Back to school

When your children either catch the bus, walk or ride their bike to school, it can be quite long between visits. This week we have been to both schools, thankfully, for fun things. Joss had a Year 9 subject information night. When I was at school (I love being the old person who starts sentences like that), I chose two electives, in Year 7, that I did for all of Year 8 to Year 10. I chose French and German. Joss had compulsory subjects for all of Year 8 as well, and now has had to choose three electives.

Andrew and Joss had spent some time going through all the options, so Joss was pretty sure which subjects she wanted to choose, but I was surprised at what was on offer, and why. It seems like they provide, along with more academic courses like commerce or French, options that students will enjoy and, spread over their timetable, will keep them interested in school. There are subjects where you go hiking and complete Duke of Edinburgh, there are extra PE subjects (PE is a compulsory subject as well) and all sorts of fun things like textiles, photography, dance and food technology. You could choose all physical subjects and end up playing sport for something like twelve lessons a week!

We were told, very clearly, to let the students choose subjects they want to do; to let them give things a go. The only two subjects where choice at this stage affects the HSC, are French and music. Obviously, if you want to do French or music for the HSC, you need to include those now. Joss has given up on French, so the 2015 school trip to France is definitely off! Joss chose journalism, food technology and child studies. I told her that she can make dinner at least once a week as part of her food technology study, and that if she has to bring one of those dolls that cries all night and needs its nappy changed, that she is on her own!

I also went to Bethany's assembly, as her class was doing the item. They had each made a papier maché puppet and written little plays for them. Bethany's was about a very naughty puppet named Claudia (yes, this was Bethany's puppet), whose friends taught her not to play pranks. It was a very familiar story...

Taking photos with my phone proved difficult. That's her fuzzy, pink puppet.

I tried to make it less fuzzy by not zooming in, so this is a shot of parents' heads and a pink dot.

Each team had to come out and bow. Bethany is the one with the white shirt.

Thankfully, we can get close when it is all over.