Lizzie Higgs-Boson writes: The school term is in full swing now. All the school clubs have started, and the children in Year 6 are starting to think about their projects.
I do think that children these days are given far too much work. In addition to the standard primary school day (from 8:45 until 3:15, with a morning break and a lunch break) there are the lunchtime clubs and all the after-school clubs, which run until 4:30.
Olivia is in the school choir, and will also be learning karate this term. She says she wants to "kick Stanley's kidneys out then sing at his funeral". Sometimes I think that being in the same class with James' little sister Minnie isn't good for Olivia. Stanley can't do computer club this term (there was an incident when he was caught helping James to send an e-mail to a family friend who lives abroad, apparently) so he has chosen instead to attend German Club after school with James, who, like his mother, is interested in foreign languages. Stanley is very keen and, after only one session, can say Zeitreisen, Zeitmaschine and Reisen in die Vergangenheit. It's nice to see some good coming out of his friendship with James. James is still grounded after the computer club incident, so Stanley went round to his house at the weekend to discuss their project. Apparently they will be using the internet to communicate with the scientists at CERN about cutting-edge physics, and in German! It all sounds very advanced for eleven-year-olds. When I was at school we just had a day trip to Calais and bought baguettes.
It's a good thing we bought Stanley his own laptop computer, they will be able to work just as well either here or at James' house without disturbing anybody.
