Friday's Reflections

Welcome back to all out homeschoolers and a warm welcome to all our new learners here at Orchard Training.

Some of you are still on holiday or abroad and not yet back. However, you have told me and I have given you the support materials and I know you have been working over the summer holidays to get these weeks done before you left. When you are back you will go straight int to the correct week. I want to say a big thank you for doing that! I, personally, feel that means you are showing how much respect you have for your learning and homeschooling. You are going the extra mile!

Those of us who have started this week - well we have got off to a tremendous start too! Almost all of you have finished the benchmark test at the start of the year. Interestingly, over the course of the summer some of you have made progress in maths and English without learning anything - I am putting it down to your brains being tired at the end of the summer term and now your brains are feeling a whole lot fresher, after a very relaxed summer holiday. Those of you who have not finished have let me know that you have been having technical issues - thunder and lightning does interfere with the internet signal out in the countryside. We know this - so when the weather is calmer you can finish in your own time.

Most of you have sourced your reading book, but for some of you - the book has been delayed in transit. You have told me straight away and that is also ok! It's life and it happens!

On Monday, we will start in earnest the maths and English units for your year groups. Some of you are working above your age and some below. That is not important - what is important is that you are working and you are trying your best. The is all we ask.

You have all been given note books and shown how to fill them out. At the back is this year's time table. Now, you don't have to ask me every week - how many weeks to half term or the holidays! May I remind every one that the C word (Christmas) is a dirty word until the 6th of December - not to be talked about until then. I really don't need to know how many homeschool learning days or shopping days there are until the big event! We have so much to get done and do before then, it can wait until December to be thought about - ok!

There is a really big and important thing that will interrupt our lessons this term and that is the Queen's funeral. We are in a period of national mourning at the moment. Over the course of the next few days, we are all dealing with that according to our own customs and traditions. However, on the day of the funeral there will be no lessons. The date has not yet been announced. Now, it is entirely up to you, if this falls on a normal homeschool day; you can do your work early in the morning before the funeral, you can not do your homework on that day but do it on the Saturday or you can do it as normal with out reference to the funeral. What you can not do is: - not do your homework. What ever you feel about the monarchy - be mindful that other people have different ideas, thoughts and feeling about this. They will be working through their own traditions and customs at this time. I know this has not happened before in my lifetime. Therefore, what we are exactly doing is being made up on the spot for most of us. Many of us will be doing what feels right for us, at this time. With this in mind, remember to be respectful if people are doing it differently from you.