
redjam
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Everything posted by redjam
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Impressively quick reply from Helen Hayes, which provides some reassurance for those of us worried about the date mentioned in the letter from the Labour councillors: 'Thank you very much for your email. The reference in the letter to the 2018 shortfall is because this is the date at which the growing demand results in the need for a whole new school. The demand is already increasing and the intention is that the new school would open in 2016, although the programme would be largely in the hands of the appointed school provider to deliver.'
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Mariababe - you're absolutely right, just dug the letter out of the recycling and the first line makes mention of the 'large shortfall in places by 2018 if a new school is not provided'. Argh! I am just about to email the authors of the letter, Councillors Charlie Smith and Helen Hayes, cc-ing Tessa Jowell, to ask them about their position on the 2016 date. I'd urge everyone else who feels strongly to do the same. We need the secondary school for when the first of the primary bulge classes hit, in two years' time, not four! And yes, esme, they don't seem to have included the petition itself in the letter, bizarrely, but you can access it here: https://www.change.org/p/david-laws-mp-don-t-squeeze-two-schools-onto-the-dulwich-hospital-site
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James, the petition isn't just saying 'don't support two schools on the site'. It's also saying, very clearly, that ministers should support a secondary school and not a primary school.
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New secondary - Dulwich Hospital site issues
redjam replied to bonaome's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Petition signed, letters written (in triplicate) and posted! The petition needs another 84 signatures to reach the threshold of 200, as of this morning, so do please sign if you haven't done so. -
It's the v nice lady I've seen working in the Franklins shop before. House looks amazing. Good for them.
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Leisurely brunch in Boulangerie Jade in East Dulwich, then bus up the road to the Horniman - wander out to the grounds at 4pm when the sun is due to come out!
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Ah, both my kids went to Blossoms and absolutely loved it. Really great little nursery - hope your son enjoys it. Don't worry about the small outside space by the way - they do regular trips to Peckham Rye for a run-around (well, they did back in my kids' day anyway).
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Feedback wanted from Heber parents .
redjam replied to EastDulwichSE22's topic in The Family Room Discussion
I've got two children at Heber and was very surprised by this post! As others have mentioned above, I receive a weekly emailed newsletter, plus at the beginning of every school year there is a meeting arranged for parents from each year group to go through what your child will be studying that year and how you can help. There is also a document laying all this out for each year group, which is posted up on their website and distributed via bookbag (or Parentmail if you're signed up to it). From the latest Parentmail I see they are also arranging maths workshops for the various year groups and a new parent welcome morning. I think there was a new curriculum meeting recently. There are termly individual parent's evenings and I've always found teachers receptive if you ask to make an ad-hoc appointment with them at other times (or you can just grab a chat in the playground at pick-up!). You should be getting weekly homework for your child which also gives an idea of what they're studying, plus a reading book for your child to take home and a blank one for you to write your comments in about their reading. Honestly, I think the communication with the school is pretty good - like someone said above, I sometimes feel a little overwhelmed by it! Do you think something has gone wrong individually in your case, perhaps? (Bookbag letters not finding their way home, for example?) -
Wrap around care for pre-schools/Blossoms Montessori?
redjam replied to EllieS's topic in The Family Room Discussion
My kids used to go to Blossoms and it is absolutely lovely, but I was lucky enough to have a nanny who was happy to work after-nursery hours only during term time, then extra hours during the school holidays. Plus I had fairly flexible work. It was very tricky to find someone willing to do that and I couldn't have done it without her. Blossoms closes at Easter and Christmas if I remember rightly (can't remember what happened during the summer or half terms) so you have to think about those times too. I do think it's a really great nursery so it was worth the effort - and I didn't feel comfortable leaving the kids in a nursery for a whole ten-hour day - but there's no doubt it makes it tricky logistically. Would a nanny share be an option? Good luck... -
Happy to add my recommendation to those here regarding Fernando Pinto. He worked nonstop all day - nearly 9 hours - in our extremely overgrown garden yesterday, clearing out 21 of those big paper sacks of garden waste. He is a lovely chap, very polite, with very reasonable rates. Will use again.
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Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
redjam replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Samstopit - done! -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
redjam replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Many thanks, parentsteeringgroup, for your full and helpful answer - much appreciated. Please do post again if the situation changes and we have to make a confirmed vote as to which one we'd prefer. As a local parent in a 'black hole' area with a soon-to-be Yr 5 child, I would be delighted/ecstatic with either option! -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
redjam replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Parentsteeringgroup/James/whoever, can you clarify for me whether James' post of 24 July is correct: 'I hope you're wrong and we don't have duplicates between our list of supporters and the Charter list. The EFA would be expected to compare lists to de duplicate them as a supporter on both lists is contrary to the criteria of support EFA requires.' Is this true? I was specifically told at Charter that I could sign up to both bids and both my votes would count - 'and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong'. As I would be v happy with either Charter or Habs I put my name to both campaigns, stating truly that I would put (either of) them as my first choice, whichever one wins the bid. Now I'm worried my votes cancel each other out. This seems madness, but can someone clarify this please? -
Haberdashers Consultation Meeting 10th July 7pm
redjam replied to parentsteeringgroup's topic in The Family Room Discussion
God, this is depressing. How do we persuade Gove that we have a secondary crisis looming??? Letter to him? Tessa Jowell? Can Southwark councillor Peter John intervene, as presumably he knows the figures most accurately? What can we parents do, in practical terms? -
I heard the news today, oh boy...
redjam replied to ladywotlunches's topic in The Family Room Discussion
I agree it's shocking and depressing and that these crimes should come to light - I don't think anyone is disputing that - but I would also agree that much of the reporting is in itself quite salacious. And yes, I find myself leaping over to the radio to turn it off on an almost daily basis when my nine- and seven-year-old are in the room. Depressing is the word. I feel rather the same about some of the news reports as I do about misery memoirs - I always slightly wonder whether there's a minority of readers who actually get off on the material that's exposing these awful stories (in explicit detail, of course). It all feels a bit grubby. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
redjam replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Simon/James - like most parents I've spoken to, I'd be happy with either school winning the bid - I just want it to happen! But Simon, I'm confused by this sentence in your post: 'Please state that you would be likely to put a Charter School on this site as your first choice for your child when applying for secondary school.' I would be happy to sign up to your campaign on the basis that the more support there is for a new school I imagine the more likely we are to get one (from either provider) - but I don't want to commit to saying I would choose a Charter School as my first choice, as obviously if Habs win the bid then I'll be choosing them. Is there a way of signing up to support the new school without coming down on either side? I've already signed up to Habs' bid early on in the process so if it came to a choice I would stick with them. -
Blossoms Montessori or Rose House Montessori
redjam replied to kyaldron's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Both my daughters were at Blossoms and they/we all loved it. Couldn't have wished for a better start for them. Very nurturing and I was hugely impressed with the great leaps and bounds both kids made in their learning while they were there. This is a few years ago now (my youngest is now in Year 2) but they both still miss it! -
How about making a massive marble run round the house and down the stairs using cut-up cardboard tubes and cereal packets, bits of recycling and old junk etc? Can he go out to museums? The Science Museum can be a bit noisy but lots of interesting things to entertain a five-year-old boy. Also Horniman, Transport Museum etc. Good luck...
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I was sniggering at the thought of a carjacker bolting off in fear when seeing three kids pop up in the back seat singing Aqua. And now I'm sniggering at the thought of telling the kids they have to sit like statues while you leave them even though they don't need to. This place makes me laugh sometimes.
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Not what mine want, thank God.
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A woman who worked in the nursery my daughters used to go to had six children - all girls. And yes, let me reiterate, she WORKED IN A NURSERY! And when she wasn't working in a nursery or looking after her own six girls, she would go on camping trips with the Girl Guides, with whom she was a pack leader. She was a very nice lady but she used to make me feel a bit faint, tbh.
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Proposed felling of plane tree top of Grove Lane
redjam replied to ellabrunswick's topic in General ED Issues / Gossip
How lovely to hear an outcome where common sense has prevailed! Many congratulations to sdrs for all your hard work on this (and ellabrunswick for raising it in the first place). Great news. -
What's everyone doing today? Sat 17th may
redjam replied to KatsuQueen's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Not today but as the sunshine is meant to be here again tomorrow can I put in a plug for the Heber car boot sale, from 9.30am Sunday morning at Heber School? Loads of brilliant bargains, old baby/toddler toys/clothes/equipment and household items, and always a lovely friendly atmosphere. -
Oh wow, this looks brilliant! Love the concept. When's it opening, Audrey?
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Lochie, not sure I agree with the Polly Toynbee comment. I have two and am very happy with two - I've always known that was all I wanted. Much as I love my kids, I also love getting my life back a bit now they're older, having a (relatively) peaceful and tidy(ish) house, having enough money to go on nice holidays and a decent social and work life of my own. Obviously you can have all those things with three or more, but it's harder. I have quite a low chaos tolerance level so I was very happy to get out of that exhausting, topsy-turvy baby stage and back to my 'real life'. Clearly no one is going to come on here and say they regret having three. Once you've got them, you love them - that's nature. But I'm interested that no one has brought up the ethical implications of having three or more. I feel bad enough about the waste generated by our four-person household and the thought of all the extra food and STUFF needed by another small human being is enough to put me off the idea on its own. I do realise I'm probably going to get shot down in flames by all the three-kid parents on here for raising this! But I wonder if it's something that people ever think about when they consider having three or more?
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