cake interview and wicked witches

(Ok by the title you have probably already guessed the outcome :)).

I got home from dropping Evie off at school and called the wicked witch guy and he told me that unfortunately they werent interviewing on any other days...

...so my interview is at 11am next Monday...

..it is for 5 hours per week on a Sunday morning :)

Today at Evies school they are holding a coffee morning I am taking in a  shop bought swiss roll and I am also taking in a tub for a cake for James and Evie.  Evie already has a 50p in her bag for a cake to have at school.  She has already told me that she is going to chose a chocolate cake :)

another interview on the horizon

When I got home from doing our mid week top-up shop I noticed that there was a message on my phone...

...it was a voicemail from the council saying that they want me to go in for an interview but its on the day of Evies fairytale day and I have offered to help that day (but as I know from last time I may not get picked) so I will call the bloke today and find out if they are interviewing other days.

another job not got

To be honest as I hadnt heard back by Friday I guessed that I hadnt got the job...

...it didnt stop me feeling gutted again that I hadnt got it...

oh well... :)

im better talking to a person

After I had got blown out by my friend on Friday I decided that was the time that I could do my video interview...

First I had to download Launchpad Recruits Interview so that I could do it from my smartphone, there was a practice session that you could do as many times that you needed to (to get used to it) in all honesty even if I had done it one hundred times I dont think that I would have been any better as there isnt a person or even an image to speak to...

A question would come up on the screen and then you have 60 seconds to think of your answer. There were six questions in all...

Luckily I didnt freeze but there was some stuttering...

...I just hope that they see can through my nerves :)

I had an e-mail through after saying that my interview was sent through to them, so I will ave to see if they want to see me in person, or I will just end up in deleted items! :)

And I decided against the David Bowie make up :) LOL the tutorial did say to make sure that you were dressed appropriately :)

visp

A few weeks ago I applied for a 12 month accounts job contract for a large law firm...

...yesterday I was checking my e-mails and got an e-mail from them saying that they were impressed with my application :)

And as part of their selection process they would like me to do a video interview.

I have until midnight on Monday to do it...

I was supposed to be meeting a friend for a coffee this morning but she has blown me off, so I will do it after I have taken Evie to school.

Hee hee a part of me is thinking of donning David Bowie type make up to make me stand out from the crowd :)

But my artistry skills are rubbish so perhaps not...

the Y1 walk

Yesterday was the year 1 walk...

...I arrived at the school and told the school office what I was there for, and they told me to go around to the classroom.

So I went in and saw a couple of other Mums and one of them told me to find my bits (there were laid out on a table in piles) and there was a sheet to sign to say that I had read the risk assessment (keep the kids safe type thing).

I then noticed the kids sitting on the floor and Miss B was going through road safety :)

She got them all to go to the toilet (in their tables, Evie is orange :)), and then once they all had their coats on they had to line up (with their grown up) our group was me, Evie, I and J.

We were the second to last group with the teaching assistants group being at the back.

We were looking at different buildings bungalows, semi detatched, victorian terrace house, cottages and maisonettes.  We had to talk about the different characteristics of each type.

I even found out that a manor house nearby had been converted in to 3 houses and then into flats :).

I told me that she lives in a flat and they have to go through a tunnel to park.  J told me he lives in a house and was telling me what each car was...

..it reminded me of brother #2 he knew all of the car badges :)

It was then back to school Evie helped me to take off my safety jacket and wanted me to stay, I told her that I want able to stay and she was ok with that.

I didnt have that long until home time so went home had something to drink then it was back to pick her up again :)

bored enough to read...

...well it was for a bit anyway :)

Yesterday just before bed time Evie said that she was bored...

...so she pulled out one of her comics and was leafing through it, so I said to her shall I look for a story for us to read together, and she said no.

Then when she was doing something else I picked up the comic and found a story for us to read, she read about half a pages worth before saying that she wanted to stop :).

It was probably the most reading that she has done in one go as the books that she brings home from school arent very long (although they can take her anything upto 20 minutes to read them depending on her mood :)).

Perhaps I can get her to read one of my all time favourite books soon and these books too :)

gym trail morning again

Gym Trail starts again today...

...so that means leaving a little bit earlier than normal.

Also Evies PE days are on Gym Trail days too...

I told Evie that she had outdoor PE today and she started crying and saying that she didnt want to do it...

...so I asked her why and she said its because she doesnt like running as it makes her legs tired.

She normally loves running, so I suggested that she skips instead :)

I will ask her later how PE was, hopefully she will enjoy it again :)

We also got the diary dates leaflet yesterday...

...there was so much stuff to put in :)

Hopefully James will book the relevant time off of work (Christmas production and sports day).

There is also a school lunch that year 1 parents can go to at the end of October :)

I cant wait to see what the options are (the current menu that Evie bought home only runs until half term).

the parent helper ladder

On Monday I volunteered to be a parent helper for the local area year 1 walk this Wednesday.

On Friday when I looked in Evies book bag I saw a slip of paper in Evies home school diary to get there for 1 pm on Wednesday to go through the paper work :).

LOL when I got turned down for Evies school trip in July My mum said that you have to grovel to the teachers to even be considered...

My phone call tomorrow is at 11 am, I just hope that I dont get tongue tied or waffle on too much :)

Student council

I asked evie who got voted into the student council, as I knew that the elections were today.

And evie told me that h and j got voted in and that she voted for h.

She then surprised me by telling me that she voted for h and he voted for her!

I asked her what she said in her speech and she said that "if you fall over i will help you up"...

...you can't say fairer than that :)

James thought that perhaps the whole class had to do it but she said that only a few people stood for election and reeled off some names.

monday phone call

Yesterday I got an e-mail on the back of a job that I had applied for (at the same place that I had interview #4).

The lady said that she would like to have an informal chat on the phone with me to discuss what experience I have :)

Evie was just watching (yet another toy advert) and piped up that I will have to go to John Adams to buy a chocolate lolly maker for her :)

I remember wanting a chocolate lolly maker when I was little :) we got scalextric instead which was much more playable :)

interview #14 and smartshop

Yesterday I had my 14th interview...

...I think it went well :)

It is a full time fixed 12 month contract working with the protected children team.

Understandably there were a lot of things about confidentiality I would say about what I did in my previous jobs such as shredding expired quotes and not telling brokers information about other clients etc.

I will find out next week.

I got an e-mail yesterday from Sainsburys saying that fast track will no longer be available in our store in three weeks time, but it is being replaced by smart shop...

...it seems that you use your smart phone as the scanning device :) I wonder if they will have one use chargers dotted around the store for you to buy :)

Hee hee you would need to scan it after you had started charging your phone :)

no reassurance needed

In the leaflet we were given at the end of reception year (about what to expect in year 1) one of the things it said was that the kids are expected (after the first couple of days) to walk from the school gates to the classroom on their own.

I saw a few of her classmates doing it but Evie still wanted me to walk to the classroom with her, so I did it up until Monday.

Yesterday I told her that Miss B would like her to walk from the gate to her classroom on her own and I said that me & Daddy would be proud of her if she did, and then she said that Miss B would be proud of her too and I said that yes she would.

So yesterday I kissed her goodbye after the caretaker had opened the gates and she took her bookbag and walked to her classroom without even looking around at me, I watched her until she was out of sight (her classroom is across the playground and then around the corner) :)

A's Mum was watching him as it was his first time too she was shouting to him to walk in with L as he was dithering about what to do).

I told Evie to let her teacher know that she had read her book twice so that it could be changed and when I checked her bag yesterday it had she had a different book.

LOL they are also expected to let the teacher know if there is a note in their bags now :)

I volunteered

Yesterday we had meet the teacher the teachers from both classes went through some of the things that the kids would be learning...

...it was supposed to be held in Evies classroom but was in the small hall instead (so no sneaking a look at any of Evies work) :(.

They will be doing fairytales (with a fairytale day when the kids can come in dressed as fairytale characters) and learn how to do things like make candles :)

I have already offered to be a parent helper...

They also said that an estate agent would come and visit and the kids make castles (for a princess) and the estate agent judges which the best one is (whether that is the same day or not I dont know) :)

And they learn about farms and have a farmers market at the end of term (and we get to buy things that they have made) :)

They also said about mastery (I heard about it on my perfect country - this episode) and about teaching the kids about different sounds and the different ways they are spelt.

And about the end of year phonics test and that they spend all year learning the words.

And there is also a walk around the local area next Wednesday (not tomorrow), and they asked for parent helpers who have had a dbs check so I said that I would like to do it :)

meet the teacher

This afternoon Year 1 at Evies school has meet the teacher...

...they explain about how they teach the children (so that you can be on board with it too I guess).

It will be held in Evies classroom so I may be able to see if any of her work is up on the wall yet.

The information will be online too for any working parents so thats good.

On Friday I expected to find a list of words to go through the spelling with Evie but there was nothing in her home school book, I tested the other Mums and they said that they give them a week or so to settle in first before the homework starts :)

a later class

Back in July we had to book Evies tap dancing classes for the new school year...

...I spoke to her teacher to ask which class I should book her into and she said that because she is now in school it will be the next class Primary Tap.

Her class now starts at 11 am so means that we dont have to rush now but we dont get into town until much later.

birthday weekend sorted

As everything (even childrens partys) get booked up around Christmas time I have booked some bits for Evie...

...on her actual birthday I have booked breakfast with Santa :) Even James is going to do it with us (I was surprised when he said that he would do it too) :)  In the comments section I even put that it was her 6th birthday :)

And the day after I have booked her party at a local soft play place (not the same place as last year).

Today at school Evie gets new words to learn how to spell (for her spelling test on Thursday), yesterday she had her first weekly spelling test and she told me that she had to spell numbers...

...she said that she did well.

The reception year children have their first short session today so it will be lovely seeing them all :)

whatsapp interview and interview #14

I had my registration interview with another agency yesterday by whatsapp :).

I think it went ok...

And I have another interview next week(on Wednesday), its for a full time job in the public sector, so I will have to see how that goes.

tired and refusing

I was chatting to a Mum yesterday morning at the gates and she said that wellies are not needed in year 1 as they do not do much playing (which makes sense) so I bought the wellies back with me.

When Evie got out last night she was carrying her raincoat also so she doesnt need that either...

On our way home I asked her if she wanted a play in the playground and she said yes so we had a little play until 3.45 pm and when we got home I tried to get her to read her book and she started but wasnt really concentrating or trying to read the words properly.

I was hoping that after she had her dinner she would be willing to try again but no she still flat out refused.

So after her bath she went to bed as we could tell how tired she was, and I told her that if she wasnt going to read her book then she couldnt watch any tv either.

This morning she got up and I asked her again if she wanted to read and she said no, so I told her that she still couldnt watch any tv if she didnt read and she was then happy to read her book

So there are 2 entries in her reading record (1 good 1 bad)...

...we have also been told that she has outdoor PE on Tuesday afternoons, indoor PE on Friday, spelling tests on Thursdays and new words to learn on Fridays, as well as her reading book to read each night...

Evie ready for school

dressed and excited

At around 6.30 I heard Evie moving about so I went into her room to tell her that it was back to school :)

Surprisingly enough she got up quickly and I got her clothes ready for her and she got dressed really quickly :)

Her bookbag and bag with PE kit (we were informed by one of the Mums last night that she has outdoor PE today), wellies (not sure if she needs them for year 1 but I bought her some) and raincoat are all by the front door,

I have a skype interview this morning with an agency.

It will be weird not having Evie with me again all day, but it will be good too :)

booked and labelled

Since Friday I have been continually checking to see if I could order Evies lunches, then at just after 8.30 this morning it was up :)

So I have ordered her lunches up until Easter (although we only have menus until the end of October) :)

Her PE Kit and her raincoats are all labelled up too :)

one last day of holiday

Tomorrow is Evies last day of the summer holiday...

...Im not sure what we are going to do tomorrow yet...

...but I will have to get her PE bag ready and her raincoat labelled up

I have her book bag sorted already :)

I cant book school lunches

In the last newsletter at the end of the summer school term, the school said that school lunches can be booked from 1st September...

...I have tried a few times (as have other Mums) and none of us can book the school lunches.

Evie doesnt go buck until Tuesday but the latest you can book the school lunch is the evening before, so hopefully the system will be up and running on Monday.

Or Mrs W will have to rustle up 400+ lunches without knowing whether the kids want chili con carne or mac and cheese.

Evie will have the chili but will take out the kidney beans :)