This Week In School: Christmas is a comin...

Its been somewhat of a slow Week, all the Teachers have been swamped with School meetings, bad weather, Brioches and Xmas trees. But I digress...

The Week was off to a heavy start with the previously delayed German Test that was supposed to have taken place last Thursday but seen as half the School didn't show up it was cancelled and was then scheduled to Monday. The Test was on the time, and was fairly easy to do (which was surprising, although I did have an extra four days of revision time). She showed you clocks and you just had to write the time correctly, after that you had to relay the corresponding times with the correct phrase: so for example if you saw 9.20AM then you drew a line from that to Neun Uhr Zwanzig (or Zwanzig nach Neun) and so on...I got a deserving 18/20, which is nothing to be sniffed at.
Technology was ok, we were still on the hunt for a mouvement/light detector sensor that would turn the lights on or off depending on if you were in a room or not and also switch's lights off if there was natural sunshine shining in the house.      
Art was a cool lesson, our task was that we had to take an ordinary photograph or still of anything we wanted and just distort them in any fashion we want on the computer so that it wouldn't resemble reality (I came up with the idea to photoshop in a picture of a barren desert with a School classroom, but later scrapped that idea and just drew in a bloody big black hole that would start chucking out demons onto a field of cows...the things I come up with...)
Maths was essentially one big bore fest with the Teacher just giving us a boat load of Maths exercises to do (at least it was easy).  And by the way for those of you that had spent time on my Maths conumdrum from last Week, the answer is 12 minutes.
My Brochure was coming along well in Geography, really well in fact. I hate to chuck praise up my ass, but I think its the closest thing you can get to an actual brochure with Microsoft Office!
French was okay, you had to create a story out of a picture (I didn't really have anything to work with, the picture was a painting of a woman crying).

Tuesday was fine, albeit I cocked up a bit in a Maths exercise that you had to hand in to the teacher (so she could evaluate our 'level' or something) and French was hard, the Test on Le Passe Simple didn't go well at all, and the pictures I had to create a story from got EVEN worse (this time we were presented a field of Poppys!) and  there was quite a few barriers made in the whole English-French language thing that stopped me from writing 'a vivid description'.  
In English, (god the English Teacher is funny, god help the kids that can actually understand what he's saying, which is pretty much a form of English but maxed up to 1000mph! He's all over the place doing weird sounds coupled with odd body language! Quite frankly he needs to calm down a bit, I would recommend him as a stand up comedian!) We had to fill in a form about what we have and what we don't have and make a survey out of it covering the whole Class! So for example, 50% of the class don't spend more than half an hour on their Homework! 
German was full of weird pronounciations that would give even a tongue twister specialist a twisted tongue, which led to some awesomely hilarious results (luckily the finger of doom didn't pick me out to say a few tongue twisters, but it would get me next time).
Also the Brioches came today (the ones that we had ordered from the School to help raise a charity fund or something nice like that) and boy do they look D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! I say they're at their best when toasted and buttered, YUM!

Wednesday, isn't really alot to comment about other than the fact that I still can't get past Level 4 on the High Jump, the Teacher just puts it up so ridiculously high, ARGGH! And the Technology Test went well, I'd be shocked if I get a low score. And I did fail in the French Test (at least the one on Tuesday anyway), a crap 7,25/15. I made up for it though, getting 9/10 in the Dictation from the previous Week and 9,5/10 in the Geography Test.

Thursday was so faustrating! Maths was fine enough, but Sport was just two solid hours of PURE FAUSTRATION!!! Now, I'm sure that everyone who reads my Blog already know of my pure hatred of Ping-F*CKING-Pong (or table tennis, but Ping-Pong sounds much funnier), but here it was just awful. Do you know what my problem with Ping-Pong is? Is not that I'm crap at it (although I admit that it would be more enjoyable if I was brilliant at it), its that I'm ALMOST good at it. Today was the perfect example of that: 1ST Match: 12-13 (I lost), 2ND Match: 14-15 (I lost), 3RD Match: 16-19 (I lost), 5TH Match: 12-14 (I lost), 5TH Match: 15-14 (I won!), 6TH Match: 16-17 and finally on the 7TH and final Match I won with 13-10. Notice a pattern there? I ALMOST won every single time by just a mere 1-3 points! I'm under 3 points away of winning EVERY single match. Isn't that just UNBELIEVEABLE?! Sure I started off crap but now I'm pretty good, but I still somehow manage to lose EVERY single Match? It's almost like the referee cheated! EVERY SINGLE TIME! But every Match has a new referee so how is that possible? They ALL cheated? Or am I really just ALMOST there? I don't believe in things like 'Bad luck' but here it seems to be exactly the case! I CAN'T %$£&* BELIEVE IT! And S.V.T hardly improved either: I had revised sooo hard on Wednesday night for the Test (on volcanoes) and out of all the things I could have forgotten I forget TWO words that were almost FATAL to the Test! What were these two words you ask? Well an effusive volcano eruption has what the French call 'Lave Fluide' (fluid Lava, much more fast than the other type of Lava) and an Explosive Volcano Eruption has whats called 'Lave Visqueuse' (much more gloopy, like porridge) and I (of course me being me) mixed them up! I put on the Test that an Explosive eruption has 'Lave Fluide' and a Effusive eruption has 'Lave Visqueuse'. OUT OF ALL THE THINGS TO FORGET, WHY THIS??? And this question was asked THREE times during the Test (If you think this volcano is a ????? volcano then it has ????? lava and so on...). *SIGHS* 
So the morning was terrible, the afternoon was fine, in Music we are now currently studying an exerpt from the Hunchback of Notre Dame musical (you can catch the exact same vid here: http://youtu.be/Of1SGJesmlE). Mme Jouet our Music teacher has been in our College for years now, and while she started off acting all nice she now holds our Class under an Iron Grip of Silence. If you so much as breathe right now, she'll cut your head off! She told off a girl in my Class: 'You talked...would you say this was normal? TALKING in Class? I should think not..." *GULPS!* No wonder we never put our hands up in Class, shes so bloody scary!

 

Friday morning was much calmer, we spent 3 hours on the computer that composed of either doing Maths exercises (the website is Mathenpoche.com if your interested), coloring in a map of Europe (that we found online) or finishing the Diaporama about what job do we want to do when we grow up (IF that day ever comes, which I'm assured that it will). We had a French Test in the afternoon, which was (surprisingly) the 'look at picture, create a story from it' Test, which went pretty well (hardly surprising considering we have been practising all week). Science was pretty cool, dare I say interesting, we are basically preparing to do one big science experiment, which involves studying carbon dioxyde, a big heater, a cool glass bowl-type-thingymajig and alot of Test tubes full of liquid. Monday is going to be a proper mix-liquids-together-and-hope-they-don't-blow-up-in-your-face-type-of-thing! And we've got to bring our Science jackets. Now why can't we do this all the time? For once I'm hoping the snow doesn't fall...    

This Week had a few ups and downs, but we've got Christmas coming up and School is a good way of passing the time...as long as theres no F*CKING Ping-Pong involved. NOTE TO GOD: PLEASE MAKE IT SNOW NEXT THURSDAY, PLEEEASE! DON'T LET ME ENDURE PING-PONG ANY LONGER!!!


P.S My Report for the first Trimestre came in the post Today, will post a Blog about it soon...

This Week In School: Education sure is hard work!

God, mentally right I am just sooo tired. And I'm not really that sure why, perhaps its just because I've just experienced my first 'full Week' after the Halloween Holidays. It wasn't exactly Test ridden either (Test count for this Week has only hit the 5-O-Meter), but I have been working pretty hard, that German conversation that I had to create took me about two hours Homework total (and THANK THE LORD for the English-German Dictionary!), and I had to scrap the original one (far to difficult to translate) and start anew (more Homework, yay). I can't say it was a bad Week though, in fact, pretty much everything I've done this Week has been of (I really do hate to boast!) really, really high quality. 

Monday was okay until Maths, and, as expected I got a measly 6/20 (NOTE: This is the Test BEFORE the last Maths Test so I'm still safe from being held behind in Detention). Can't say anyone else in my Class fared better, I heard the Teacher say that six out of the nineteen people in my Class got 0/20! In hindsight though it was probably a necessary loss because I really tried to get my act together for the next Test, and I can now say it payed off.   

I went back after Lunch feeling really down (I was so consumed by my down-ness that I didn't even notice that pile of Dog-crap in front of me...SPLAT! Mum practically blowtorched my shoes afterwards), but that faded away as soon as I set my eyes on the History Test Result: 18,5/20 WOW! I couldn't nitpick it this time, I got one question wrong fair-and-square! Besides I'd be a fool to not be happy with this Test, I might rub a bit after a 16/20 but a 18,5/20? Nahhh no hardfeelings this time, COS THATS A GRRRREAT (ala Frosties mascot)...RESULT. French had a silver-lining as well, the Teacher has postponed the next Test (which was originally scheduled for Tuesday) to next Monday! YAY! There's something to...not...look...forward too. 

Tuesday was fine, the English Test went well, another 20/20 in my belt (why do I even count this as a subject? At least I've got a lesson were I know that absolutely NOTHING can go wrong!). The German Test after lunch, which was a 2nd chance on the previously failed Test from last Week, went extremely well (So far, I think I've only got about 3 mistakes in the whole Test!). It was exactly the same, so I only had to fill in the blanks from memory. So how about we just forget that last Test...*SETS IT ON FIRE, ERADICATES IT FROM MEMORY*:

 

With the memories of last Week having been completely eradicated, I walked into School on Wednesday with a pretty high esteem level. I didn't quite fare too well in the High-Jump this time, the Teacher would play a game where you would try to jump without touching the rope, and if you failed you will then have two goes to get it right before ELIMINATION! My Class was pretty mean, they would boo and hiss at anyone that didn't make it. Anyway, he would put the rope higher every time, obviously making it harder. I survived without a single scrape until Level 3, where my foot had managed to brush against the rope ever so slightly...after three goes I was out (Reaction from the Class: BOOO!). In the first round, three of my Classmates were eliminated (all Girls), In the Second round no one got eliminated, in the Third round I was eliminated, in the Fourth Round two got eliminated (all girls as well), in the Fifth Round, one person got eliminated (a boy) and in the Final Round I think all made it par one (again a Girl). I don't think I could have standed a chance against beating the last one as the height of the Rope was up to my waist! The small French kids had somehow managed to jump nearly TWICE their height, and they did a backflip before they hit the mat! Say what you want about small people, but in France they're made of STEEEEEL! Technology was much better (finally something I don't suck at) and got rewarded with a welcome 9/10! In case you're wondering, the -1 was due to bad Spelling and I had to messily rub out a few mistakes for a few questions. Come on man, why can't you just gather the guts to give me a 10/10? *SIGH* 

Thursday was mostly a hoot, the Music Test went along smoothly (I had to really revise my ass off on Wednesday night!). Again I can only spot three mistakes, I forgot the names of two Instruments + a insufficent enough answer for one Question. I think with three mistakes I've really set the bar HIGH this time! I mean, how perfect can you get (again, hate to get all boast-y)? And, seen as the time had finally come, I had to stand up in front of the German Class with my Co-Partner to recite our well learnt German. I don't recall much from memory, but apparently everyone in my Class (including the Teacher) now seem to think that I speak really convincing German! The Teacher called it "A new Talent" or something (NO KIDDING!). Sport did seem to be the thorn in a nearly perfect day, with F*CKING PING-PONG! GOD DO I HATE THAT LITTLE PLASTIC BALL! First of all the table is far too small, even if I do manage to hit the bloody ball it just goes flying off the table and bounces all over THE GOD DAMNED PLACE! Secondly, who in the right mind thought that this was going to be a good Sport? Or perhaps its just because I suck at it...But the paddles just seem so uncomfortable in my hands, it doesn't feel right, yer know? I genuinely don't think my Body was built to do Sport!

 

Friday was cool, the Maths Test had me dripping with sweat throughout it though! In a bizarre, out of this World, completely bat-shit crazy twist though...I FINALLY GOT A GOOD MATHS TEST! NO, SERIOUSLY! Yes people, I managed to scrape a 15/20 in a Maths Test! No kidding! *PARADES AROUND THE STREET, SCREAMING VICTORY*. Anyway, the Science Test went really well also, cementing this Week as something that will probably go down in my TOP TEN SCHOOL WEEKS OF ALL TIME just for the sheer amount of good Results I've had. I did take away six hours of my life for Revision though....

And before I type the last words, can I just say that I am completely and utterly scared out of my wits right now: The Science Teacher announced to us that in January, after the Xmas Holidays, we are going to fill in what they call a "Brevet Blanc". Now this is basically a gigantic Test, taking place over two-and-a-half days that will cover EVERYTHING I'VE DONE IN SCHOOL FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS! Oh. My. God. Three Years? For nearly every subject? *FAINTS* Basically, I have now somehow got to revise and learn over THREE YEARS worth of material! I can't even remember what I learnt last Week, let alone three years ago! How am I going to remember that? Let alone have enough time to revise for it? I'll be playing with all my Xmas prezzies in the Holidays, I won't (and quite frankly shouldn't) have the time to Revise for all that! I can learn something off by heart for a Test that will take place the following day, but once its over and I have to fill my brain with more useless Definitions/Video Games/Movies/Historic Facts/Maths Equasions/Three Different Languages it kinda gets all chucked out for all the new stuff to fit in...Basically I'm not exactly looking forward to January! Well, thats the School recap of the Week done - Tim.

    P.S:

Goodbye Sarah Jane Smith....the Series 4 Finale was one of the better SJA Episodes me-thinks. The second part was quite action packed for a Kids T.V Show, and got a little teary eyed towards the end of Part 1 and 2! Not to mention some geat Special Effects shots: Hundreds of Meterorites falling to Earth, The Giant Stomach, Clyde trapped in outer Space ect.... Overall it was 50 minutes of what I could have mistaken for prime time telly! Goodbye for another Year, SJA! 

P.P.S K9 WAS IN IT AS WELL! THATS A PLUS!

Last few days in School....

                     
                           Nice pic of me hanging out with 'Fluffy' last night.


Well It can't technically be called "Last Week In School" because we came back to School after the Holidays on Thursday....

Well it couldn't have started off worse to be honest, I have been suffering from a nasty sore throat and was pushed into School jacked up on painkillers and barely awake (I did not sleep well at ALL Wednesday night, had the highest temperature known to man and that god damn sore throat that hurt every time I swallowed). I hadn't left the house for five days and STILL somehow managed to catch malaria! Of course, the day had to start off with a Maths Test (seriously, whats up with all these Maths Tests?)! It should have gone fine (I had revised hard the previous night) but fell to pieces because I, like the IDIOT that I am revised for completely the wrong thing! I somehow had managed to write down in my book that I had to revise for Chapter 1 in Maths when you actually had to revise for Chapter 2. OOYS! I fell and hit the ground hard as you can imagine, another casualty for the already limping Maths, and the irony was that if only I had learnt Chapter 2 it would have been the only Maths Test that I could have had a good shot at to finally get a respectable score! Poor, poor Maths. Tears and throbbing throats aside, I then went into Sport. Now I hate Baseball and Endurance, but at least I'm good at them, Ping Pong (aka table Tennis) is just about the only Sport that I truely SUCK at. Trying to hit that pong ball is like trying to score 20/20 in a Maths Test (I pray for the day)! And why does it have to be table Tennis? Why not regular Tennis? We've got a Tennis court, so why do we have to do this crap? Trying to catch that ball after it bounces off the table is like performing an obstical course, with it bouncing under other tables, hitting walls and going in the other direction and its path just generally being completely unpredictable! Its hell trying to catch that thing! After that travesty, I went into S.V.T. That Test that I thought went well didn't end up with the Result I was expecting (I got a meagre 12/20, could have been 13/20 but of course I had to spell a few words wrong!), but at least the lesson was interesting (for once), we were studing volcanoes and had to write a short text about the infamous Pompeii fiasco. Volcanoes are cool, mainly because they make great material for Hollywood blockbusters (you only have to see 2012 to be blown away by those great special effects). 

After lunch (having spluttered down a bowl of soup, which tasted like acid with my sore throat and getting jacked up on MORE awful fizzy painkillers), we had another MASSIVE Test in German. Graded out of 40 points, it covered six pages and contained just about every single thing we have looked at in the past few Months, which just by sheer size alone made it impossible to remember EVERYTHING. I filled in a good portion of it, its just another one of those you-either-know-it-or-you-don't  Tests. I skipped a few things, with a few examples of that time when the answer is on the VERY tip of your tongue, but it just doesn't really form in your mind (its so faustrating when that happens! But you can't just write "It begins with a W" can you?). My multi-languistic brain was in overload, as when the Test asked you to translate the German phrases into French you mentally have to translate that into THREE differant languages. MULTI-TASKING OVERLOAD! A bit overwelming, but I should at least get 20/40, which wouldn't really harm my Trimestre Results because I already have a perfect 20/20 in German. After School on Thursday it was pretty much more painkillers and sleep! 

I had developped a headache AND a cold/cough by Friday, adding to my growing list of symptoms (both quite minor, and my nose is starting to clear up a bit now). I must have had every disease known to man by then! I STILL managed to walk into School, although I was careful to stay away from people just in case I infected anyone and turned them into a Zombie! I normally avoid them all anyway, so it wasn't a major change. Friday was okay, the only thing worth noting was my Science Test, which garnered a respectable (although the teacher could have given more) 16/20. I lost four points because I spelt kg and m3 with capitals when they were supposed to have been in lower case, not bothering to draw every single molecule in a syringe (which would have taken ages, and I only had 50 minutes to do the Test) and getting -1,5 because despite writing everying neat and tidy, screwed up on ONE question and had to scribble it out (they take points off if you write scruffy) and getting a Maths question wrong (you had to calculate the mass of air in a container). Apart from the Maths question, I consider most of the mistakes a bit nitpicky and could have garnered a well deserved 18/20. SIGH, Its almost impossible to get a 20/20 in France nowadays!



In other News, I have just watched the latest Episode of Merlin (with my dog Obelix pictured above and below, who enjoyed it as you can clearly see), and quite enjoyed it, and it seems to be really campaigning against Doctor Who. I now liken it to sort of a Medieval DW now. Although the hole "trying to kill the king with seemingly no reason" plot is really a bit tiring now! A bit of variety please?


Well this ends my recap, and I swear that if I see another 'GOD DAMNED PAINKILLER, I THINK I MIGHT JUST SCREAM!!!!'