<p>ldinct - WOW!! I’m so so glad your son is alright. I totalled my mom’s brand new car when I only had my permit - 3 cars involved, all teens. The one thing (that I didn’t understand at the time) was my father insisted I get back behind the wheel the next day - something about getting back on the horse so I didn’t get paralyzed by the fear.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all the Wash U admits - it is a great school (with an added bonus that it is in the same town as the magnificent Budweiser Clydesdales). </p>
<p>Idinct - So sorry for your son - I know how scary a big accident can be. All that matters is that your son walked away from it unharmed - the rest is just property and money, which have no importance compared to your son. Your insurance company should take care of things so that your son can get a car again.</p>
<p>Puma12 - There has to be a way to get the IB situation resolved - this is so wrong. Don’t take no for an answer, and rattle every cage you can find, through your school and through the IB organization. Keep us posted.</p>
<p>Congrats to all on the WashU acceptances! </p>
<p>Idinct, I am so glad your son was not hurt. But it must have scared the daylights out of him, and you!</p>
<p>Puma12, I sure hope you can get the IB issue resolved. I agree you need to fight this way all the way.</p>
<p>ldinct - oh my - thank goodness your son is okay and no other vehicles/people were involved!<br>
Things are getting interesting around here. WashU today and MIT Monday. We are still in wait mode. Good luck to all.<br>
D got her letter today telling her she was in the top academic group for graduation. There is no valedictorian (almost 900 kids in the class and the weighted/unweighted dilemma). The school invites a small group (+/- 10 depending on year) to share the honor based on grades and rigor. I am bursting with joy. She is happy, but now has to write something else!</p>
<p>Idinct - hurray for safe cars! Hug your boy, for sure. I know exactly what you mean about being in tears and not feeling the need for further consequences. He’s probably ready for the hug too!!</p>
<p>I met with the IB coordinator at school today and not only will he not budge an inch, he is actively angry that the students are asking. I do understand his point, though - the DECA advisor should have planned for this and had an understanding months ago of what the process would be if diploma candidates qualified - there are only 4 students this applies to. So the IB coordinator says he will entertain ZERO requests for any kind of accommodation and students need to decide which is more important to them - DECA or IB. This was so upsetting to my S (who also has this person for a teacher this semester) he does not want to fight further. He doesn’t want to be on the teacher’s “bad side” and the conflict within the staff of the school is much more heated than S had imagined.
S now says, forget it, just save the $$ to spend on college and he has more time to study for his tests.
I still feel it’s unfair and that the coordinator is having a small territorial fit. I’m an educator too, and what I say is whatever happened to doing what’s best for the STUDENTS?? not the program or the school or the coordinator/teacher - what’s best academically and what’s most equitable and life-enhancing for the student.
Not sure if I"ll go higher or not with my argument…</p>
<p>mnmomof2 - Congratulations to you and your daughter! </p>
<p>Idinct - Allowing my kids to drive has been the scariest aspect of parenting for me. Glad your son is safe and sound.</p>
<p>puma12 - The fact that your son has this dilemma just makes me mad. It seems like there should be a win-win here. Completely agree that the decision should be made based on what’s best for the students.</p>
<p>Puma - Do you or any of your friends know the tennis student the exception was made for previously? If so maybe you can find out how he was successful. How does teacher know there are only 4 DECA students in IB nationwide? Is there a way to find out if there are others? Is there any way to miss the Tuesday AM session or do it by Skype? These may be stupid questions since I no nothing about DECA? Is you are driving not flying could the test be moved a few hours to the afternoon as if you were in another time zone?</p>
<p>ldinct: So glad your son was not hurt. And I’m sure he was very worried about your reaction so the hug was really important. </p>
<p>puma: What a mess and such a bad situation for really great kids. The inflexibility of IB is part of the reason I have no regrets that our son could not make his schedule work to get the full IB diploma. But someone at your school ought to make a huge fuss over the kids who qualified for the international DECA competition so they at least get their moment in the sun. An assembly or inclusion in a pep rally and a big banner or something.</p>
<p>Here’s a happy thought: tomorrow is the SAT test and none of us (I don’t think) are stressing over it!</p>
<p>Congrats to the Wash U acceptances! </p>
<p>EmmyBet, Glad that your Japanese girls are doing okay. My BIL was en-route to Japan when the earthquake struck. Their plane was diverted and they were on the tarmac for 10 hours after arriving and are stranded in a different city then where they had a reservation. I’m sure he would like to trade places with your extra girl!</p>
<p>Puma, I really don’t understand the IB coordinator’s reasoning. If the students can take the test at the same time but a different location, why would he have any problem with that? Is there another person that you can appeal to? </p>
<p>ldinct, Sorry to hear about the accident but it’s so good to know that he was not hurt.</p>
<p>Just saw this posted on the MIT forum by a student. I sent it in an e-mail to my son who is competing in his last NFL event this weekend.</p>
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<p>Oh, ldinct–so so glad your S is unharmed. These things happen. Hope he recovers his confidence soon as possible. Yikes. Let’s all hug our kids tonight.</p>
<p>puma–I’m also alarmed at the bullying that’s going on at your S’s school. The bullying by the coordinator. Why punish the kids for this scheduling challenge? Argh!</p>
<p>Thanks for the nice notes, everyone, about S’s WashU decision. So here’s the yin to balance that yang (so to speak!) He just got accepted to UCLA. What??? We’re quite happy over here. 
:)</p>
<p>ok up date on our evolving drama</p>
<p>James indeed has a fractured ankle-- got a boot --aok</p>
<p>d bleeding ear–got antibiotics–aok</p>
<p>d’s boyfreind(valedictorian)sp snobby enough for you–ha ha -recovering from hip surgery from a football injury at our HS–accepted at MIT EA-totally snobby post–oh well it is what it is.</p>
<p>Myself & Wife–rum and coke</p>
<p>Life"s good</p>
<p>FAFSA corrections can wait</p>
<p>It’s the beginning Friday Spring Break I’m not cooking have a house full of smart kids orderd pizza and calmari and shrimp.</p>
<p>Celebrate the small victories</p>
<p>God bless</p>
<p>Congrats, madbean, on UCLA! How exciting!</p>
<p>hooray for madbean son!
puma - wow - what a shame; the kids should come first!</p>
<p>Reading this thread is always an emotional rollercoaster.</p>
<p>idinct, my heart was in my throat reading your post. So glad your son is OK. </p>
<p>Puma, we all share your frustration. Grrrr.</p>
<p>Congratulations mnmom on your daughter’s honor!</p>
<p>owm, thank you for sharing that. More tears.</p>
<p>Van, sorry about your son’s broken ankle! Enjoy the rum and cokes. And that delicious sounding dinner.</p>
<p>And last but not least, big Yay for madbean’s son who experienced both the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory in one afternoon.</p>
<p>Madbean, woot woot!!!</p>
<p>OWM, thank you for sharing that post. We Californians are so worried about our Pacific Rim brethren, and we know we’re going to get a big one, too. It’s very scary.</p>
<p>And ldinct, I’m not one for spiritual stuff, but you’ve got a guardian angel to be grateful for.</p>
<p>I agree with Left of Pisa, this thread is an emotional roller coaster.</p>
<p>Puma: I am enraged on your son’s behalf. Is this your last child to attend this school? If it is, I would go to the top and keep trying to fight this. If you have another child who might suffer the fallout, then you might have to choose your battles. Van: Sorry about the injury and illness.</p>
<p>Mnmom: Congrats on your daughter’s honor. I’m sure she worked hard to earn it.</p>
<p>Madbean: Congrats to your son on this latest acceptance. How nice that he heard today right after the other one.</p>
<p>OWM: Thanks for sharing the post from the Japanese student. I was thinking about Japan today when I was obsessing over unimportant things.</p>
<p>Madbean~Wonderful news for UCLA ~ :D</p>
<p>Idinct~Someone was watching out for your boy I am thankful for that :D</p>
<p>OWM- how different this year is from last!</p>
<p>van- jeez louise - hope those kids heal quickly! I am enjoying a Margarita, but rum and coke sounds good too.</p>
<p>Madbean - you are the perfect example that doors close, windows open: thanks for the reminder, congrats to your S</p>
<p>Idinct - <em>sigh</em>…glad your S is safe</p>
<p>puma - hate he is in the middle; it’s a shame that some adult cannot figure out how to make this a win-win</p>
<p>Lots of good news to celebrate. Can you imagine the traffic on this thread the next 2 weeks?</p>