Devil” in 8th grade and the teacher wouldn’t accept it, was going to give her a “fail”. I stepped in on that because the instructions were to read “a novel”. Just because the teacher didn’t like the title was no reason to not accept the report.

    Schools really don’t teach much anymore. It’s sad and it’s going to keep the population unable to think for themselves… which I guess is the plan🙄😡

    Luckily there are parents like you and kids like Son, who CAN and DO think for yourselves.💌

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  15. Wow!! Your schools are different… some same areas… but no Home Economics or cooking class or Shop is required anymore… high school but is not a requirement? That is cool though – that’s a life skill!! I like that!! … maybe you guys be amazing cooks someday! Check that!! That is sooo cool!

    I also love how you guys get foreign languages in early grades… only private schools do that here – I don’t see public schools offering languages until high school.

    I don’t know cricket at all, can’t help ya there… they don’t make us do that… they just like go for walks, do sit ups lol

    We had some really good teachers who really tried… in contact, with both student and parents, had zoom meetings once a week going over the lessons…

    And then we had crappy teachers also.

    For the most part was ok, but a big giant crazy crapload that last half of the year! Everyone was in shock that was even happening lol

    They are trying to figure out how we will have the kids come back in fall 😮 we don’t know yet… that is up to the school district… and I suppose also the coronavirus 🤨

    I have no idea what they are going to do!! 😮

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      1. Well our cases are increasing.

        I feel like I am in a fricken movie talking like this! Surreal!

        But yeah our cases are going up… they gave us a parent survey with options for next year…

        Here is a document from the state about wearing face mask… they say “strongly recommended” 🤨 I don’t see the kids keeping these on as they should?

        Click to access Guidance-for-Face-Coverings_06-18-2020.pdf

        And then our 3 options they are considering for next year are:

        1.) Full day, normal schooling for student(s). (minimal social distancing in class, masks recommended, enhanced sanitation/hygiene protocols) 🤨 I don’t like this option

        2.) Hybrid learning for student(s) – some in school and some at home learning. (significant social distancing, masks recommended, enhanced sanitation/hygiene protocols)
        *** choices for hybrid model ***

        Students attend school 2 full days – either Tues/Thurs or Wed/Fri all day – and learn from home the other 3 days
        ~or~
        Students attend school 4 half days – either AM or PM Tues-Fri – and learn from home the rest of the time

        And finally…

        3.) Full distance learning for student(s).

        So they took a poll of parents to see where parents were.

        But our cases are rising… so we could just have option 3 end of story.

        They are waiting on word from the state for any further decisions because changes are still coming.

        The state recommends but leaves it up to the individual school district. Unless is an all out order to close lol ✌️ 😳

        But we are actually picking up now… so all this could be out the window – things are too fluid currently. Nothing can be set

        And then the school was saying… regarding the budget…
        “The budget is being described as a “no cuts” budget, but it looks like we will not get credit for our growth and there will be no cost of living increase.”

        Umm… greedy?? No you don’t get credit for growth Oh my god! And cost of living increase 🤨 I would like that also – you don’t always get what you want and these are out of the ordinary times …

        BEFORE CORONA… They used to tell us – even if your kid is sick bring them to school for initial attendance – that way the school gets money from the district for the attendance. 🤨

        The almighty dollar once again… damn can’t get away from that!!!

        But anyway… that’s where we currently are 😒 changes constantly! They will have no idea until the time comes … we start back mid-August

        Liked by 1 person

      2. It’s sensible to look at all options. Here the government is just plotting on with the ‘it will just go away when we all get infected approach’. It’s screaming out that the best approach certainly for the next school year is to split the teaching approaches. But not according to those at the top. x

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      3. I don’t know if that’s true… I don’t think it goes away once infected? I think you could catch again? I am not sure – I will have to google that…

        Do your people protest (in whatever way – protests,
        Boycotts, etc) against them when they are not within the general consensus?

        Do the people have a voice where you live?

        Liked by 1 person

      7. I really don’t know how I would handle, if I had my peoples lives in my hand… ugh worst decision ever!!

        If you “F” it up… people die or your country goes into a massive depression. Ughh

        Yeah – I am thankful that I am not a world leader – no one is ever going to be happy with them lol

        That is a really tough spot to be in, so I can understand… they are just trying to figure out what is best.

        Trump on the other hand lol … dude needs a fricken mask!! I am just totally exhausted by everything he says and does – so whatever

        At least your people are level headed and hopefully taking seriously, especially since they are aware with how it infects. Hopefully they wear masks!

        Liked by 1 person

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