No win for sure.
Discussing BS with non-BS parents is just an awkward exchange of insecurities…theirs and ours. We BS parents know why we do it, but only time will tell. We love them and are doing our best. Post that on the scoreboard of life.
@Altras I like that phrase, scoreboard of life.
Has anyone heard of students switching to remote (or maybe even leaving entirely) since school started? My nephew’s BS has had a handful of kids leave recently due to the strict covid restrictions (which pale in comparison to our kiddo’s restrictions). The rumor is that more students were getting ready to leave so administration said they are going to ease up on the rules (not sure if this plan was already in place or a reaction to students leaving). It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
I think George allows students to switch (and I think that you can pay for what you choose, if I understood what my friend was telling me.) How many kids are changing, I have no idea.
Today’s NY Post cover story on Spence is linked below…”What are we paying for? Private school parents force in person class” .
https://nypost.com/2020/10/06/parents-at-nyc-prep-school-force-admins-to-offer-classroom-learning/
@cityran one of my kid’s friends just left to go fully remote and another teammate is seriously considering leaving due to restrictions and athletics (or lack thereof). I’d have to drag my kid kicking and screaming off that campus (lol) but I can definitely understand why kids (especially athletes) are like I’m outta here.
We know a couple kids who are already back due to athletics and a few more in battle with their school whether they will be allowed back after showcase they are set to attend. Originally the schools said permission to leave could be given but changed their tunes and now leaving means you cannot come back and have to go remote so that’s what they plan to do if they can’t get the school to change their mind.
I also just heard of two freshmen coming home just because the school felt like jail and nothing like what they wanted/hoped for, nothing to do with sports. I think there are a lot of kids who really did not realize what they were getting into, and some schools seem very strict with rules unlike in the past years (which is a shock to returning kids too).
Huh. My son is having a great experience at his school, and I’m not aware of anyone being unhappy or leaving (though, he doesn’t tell me all that much, I must admit!). They are having in person classes, teams are practicing (with a different focus – a more on individual development), and there’s a ton going on. I’m extremely pleased with how the year is going, so far.
My kiddo gave up positions in showcases because of school policies - not going to showcase, no in-person prospect camps, no clinics until winter. We know a couple of kids who did leave school for showcases, clinics & club practices but plan on returning after winter break. We also know of a couple of kids who were asked to leave due to breaking rules…but they are saying it’s for their sports.
Our school sports have been a joke to a varying degree. When playing a varsity sport makes you gain weight/get out of shape that’s a problem and there’s really no excuse. Sigh. Although I know our sports are not as good as most of the other schools on this board to begin with so I guess I am not surprised??
I wonder what you guys have heard about consequences for breaking rules? It seems like most schools are just making kids go virtual, we are pretty sure kids will be kicked out. It makes for a somewhat terrified student body.
I’d say in general kids are pretty happy on campus but with the storms coming through MA that might change this evening. ? The amazing weather so far this fall has been a huge bonus for all the New England schools.
The mask wearing seems to be no big deal for most of the kids and the constant testing seems to make them feel fairly safe. The rule of 6ft apart is totally not enforced, except when they are sitting in study areas so I think it’s pretty doable for them. And by the way, I am all for not enforcing that, especially outside. They are tested up the wazoo and constantly masked, I don’t also need the kids to walk 6ft apart, I feel like my kids are safer than they were this summer playing sports and working (for the older one).
For those families out there experiencing a block schedule for the first time - how is it going for you? My son has an advanced studies (new term for the former AP) science course and an honors math course this fall, in 9 weeks, during football season, which is his primary sport. So far, we’re not a fan of this schedule. Over the summer I had said that getting the science and math courses together in the first term would be the worst case scenario - and of course that’s how it ended up. Things are going alright-ish, but there is so little time to fully absorb the content of these high level courses. I can only hope that he will be prepared enough to take the next level math his senior year, because by then it will have been almost a year since he had a math course. He is taking another science course in the spring term, so hopefully that will keep the math skills sharp. I did ask him to give honest feedback about the 9 week term schedule, as I hope we won’t be doing this again next year.
@dramakid2 That really sounds not ideal. I was worried to hear about so many of these new block schedules, TBH. Thanks for sharing your feedback.
General question here: should we switch to a new thread called something like Covid Issues (or whatever; not my best work). This thread started out as a place for us to guess how covid would specifically impact enrollment issues, yield, etc (hence the title), but has morphed into a slightly different discussion that I think would be valuable going forward. Should we have a clean place to house our general Covid/BS challenges? I don’t feel strongly about it, so didn’t want to force it by starting a new thread. @Publisher I believe you will steer us right.
Good question @dramakid2 and @Calliemomofgirls …I can only speak from our perspective, so please take this with a grain of salt.
The school administration seems to like the block schedule a lot - at a recent parent meeting, one dean commented that they like it so much that they are considering the pro’s and con’s of keeping this in the future. Students are about 5 weeks into the first term with the new block schedule. It seems to be working well for specific courses more than others. It’s not a one-size fits all model to be sure. I think the lag time between November and next September will leave a void in learning - this will put your student at a disadvantage in certain courses where slow & steady is the best pace. For example, Algebra. Students will have to study and be motivated to continue learning so they can move to the next level 8 months later. Also, lower level or intro to a foreign language - especially when you are unable to take enrichment courses due to travel restrictions later in the year or over summer.
What’s the worry? OK, the students and parents we speak to are very concerned about AP’s in May if you complete your course in November. Yes - we know that this worry may all be for nothing as so many schools are test optional, or the tests might not even happen if there is a resurgence in COVID. But, if you have to hedge your bets and prepare for taking AP’s in May it’s going to be tough if you finished your course in mid-November. So far, the school has not yet determined how or when students will receive any extra review for AP - other than receiving advise on getting study books for the test.
While this block system seems to be going well for the students we know taking math & science - it’s a fast pace in an already speedy curriculum. The students taking foreign language block now (Fall) seem to be concerned about A) retention of material , B) prepping for AP’s in May and C) not having foreign language for 8 months (give or take) before next Fall Term.
Here are some benefits to the block system: There are a few students we know who are able to take more courses than during a normal year. They are taking 3 courses per term - and doubling up on sciences - so they are able to take more courses that interest them compared to a regular year.
As a parent, I am not yet sold on this system. Will the material stick to his/her ribs? I am concerned about the lack of depth in the subject and the learning…it’s like my kid is jet skiing over the material instead of scuba diving it.
I like the block system as a compromise method of dealing with the pandemic. Essentially, it employs more intense, accelerated courses while minimizing exposure to others. If a student or teacher becomes infected, this system allows for quick identification of those who should be quarantined or isolated as a way to curtail widespread outbreak of the disease.
For those studying foreign languages, a system utilizing independent study should be considered, in my opinion. Should be easy to design since learning by sight, sound, and by both written and oral communication can be arranged via use of computers.
Young adults are resilient and schools are resourceful.
The pandemic will not last forever. Might help to view necessary changes as an exercise of problem solving skills.
P.S. A likely side benefit is that friendships will be developed between and among individuals who might have otherwise been just casual acquaintances/classmates.
I certainly agree that the block schedule was a necessary adjustment due to the pandemic. While Mercersburg is taking the 9 week, 3 block approach, the school my 9th grader attends as a day student took a different block approach. They broke their schedule up into 7 blocks of 4-5 weeks each depending on the time year. They take 3 courses each term and they will rotate. Every course will meet for 3 of the 7 blocks throughout the year. AP level courses will meet all year. During the “off blocks” the AP courses will continue to meet during a Wednesday “X” period each week. Not sure how that works with students taking multiple AP level courses. I was talking to a parent whose daughter is taking 4 AP level courses, and she didn’t understand how the X periods we’re going to work with more than one AP. But her daughter seemed to understand, so that’s what really matters.
It will be interesting for me to observe which block schedule works best for my kids. Of course my 9th grader doesn’t have an AP level course, so it’s hard to compare him to my 11th grader taking the advanced science courses in 9 weeks. But at the same time, it feels strange to have a month or two between math, science and foreign language courses and bounce back and forth.
We are having mixed feelings about the block schedule. The registrar did a good job of spacing out our kid’s writing heavy courses - she has anatomy/APUSH, then math/AP Eng, then physics/Latin3H. The unfortunate part, tough, is that she is very concerned about latin, specifically forgetting everything she learned over what will be 10 months by the time mid-March rolls around. ANother benefit, like @Golfgr8 mentioned, is that kids who would normally take 5 classes a year now take 6, and thus can squeeze in an extra math or science to get them up a level by the time they’re applying to college, or the next level language in the same year . We know several kids who are taking algebra 2 in the fall and pre-calc in the spring, when in a “normal” year they’d be taking pre-cal senior year. 9 week terms means they are all drinking from a firehouse, and I worry about the level of discussion they’re getting… are they going a mile wide and an inch deep? Or are they going 2 feet wide and 2 miles deep? For a class like APUSH that’s a lot of material to cover in 9 weeks, even if they are meeting 2.5 hours a day. From what I’ve heard from faculty, some are managing better than others… the science teachers don’t have a lot of downtime for things like lab clean and prep. And of course, they all have dorm and coaching duties, and many of them also have young children at home distance learning themselves. Mercersburg has designated 11 faculty members who are fully online - teaching to the fully online students. So some of them are running math classes at 10pm for the international kids. I am interested to see how the December term - the “Mercersburg Intensive” will go… faculty should be announcing the 1 credit course options soon.
Ahh! Mr Thorne must be legendary! I thought it was just my kid who was always slightly stressed out. My kid got placed in 3H as a 9th grader and finally had to raise the white flag in December. He said at that point there was only one other 9th grader still in that class (and just a couple of 10th graders) and he had no idea how she was able to survive. This summer I read an insta post from the school that my kid had won an NLE award and he said “mom, it’s no big deal, almost everyone in the class won something” (of course, taking for granted Mr Thorne’s skills).
I’m glad that school is structuring something for the the international kids (I had no idea) and I also have no idea I how the block schedule is going since this kid is buttoned down, but I haven’t heard any complaints. This term he has math and Latin. I think next term it’s history and something else and in the spring he’s got a lot of science and English classes (3 and 1 credit) and an art class. I can’t imagine how complicated it must have been for the registrar and hats off to her. She was even able to deal with some last changes he needed to make for the spring.
I think it will be very tough for the students who complete their courses in mid-November to take the AP test(s) in May. I am also being realistic about my kid - I know it will be unlikely that they will be motivated enough to to study foreign language independently for 9 months.
Also, not to belabor the obvious, but block schedules are a LOT of work. To self study for 9 months to keep up a language while maintaining good grades in other block courses for 6 of those months seems even more unrealistic to me.
The ISL is holding virtual XC races. It is mostly on the honor system between schools. Each team will run at a time and record each runner’s time (via stopwatch or runner’s watch). Although they don’t physically run against other teams, they race against their own teammates and this helped DS pull the best time he’s had since before his medical issues. The other downside is that they are still waiting for everyone to submit times so they can “place” them all.
I appreciate the effort. It brings some sort of normalcy back to the fall and gives the kids a goal to strive towards.