College Interview

Well, what a day it was yesterday.  A long, hot day, but a great result for Jonathan after his college interview.

It looks now as if he will be able to start a full time college in September to do a bricklaying course, Maths and English GCSE's.  This seems to be a better route, and quicker, to getting the relevant qualifications he wants

I need to phone the college today to confirm with them what Jonathan wants to do, as it was a completely different route to what we had been expecting, and then we need to wait.  Hopefully, it won't be too long before we get a definite answer.

Construction Design Centre Visit

Prompt at ten o'clock yesterday morning, Malcolm and Rachel from the LA came as promised to take Jonathan and I to have a look at the CDC centre where the BTEC Construction course is done.

It was a lovely building with great facilities for the course.  The standard of work from previous students is outstanding, some competing in national awards.  I was excited with what I saw, and I wasn't the one doing the course.

The course is exactly what he wanted, giving him a hands on chance to try bricklaying, painting and decorating, joinery, block paving and drainage. He will also have the opportunity to go out and do on the job training, which is exactly what he wanted to do.  As he was happy with what he saw, the process begins to enrol him on the course, and we now wait for a date for the induction day.

We are also waiting for confirmation of an appointment with the college on 27th June to sort out GCSE courses.  Hopefully, that won't be too difficult to sort out either.

A lesson in proportion and athletics

Daniel was able to spend an hour or so with Jonny on Thursday.  Jonny is the tutor that ran the art workshops he attended.

Daniel expressed a desire to be able to sketch with more detail, in the manner of Ruskin.  In order to help him. Jonny gave Daniel an exercise in proportion.  His subject was a tiny marigold leaf, and he had to fill the page.  

He didn't have long to work on it, but he managed to get the proportions of the leaves to match.  Since coming home, he has begun a sketch of a pitcher , so hopefully, he can put the lesson he learned to good use.

Now to a different form of exercise, yesterday was the start of a seven week athletics course.  All the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  Yesterday was lots of sprinting exercises and races.  Unfortunately, the boys are going to be away and will miss the long jump.  Maybe they can practise on the beach while they are away.

Florence Nightingale and William Shaw

Monday, we had a fantastic day out at Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet. We spent the day with Florence Nightingale and her grandfather, William Shaw. It was a very informative session, both for the children and adults. It wasn't until Monday that I realised that there was a connection with Florence Nightingale and Sheffield. Her grandfather, William Shaw lived at Tapton Hall, and at the age of six, Florence came to live with him.



Grandfather William Shaw-(absolutely fantastic)

Florence Nightingale-(scary)

Reenacting the Crimean War

Complete with amputated leg.  Young nurses to clean up the hospital building and to provide clean dressings for the wounded

Trying to write with ink pens

Quite often, being left handed, Jonathan struggles with the ink pens, but this time, it was a very successful attempt

Nose to the grindstone

Daniel in Mr Shaws coat and top hat

Florence Nightingale

The afternoon session was with William Shaw talking about Victorian remedies, those that worked, and more often, those that didn't.  The children made lavender water and then went to "cure" a baby with cholera.  This was the hardest part for the mothers in the group, to think of what was inflicted on babies in the belief it was making them better!

All in all, a wonderful day, and a great stepping stone to go back and do some more research.

Felt Making Workshop

Yesterday, I took Daniel to a felt workshop with Shelly Hughes.  This was one I really wanted to do with him, but a little accident on the way, prevented me from taking part.

They were making animals out of needlefelt.

This was Daniel's creation.  It was fascinating to see a ball of fluff turning into recognisable animals and birds.

This is the first time Daniel has tried needlefelting and he enjoyed it, though he did find the continual stabbing monotonous at times.

Shelly is such a patient teacher, she is the one that did the drawing masterclass we attended a month or so ago.  I'm hoping we will be able to attend more of her workshops in the future.