COLD DARK ROOM

CarolM

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Good morning all. It's Friday and I haven't got a clue what today holds... I really must check my diary!

* Nips off to check Google Calendar *

Ooh! I have today to myself :)

So that's laundry, organise a lunch date with my friend, pick up JoesDad's suit from the dry cleaner... and watch tennis at Roland Garros on the tv :)
Sounds like an awesome day. And where is the stretching time and or homework time slotted in for your back and shoulder?
 

JoesMum

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Good Mornooning All,

With all the rain that we have been having i just checked our dam levels and this is what they said it was at yesterday. However we did get alot of rain last night, so the rain that you are all sending to us, seems to be reaching us finally. Still we need to carry on being conservative, as there is still the coming years and summers to think of:

View attachment 240486
Those figures are looking encouraging. We won't uncross our fingers yet... there's a long eay to go to get those reservoirs full.
 

JoesMum

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Here in the SA we have the following system:
Creche - from 4months or earlier sometimes to about 3 years old. This is not compulsory

Pre-primary - From 3years to about 6years - this is the stage where the kids start getting introduced to a schooling system - so they have the bells and breaks etc. And learn their colours and to count etc. This is not compulsory - Although Grade R is complusory as a school generally won't accept your child in grade one if they have not done Grade R. This is the year just before they start grade one, so it is important, to get your child up to speed if they have not had any schooling up until this point.

Primary Shool - Which is from grade 1 to Grade 7 - 7years (the rule here is that your child must turn 7 in this year, so they can turn 7 at the start of the year or at the end of the year - What I have found is especially for boys when they turn 7 makes a huge difference in their maturity level and how they cope at school - girls tend to do better than boys do who turn 7 at the end of the year) to 13 years (14 years if you stayed back in any grades) - this is the start of the schooling system where the kids do maths, science, afrikaans, life skills, history, geography etc. From grade 1 to 3 they write assessments and tests all the time and from grade 4 to 7 the first term and 3rd are projects, tests, assessments and the 2nd term and 4th term are exams. This is compulsory

High School - 14years to 18/19years of age. Grade 8 to Grade 12. Grade 8 to 9 they have to do all the subjects but from Grade 10 they choose which subjects they want to do based on the career path that they think that they want to follow and what will be required for further study in that field. This is complusory

Then it is either get a job, go to collage or go to university depending on each childs circumstances, career path etc.
Here in the UK, a child must be in full time education by their 5th birthday. Prior to that, children can optionally attend a pre-school. The government actively encourages parents to send their child to a pre-school for at least two years, but places are expensive and the government's voucher scheme to pay for some of it doesn't cover the costs fully for many pre-schools.


Our academic year runs September to July, so this translates into children going into Reception Class in the year in which they turn 5. Some schools have a January intake for summer babies, but most take children only in September so some children are only just 4 when they start school.

English formal education (it's slightly different in Scotland) is divided into Key Stages (KS)

KS1 - Years 1 and 2 - follows on from Reception - in some towns an Infant School will just cover Reception and KS1

KS2 - Years 3 to 6 - so if your town has an infant school, your child will move to a Junior School the September after they turn 7

Many/most areas have Primary Schools, rather than separate Infant and Junior Schools, that cover Reception to Year 6.

KS3 - Years 7 to 9 - this is the start of Secondary School education

KS4 - Years 10 and 11 - the public exam (GCSE) years of Secondary School... at the end you will be aged 16 and can leave for employment, eg an apprenticeship, or continue your education.

KS5 - Years 12 and 13 - If you continue your studies to sit more public exams (A Level) you may continue at Secondary School or move to a college to study.

After this, if you get the qualifications, you can go to University.

NB Some counties have a Middle School System rather than Primary/Secondary. The Key Stages are the same, but I won't confuse you any further :D
 

CarolM

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South Africa - Cape Town
Good mornooning, roommates! “Kindergarten” day for me — three kids to pick up instead of one. Planning to keep them outdoors as much as possible.
We’re heading to Aarhus tomorrow — the second largest city in Denmark — for a two-day festival. Daughter will sing on both days, but then I’ll be done with the hyper-stressed Russian moms until September. Something to look forward to! :D
Whoop Whoop. Good Luck to your daughter for her singing, to you for the Russian Moms:rolleyes:. :D:D
 

CarolM

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Here in the UK, a child must be in full time education by their 5th birthday. Prior to that, children can optionally attend a pre-school. The government actively encourages parents to send their child to a pre-school for at least two years, but places are expensive and the government's voucher scheme to pay for some of it doesn't cover the costs fully for many pre-schools.


Our academic year runs September to July, so this translates into children going into Reception Class in the year in which they turn 5. Some schools have a January intake for summer babies, but most take children only in September so some children are only just 4 when they start school.

English formal education (it's slightly different in Scotland) is divided into Key Stages (KS)

KS1 - Years 1 and 2 - follows on from Reception - in some towns an Infant School will just cover Reception and KS1

KS2 - Years 3 to 6 - so if your town has an infant school, your child will move to a Junior School the September after they turn 7

Many/most areas have Primary Schools, rather than separate Infant and Junior Schools, that cover Reception to Year 6.

KS3 - Years 7 to 9 - this is the start of Secondary School education

KS4 - Years 10 and 11 - the public exam (GCSE) years of Secondary School... at the end you will be aged 16 and can leave for employment, eg an apprenticeship, or continue your education.

KS5 - Years 12 and 13 - If you continue your studies to sit more public exams (A Level) you may continue at Secondary School or move to a college to study.

After this, if you get the qualifications, you can go to University.

NB Some counties have a Middle School System rather than Primary/Secondary. The Key Stages are the same, but I won't confuse you any further :D
Okay. That is slightly different and confusing. But then I suppose it is because we work on a different system. But at the end of the day the kids seem to spend about the same amount of time in the schooling system. Yours start earlier and finish at an earlier age, whereas ours start and end later. If one of your children came to SA they would end up skipping a few grades but if ours went there to you, they would then have to repeat a grade or two most likely. Personally I would rather skip a few.:D
 

JoesMum

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Oh Wow, Those look rather frightening. Do they not have insurance which covers those kind of disasters? Actually come to think about it I need to check if ours covers natural disasters.
It's always the poorest members if any community that suffer worst. They have the homes least likely to withstand whatever has hit them and can't afford the insurance to rebuild their lives and possibly their health.

Businesses will be closed meaning that people can't earn an income, so there will be people struggling who were above the poverty line too :(
 

Kristoff

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Here in the UK, a child must be in full time education by their 5th birthday. Prior to that, children can optionally attend a pre-school. The government actively encourages parents to send their child to a pre-school for at least two years, but places are expensive and the government's voucher scheme to pay for some of it doesn't cover the costs fully for many pre-schools.


Our academic year runs September to July, so this translates into children going into Reception Class in the year in which they turn 5. Some schools have a January intake for summer babies, but most take children only in September so some children are only just 4 when they start school.

English formal education (it's slightly different in Scotland) is divided into Key Stages (KS)

KS1 - Years 1 and 2 - follows on from Reception - in some towns an Infant School will just cover Reception and KS1

KS2 - Years 3 to 6 - so if your town has an infant school, your child will move to a Junior School the September after they turn 7

Many/most areas have Primary Schools, rather than separate Infant and Junior Schools, that cover Reception to Year 6.

KS3 - Years 7 to 9 - this is the start of Secondary School education

KS4 - Years 10 and 11 - the public exam (GCSE) years of Secondary School... at the end you will be aged 16 and can leave for employment, eg an apprenticeship, or continue your education.

KS5 - Years 12 and 13 - If you continue your studies to sit more public exams (A Level) you may continue at Secondary School or move to a college to study.

After this, if you get the qualifications, you can go to University.

NB Some counties have a Middle School System rather than Primary/Secondary. The Key Stages are the same, but I won't confuse you any further :D

Daughter’s is a Cambridge-system international school, so it’s similar to the KS Linda described. In Turkey they had the 4+4+4 system for a while, kids starting at 6 years old and staying in the primary, middle, and high school for 4 years each. But they change the system every couple of years. :rolleyes:
When I was at school in Central Asia and Russia (for a year), it was Grade 1 through 10 (later 11), without dividing the school into primary, middle, and high school.
 

CarolM

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It's always the poorest members if any community that suffer worst. They have the homes least likely to withstand whatever has hit them and can't afford the insurance to rebuild their lives and possibly their health.

Businesses will be closed meaning that people can't earn an income, so there will be people struggling who were above the poverty line too :(
Shame yes, That is always the really sad part about these disasters.:(
 

CarolM

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Daughter’s is a Cambridge-system international school, so it’s similar to the KS Linda described. In Turkey they had the 4+4+4 system for a while, kids starting at 6 years old and staying in the primary, middle, and high school for 4 years each. But they change the system every couple of years. :rolleyes:
When I was at school in Central Asia and Russia (for a year), it was Grade 1 through 10 (later 11), without dividing the school into primary, middle, and high school.
Interesting. I think the division sort of creates a sort of right of passage which is a nice thing for the kids.

For grade 1, it is I am going to big school now.
For the Grade 8's , I am in High School yay not long to go and I am older now.
For the Grade 12's, This is my last year of School and then I will be finished. They then get welcomed to the Adult world and all that means - with both the freedoms and the responsibilities. So not so sure that is a good one though ... Personally having been in the Adult world for a while now, I would not mind going back to the freedoms of being a kid again, that is without any responisibilities other than school and some chores.:D
 

JoesMum

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Well, I've just delivered the three little monkeys to their art teacher. I took them on a picnic and then... geocaching. And I managed to wear them out! Feeling so proud of myself, lol. :D :D

Well done, Lena. Building up your fitness to cope with the Russian Moms this weekend is good :D
 

Maro2Bear

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Yes, please!
Are these grapes good for wine?

We just eat them fresh from the vine as they ripen. But.. they are good in a variety of ways. Muscadine grapes are pleasant enough to eat out of hand despite the seeds and somewhat tough skin of some culivars. They come into their best, however, in making distinctive jellies, jams and juices. The grapes also make an excellent dessert wine with a flavor reminiscent of muscat wines.
 
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