Socks with a discount
This week the kids have been off school for half term and the atmosphere at home has been more relaxed after a difficult weekend.
Last weekend my Mother, brother and his wife visited. It was nice to see them but the visit was fraught. Coming at the end of a difficult week we weren’t in the mood for the confusion that comes with my brother. He decided they’d stay in local hotel but didn’t let us know when he expected to get here or to discuss the visit. Not surprisingly, the wife wasn’t too impressed with me not knowing.
We all went to a local museum. The visit went well and we ended up in the coffee bar associated with the museum. My brother kept on and eventually I snapped and had a go at him. In the museum he’d done nothing but clown around and barely spoken to Daisy or Rory. The museum visit was his idea to stimulate them educationally. Then in the coffee bar we were at two tables and he continued clowning and ignoring the kids.
To add to the situation my Sister-in-Law was moody because she was hungry. The service in the coffee bar was slow and she became more and more crabby. It had been her idea to have a snack there.
As we got back home I dropped the wife and daughter off to prepare a meal and carried onto to a local supermarket. There is a shortage of long grain easy cook rice at the moment. They found genetically modified material in the American rice and all the supermarkets have withdrawn it. Anyway, we were hoping they’d have some rice and went to get it.
The wife sent me a text saying that my brother and his wife were walking down to the supermarket but didn’t want a lift back. As we were loading the conveyor to check-out along came my brother. After paying he said his wife had popped into the restaurant for some soup. Putting my head round I saw she had bought herself a meal.
It’s like my Grandfather used to say “some people have relatives, other people have the bother of them”!!!
EventsDaisy was meeting a friend and going into town shopping. I gave her £15 to buy Rory a present for his birthday of her choosing. When I got home, the wife told me she’d spoken to Daisy a few times on the mobile, cell, phone about the present.
Daisy came home having bought a pair of socks for Chelsea football team. The socks cost £12 but she’d chatted to the manager and obtained a 10% discount. She thought I’d be pleased with the discount.
“But” I protested “no one will know he’s wearing Chelsea socks”. Almost in unison “he’ll know” the reply from the wife and daughter.
I still can’t get over daisy thinking I’d be pleased with the discount…. I would be but for the fact I don’t see a penny in change.
Parents Evening
It s been another busy week. Early in the week Daisy was in sombre mood. Eventually we got to the bottom of it and it turns out she is being bullied. A boy in her Science class constantly calls her names and hassles her through the lesson. I know boys find it hard to work out how to talk to girls and can be clumsy but he seems to have an unhealthy obsession.
Dashing up to the school after driving down from the North of England we ran into the “Deputy Head of House” in the corridor. The school is set up with a vertical and horizontal structure. In the vertical structure are classes from every year in “Houses”. Across each year there is a “Head of Year” and deputy.
In terms of the House teachers these are the enforcers whilst the “Year” teachers tend to be the supportive, pastoral, staff.
I am very unhappy that the bullying was going on during lessons. As the conversation was coming to an end I spotted the Art Teacher coming down the corridor. Busy corridor! I broke away to talk to him and raised the issue over his alleged comment. He denied it naturally. I was glad I’d raised it and he knows I’ve got my eye on him. The most diplomatic solution was to accept his version of ‘non events’. It keeps some hope of him and Daisy having a good relationship.
Daisy had to go in the next day and make a statement. I told her to name a lad who although not making the comments was closely associated with him and was encouraging him. This lad, Tim, is the son of someone the wife went to school with years ago.
There was also a parents evening for Rory this week. He’s only been at the school since September so it’s an opportunity for parents to meet the class teacher and raise any settling in concerns. After a talk by the class teacher and some questions and answers the “Head of House” came in.
He was not in a good mood and read the Riot Act because he was very unhappy with the class. He’d identified 7 or 8 children who were causing problems and spelt out the fact that he was going to move them down into lower classes or other houses if they continued to cause problems. He would not name the children out loud but would confirm names with parents after the meeting. As I left I said in passing “Rory’s not on the list is he?” “No” came the reply. I knew he wouldn’t be.
Next day, the Head of House made a repeat performance and read the class the Riot Act.
EventsThe wife spotted her old school friend visiting his mother nearby. It was Tim’s father and she told him about the bullying. The father said that on the parents evening the week before he’d been told that when Tim sat by the bully his marks were much lower than when the bully wasn’t around. It's bit nasty of me but I want the bully to feel some pressure.
Several girls commented to Daisy that “it was about time someone did something” about the bully. It seems he has a girl in every lesson he targets.
Next week the kids are thankfully off for half term break.
