Harwel Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Oh, bless him! Maybe phone and speak to house parents to make sure they help him along a bit - I'm sure they will if they realise he's struggling. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moneypenny Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Gollyrox, I do hope your ds feels better about things after he gets to meet others today. As Angel said, they do get to mix quite a lot and in any case, the days are long and full on and there will be social stuff arranged most evenings, so he shouldn't have hardly any time at all spent on his own. If you are still worried after today though, don't hesitate to contact the house staff, they are lovely and will want everyone to feel comfortable and get the most out of the week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollyrox Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Thank you for the replies, hoping he will have settled in a bit more today 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollyrox Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Does anyone know how we can contact the houseparents? I didn't get any details? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 On the summer school info pdf we got back in June there was the contact details of who to contact. If you can't find it pm me and I will have a look. No better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancermum Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Gollyrox, I so hope he's having a better time now dance classes have started. The arrival bit was pretty daunting, everyone seemed to know someone/everyone and no one spoke to the others it seemed. My DD wouldn't let me leave as didn't want to be on her own... it was hard to find some girls to leave her with!! Then worried all the way home... Rocky start but she's now fine and seems to have made a few friends (she too is desperately shy!). If you're still worried contact Helen Siddle (numbers/email in the final info pack under emergency contact) - I'm sure she won't mind, she seemed very nice when I spoke to her. Hope it's good news from him soon :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I hope he is making some friends now Gollyrox. Oddly enough I was only saying to dh last night (whilst reading through info for the OPES summer school) that the one thing I found disconcerting last year about dd when she went to the Elmhurst Junior Summer School was the arrival and settling in procedure. Apart from signing in at the main desk in at the school itself there seemed to be no one around to speak to in the boarding accommodation. A young girl (student?) took a small group across to the accommodation block and left us all downstairs to look for the names on the doors. Dd had medication to hand in to the matrons and we had no idea where to find anyone or indeed where she had to go once she had put her stuff in the room (for junior summer school it was a 9am arrival with the first class starting at 10am). As dd was in a single room rather than shared it did seem like we were leaving her all alone. She did report that that once classes etc had started they were looked after and there were evening activities I think so all was well but it didn't compare well to say Moorland where we were taken to the room by Ms Kidd ok she was rushing back and forth but at least we knew who were were leaving dd with and apparently at OPES we get a cup of tea and a tour of the facilities. There is a feedback form at the end of the week I think. Might be worth mentioning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Arrival time was between 3-5 and there was a meeting for all students arranged for 5pm (or there abouts). There were lots of staff members taking students to the rooms and I felt that this was handled really well. I think the difficulties arise when there are students who already know one another because they forms groups which may make other students who don't know anyone feel a bit out of the group. Luckily my DD knew lots of students from other courses and from associates classes so felt immediately at ease. I haven't heard from my DD but the schedule looks so full on I'm not surprised! Free time tonight so might hear from her. GRox I hope your DS is settled in better now x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 GRox I do hope your DS did enjoy the week in the end. My dd said that all the boys on the course were amazing dancers. And having seen the sharing of work yesterday I agree with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollyrox Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Thanks everyone, he finally made some friends on the Tuesday and had an amazing time, the Showing of work was wonderful, he now wants to audition for 6th form there xx 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 That's great news! Phew!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 My DD had a fabulous time. Only disappointment was that her group were in so little in the showing of works and what they did was barely ballet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancermum Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Pleased to report DD had amazing week, loved it all and desperate to go again next year. Though also disappointed with the showcase - 1/2 a ballet dance and a short musical theatre number isn't much. Was beginning to wonder if they were even going to be in it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 (edited) Ah your DD must have been in the same group as mine Dancermum! I thought the showcase was excellent but I would also have liked to see my DD a little more. They did have a lot of groups to fit in though and the amount of work covered during the course was incredible! Edited August 9, 2015 by angel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Yes, sounds like mine yours Angel and Dancermum's DD were in the same group. I just felt that it could have been more evenly spread amongst the groups, after all we all paid the same. Was the only niggle though. The show case was very entertaining although I felt the style of the jazz they had been taught was very old fashioned. DD had said that during the week too. DD very keen to go again next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 Yes it's always disappointing when you only really want to see your own DC! A friend's DD was in B group and I didn't feel I saw as much of her as I'd have like to either so maybe it was just a perception. I was frustrated that it was musical theatre they had been chosen for (albeit done very well and I was most proud that my DD volunteered to speak!) as she is often seen as an all rounder rather than for ballet. I did enjoy the short Carmen Burina piece. I wasn't overly sure about how the groups had been worked out as the ability levels of DD's appeared to vary widely in each group but I would imagine that is a difficult task. The rep DD's group had done was wonderfully challenging (some of the older groups did the same by the looks of it) and maybe they felt in the end that not enough of them were ready, in the short time worked on, to show? Oh well, maybe see a little more next year????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I didn't only want to see my DD! I enjoyed watching everyone, but would just liked to have seen a little more of her! I think the grouping was roughly done by age although there was definitely some cross over. I expected my DD to be in one of the youngest groups as she's not long turned 14 and non vocational. My DD also spoke in Grease, I guess the most confident ones volunteered, DD said very few were up for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 Ok I didn't mean it like that! Meant that seeing our own DC is the reason for going. I wouldn't turn up to a Summer School showing that my DD wasn't in unless I knew another child dancing. I'm far too busy for that... I think my DD felt sorry for the teacher as not many volunteered. My DD is 13 but is vocational. She isn't very confident usually so I was happy to hear her speak out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirrups36 Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I think the issue of time and end of school performances is pretty much the same everywhere. Especially only in a week, it's difficult to fit everyone in. On other summer schools, Some years we saw a lot of our DS, other years hardly anything. As for settling in, the first overseas summer school our DS did, he was pointed to his room and left! At 14... Overseas... But sink or swim is the phrase and fortunately he swam. But that first phone call from him was a bit worrying. When we phoned the organiser. The response was - well, he will have to grow up a bit then, that's what this is for! But said in a nicer way than it sounds here. Good they all had a good time, Elmhurst is great. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 My dd did the junior summer school last year and they did a lovely (and quite lengthy) piece of ballet in the sharing of work - maybe because they were the oldest students on the junior course? So maybe it just wasn't her turn this year as a newbie on the senior course? I have to say that it did not matter to dd, she got so much out of the course last week she is still fizzing with excitement. Really hope she gets to go next year. And if anyone knows of a production of Carmina Burana coming up dd would love to hear about it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 There should be details of Carmina Burana on the BRB website. I think they've performed it very recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Yes BRB performed Carmina at the Coli in March and in Birmingham in June. It is expensive to tour so doesn't get revived too often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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