Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I was wondering if anyone can remeber what time they actually left Ch after settling their children in? The literature mentions that you should stay for as short a period as possible but then goes on to say that a light tea will be served from 3.30 -4pm, 2 hours after we've arrived.

I'm just trying to get some idea of when I'll get home to collect my younger one.

The Headmaster attends the tea in Dining Hall and at about 4 pm makes a short speech to the parents and pupils, before asking the parents to kindly leave their offspring in our tender care! That's your cue to say goodbye and head home, leaving the new Second Form to return to their boarding houses with their nursemaids and the staff. Usually the first thing they do is get out of their uniform and the boys often play football before Junior tea at 5.30 pm (weather permitting!).

Our experience last year was that you get to the school and spend the first hour unpacking all of the clothes and making the bed etc. Whilst this is happening they get their uniforms on (proud moment) and go off to see matron to make sure everything fits. We then had some time walking around the school visiting the music school etc. We took quite a few pictures (dont forget your camera). Time really flies and before you know it you are being asked to go over to the dining hall for tea and the headmasters speech. It is then time to say goodbye, however it was not as hard as I thought it would be as the children genuinely seem excited and keen to get on with their new life.

Thanks, does this mean we get to see them with their uniform on? Well mine may actually be naked as I've only just remembered the uniform form, so have just emailed that off (2 days late ) and I've also just realised his passport has expired! For someone who was feeling so smug and organised.... Well pride comes before a fall they say

CHDad wrote:Our experience last year was that you get to the school and spend the first hour unpacking all of the clothes and making the bed etc. Whilst this is happening they get their uniforms on (proud moment) and go off to see matron to make sure everything fits. We then had some time walking around the school visiting the music school etc. We took quite a few pictures (dont forget your camera). Time really flies and before you know it you are being asked to go over to the dining hall for tea and the headmasters speech. It is then time to say goodbye, however it was not as hard as I thought it would be as the children genuinely seem excited and keen to get on with their new life.

How times have changed since the 1950's !!!!

Yes you do get to see them with the uniform on ! It's a very proud moment for the children and the parents.

quick question. I have labelled and attached sock ties to

4 pairs football socks
5 pairs white sports socks
and 3 pairs of 'normal' socks.

Do I need more 'normal' socks? I assume he can wear his sports socks as normal civvy wear as well.

Hi Pinkhebe - I'm struggling with the trainer socks that dd likes. The labels are bigger than the socks. Do you think I can get away with her storing them up to come home at leave weekends, and not wash them at school, and not label them.??

You could! If they get in the school wash unlabelled they will be lost!

You could put the tapes on the ties for the socks I guess.

Someone with a girl will no doubt reply and tell you how they cope. I'm just glad my DS puts his socks in the wash at all!

I cant imagine my D.S ever deciding it would be sensible to put his socks in the wash! Therefore I suspect matron has been helping him to make that decision. That is the problem with you sending unlabelled socks, depends how well your daughter can hide them!

My daughters bring home their clothes to wash, including socks. They have a laundry bag and put all their washing in it, and put it at the bottom of the wardrobe. Luckily neither of them have stinky feet, or I would imagine it could get smelly after 3 weeks! Atticus, if she's going to store them up but you're worried about them getting lost if you don't label them, how about just writing her house number on the bottom somewhere in one of those laundry pens, ie ThA99, so if they do get lost/mixed up with others they're identifiable.

Atticus wrote:Hi Pinkhebe - I'm struggling with the trainer socks that dd likes. The labels are bigger than the socks. Do you think I can get away with her storing them up to come home at leave weekends, and not wash them at school, and not label them.??

Not exactly my field but I seem to remember Cash's tapes being made into loops, joining the open end of the loop and sewing that to the sock.
Both parent's worked so I ended up doing a lot of these things.

I have labelled a ridiculous amount of civvies for my DD - and I have a feeling I'll spend tomorrow morning with her arguing about how much she REALLY needs to take! Her civvy socks are the trainer type too - I have looped the label and sewn it into the heel of the sock with the sock tie underneath ensuring her house name is on the visible part of the loop for quick identification ... I hope that makes sense. I'm not sure they'll be very comfortable with the sock tie stuffed down the back of her heel ... but ... if she insists on silly little socks ...! I have tried to ensure all her clothes can withstand a fairly hot wash (as advised on this forum!!). What she brings home to wash will totally depend on how organised she is at school about putting things into the laundry in the first place! I do hope I won't spend every minute of leave weekends turning laundry around ... without a tumble drier things take a while and it seems to be that everything needs ironing!

Just a question whilst typing - I've packed all her bedding into a "launderette bag" and will pack her clothes, towels, PE kit, shoes, etc into a case. That leaves a bag of tuck and house china and cutlery (nutrition doesn't seem to have been top of her priority list when choosing tuck) and her school bag with the usual stuff in. This just seems like rather a lot to be taking ... should I actually be trying to get it all in the case? I just don't want to turn up on Wednesday looking like my daughter's bring the entire contents of my house with her!

Although I'll miss her dreadfully I won't miss tripping over the case every five minutes!

Firstly - THANK YOU - for this Forum, I'm not a Forum type person, but have found this extremely useful especially last week when our nerves were really kicking in. I noticed our hugs being a bit longer than usual and lots of silences followed by gentle smiles at each other. After Church yesterday with our Vicar telling stories of secret underground passages between the houses and up to Big School - an old CH Peele boy - which he says are now boarded up, we enjoyed our last Sunday Roast dinner together and it is now final packing day!
things I have gleaned or been reminded about - thank you forum users x
*The duvet and pillowcases are on to save time and space in the dorm with excited parents and girls all trying to make beds at the same time, and she has a mattress cover and one Teddy!
*Padlocks x 2 combination so no keys to lose and painted with nail varnish just in case other parents bought the same.(although I doubt you have the same combination!)
*Tuck - she has has a plastic box with a couple of packets of Randoms and Dib Dabs ( her favourite ) a packet of Maryland cookies and she is taking the jar of Nutella out of the kitchen cupboard. I have put a sign on the box saying that whilst my daughter is happy to swap and share - please ask first! - a tip from a forum user.
* Passport.
*That fantastic little red book "Calendar" - does anyone know if parents can have a copy as I'm pretty sure I wont get the information from my daughter?
* Sports kit - well ours didn't arrive!! and I think Dave Messenger is buried under all his messages but Debbie Stamp has kindly suggested just putting in a couple of plain polo shirts and blue drawstring shorts until they manage to sort things out with the orders - and I hope have stern words with Kukri who have been extremely unhelpful and rude.
* Socks, my daughters socks seem to fly off in various directions around her room and are even found lurking in strange places around the flat so I am looking forward to seeing what happens at CH, i have named and packed a few extra pairs and will now - thanks to earlier post - send a laundry bag for the bottom of the wardrobe.
* shoes laces and name tags for Matron and as my daughter was prescribed an inhaler last week!! I'm including the box for Matron too.
* Stationary - this was a guess as there is very little information sent and as my daughter keeps pointing out " no none has said anything about the actual school work" - so she has her pencil case, geometry set, an A4 file with plastic pockets and dividers, a couple of note books, bluetack, pins for her board, post its - she has also made some name signs and has a selection of photos of loved ones and 2 reading books ( she says she will use the Library for others) her dictionary and thesaurus, and a desk tidy ( ha ha ):)) and her 5 year lockable diary - a present from her Godmother who might have a spare key for emergencies.
* Her toiletries bag is bulging rather - cotton wool pads, moisturizers etc - do they have a bin with each desk? or one for the whole dorm?

Things she is not taking, that we will discuss after first leave weekend - mobile phone, wellies, DSi, jewelry .......
Do you know if they have fruit in the house? or is there enough in the dining hall? their own mug and hot chocolate?? - things maybe they will decide amongst themselves.

Please say if there is something glaringly missing or totally wrong - Thank You - hope it maybe useful for you too xx

cupcakemom wrote:That leaves a bag of tuck and house china and cutlery (nutrition doesn't seem to have been top of her priority list when choosing tuck) and her school bag with the usual stuff in. This just seems like rather a lot to be taking ... should I actually be trying to get it all in the case? I just don't want to turn up on Wednesday looking like my daughter's bring the entire contents of my house with her!

Each girl in my daughters' house is given a plate, bowl, cup and cutlery, with their house number engraved into it - have you actually been told to bring your own?

And that sounds about the right amount of luggage, don't worry!