Thanks everyone. I'm going to have a chat with my brother and let him know. Could be worse - I could have got one of the earlier class dates and missed my son's birth in December. Upset brother ain't so bad in retrospect.
Six weeks in you absolutely will be able to make a call to congratulate him. Just ask for it. The class leadership aren't monsters and, I might be giving away too many secrets here, but they do actually treat you like people (after RLP). Just ask. You will not get leave, and you will not get a new class date, but you will likely get a call at whatever time you need it.