Bits and pieces (including appeal update)

My girls got home from Scout camp last Saturday, very tired (and a bit smelly!) but having had a really good time.  They did turf boarding, all-terrain boarding, water sliding (the long plastic sheet on the ground sort), caving (although M opted out of that one being claustrophobic), climbing and abseiling, archery and rifle shooting, and visited West Midlands Safari Park.  That's as well as the cooking on the campfire, washing up and gathering firewood every day.  M is something of a good shot it turns out.

This is the target with M's first ever 5 rifle shots in it.

Since they got back, we've been quite busy too.  We have seen various friends; the girls went climbing with their friends G & L, while C & I caught up and had a few child-free hours; we went back to the Dice Cup with Ka, Ma & Am, playing Mysterium three times among other games; we went to Wollaton and met up with friends there for tree climbing and play.

As well as that K & M have been doing a bit of work.  M has been a bit reluctant, but has accepted that if she does get a school place (more on that in a bit), then there are some things that we can be doing to try to make things a bit easier academically for her in some areas.  To that end we've been working on long multiplication.

Long multiplication as a rectangle...

...as four multiplication sums, added together....

....as two multiplication sums added together (right) and all in one go (left).

At the moment she is determinedly sticking with breaking multiplication sums or two two digit numbers into four multiplication sums and then adding the results together.  She is perfectly capable of the next step, but very reluctant to go for it.  At the moment I'm asking her to do a few of these each day and encouraging her to try to move on to just two multiplication sums.

Both girls are continuing with their crafty activities too.   K found a book in the library about decorating t-shirts.  She went charity shopping today and came home with two plain t-shirts and has started work on them.  M has continued with the felting, also having found a library book on the subject.  I'll do a proper update on that side of things with photos soon.

In other news, we have a date for the appeal for a school place for M.  It's on the 13th September, which is a week after the start of term.  Unfortunately A is abroad with work, but a very good friend and neighbour, H (who has been through an appeal for her daughter L) is going to come with me for support.  We've received documentation of the school's position (i.e. that they're full) and have to submit ours by the 6th September.  Today we sent a letter (both by email and I dropped off a paper copy to the school) asking for some more information based on what they've already provided.