School Days in March – the last of year 4?

Totally unexpected when we started the school year, but March (or the half of March we had), is looking like being the last time the children are in school this year thanks to Covid-19. Sad sad times across the world, and especially for those children due to do exams that have been cancelled, or due to leave school and move up to their next stage. All of those fun summer events, sports days, fund raising, tennis matches, time with friends, moving up days, activity day, leavers assembly and more that they’ll miss out on.

Now most people are at home, and most children are also at home. With parents working from home as well as supporting children in home-schooling. Challenging times for all of us.

Here’s our look at our probably last school days month of year 4.

Tonsillitis

Sigh, I had got all hopeful that N was going to get to the summer term having not been sick, when what happens? He gets tonsillitis. He had a quiet weekend where he seemed fine in himself but his throat was closed right up, so he wasn’t finding it nice to eat. Then Monday he felt a lot worse.  Time to work from home and keep him off school.  

I managed to get him a doctor’s appointment as his tonsils were looking a bit spotty, and sure enough he was given antibiotics. The doctor suggested that if he was getting them 6 times a year they’d look at getting them taken out. I’d have thought 3+ would have been bad enough (thankfully N doesn’t hit even that), especially if it continues through the school years, but evidently not. I must have had it a lot as a child as mine were taken out age 5. Whereas the OH still suffers really badly nowadays and is too old to have them removed.  

I did send N back in on Tuesday as he seemed brighter, but by the end of the day he was struggling so it was probably not the best idea.  I might have rethought if the OH would take some time out to look after N while he’s ill but of course he doesn’t. Wednesday he was chatting more and scrapping with his dad, so definitely well on the mend. He then ended up with a couple of days of a cold, a few days off and then got hit with another horrible cold after school closed.

There’s been a lot of illness and children off school. Cases of chicken pox going round, and then children self isolating with either coughs or temperatures in case it’s coronavirus.

School tennis

I think N has a lot to learn about understanding why he and others who can play a sport can’t just go off and work at their own level. Tennis has ramped up in school with a different provider to ours. I think this will be good for N. Although after school club is probably not going to be worth doing in terms of high cost vs what he’ll actually get to play and learn, he’ll get to learn from another coach who is involved with our local county squad (N’s usual tennis coach is based in the next county).

There’s quite a few children in N’s class – probably 6-7 of them, who do tennis lessons outside of school – but obviously school lessons need to focus on the beginners and basics.  Because the class is also mixed across 2 tennis age groups they’re also playing with the larger red balls on smaller court size too. I agree it’s frustrating playing with larger, younger age balls than you’ve been playing for nearly a year, but N and his friends need to remember that most children are in the same position that he would be playing a different sport like football or hockey alongside kids who play in teams.

Hopefully having to adjust his strokes will be good for him because he’ll be able to learn how to switch, and can still work on different skills. Just playing more helps – and he prefers playing tennis to most other sports they do. Maybe over time they’ll progress and be able to do more.

Race night

 Another fund raising night for the PTA, we held a race night. I’d made a cheesecake for one of the puddings, took raffle ticket money when people arrived and made the flyer beforehand. I can never really get fully involved but it’s nice to be able to help where I can.

I only won on one of the races, winning enough to cover the rest of the races I’d bet on so I was happy with that. It was a nice social evening, and the food was amazing (I was pleased to see my cheesecake was the dessert that was demolished first – poor N didn’t get the chance for me to bring any home). Hopefully it raised a lot of money, although the race night guy was a bit dull and slow meaning people left because it had dragged on much later than expected.

Aching in school

After N’s county tennis training his legs were in agony, especially when he sat down. So he took in a cushion to sit on. If the country opens up before the summer, he’ll be so rusty and no tennis fit, he’s going to be in agony again.

Sports Relief

Sports Relief was fairly quiet this year. The children went in sports wear to school, then they either did HIT in the playground or did a mile around the playing field. N did the run but he said there was lots of stopping after every couple of laps to make sure children that weren’t on top form weren’t coughing lots.

School closure

Obviously the school closed the same time as every school. Although the OH comes under key worker status being in food production, I can work from home so N is home with me rather than going into school. The teacher and TA did a great job of getting packs put together for the next two weeks up to Easter holidays. So home schooling has started alongside my work. Thankfully N loves maths so is happy doing the online activity, times tables grids and worksheets. But English is proving more difficult. He wants to do the activities over 2 days like they usually do in school, but he has comprehension as well as writing texts to do. I’m hoping he’ll get faster and less fidgety because the reason it’s taking so long is he faffs.

He is getting through most of the work set, we probably just need to add some more fun project or artwork, but he didn’t want to join the online IT or art clubs. We’ll have to see how things go a few weeks on. And really pray that Covid 19 is dealt with and doesn’t return in time to have a short time back at school in the summer to say proper goodbyes to the oldest children.

Hopefully you’re adjusting to life at home with children trying to do school work with them.