<p>I think that Once Upon a Mattress is in the running for next year at D13’s school! I’ve seen the Carol Burnett version on tv and loved it! It would be a lot of fun1</p>
<p>Amazed at all the musically talented kids here! Good luck to all who are performing.</p>
<p>Walker, the theater department at D’s school did Hairspray last year. It was fabulous…sold out every night of a four night run! It is a diverse school and also houses a magnet program for the performing arts, so they had plenty of kids to play the various roles. I’m sure you will enjoy the show! Interestingly enough, last fall they also did Beauty and the Beast.</p>
<p>D is just two weeks into the fourth quarter so plenty of academics still going on. Her AP classes are gearing up for the upcoming exams, but at the same time she has big AP Calc and APUSH tests next week leading into them. Due to a postponed tennis match this week, D now has three matches next week as well. The week concludes with a side by side orchestra performance with our area’s professional symphony. Did I mention she is also taking two SAT subject tests next Saturday?</p>
<p>We still have over a month of school yet, weather hasn’t been all that great so that certainly helps the kids stay focused. AP classes kicking into high gear for test prep, lots of practice tests, practice papers for Lit, etc. They had state testing last week, which was almost like a little break since the teachers don’t assign homework on those days. DS is taking the May SAT and hasn’t done much to study for that yet. I don’t think he realizes that it is next week. Once AP testing is done though, the kids kind of slide through the last couple weeks of school. They get a big combo project and that is pretty much all they do for the rest of the year. It’s a combo Lit, History, Science project and then they just have math and Spanish for the most part.</p>
<p>Musicals: S3 is my third kid but my first to do Drama. I am the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about drama productions, theater, etc… But, I really enjoy musicals and comedies. S3 did Crucible in the Fall, and according to the people who know about those things it was really good, but for me it was a bit heavy and long. Our school is short on musical talent, but Grease turned out great and it sold out all 4 nights! There are debating whether or not to do a musical next year, because of the lack of talent, but I am hoping that they do. </p>
<p>Good news, S3 got his summer sailor instructor job! I am thrilled! He won’t make very much money because he is a volunteer, but evidently they have bonuses. I am just glad he has constructive summer plans! And hopefully this will turn into a paying job for the summers to come. </p>
<p>We do not get out of school until 6/21!! We are only a week into the 4th quarter. May will be AP testing, league finals for tennis, playoffs for tennis, state testing and 2 weekends of the drama production. June will be SAT subject tests (unless we change our mind and take the regular SAT) and the ACT.</p>
<p>Question for group . My D is interested in dance as option /minor. Has anyone visited Muhlenberg college in PA . Just read on their site that $1 million grant was given to enchance their dance and theater program, that sounds encouraging . But how is their academics and vibe at school.</p>
<p>zayda4–I don’t know anything about Muhlenberg but a school to look into if she wants to participate in dance and not have to major it in it would be Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s a great campus, strong academics, and they have a wonderful dance studio for majors and non-majors.</p>
<p>zayda, I don’t have any direct info on Muhlenberg, but the thread for Jewish B students has several parents who have visited and really liked it. If you search that thread you’ll find quite a bit.</p>
<p>thank u both… steve we are in new england area and D refuse to go any further then MD , although she did attend University of Indiana bloomington journalism program last summer and loved the campus and feel. So I believe that one is only one on her list .</p>
<p>Thanks PghMom… I will review the thread .</p>
<p>D wants large urban school but she agreed to apply to a few LAC (the catch being none in Mass area were we live) which is unfortunate since we have quite a few . She did visit Vassar in February and was very impresssed … took a few classes as well as dance class and agreed to re- visit in fall for open house.</p>
<p>Creighton is a smaller school but right in “downtown” Omaha, population 800,000 :D. They have a really nice airport there too. :).</p>
<p>tx5athome, Grease is a favorite in our house, too, but it doesn’t seem to be on the list for next year. Congratulations on your S3’s sailor instructor job! What is the age level of the kids he will be teaching?</p>
<p>Our kids don’t get out of school until June 28th! OTOH, we don’t start until after Labor Day so it probably evens out.</p>
<p>fredricksdottir–I thought we went late, June 8th. We start after Labor Day as well but we have so many days off here and there through the year. In our old district we started after Labor Day and were out before Memorial Day because they really limited the days off during the school year. Once the calendar flips to June though, the kids have pretty much mentally checked out of classes.</p>
<p>I’ll try to sneak it on college list unfortunately unlike chore list …thats but only one she really pays attention too.
Speaking of musical We are off to see Wizard of Oz playing at Harvard this weekend . D loves musical as well but with fulltime dance program outside school she was unable participate in school play . so some free time attending other school productions . so far Hairspray, Anything Goes and 42nd St…all about $10- 15 each</p>
<p>SteveMa, I think that if the weather is nice in June it can definitely be distracting (the weather is unpredictable here, though and it can easily be a rainy, cool month!). Most schools (public) go to the end of June here. If there is any adjustment it’s to the length of the school day. We do get two weeks of Spring Break as well.</p>
<p>Fred: I believe he will have the “Novice” group which is about 7 years old. Should be interesting.</p>
<p>Any of your kids going to Boys State or Girls State? S was invited to attend but we will have to rearrange a few things in order for it to work.</p>
<p>tx5athome, I bet he’ll be pretty tired by the end of the day! That age has so much energy!</p>
<p>Only 4.5 weeks of school left here half way through the last quarter! S13 is currently at the second afterschool study session for AP Art History tomorrow theyre doing one from 9-3. Im so impressed that his teacher would give up her Saturday to do that. </p>
<p>NHS induction was last night. Here, NHS is only for seniors with the torch getting passed to the rising seniors at the end of junior year. It was really interesting to hear where all the seniors had decided to go to college mostly in state schools, which is what I would expect, with a couple odd ones. </p>
<p>Regarding OOS publics from my research, it seems that most give just enough merit to OOS kids to bring costs down to our in-state flagship cost. Pitt and U-Minn seem to be the exception and of course the southern schools with their guaranteed merit (Alabama, Mississippi, LSU, etc.) While competitive, U-Del, Mich State, and GA Tech give enough scholarships to make it worth a shot for S13 same with USC, while not public, it is large and sporty! With the number of competitive applicants rising and the school budgets getting cut, who knows whats in store for the class of 2013 and beyond.</p>
<p>If anyone has any knowledge of UA-Huntsville, Id love to hear it. S13 would qualify for the full ride there and hes really interested in the computer/engineering research they do for Redstone Arsenal. However, Im concerned about it being a commuter school. All the information on CC is about the Tuscaloosa campus.</p>
<p>Tx5 I want to comment on the jack of all trades, master of . . . , but it will have to wait. I need to get out of here and buy Mockingjay as I just finished Catching Fire. They really should sell those as a set!</p>
<p>A word from a librarian, Mockingjay is full of gratuitous violence. Every kid I’ve encountered who has read the book was just as irritated as I was…</p>
<p>I loved the Hunger Games books. Mockingjay is a bit slow at times but still good. I got mine when they had the set of 3 on sale for Nook for $5 and change or something like that. Enjoy.</p>