Parents of the HS Class of 2011 - Original

Parents of HS Class of 20xx
9701

<p>We are back after the tournament this weekend. Congratulations to mosb and all the other recent recipients of great news. </p>

<p>D could have had a better tournament. She used to have eczema as a baby and boy, has it come back. Not only that, but she also developed some bacterial infections on top of that. So now we have antibiotics, steroid creams, antibacterial creams, special soaps, special lotions, etc, etc. Not only that, she needs antihistamines round the clock. I am used to her needing medicines three times a day but the creams need a different schedule and all together it is now about 7 times a day I need to be telling her to take something or put something on. I hope it starts to clear up quickly without any bad side effects.</p>

<p>My younger did have better luck at the tournament since she got her highest rating so far.</p>

9702

<p>cgpm - we are thinking about an Alaskan cruise in June as well. We have been to a number of cruises before, but not to Alaska. We didn’t book anything yet, but we know if we want to have a family vacation, it’s gotta be in June. And Alaskan cruise is on the top of the list.</p>

<p>MM -oh, no. Is it stress related? I hope you D feels good soon.</p>

9703

<p>Thanks to all with kind words about my disappointment over my D not being invited to join an honors program. It really helps to be able to talk with others going through similar things.</p>

<p>And congratulations to those with recent good news! I am happy to hear of it!</p>

9704

<p>Yipppeee! Ds got a bunch of letters today, and we kept ripping through each looking for dollar signs and one little pearl came through, 10K/yr from Pitt! I had basically written this off because they didn’t offer honors college to ds until we asked to be reevaluated for it. I figured his stats weren’t going to get the big buckos…but there you go!</p>

9705

<p>Something cool happened today that I just have to share with this group.</p>

<p>At our son’s high school, a team from the senior cabinet puts together video announcements every week. It’s a 10-minute newscast, usually with a focus on athletic events or a teacher or trends/fads. (Our older son was the video announcement producer/editor in 2008).</p>

<p>Today, the video crew interviewed our younger son about being a National Merit Finalist. Then one of the students called me to get 10 pictures of him “being smart” to use in the story. The story will run on Friday during the seminar (study hall) period on the TVs in every classroom.</p>

<p>The three boys who are putting this together are not the kids our son hangs out with, although all of them have some connection to him through church, Scouts or classes. The boy who called me said “(son’s name) is awesome and we want him to know that everyone at school thinks that.”</p>

<p>Our son is walking about five feet off the ground right now. It’s been a long journey from the geeky freshmen who didn’t have any friends, to the frustrated sophomore who couldn’t understand why everyone didn’t take school seriously, to the dejected junior who lost the student body treasurer election to the popular party girl with a C in Algebra II, to the senior who made “being smart cool.” (His principal’s description.)</p>

<p>Just a really nice moment–and this group is probably the only “friends” who can understand my emotions right now.</p>

9706

<p>congrats to amandakayak S! </p>

<p>OWM - hooray for your school for making a big deal about your S. He deserves it.</p>

9707

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<p>Thanks, from this mom who, truly, had no idea of what we were getting into when it became clear d would be auditioning for music admissions and music scholarships…as well as competitive academic scholarships (the ones that require another visit to the school, more essay writing, faculty interviews, etc.)</p>

<p>For just 6 schools, I can tell you we’ve made at least 10 trips so far; another coming up this weekend, another the following weekend, and 2 more in early March. Fortunately, none farther than a 4-hr drive.</p>

<p>I’m tired, SHE’s tired. But she really wants to go full tilt at these 6 so she can compare apples-to-apples financially and in terms of getting a good first-hand look at her fit with each school’s music dept. </p>

<p>And I’d be really ungrateful to complain because these academic and music scholarships are yielding her about 2/3-3/4 tuition at the schools we’ve heard back from so far.</p>

<p>So I’m very appreciative of the outcomes, but just so done with the process. It’s taken a toll on us, that’s for sure, and I’ll be glad when late March / early April rolls around so she can make her decision (and I can stop driving all over the Midwest)! :)</p>

9708

<p>Great story OWM and congrats amandak. </p>

<p>Heard some thoughtful, mature noises coming from ShawD as to how she might approach her decision-making. She applied to only two schools and got into both. One is bigger (14000 students) with lots of options. The other smaller (2400 kids) is in a very small town but she knows several kids who might go there because she attended a summer program with them there last summer. She knows science professors and the President (who has followed up with her). She’d be embraced and probably mentored.</p>

<p>She said, the small school might become a little small for her over time, but she would probably do a year abroad. She also wouldn’t do a gap year (currently planned) so that she could go with her friends. If she were going to attend the larger school, she’d use the gap year to do a few distinguishing things in her field of interest so that she could enter in a way that would cause her to be noticed (or at least differentiated). She doesn’t usually articulate strategic thinking (unlike her very strategic brother), but I was pleased at her thoughtful approach. We’re going to schedule visits to both so she can decide.</p>

9709

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<p>OWM - I understand 1000%. What a great thing to happen to your son. Being smart IS cool.</p>

9710

<p>Cooker, glad to hear how much your d enjoyed her behind-the-scenes role in her school productions. Those are such vital and demanding jobs…maybe not everyone in the audience appreciates what it takes to run a production, but I can tell you that songbird would go to the mat for the student directors and crews she’s worked with. On many occasions, I’ve heard her say things like, “so-and-so saved me tonight.”</p>

<p>“Who’s so-and-so?”</p>

<p>"Our quick-change crew …my mic guy…our soundboard girl…that kid up in the flyspace, and on and on and on.</p>

<p>Ask any singer/actor worth their salt who the unsung heroes of the theatre world are, and they’ll tell you: TECHIES AND CREW!</p>

<p>Kudos to your d for finding this essential niche and her place in it. I hope she continues it during college. It sounds like she really loved it.</p>

<p>Amanda, too funny about the Grammys. I think its pretty safe to say that if sb ever made it to an awards show of any kind…her “choices” (wardrobe and otherwise) wouldn’t be very GaGa-esque. She sings arias and art songs, after all…for her generation, that’s ALREADY making a weird statement. </p>

<p>Though her friends find it a good-weird. I sometimes overhear bits of conversations that go something like:</p>

<p>Friend: songbird, what’s that one I like…you know that opera thingy where the girl gets so sick and at the end she dies? </p>

<p>sb: can you be more specific?</p>

<p>Friend: what, there’s more than one like that?</p>

<p>Sb: rolls eyes.</p>

<p>Milmom, sorry to hear about the skin problems. Hope that clears up quickly. 7 treatments a day does not sound fun. Congrats to D2!</p>

<p>Amandak (again) CONGRATS!! Not just on the Pitt 10K news (nice going), but on the “bunch of letters” today!!! Awesome! I was hoping for just one, but…maybe tomorrow. </p>

<p>Olderwisermom, wow! What a terrific story about your son. Put a smile on my face. How wonderful that he’s being recognized, and that he’s made being smart cool at his school! I gotta ask…what were some of the photos you scrounged up of him “being smart”? Any smart-baby pics? It occurs to me that with photoshop and a little time, you could come up with some pretty funny stuff…</p>

9711

<p>Congrats to so many! MOSB and SB---- it seems perfect that one came through!
Amanda - 10K is an affirmation not to sneeze at!
And the BFA theatre tech acceptance - wow - a rare bird - congratulations!
Finally, OWM - I loved your story - because like so much of the other good news, it’s the affirmation that keeps our kids stoked, after all you can only accept one school’s offer in the end, but as they keep plugging along and working so hard, it’s each little e-mail or envelope with positives that keeps my S going. I so love to see our kids happy!!</p>

<p>Alas - no happy here - I’ve been off because we’ve all been down with flu. S is sleeping away on the sofa between HW assignments. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn’t last long!</p>

9712

<p>So much great news! Thanks for posting. It’s great to read about how your kids’ hard work has paid off. I can only imagine the amount of time and support you have given them behind the scenes. I am happy for you all.</p>

9713

<p>owm- how wonderful for your son!</p>

9714

<p>AmandaK: Congrats on the $$. It looks like your son will have a lot of good choices.</p>

<p>OWM: What a nice experience for your son. It’s so nice when smart kids are recognized and can feel good about themselves.</p>

9715

<p>Had a talk yesterday with a few moms. Some don’t really get it. One said she would make her daughter choose a college without visiting and thought we are crazy for doing that. Okay here is what I don’t get - spending maybe at most a few thousand dollars (two schools are giving her free or mostly free flights anyway) to make sure that our investment of maybe 80K (if we will be paying) or maybe up to 160K or more (if we are using the GI bill) is wisely spent. Basically, our kids’ educations are the second biggest expenditure and when we add up all three kids’ college and grad school costs, it is definitely the most expensive investment we make. </p>

<p>I know that by grad school, they won’t have to be visiting. I also know that my youngest already has a few schools in mind as good matches for her. But without going over this with this adamant mom, I also know that my middle, who is my hardest working one, has special needs and those visits and other contact we have with the colleges will hopefully prevent a disastrous situation.</p>

9716

<p>MM: I agree with you. I can’t imagine sending a kid to a college sight unseen. Finances aside, it’s going to be your child’s home for the next four years. Everyone has a story about the school that looked great on paper but didn’t click in person. </p>

<p>I hope that your daughter is feeling better.</p>

9717

<p>owm - What a nice story!</p>

<p>amandak - congrats on $$$ from Pitt! And to your S on getting into their honors program!</p>

<p>MilitaryMom – Absolutely agree with you. Selecting a collage is a huge decision, so how can you do it without a visit? The last thing I personally need is paying big $$$ and having a miserable kid, who doesn’t like his college.</p>

9718

<p>I do think there are a lot of clueless folks out there. OTOH, there are some folks who just can’t afford to send their kids to visit any school or can’t take the time off work, etc.</p>

<p>Ananda - Congrats on the Pitt money. </p>

<p>puma- hope all feel better soon.</p>

<p>Shaw - sounds like your D will make a well researched decision and end up in a “happy place”</p>

<p>Just mailed off the final merit apps. Yahoo. I think we are done except for a few small scholarships we might find locally. (and updating profile and fafsa with 2010 tax info)</p>

9719

<p>Agree completely. Can’t imagine a kid being able to make a good choice without visiting. For us, all the initial research was just “vetting.” The visits are largely what the final decision will be based on, and they yield info you just can’t get any other way. Makes me sad that many parents don’t understand this. As momjr points out, this isn’t just where a kid is going to study for the next 4 years, it’s where he/she is going to live. I wonder how many of those parents would just pick up and move to a place for 4 years, sight unseen. Maybe some, but for most of us that wouldn’t work.</p>

9720

<p>MOSB: Pictures of our son “being smart” included:
First day of kindergarten (monogrammed Lands End backpack and all)</p>

<p>Receiving the Duke TIP medal in 7th grade at a statewide ceremony</p>

<p>8th grade graduation (he picked that one because there were just six kids in his private school class and they all ended up being in the top 10% of their public HS class of 438),</p>

<p>With his professors at two summer academies for gifted kids</p>

<p>Doing science experiments at our church’s after-school program for neighborhood elementary kids</p>

<p>Teaching origami to children in Belize on a mission trip</p>

<p>His TAG LA team sweeping all the awards in the semester video project (the TAGademy Awards)</p>

<p>Posed with sculptures on college visits to his three school choices, with Harvard thrown in for good measure</p>

<p>NHS induction</p>

<p>One of his senior pictures taken in the chemistry lab.</p>

<p>And in many of these pictures he is wearing his Think Geek fashion collection. T-shirts that say Stand Back/I’m Going to Try Science, Obey Gravity/It’s the Law, Vive la Relativity (with Einstein looking like Che Guerva), etc…</p>