Nice people thread part 4 - sugar and spice and all things

SingleSue

Ok, I am annoyed....very annoyed.

Since the two high schools switched over to being an academy, the parent - school communication has been dire. Tonight, I missed a parents consultation evening, I have never missed one. The reason? The school saw fit to not actually let the parents know directly, the relied upon the parents somehow magically knowing to look in an obscure part of their website and finding a link to booking appointments (but without explanation of what the appointments were for).

They did assure me that letters had gone home but bearing in mind that very few of middle son's friends knew about it either, it leads me to believe some of the teachers forgot to hand out the letters.

They may have made comments to the students in class too but that doesn't help when you have an aspergic child with the memory of a gold fish and has a learning disability in taking in verbal instructions.

Pre academy, the parents would receive a text informing them letters were going out regarding appointments and another text the day or so before reminding the parents about it (and to make sure their child had actually booked the appointments) but there has been absolutely nothing from the school, no explanation of the new system in booking appointments, nothing.

We are now mid November, I have no idea of middle son's predicted grades for GCSE, for eldest, we knew by the middle of October at the latest. I have no idea of how any of the boys have performed in any of their tests either...the wonderful website the old school had which had up to date info of all tests (and where you could check their attendance etc), has been access restricted.

When I phoned the school to complain earlier (and to see if we could be fitted in for the consulation), I was informed they were not allowed to do these things anymore, that they had no control as the schools are now being run by an outside business..and of course, businesses are very money orientated rather than pupil centered.

No wonder the old executive head left when he heard the schools were being taken on by this particular academy company...he knew what it would be like.

zagubov

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'm a secret bloke.
http://www.geekinheels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/how_men_and_women_see_colors.jpg

Like it! Ages ago I had a videotape of a TV programme in which someone was walking around a room decorated in a range of colours.

Then a repeat of the same set but this time with different colours. One film showed the colours people with full colour vision would see and the other showed what the same room would look like to people with red-green colour blindness. :cool: Obviously they would be watching the an identical film twice.

The woman in the film was colour-blind in one eye and had done all the decorating, so she could translate the colour-changes. Since then I've lost the film and am struggling to find anything like it.:mad:

michaels

Just to say we are going to follow the PN colour scheme at least for the walls; the wooden skirtings/doors/architraves are going ot be wood but can't decide whether they will be waxed, varnished or lime washed - thoughts?

PasturesNew

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

You can fire it on a gas stove, too.

Well, you can .... but I've never had a gas stove so didn't mention that. Nor do you do it on a gas stove on a course

Doozergirl

lostinrates wrote: »

edit again: OMG, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to be so epic!

OMG I want to be in your house!

I want to have a sofa recovered in hessian. Because I want shot silk and velvet cushions etc. poured over it.

I said I wouldn't be very good because if I had the budget for it I would have very simple curtains made of very expensive silk Curtains, to me are something beautiful that last forever and go with you. My life would never allow beautiful embroideries or things that would only ever suit one room. Nor am I blessed with a house as interesting as yours.

silvercar

I'm at parents again.

Tried to explain what an ipad does, failed and gave up. They don't understand why you wouldn't just use the computer.

Tried to explain facebook and their completely mystified. Why would you want to see what someone else is doing? Why look at photos on FB, when you would email them to whoever you wanted?

Can't possibly explain nice people to them, so this tab is hidden behind the facebook one.

They are reasonably computer literate for 70 year olds; they buy online and they email. Networking seems beyond them.

Doozergirl

michaels wrote: »

Just to say we are going to follow the PN colour scheme at least for the walls; the wooden skirtings/doors/architraves are going ot be wood but can't decide whether they will be waxed, varnished or lime washed - thoughts?

What kind of wood?

Doozergirl

silvercar wrote: »

They are reasonably computer literate for 70 year olds; they buy online and they email. Networking seems beyond them.

I'm impressed by them!

zagubov

silvercar wrote: »

I'm at parents again.

Tried to explain what an ipad does, failed and gave up. They don't understand why you wouldn't just use the computer.

Tried to explain facebook and their completely mystified. Why would you want to see what someone else is doing? Why look at photos on FB, when you would email them to whoever you wanted?

Can't possibly explain nice people to them, so this tab is hidden behind the facebook one.

They are reasonably computer literate for 70 year olds; they buy online and they email. Networking seems beyond them.

That's very impressive! My P and M are getting an ipad - I don't understand why as I can't work out what it does. Got an old computer for them for email and web use and for their grandkids to do homework on. Works out OK- it's the same model I've got so I'm their telephone support (which is a doddle as its a mac so it's pretty user-friendly and never crashes or gets viruses ). The only thing that goes wrong is they have occasional problems with the printer.

I'm skint so the whole system had to be around £100, with a second- hand computer from ebay and a second-hand monitor from a local tech guy

They book their holidays abroad using it and I've got them watching old series of "Madmen" and other stuff from the 60s.

They're not impressed much with email despite having family around the world. They certainly don't see the point of idle online chat. or networking. They like to talk on the phone about how the computer's working but that's just so we've another excuse to keep in touch. If I sent an email they'd be shocked I didn't phone instead.

I gave them links to their old school websites and friendsreunited. Plus I showed them the Computing with Bifocals column as well as getting them the Mac for Dummies type books.

I tried to set it up so it'd be as non-challenging and easy as possible ( but mind you, that's what I want a computer to be anyway). I'm pleased they're getting use of the computer. I'm chuffed to bits they're using the technology and don't feel left out!

neverdespairgirl

PasturesNew wrote: »

Well, you can .... but I've never had a gas stove so didn't mention that. Nor do you do it on a gas stove on a course

Camping stoves too, apparently? Perhaps you can borrow one if you don't have your own.