NotaPushyMum.Com

Dancermum70 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2020 4:21 pm

Katyben wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 1:33 pm Hi all,

I was just wondering what other colleges are doing with their timetable? My daughter has just started at Bird and has 3-4 hours a day in college in a bubble of 10 and then 1-3 hours of online work each day. X

From what I can see on social media the second years seem to be having all their lessons online.

3rd years also all online and back in college the beginning of October.x

Almost a full timetable for dd, but no large ensembles and tap kept in year groups rather than streamed by ability across all years.

Not had the official email yet from Emil Dale but understand that students will be kept in their Year Group Project Bubble for everything - so half a year group of around 20 students (BTEC 2 have two Musical Theatre projects running side by side so will audition for and be allocated for one - also I believe taking into consideration of who is living or travelling together) Everything in the studios (they have more now) including individual singing but that is reportedly being done through Zoom rather than face to face. So sounds like no ability grouping this term at least. We're just glad hearing it's not online! But waiting anxiously for official confirmation before they start on 21st. And of course it could all change...

Wow. I’ve just received all the Covid related safety advice from EDA and all the procedures they are implementing. It is very comprehensive and well thought out. They have clearly put a lot of thought and time into this. I am completely reassured they are doing everything they possibly can in these incredibly difficult times. Well done EDA. My son is beyond excited to get going with his training with you.

My DD is going into 2nd Year BTEC. Which year will your son be in? Can't recommend it more highly - although I expect it will feel very different for DD compared to when she left on March 16th! Good luck to your DS - he'll love it there!

Thank you amo185 it seems a fantastic college and we are excited for him to start. He is starting year 1 BTECH . I am sure it will feel very odd for those returning.

My daughter still only has 3 classes a day face to face and then some online. Next week it’s changing and the first years all think it will all be online so that the 2nd and 3rd years can return.
It really concerns me - I know it’s done for safety etc but I wonder how the students are going to be at the standard they need to be with half their time missing?
Bloody corona!

I agree very strange times. Likewise, my son is having three face to face classes a day and three online. Like many others, he shares a flat with other students at the same drama school and there is always at least one other person at home at the same time. How on earth can they effectively have dance classes remotely? Such a shame all this uncertainty with the threat of lockdown and the possibility of full time online classes.

My daughter at Bird now only has 7 hours a week face to face classes and then some online ones. We have no space at home for online so she’s been going to my mums but now with the increase this isn’t going to be possible so what are others doing?
My daughter got a dada but college is costing us a fortune especially since my husbands overtime stopped and I’m still on 70% pay. At the moment I’m wondering what we’re paying for.... anyone else feel like this?

I don't understand why PA colleges are doing everything so differently. How come some are almost fully online whilst others are fully face to face? Is this all down to numbers of students or size of the studios? At DD's college, staff wear visors but they don't when doing the same role at some other colleges.DD has to wear a face mask for singing and ballet - for friends at other colleges it varies. Could there not be some uniformity? DD luckily is all face to face at the moment - however the first year degree students are online as several cases of Covid now confirmed in their year group. It must be so tough having just moved away from home and sharing a flat trying to focus on MT singing and dancing classes online. We're taking each day one at a time and hoping to get to the end of each week without having to self isolate. Very uncertain times! Wishing everyone's DDs and DSs all the best as this term progresses x

amo185 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:50 pm I don't understand why PA colleges are doing everything so differently. How come some are almost fully online whilst others are fully face to face? Is this all down to numbers of students or size of the studios? At DD's college, staff wear visors but they don't when doing the same role at some other colleges.DD has to wear a face mask for singing and ballet - for friends at other colleges it varies. Could there not be some uniformity? DD luckily is all face to face at the moment - however the first year degree students are online as several cases of Covid now confirmed in their year group. It must be so tough having just moved away from home and sharing a flat trying to focus on MT singing and dancing classes online. We're taking each day one at a time and hoping to get to the end of each week without having to self isolate. Very uncertain times! Wishing everyone's DDs and DSs all the best as this term progresses x

I agree they all seem to be quite different. My dd is in first year and they are all face to face lessons with safety rules in place, it seems to be working. They all had private Covid tests last week and a handful were found to have it so they were sent home but the rest (who had all tested negative) have continued at college. Hard to know which is best but I know my dd is glad to have full face to face training, it’s been hard enough starting this year with no parties/get togethers for them to all get to know each other properly so she has struggled to make many friends. Hopefully this will make them more resilient as a result!

Katyben wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:46 pm My daughter at Bird now only has 7 hours a week face to face classes and then some online ones. We have no space at home for online so she’s been going to my mums but now with the increase this isn’t going to be possible so what are others doing?
My daughter got a dada but college is costing us a fortune especially since my husbands overtime stopped and I’m still on 70% pay. At the moment I’m wondering what we’re paying for.... anyone else feel like this?

Unfortunately I think this a chance we all had to take when we opted to send our dcs to college this year . We thought long and hard about it but decided to take a risk with it knowing there was a possibility that it might end up like last year . My dds course has 45 scheduled contact hours on the timetable . They are currently in college for 27 hrs and the other 18 hrs are done online . It’s working well so far but it’s only a matter of time before students start developing symptoms and have to self isolate with their housemates etc .
That will be very frustrating given that fees remain the same . My dd has a student loan but there’s still a big shortfall between this and the total cost of course

Katyben wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:46 pm My daughter at Bird now only has 7 hours a week face to face classes and then some online ones. We have no space at home for online so she’s been going to my mums but now with the increase this isn’t going to be possible so what are others doing?
My daughter got a dada but college is costing us a fortune especially since my husbands overtime stopped and I’m still on 70% pay. At the moment I’m wondering what we’re paying for.... anyone else feel like this?

My dd is also 1st year on diploma at Bird. Hello!!

Dancemum1973 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 04, 2020 1:53 pm

Katyben wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:46 pm My daughter at Bird now only has 7 hours a week face to face classes and then some online ones. We have no space at home for online so she’s been going to my mums but now with the increase this isn’t going to be possible so what are others doing?
My daughter got a dada but college is costing us a fortune especially since my husbands overtime stopped and I’m still on 70% pay. At the moment I’m wondering what we’re paying for.... anyone else feel like this?

My dd is also 1st year on diploma at Bird. Hello!!

Hello!

Has your daughter moved down here? We only live 5 minutes away so mines still at home. Is she enjoying it?

My daughter is in her second year at Manchester School of Theatre, based at Man Met.
Having completed the last part of her second year on Zoom, she is really disappointed to have been told yesterday that classes will go back on line.
The First years never really got out of the blocks, and have been quarantined in their Halls. My D's year have completed 3 weeks face to face classes in a brand new, state of the art building, which make things seem even worse.
I feel so sorry for these students, especially the third years, who, having lost a large chunk of their second year, are now facing having their final year productions for the industry cancelled. To all intents and purposes their final year has been written off.
I understand that many others on various courses are in a similar position , but it hits drama school students very hard indeed. How do you train an actor on Zoom? Acting for camera, anybody?? Stage Combat?
Several of my D's peers are actively talking about dropping out, since they do not feel that there is any point in continuing. Moral amongst her year is extremely low.
I really feel quite strongly that students should be given some sort of refund of their fees, or the unis should extend the courses in order to cover training that has been lost.

Apologies for the rant! I feel so frustrated. My D will get on with it, but this is really testing everybody.