Anyone else starting big School?

[Clevercat]

Well, your children I mean of course.

MOrgan is about to start John of Gaunt.

I hope he sticks to how focused a learner he was at Primary, I just hope his desire to learn remains!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hermes2007]

He must be the same age as my grandson then CC who goes up to the seniors in Frome (can't remember the school) - but its in the same campus so should be less traumatic.

Controversial bit : the older I get the less I am convinced about the value of schools and what they really teach children. Its a recent thing in history and I think eventually a better way will be found. Back to your previous posts CC, the important thing is giving children a love of learning and them wanting to learn. I was reading my Mother's Jane Austen books at 4, and I loved learning.

[Clevercat]

How does he feel about it Hermes? Is he nervous?

I think I am very lucky because all three of mine has a real passion for reading, always have done, and so much can be learned from reading.

Alena is reading books from her brothers cupboard, and she gets a good understanding of the storyline etc.

Morgan I am finding it hard to get the right books for him, he finds thinks like Lord of the Rings, a doddle, and goes to the teenage sect of the Library, but these books he likes are pretty horror based.  Hoping he does not turn into a psycho, hahaha.

I agree that Schools could be improved.   I think more life skills should be taught, more of the real world stuff, educate kids on mortgages, wages, bank accounts, credit cards, cooking, mechanics, needle work, mental health issues, ............. feed their self esteem and creativity, forget the robotic restraints of the curriculum.

[Clevercat]

Seems Clarendon is way ahead of J.O.G in the results of GCSE's this year.

Gulp.

[Yokel1]

Quote:
"Seems Clarendon is way ahead of J.O.G in the results of GCSE's this year.

Gulp."

If your kid is going to Calrendon you are already finding reasons for them to fail!

Clever kids are clever kids whatever school they go to.
Thick kids are thick kids whatever school they go to.
The only variable you can really influence is the quality of the other kids they hang round with and the influence they have on each other.

Read this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Freakonomics-Economist-Explores-Hidden-Everything/dp/0141019018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282921556&sr=8-1

And find out why if you are called Jazzmin you are more likely to be thick than if you are called Jasmine (and more subtle examples).   I like it - its not conspiracy theory it just shows how some things are linked when we think they aren't, and some things aren't linked when you think they are.  If you were pretty crap at school then your kids most likely will be, regardless of whether they are doing calculus at 6 months or reading Homer's Oddyssey at 2.   There's a good example about how early kids start to walk - it has no relationship whatsoever to their abilities in later life.

(A lot of people have justified criticism of this book but I think a whole lot more don't like it becasue if reflects uncomfortably on them)

[hermes2007]

That looks interesting Yokel, but on the same page the book I think I'll be ordering is:

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviours spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of mimetics will recognise this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.

I've long vaguely thought this and am intrigued as to what evidence he puts forward.
Thanks for the link.

[Clevercat]

Morgy is about to go to John of Gaunt, I was surprised to read the differences in marks between that and Clarendon in terms of GCSE results.

The good thing about J.O.G is that some children were given GCSE's early instead of waiting til year six.

My children are going to be like me then.  Studious, hard working and a little bit wild at times. (talking later in secondary School)

Its the ''wild at times'' bit I need to be aware of 

[Clevercat]

Apparently in PHSE Morgan had to watch Jeremy Kyle the other day so they could discuss bad and good people 

[Tag]

What's PHSE?

[Pete]

It's PSHE - Personal, Social, and Health Education..... basically sex ed    .

Pete

[Clevercat]

Apparently the teacher said they had to watch Jerermy at Home for research purposes.

No chance!!