CGP Study Guides

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As a parent and tutor I am finding the CGP Study Guides invaluable. I am constantly adding to my collection as they provide clear and concise information which is readily understandable for students. The English language one provides practice questions too:

Students can easily use the workbooks to complete tests and consolidate their skills:

For Literature there are poetry study books which include the full texts with analysis:

Back to School and Starting Secondary

My son has now been at secondary school for a week so we are both getting into routines and learning the system at this school:

Timetable

He came home with his 2 week timetable stuck into his planner that he must show me every day so I can check his homework:

I have written this up onto a chalkboard and hung it on the stairs so that we can both see what lessons he has each day:

Reasons to Cheerful: Autumn and Fun #R2BC

It is now Autumn so my favourite season which gives me many reasons to smile! 

The linky is still in the hands of Michelle so please pop over there to join in... Meanwhile here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) A fixed screen
I had a week of not being able to use most of my iPhone due to a smashed screen. Now after a home repair I can have my phone back. I just need to get the LCD panel off old one to get home button etc working!

2) Car booting

It was a long morning but we made a decent amount and got rid of plenty of surplus at our latest car boot:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Back to School again #R2BC

I am even later this week joining in with Michelle as its been so busy! It isn't because I am feeling sad though... Here are my reasons this week:

1) Back to school

Last weekend I went to my old High School's 50th anniversary and saw some girls and teachers I hadn't seen for 27 years! A fabulous afternoon reminiscing and exploring the school. Here we are recreating what it was like in our 5th form classroom:

2) Fun with friends

I then went to stay with friends in Windsor for a rare chance for us all to be together without any of our 9 children! Bliss. I even got made a dippy egg for breakfast:

3) Gotta read them all

My teaching assistant finally had time to set up my Pokemon themed reading corner. Hoping it inspires more of the children to actually read...

4) Another Open Evening

My son went to look at his other main choice of secondary. This time its the one his sister attends and she had her photograph up in the English department:

She was being a tour guide and I only bumped into her twice in the 3 hours we were there! I enjoyed catching up with my old colleagues and other parents and my son loved the han.ds on activities. Its going to be hard for him to choose so its just as well he still has a year left to do it...

Join in and share what it making you happy this week

Where does the time go?

Tonight with my daughter I attended the first proper event on her road to secondary school. It was a road show where one of the local secondaries visited her current primary to let pupils and parents know what they have to offer. I can't believe that my daughter is old enough to be making this kind of choice! It doesn't seem all that long since she started in reception:

Now she is faced with choosing which secondary school to go in 17 months time! We live in an area where you don't have to go to your nearest secondary school as the schools all have surplus spaces due to low birth rates. This means that there really is a choice and the majority of children get the one that they want to attend.

So we have an array of taster visits, presentations and tempting visits by teachers from the secondary schools to entice pupils to apply to their school! I have to admit it would be a lost easier (and cheaper!) for her to go to our nearest school. It is only about 20 minutes to walk or 10 minutes on a bicycle to get there in the morning. If she chooses the other school children from her primary go to she would have an early start to catch a bus after 15 minute walk to the bus stop. The third option involves walking/cycling all the way across town.

But it is up to her which school she feels that she would be happiest at. The one where she can do the subjects she loves and can offer her extra curricular activities that she enjoys. If she isn't happy for 5 years at a school then she won't achieve her full potential. I know she is very bright and should do well were ever she goes. In fact she would like to take the 11+ and try for the grammar school in Lancaster but it is almost impossible for Kendal girls to get in there due to the distance.

She has until October to make the final choice. With her primary school lying between 2 secondary catchments her class mates will head in opposite directions at the end of year 6. I just hope that whatever choice she makes it will be the right one for her!

Reasons to be Cheerful Week 30 The Sneezing edition #R2BC

Having spent much of the last week with a stinking cold (thanks kids!) its harder to be cheerful but I have managed to find a few rays of sunshine:

1) Sunny Sunday in the Park

Having been house bound and mostly horizontal on Saturday it was fabulous to be out and about on Sunday. After church the lovely sunshine lured us to spend a few hours down at Abbott Hall park. Whilst the children played I soaked up the sun and enjoyed the local paper with a coffee:

Then we took the longer route home along the canal path and river bank:

2) Last of the sunflowers

It's fellow flowers are now just food for birds and homes for spiders:

3) Picnic teas in the park

There won't be many more of these but whilst they last we are making the most of them:

And yesterday's one by Windermere was wonderful too.

4) Fabulous Roses

Spotted a wonderful bush full of roses whilst walking into town yesterday. Just so beautiful:

5) Moving Up

My daughter is in year 5 so our first chance to start looking at secondary schools! Scary to think she is nearly at that secondary age but we started by looking around the school I work at on its Open Evening. We all loved the musical performances that were put on. Each department had also put out hands on stuff for students to try. Wish we had had more time to see it all (will have to wait for next year!). It was good to see our historical reenacting kit being used in the history department:

And in the PE department my daughter made the most of a mini trampolining lesson: