End of school

For our year 11's. Yes they will all be back on Monday for the start of GCSE's. They looked great in fancy dress and were really well behaved on the whole. I only saw them to sign shirts not to tell anyone off :) The photo was taken with the sun right in my face! so not so great as I couldn't see what I was doing.

Meg's last day too :( She had to go in uniform and change later for a bowling trip. But, that's it for her till college in September. I will have to leave a list of all my housework to keep her busy :D

Love Soojay xx

A Tiring week

I don't get stressed that often (thank heavens with MY family!) . But it has been a very stressy week and I am worn out this morning!

Meg had her ART exam on Thursday and Friday - I am not happy with the help she has not received from the school ( she has an educational statement ) . She should have 20 hours 1-1 support a week in school but I know she doesn't get it and never has. As an ex teaching assistant I am well aware of the lack of resources in school . She has shared a TA with a small group of other pupils so I haven't made a fuss. She has never has any support in art ( they don't send any one at all as it is not classed as academic but I think she needs help to understand what is required of her ). I am annoyed that I wasn't told about the extra sessions put on at lunchtime ( although again , she would not have got any help). I am also annoyed that my back up plan for her , if she finished her final piece too quickly, was ignored by her art teacher and she was given something else to do. I am also annoyed that she did not wear an apron and came home covered in acrylic paint ( she still has a week of school left and I have had to scrub it off her uniform as best as I could by hand and put it though the machine twice).

I have an Eco report to write for the school ( my school) governors meeting this month and no time to do it at school , so that's today then.

I spent yesterday feeling sick as I was trying to get Natalie seen by a doctor all day . She has a nasty infection and needed antibiotic quickly as I only found out about it yesterday. After numerous phone calls and discussions we were finally given an appointment at 10.15 last night ( thankfully locally as Derek is away this weekend and I didn't want to drag everyone out). Nats has weird "fits" if she is ill but thankfully was ok yesterday and the doctor said we had caught it quickly enough.

I went to bed with a splitting headache to be woken at 3.30 by Natalie and Daniel arguing!!

Hopefully today will be a better day - fingers crossed. Sorry for the moan :D

Love Soojay xx

This Weeks Menu

Monday- Gammon steaks with pineapple salsa and chips( thank you "eat in" mag) - no pineapple for Dan and no salsa for Meg and Nat.

Tuesday - Pasta and home made cheese and crispy bacon sauce + Key lime pie.

Wednesday - I am out (Chinese) Derek will get the same for them .

Thursday - Chicken salad + home made strawberry trifle.

Friday - Derek away so just us. Fish Pie and veg.

Saturday - Chicken Wraps.

Not sure about what to cook on Sunday Yet. Not Sure what time his Lordship arrives back home.

Love Soojay xx

GCSE Art Exam.

I will be SO glad when this week is over! Meg has her Art exam on Thursday and Friday of this week. I feel like I am nagging too much. She doesn't want to practice and she needs to. Drawing is not her best skill so we have chosen simple bottle/pot shapes to draw. The painting will be easier. Part of me says back off as she will not be using this at college ( she is going to be doing a life skills course) Meg had moderate learning difficulties and type 1 diabetes. Her weakest areas are numeracy and literacy. Her older brother and sister also have similar problems. Meg will be the first of our children to sit a GCSE. All I want is for her to pass. Her predicted grade is D/E which is fine. Am I asking too much ? Should I back off? I just think it would do her self esteem the power of good to get it.

Her friend is also sitting it so it would really hurt if she failed and her friend didn't.

Anyway, I have bought water colour pencils, paints, acrylic paint, oil paints canvases, water colour paper , sketch pads. She has access to all my craft supplies and tools ( not many people can say that! ) I bought everything so we can do a complete run though of the exam. I suppose its because I am her mum that she is resistant. All she wants to do is watch the blinklin Disney channel! Or chat on Facebook!

I managed to get her to paint the background yesterday ( based on Mark Rothko paintings )

We even mixed up a gold glitter paint for the first coat and painted a recipe in her sketch book.

Now I just need her to paint the image, we have photographed an arrangement and turned it into a poster art image with filters. This way she only needs to use four colours and they are in blocks of colour. Apart from do it for her, I can't think of how else to help her. I have to say that I am NOT impressed with the school - originally the exam was on the 20th May , so they have brought it forward two weeks. But, also, they have not supported her as much as I would have liked. There were extra classes at lunch time but I guess no TA would give up lunches to help her ( not that she has a TA in art - She SHOULD have 20 hrs a week) Working in a school myself and as a former TA , I understand that resources have to be stretched sometimes. I wasn't told about the extra classes though , I found out from another parent.

Like I said, I will be glad when this week is over. In the big scheme of things, it's not that important ...but ...just in case...cross your fingers for her please.

Love Soojay xxx