<p>Owlice, great news…but inquiring parents want to know: is there a financial benefit that you can take advantage of?</p>
<p>You’re welcome, NM…love zappos…but for them, I’d have no shoes (odd shoe size).</p>
<p>How wonderful Owlice!!! Congrats to S!!!
What a fabulous surprise!!!
HOORAY!!!</p>
<p>Thanks!! </p>
<p>missypie, probably no financial benefit at his current school (though I’ll look into that), but that’s okay! It’s a nice honor for him to have.</p>
<p>owlice, Congratulations to you and spawn! To spawn’s h.s.: You stay classy.</p>
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<p>Most HSs would be falling all over themselves to claim a NMSF.</p>
<p>Thanks, Harriet!</p>
<p>Spawn’s dad was supposed to go by the high school last week; I think this means he didn’t!!</p>
<p>missypie, we’ve had some … ahhh… issues, let’s say, with the high school. They were shocked in June when, at the last IEP meeting we had with them, I told them there was no way spawn would be returning to the school. I found it amazing, absolutely amazing, that they were shocked, as certain personnel had been making it extremely clear that spawn was not wanted there.</p>
<p>So the NMSF thing makes me happy for several reasons; having such students is a Big Deal for the HS, and knowing that… well, I’m grinning ear-to-ear!!!</p>
<p>Living well is the best revenge…</p>
<p>chintzy!!! You just made me spit water on my screen! :)</p>
<p>^^ I do my best.</p>
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<p>I don’t think its fair to assume Rachacha’s D came off this way. I got the impression it’s more about social groups being exclusive rather than inclusive–a rigid “us against them” mentality. You always hope that gets left behind in middle school!</p>
<p>Congrats Owlice!!! You must be SOOO proud!!!</p>
<p>owlice, wow, his HS did not want him? </p>
<p>We had switched to partial home-schooling in part to deal with learning disabilities and in part because the HS would not give credit for independent work. Later, the school, partly at the urging of the assistant superintendent, granted credit to enable him to get a diploma from the HS. She was actually nice to do so but also recognized that the HS should claim credit for Shawbridgeson. </p>
<p>I just sent cleats to Shawbridgeson via Zappo’s. Because it was the first time I used it, they sent it overnight at no charge and then put me in vip.zappos so that I can always get free overnight shipping. There must be a lot of VIPs.</p>
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<p>Way back in 8th grade, Son’s Algebra teacher made some pretty insensitive remarks at Son’s IEP meetings (lady couldn’t really comprehend how a kid who needed special ed services could be in her pre-AP class). Younger D now has her…when we were at open house reminding her of our names, I wondered if she remembered that we had had prior “dealings”…</p>
<p>congrats, owlice & son!</p>
<p>As S would say… “Woot!” to owlice’ son (and yum, the hors deorves are wonderful).</p>
<p>Sent S his lax stuff today via UPS. Box of pads and helmet - $63. Long stick in own back - $60. Guaranteed to be there? priceless. (this of course is total BS except that he will be thrilled to get it before the weekend.) But it was the unusual SIZE of the stick that apparently cost so much even though the stick itself is prized for being so light! The box with helmet and pads MIGHT have been 10 -15 pounds, I didn’t check. But I am still wondering what it would have cost to send fed-x. And this was just three day not overnight. I told S he could have bought a new head for his stick for how much I spent sending the old stuff, but he will be thrilled to have it all… and frankly, although I could have sent via a slow boat to china, I thought better to get him involved early than waiting through yet another weekend.</p>
<p>As for the athletes in non-athletes groups. I get it. Don’t always agree and think there is sometimes a very distinct reverse discrimination going on when it comes to athletes and the presupposing of their intention or their attitudes. Not to say that SOME people wouldnt fit the stereotype, but that’s like saying all “nerds” and “geeks” have absolutely no social skills. Some dont, but a lot do and to assume is to … well, you get the picture.</p>
<p>I am off to pick up D15 from school. And without her playing a sport (when practice would end at 5 - 5:30), now I have to be there at the end of the school day which totally eats into my time to… umm…er… still trying to fill in some of those blanks!</p>
<p>JS _Thanks for update and very happy to hear son is taking initiative. Promising sign : ) (Mine always says he has to “find the mom/executive-secretary within” as it were…not always an easy thing to do, unless you’re psychotic : ) Just kidding.</p>
<p>Owlice - Thank YOU for the tastiest low-cal treat of my day (cookies all the way to champagne.) Congrats to both.</p>
<p>owlice-Thanks for the treats. I am raising my glass in a toast to you and S.</p>
<p>How would the organization know that the D was an athlete, unless she told them? </p>
<p>I would say its more about wanting a social organization to be that, not another “athlectic” group</p>
<p>And friend and I once took a few hiphop dance exercice classes for beginners/beginning intermediate.</p>
<p>Turned out many of the people in the class were in hiphop dance troops, and dance theater. They just wanted to practice whereever and whenever they could.</p>
<p>At each class, you would learn a simple routine, with each section building on the first, so repeating the forst dance moves, then adding more, repeat, etc.</p>
<p>THe instructor would ask, so who wants to see that again, or do that again. They experienced dancers would just run through it lickity split, and those of us who where there for other reasons, jsut couldn’t keep up, and felt even more clutzy than before. It was reallly frustrating, as a class for beginners would morph weekly into an advanced class.</p>
<p>I finally said something to the head of the school, saying that a beginners class should be just that, don’t teach to all the advanced students.</p>
<p>Same with some sports ECs. If you are going out to play ultimate frisbee with a bunch of new classmates, do you want champion frisbee players to come in and take over, because they will. THey can’t help it.</p>
<p>Again, if the D felt jocks weren’t welcome, then a couple of things probably happened:</p>
<p>The club was designed for the non jocks and that should be okay
That say, the hikes were geared toward beginners, intermediates and not for the marathoners
And that D expected the club to more advanced and that just isn’t the nature of that group
Somehow D got impression the clubs weren’t for jocks. So be it. The world isn’t always compettive. Sometimes a tennis club is just to whack the ball around. Sometimes a co-ed soccer team never practiices.</p>
<p>What in the world is wrong with that? Nothing. If D wants all outdoors clubs to be for jocks, she should indeed find another club.</p>
<p>My goodness, my D would be the LAST to come across as condescending because she is on a team. The school is small enough, and she probably was with teammates at the time or maybe wearing a team shirt, otherwise to look at her one would be hard-pressed to guess that she was an athlete on campus. I just hope it is not an “us versus them” situation - she never got that vibe on her first visit, her overnight or any interaction before the fair…</p>
<p>Maybe the outdoors group as it is now isn’t as good of a match after all - D said upon more questioning that they concentrated more on the rock climbing than the camping/hiking/canoeing aspect. If she were to start something she definitely would invite anyone, regardless of experience.</p>
<p>Lets just say that son is very athletic and looks it. But the truth is, he’s never really gone hiking or camping in his life. In fact, he and two other friends went on a trip to the Boundary Waters up north almost immediately after school got out. My question was who was to be the brain trust of this operation because it sure wasn’t going to be S who has trouble making himself ramen noodles. Turns out one of his friends is super camper guy and his parents are super camping parents. My ONLY concern on the whole trip was who would carry S out of there if he got hurt because Lord knows neither one of his fellow campers could have done it. However, they were glad for his strength when it came to hiking carrying a three-man canoe. :)</p>
<p>I think the intentions of the group and adhering to them is what’s important. And yes, it’s ok to have groups that serve one set of peoples over another, but… I don’t think you can assume an athlete has talents across the board or even that they are always competitive and can’t do activities like rock climbing or hiking for the social aspects of it. And I think I would be kind of disappointed that someone in a leadership position of the group would be unwelcoming to anyone they didn’t know more about. And in line with Missy’s “retirement” suggestion, S is trying on some different things after nearly a decade of being a football player in the fall. Should he not be allowed to go climbing just because he might be in better shape or…? Seems rather prejudicial. And while I imagine no one wants to look a fool, I can honestly say that we taught son it was better to look the fool and try than to not bother trying something you really wanted to because of fear of looking a fool.</p>
<p>And I am just going to point out one little thing… Rachacha never said her D expected the group to be more athletic or marathony or anything of the kind according to the post, and yet your post suggests that she needs to find another group if the group isn’t as athletic. How did you make the athlete the guilty party here and why can’t an athlete just like to float down a stream in a canoe? Based on no other information, it is my feeling that this person had a thing against athletes for some reason and then was making a lot of assumptions. I just don’t understand how it became the D’s “fault” for feeling unwelcome.</p>
<p>^^^ So agree! ;)</p>