Spud is now on study leave
Spud starts his GCSEs next week; his first exam is on Thursday. He plans to stick to his school day at home, from nine to four, having the same breaks, lunch period, and so on. The advantage is that he gets an extra hour in bed, waking at eight instead of 6:45. He is serious and determined to do well in his exams.
When he started grammar school five years ago, aged eleven, it was pretty scary for him. He was one of only four pupils from his primary school to win full bursaries, and the only boy. The girls were put into a class together but he was on his own. Many of the children had come up from the prep school and known each other for years, and he felt isolated. He wasn’t happy in that first week, and the Hub found him crying over his maths homework, because he couldn’t do it.
Being a mother, I was all for panicking, pulling him out, and putting him in the local high school. The Hub is made of sterner stuff and simply sat with Spud each night, helping him with the homework when he was struggling, and sitting on me to stop my hysteria.
We are all glad he did, because Spud has enjoyed the last five years; loves his school; is popular with pupils and staff; and is looking forward to two years of Sixth Form…especially Leaving Day, when the pupils play pranks to celebrate leaving. Some of the previous years’ pranks have included:
- Locking the school gates so parents couldn’t get out for an hour after dropping off their children
- Letting three chickens loose in the school but labelling them 1, 2 & 4
- Filling the head’s room to bursting with balloons
- Painting a helipad on a tiny building’s roof
- Displaying underwear around the school
- Putting up TILF posters (work it out)
- Selling the school on eBay. The buyer turned up on Leavers’ Day to seal the deal, much to the surprise of the Board of Governors
An education is a wonderful thing.
Love the prank list, esp the chickens, which I shared with My Beloved Sandra, formerly a school Principal (ie ‘head’). She virtually shddered at its dastardliness.
Wicked, but hilarious
Good luck to him, as a teacher I know how rare it is for youngsters to be totally self-motivated these days.
It is one of his character strengths
Hi, Tilly Bud! I hope you are back to healthy — I know the situation oh so well. I love your 6WS, and your Spud seems like a terrific guy, while still being a typical boy!
Much better today, thank you
I love the Prank list too. Each one of them would be hilarious
Yes, very clever pranks, Tilly!
so glad your hubby calmed him down and helped him wih the math. Wish that had happened to me when I was young.
Glad you’re feeling better. Good luck to Spud. Tell him to take at least three pens in with him. I borrowed my Dad’s Parker for my Latin Olevel and couldn’t get the top off, wasting too much of the time trying. Also tell him: Read the Questions Properly! I have marked papers where the student had totally misread the question and it is not good news.
I forgot to say how much I appreciated the chicken trick!
I will tell him!
Love the list, it seems that leaving day is much the same sort of thing no matter where in the world you are.
Much luck for him, and one day he will be so thankful….more than he’ll ever know right now!
he is such a handsome young man
Glad to hear that Spud is doing so well. I wish him the best with his exams.
It is nice that Hub can help with the homework. I remember helping Karen and then she got way ahead of me. That was good and sher got good grades especially the math which me.
Sorry you weren’t feeling good. I’ve been out of pocket so I’d even lost rack that your mom finished her health problems that had her stuck in the hospital.
Good for you in picking up your doggie poo. That is one of my pet peeves also.
..
Expect a lot of it in London
SOOOO… how much did they get for the school?
Quite a handsome spud…by the way
Do you know, I forgot to ask!
Good luck to your son; I’m sure he’ll do great on his exams! Very clever pranks from previous years, especially selling the school on eBay. Glad he stuck with the school; seems like he is thriving here!
betty
He is
I’m so happy that you’re better. It is so hard to be the new kid in class and in a new school. You and the Hub are to be commended for staying strong for Spud and he should be proud of himself for staying the course. You and the Hub gave Spud an amazing gift, the opportunity to see that he can do anything when he puts his mind to it. Hooray for everyone!!
I was as strong as a jelly! Fortunately, the Hub is made of sterner stuff
Wishing Spud all the best, Tilly. There is an award for you on my latest post, although I’ll be surprised if you don’t have it already.
ROFL, I love the chicken prank haha
Good luck on the exams, and much courage and concentration during the preparations and studying, Spud.
Have a lovely Saturday, all of you.
A lovely comment. Thank you.
Good luck, Spud ….like the chicken prank … brilliant. Good looking young man too.
Good luck, Spud!! I think I just saw chicken #3 trying to cross the road, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why.
Hehehe! Good one, Al
Good luck to him! and he looks so handsome in his uniform.
we had a big food fight in the cafeteria once…..I don’t really recommend that prank. but it sure was fun to “spider-web” the teachers lounge one year. They got a good chuckle out of that……after they finally unwound all the string and got in.
That’s a good one
What a wonderful kid Spud is, and good for Hub. My second husband had a chance to attend one of the military academies on a football scholarship, but he was discouraged by the adults in his life who said he wouldn’t fit in owing to class differences.
This was stupid as he gave up the academy and went to another school and ended up having a military career anyway. Too often we are snobbish the “other way.” I see a great future for Spud. Dianne
What a wasted opportunity
It is indeed a wonderful thing. As are awards (even one’s for fun) – http://wp.me/pu9f9-Fg
Congratulations
I won’t tell Scout that Spud is already on study leave.
He has a week more to go!
I’m being looked at strangely by my husband as I cackled out loud at the chicken prank. Still am ackershally.
It’s my favourite, too – so simple.
Yay for Spud – wishing him all the best
Love the pranks – hahahaha!
So sweet. I wish him all the best… they do grow up on us and fly the coop. Wistful.
LOL at the chicken prank!
I love the chicken one.
Best of luck to Spud.
That’s what dads are for
Tilly, the Spud is quite the dapper looking young man. I love school uniforms, but then, I’ve never had to wear one…. I’m a little confused, though, how schools work across the Atlantic. How old is the Spud now? I’m wondering if Sixth Form is like our high school or our junior high school.
No matter, good luck to the Spud!!! I’m sure he’ll make you the proudest mom ever!
My original reply took so long, I decided to make it a post. Look out for it tomorrow!
Thanks for the inspiration
All the best, Spud & Mom!
HI Tilly,
I wish your son luck with his exams, although he sounds like he won’t need it. How lucky your husband could help him with his homework. It was probably about when they reached third grade that I realized I was out of my league, and let my husband help the kids with their math homework. Great post.
Really, it was just taking him through it slowly, and encouraging him to talk to his teacher about the problem.
Quite an accomplishment for your little man, congratulations!
I love the numbered chicken best. The prank can go on for hours!
It seems unanimous that the chicken prank was the best – simple, effective and hilarious
What great pranks – you wonder how they can top them! My favourite was the chicken one too.
Good luck to Spud for his exams and revision. My daughter was very diligent too when it came to revision, and it paid off for her. She made up a timetable in 30 minute blocks, decided what she would do in advance so that she covered all the subjects and left nothing to the last minute. After each half hour was completed she coloured the block in on her timetable – it was a work of art by the end of the exams!
Impressed!
Spud’s treat to himself after all his hard work is to start planning his Leaving Day prank.
He’s adorable. My youngest changed schools last year, similar situation and had to pull his long socks up, and straight his tie, too cute. Amazing how they adjust and we have heart attacks.
True! It’s much harder for us mothers