Apple muncher's number crunching

apple_muncher

Chloe Ting gave me an active rest day today. So I upped and went for a 2mile run/jog first thing, followed by 10 mins of various squats and lunges (got about 200 done). That wrecked me for the morning!

I chased up some assignments and had some very lovely emails from parents.

Also exchanged some helpful emails with my y10s re the format of the next few weeks.

apple_muncher

I took myself out to the front garden at 9.30, for about 20 mins. It was very warm in the sunshine and 90 mins later I came back in! A bit of weeding which amounted to a lot of weeding (after all, it's only about 4 weeks since I last did any, so how come the pesky weeds have grown so much...?). Then I started on the edge of the grass where it meets the paving slabs (we have about 5' of grass at the front of the house but no fence/wall/barrier then to the path.) and the grass had overgrown the edge by about 4 inches all round, so I got a special L-shaped tool with blade + hook-y thing and removed it. Then, in true mse fashion, tried to fit the bits together like mismatched jigsaw pieces to extend the little bit of grass at the side...

I have also done my Chloe Ting workouts - all 3 of 'em.

So I am officially done in!

Now if I can pair all that activity with eating well, then it will be a good day...

CathT

It's amazing how one quick gardening job leads to another. Our garden and drive need a quick weeding again as they have loved the recent rain. Small price to pay to have a lawn that is also finally recovering.

Just been reading about dd's clothes delivery, ds still waiting for his and he is not impressed at the delay! 

apple_muncher

And I have ordered some more ge0rge items, as dh needed polo shirts and usually gets them from pr1mark. Don't know which of them has the best ethics, but since pr1mark said that they wouldn't be doing any sales or reductions to get rid of their stock, I just felt miffed with them! And it does save a trek into town (especially as the car is in a pickle and we don't know if we'll get a courtesy car...) along with the other muppets who have  to  shop, or life just ain't worth living...

Anyhow, I added to the order with more items for dd and a sports bra + top for me. Exercising nearly every day means the sports bras are getting washed a  lot, so another one will be useful.

My sister arranged a crafting z00m meet this afternoon, which was nice to do. Several of her friends were there too, some of whom I know from waaaaaay back.

We have harvested the first strawbs - only 2 so far - and they were yummy.

greent

My DS2 is in Y9 and his school have (since half term) dropped the non-option subjects where applicable (so DS2 is no longer getting any art/ history/ music/ French work to do) and have started any new options subjects (so he is starting his GCSE courses from scratch in drama and business studies without any face to face teaching - it is *interesting*!) It is working out better for him overall - he is mainly doing subjects that he's interested in now (Eng being the exception ) so is more inclined to do the work

Can see this having far longer-term reaching effects (poorly constructed but I'm sure you'll get what I mean!) than first considered - as well as this year's Y11 and Y13's with no exams it must impact on next year's - and possibly the current Y9's.... Crazy times... x

apple_muncher

Schools are in such a difficult situation. My sch goes form nursery through to y13 and is small. So every change has to be implemented/planned/risk assessed by the same team... And the govt throws in some sidewinders like 'only 25% of the y10 + 12 cohort can be in the building at any one time'.

It makes sense to do what your ds2's sch have done, and indeed, as from tomorrow, I am going to be setting different lessons for my y9 groups, according to whether they are continuing with my subject or not.

greent

Yes - totally agree with what DS2's school have done with options/ discontinued subjects Makes perfect sense.  They also have a huge area from which students come (several counties) so are only taking Y10/12 students next week who haven't been working at home for a chat. It changes the following 3 weeks after that and then they break up. Everyone in those years will get the opportunity to be in sch at least 1 day before the end of term - but it may only be the one day. They are, however, being fab with home-schooling work and checking in with all parents and students by phone (assuming numbers are up to date!) 

Having spoken to a HoD from the sch where I invigilate (she was in front of me in a shopping queue) she has said that it's exhausting teaching in the current format, so I really don't envy you (and all others in your profession) right now! x

apple_muncher

Thank you greent. I don't think that it is understood just how exhausting this is - and I'm only 2+ days per week, officially. And then those teachers who are having to both travel to work to do real face-to-face teaching as well as set remote work for all their other classes...

I may be being a tad cynical, but I do think that the recent 'shall we reduce the 2m rule' discussion is not due to the hospitality sector but by the overwhelming drive to get pupils in school in any way they can.

Anyhow, off to look at my last plan for y9 and split it up...

Humdinger1

Apple

After some earlier glitches,  have managed to resubscribe  to your diary; and what a pleasure it is to catch up! Agree with your reading of the lockdown, schools,  govt etc.  But as long as Mr Cummings signs it off, no doubt all is fine....

apple_muncher

Hi Humdinger - glad you persevered and found me again!!

I can be all smug because I have done all my reports and re-thought my y8 + 9 + 10 teaching and put my thoughts down on paper so that I don't forget them...!

September is not that far off, if schools are to be able to plan changes and implement them. Another thought... How much money is being 'wasted' or 'spent unnecessarily' on implementing stuff that will be changed anyway soon, and that should/could be better used to help the pupils out there who really need help, in so many ways. It's not as if school are rolling in wads of spare dosh...