Options.

Hello again,

As I'm sure many of you have been, I've been at the choices fair, finding out interesting things about my options. It's really good to talk to them, and I think everyone pretty much knows what they're doing for options. In case you were wondering, I'm doing History Modern World, which sounds REALLY interesting and covers a lot of stuff I have no idea about but would like to know, and the whole modern world approach is a bit closer to us so there are some things affecting us today, and when I spoke to Mr. Woolley he said that we might even be covering the Iraq war, which is very influential on our modern world.

Then I'm doing Spanish, which is a great language and I think the fast moving pace of the subject will be challenging but great to study and also means that we can move on to pretty excelled spanish in a two year course, rather than what we do at the moment which kind of prolongs each thing across a few weeks. I'm also doing French because that will be benefitial and helpful, as well as again being my preferred language, and I'd like be bilingual (aside from my fluent language). The only problem was the fact that dual can only be French and German, but I really don't want to do German so I'll just take two options, which is actually ok.

And finally, Drama, which I think will be BRILLIANT. The assessments are very practical and leave everything to you; lighting, scripting etc. so you have your final devised piece. These projects are huge and people work on them for I think about a term, but they're half hour odd performances, and the one in year 11 is assessed by an external examiner, which will be very scary but will make sure we can do the best in our group performance, and ultimately the challenge will be best. Apparently, part of the mark is a theatrical assessment, where the group will see a particular musical or performance and write a evaluative essay on it, which also seems great! But that wasn't on the board so I'm not quite sure.

So, yes, those are my choices, although at the moment I am kind of starting to worry about sixth form and university, what I'll end up studying, but in fact (drama-wise, the most important one for higher level) there are courses for higher level theatrical and acting studies, so it shouldn't be bad at all. Just being this side of the school year system makes you realise the future isn't as future as you might think, if that makes sense.

Josh xx

Little and Nothing about Half Term (and a few reccomendations)

Hello again,

Sorry for the very few posts recently, I've had very little to write about, but now that half term has arrived I'm back on Blogger.

Half term's been pretty good so far, Saturday was just a lazy day but on Sunday I went to see my cousins, who I hadn't seen in nearly a year, and my grandparents too, and then on Monday my grandparents came over for dinner, so I got to see people and was bored at all. Then, tuesday, I was working, but unfortunately very lonely from 11:00 till 5:00, because no one was home except for my dog. He slept, and unfortunately I worked. That's the only bad thing about this half term; the teachers have set homework for someone with no life and no necessity to eat, or sleep. I have 3 assessments, and then a science and french sheet and a MyMaths homework (I have done the french and maths, and I have started on the R.E assessment) but there's so much, and I know Helen has an extra one because of her Child Development. S'not good. And, the media stuff I have to meet up with Harriet and Lucy for, because it's our appendix, so we atleast need to meet at some point. And we need to do some extra adverts.

Although, I do have a few reccomendations for half term, especially as it's only a week:

Don't lie in for ages

this may seem odd, but I've been setting my alarm for 9:30 everyday, and apart from one where I basically hadn't slept, I always got up about 9:35, after listening to the radio for a bit. This is actually much better than it sounds; if you sleep in for ages then you actually feel more tired than if you wake up earlier, but still late enough to feel well rested and half-termish. And, waking up at 12 or whatever actually takes so much out of your day, it means you have no time for any of the enormous workload we have. That may sound geeky, but it's actually just practical. It's much better than sleeping in.

Have a study day

One of the whole reasons that no work gets done is because you don't feel motivated; because you're bored. But inviting someone over to do homework is actually a really good day, and tomorrow I have a study day with Helen, because we have so much similar homework (maths, science, french, geography and r.e; basically everything other than C.D and Media, but from the essay perspective we can help with each other's essays). And company makes it easier, and more fun, actually. I think it'll be great; I reccomend it for those with lots of homework.

Oh, and another cool thing that happened today; someone who worked at spymasters also does short films. This person knew i did acting stuff, and now one of his friends (who also does short films) has asked me to appear in a short film that he's making, over the easter holidays :D I got an email from him today.

Thanks for reading,

Josh xx

by request of helen dickyman

Helen dickman is lovely. She always makes me smile, and she lifts my heart everyday. I love her very very very much xx

Directions to the forgotten village - Just go over Over road.

Hello again,

So, another snow day, well, snow 'remainder of day' as it were, and the normal coffuffell (or however you spell it) at school. As soon as we'd all arrived, the snowfall got really heavy, so of course we had to close the school in the end. After a very confusing fire drill and a 40 minute lesson of pretty much nothingness all round, we were sent home in a bit of a shamble. I wouldn't have actually wanted to be Mr. Bacon at that time, because though it wasn't technically his fault, he must have felt a bit of a fool sending everyone home just a few minutes after they'd arrived.

So, like before, everyone was having fun in the snow. Speaking of which...

You may not know, but little more than a stone's throw away from Over, there is the forgotten village of Willingham; so named for its forgottenness. And it's been forgotten because noone lives there. Absolutely noone, the only people i know are my neighbours, who aren't even that friendly. Well, they are, but we never see them, really, because one works away a lot, and the other is in fact very boring. He's a server technician. I haven't found out if he does Judo yet.

But point being, i wish i had my house, but in Over. Or even Swavesey. Somewhere where i can actually know i can walk to a friends. We're meeting up at Over Green? Go for it, give me a few minutes. But from Willingham you can't do that.

The ironic and interesting thing is, Willingham is probably no further away from Over than Swavesey is, but because i can't call on anyone, and noone is there, it feels miles away. As well as that, Over is partially protected by an incredibly fast moving road, with a higher death toll than a cemetery. It isn't fun. Makes everyone seem ages away.

So I'm sorry i couldn't come down today, but nothing really went well for me. My mum did NOT want me walking down from Willingham, and i wasn't going to a) argue with her or b) Go without her permission, and she gets furious. It isn't worth it, and she wouldn't trust me walking again. I don't like feeling like i can't be trusted with something simple, it's just silly. And my mum's point was made clear to me on the way home, when we saw someone's car in over. More specifically, in a hedge. My mum was not going to be swayed.

So in the end, i was going to catch a bus. I was quite a bit later than i wanted to be, but still going to get down there for 1:20 or so, which wasn't too bad. I was waiting for 15 minutes or so, but i accepted the buses could be late, and i'd got down a little early. First i saw one bus, but it was going a different way. This was a little irritating but not anyone's fault and in fact told me the buses were running, which was good. So then, whilst i'm waiting at the corner, about to go home, I see the bus. I head for the stop, and its there pretty quickly. So i had to start running, but i was running alongside and it's a place the bus normally stops. But bus drivers, in their nice warm buses, aren't the nicest of people. Actually, and don't really support the title of working for public service. He must have seen me, but he completely blanked me, and carried on. I went home. Oh and, just to add, I had lost a glove. I couldn't find it.

So I really didn't mean to leave. I don't choose to live in the middle of nowhere, despite being in the middle of all my friends. Tis silly, really.

Josh xx

SNOW!!

says it all. :D

Comments on a good day.

Hello all,

I had a good day today. Just figured i'd post about it because i haven't written in a while :)

Started off with Art, which is ok, although I'm not very good at it. Actually, that's an understatement, I'm absolutely hideously awful at art and i don't even enjoy it, so I'm looking forward to be able to drop it in year 10, when i finally make my choices. I still like the paintings and drawings that others can create (I'm actually a fan of Escher's work but that makes me sound pompous. I'm really not) and i am totally bamboozled by the artistic talent within Harriet Hall, who is extremely talented (if you don't mind my saying; hi Harriet if you read this) at everything from colours to perspective to everything else included in art and seems to be able to apply that brilliantly. She certainly outstrips me by a long way, which is good actually because i'm not that fussed about being good at it. Really, i'm not, that isn't sour grapes.

After Art, (and break, although break stays fairly consistent) it was maths, something which i do like but Mrs Freer turns into a bit of a bore. The odd thing is, it's not because she's an awful teacher; if she was then she might not be so bad (as we have seen with other teachers who are awful. Gary White, maybe) but she isn't particularly interested either. I remember discussing this with Helen earlier; Ms Daniel and Mr Gent are brilliant, and when we had that one media lesson with Mr Gent everyone listened and contributed intently and after that we were fairly all agreed it was a brilliant lesson. But Mrs Freer is always just..normal. Anyway, enough on the teacher, the subject is actually ok and we're moving quite fast, and I am rather glad we have diverted from Algebra. I think we're all under mutual agreement that that started to turn dull after a while.

After Maths we had enterprise, which is actually a good subject in which i don't have Mrs Harding, which must help to some extent. I'm glad we're doing our own products, the calendars were very nice but dull as anything. In case any of you are interested in potential purchase, our product is MiCase, a personalisable pencilcase that you can stick velcro shapes onto, and also speak to us and get personalised letters in a chosen colour. Prices etc. to be confirmed.

Lunch was the time of eating.

Following lunch was science, a subject which i do enjoy although i don't like our topic at the moment. It's all about radiation, microwaves, the electromagnetic spectrum blah blah, and today we were investigating potential microwave hazards of beans and chocolate bars and stuff. It was, despite the description i have just given, an ok lesson. Although, in this topic, the demonstrations/practicals aren't very interesting, and some of the written work can be a little repetitive. I know we need to study it but i hope we pass over it soon. Still a good lesson though.

And then french, which I do actually enjoy, we were doing a sort of test but not really a test, more just a worksheet. Being next to Jamie was a laugh, but i wouldn't want it permanently (sorry Jamie, no offence) as i would get distracted and i like french. In fact, Mrs Stewart is a good teacher as well, and I feel like we're moving on quicker than we were, which is all good. That's why I wanted to take french, i prefer it as a language but i although think Spanish will be a really nice language and given the choice i would go for Spanish, although french might be more useful. Also, they move really quickly in spanish because it's 5 years work into 2. I did also think about doing French and Spanish, and dropping Product Design, which is something I enjoy but more of a placeholder for my fourth choice, but as my lovely Helen pointed out the workload for both languages would be huge, and i might get confused when putting the newbie language alonside french. I'll think about it, and maybe talk to becky. Hi becky.

And then the science revision, which is as many said like a more relaxed science lesson. We were studying drug trials and reading over pages of information, asking each other questions. I would reccomend them, it's only every other week and I think they'll be benefitial to us.

After science i went to Helen's. Self explanatory ;)

Although i am rather glad the baby didn't cry. I don't know why it didn't though, it technically should have. Still, no complaints. Cept if it starts waking her up in the night more, because i do want her to get sleep. This is of course because i don't want her to lose sleep and feel bad, i want her to always be happy. I also don't want my head torn off tomorrow by an angry Helen if i say the slightest thing. Heya Helen :)

The only bad thing about today was the lack of a few friends, who i hope will all be back soon. I have only spoken to one of them, but she should be back tomorrow. Hey Izzy :)

I hope they'll all be back very soon to lighten my day once again. I wish you all a speedy recovery.

Josh xx