What an exciting and busy day I just had!
Today was Emma's first trip to Home Ed Partners at Monmouth Montessori School.
Despite DH getting into a bit of a flap first thing my 'crazy organiser mum' instincts kicked in and we still managed to get going fairly on time. Luckily both traffic and weather were on our side. About two thirds of the way there DH was talking to me and looked at my feet enquiring "why are you wearing slippers?" Argh! Id been so busy organising everyone else Id forgotten about myself!
Ah well. We got there on time and immediately met K who we had been talking to regularly on the A Little Bit Of Structure forum. She and the girls made us feel most welcome and Emma was very taken with both of them.
First thing we headed to the local theatre so she could partake in the science lecture that was being put on for the local schools. She surprised us no end at being happy for us to leave her and I was very proud of her. (and glad as I needed to buy shoes, ahem!) Seb wasn't old enough but after throwing a monster strop he managed to gain himself an invite as one of the organisers took pity and let him in too.
K walked with us into town where I purchased some cheap ugg-boot type things (which have now been acquired by Emma) and enjoyed time talking with K about all sorts of things HE and SEN kid related. There is just never enough time though and soon we were headed back to pick up the children.
They had both enjoyed the science but in Emmas words " I know it was science, I just dont know how!" Hmmmm, I think the production team need to work on their delivery of content!
So we said goodbye to K who had to be elsewhere then headed up to the school next, and Emma went straight into Art whilst Seb wiggled his way into a maths class.
We hung around (which was a bit chilly due to wind factor -3!) then they wangled staying for lunch whilst Lucas, dh and I ate lunch then went back into town for a while. We arrived back after Emma had done Food Tech and Seb got himself into an art lesson. They didn't seem to mind at the school and were very accomodating (Good job really, because Seb was on a mission to join in all of it.)
We got back and witnessed the school dodge-ball tournament, fielded some rather irritating anti-HE comments (pretty poorly actually, must do better *sigh*) from one of the school mums, along with talking to some lovely people before saying our goodbyes and heading home.
We stopped off to eat on the way home and got back by 6pm where Lucas went into baby melt-down and cried for a long while until I decided it was bath and bed time.
We had a lovely time though and Emma cant wait to go back to see both the school and K&girls. Abi on hearing that K had a girl her age (had told her, brain forgot to keep the information) thought she might go next time too.
A Good day :o)
So glad Emma and Seb enjoyed the day. It must be a long day so hope it won't put you off.
ReplyDeleteWe loved meeting you too and S would be delighted if Abi came next time. C was frustrated (and so was I) that we had to be elsewhere so she didn't see enough of Emma, although was so bouncy and excited that we had met you all.
I was so impressed at Seb organising himself to be allowed to stay.
The slippers made me laugh, and the fact that you pointed it out to me. I would not have noticed!
I'm intrigued about the anti-HE comments and must find out more, since the place generally has an ethos pro HE thanks to Rosemary.
It was long but I suspect dh and I will take turns and he may have Seb so I can come on my own sometimes too.
ReplyDeleteThe anti HE comments were nothing really, just typical ignorance over how HE works. "how are you regulated?" " Oh your not, well whats to stop you doing nothing? You could just be keeping them home all day and doing nothing and no-one would know"
And I just kind of thought "Yeah, thats why we travelled so many miles and let her attend a school for GCSE lessons - because we are doing nothing." lol
Im sure the woman just doesnt know how it works and if she did she would know that generally if you are crazy enough to HE you are going to do something with them or they would drive you barmy! ;o)
Sounds lke you had a great time, I'm really pleased for you. Hopefully you can go back and the goodness will continue. If I had a pound for every anti-HE remark!! Well, I'd live in Sandbanks!!
ReplyDeleteGlad that's one thing off your 'to do list'. If Seb responded that well, could HE partners be the right solution for him too? Not sure how, but bet you could make something work for him?
ReplyDeleteI think Bridget's right, but it's not so much anti-HE as an inability to understand that children might not need regulating and hovering over to learn. There again, maybe we're just lucky that ours don't? I used to end up a prefect in schools because they had a habit of spotting the wolves and training them as sheepdogs, so maybe none of our children are natural sheep?
The silly thing about the parent is her child is in a school where they don't stream kids, where they are one of only 10 kids, in a mixed age environment learning at their own pace with enthusiastic teachers. Where topics are not 'NC based' and where they garden and play dodge ball, and follow their own interest-led research and activities.
DeleteAnd yet she seems to not get where Im coming from!
Ah, but she knows she couldn't do what you do so well. Therefore, in her mind, you can't do it either. Sometimes I think logic ought to be on the curriculum. Then I realise how often my 2 use it against me and know exactly why!
ReplyDelete