<p>Glad to see everyone here and special welcome to the new posters. I didn’t find cc until my older child was a HS senior, I wish I had been on earlier.</p>
<p>One down, one to go on the summer reading. School doesn’t start until Sept 7, so I am not full out nagging yet.</p>
<p>DD had a smooth start…thankfully! Homework on the first day, of course, and hallelujah, her teachers actually USE their websites to post links to textbooks, assignments, course calendars, etc!!!</p>
<p>Did well on the first book test, and said she thought she had done OK on the essay about all 3 books. Next tests are Monday, so she’s reviewing for those this weekend as well. I HATE that the kids take these tests cold…no concept of what’s considered important to know…so invalid, from an educational point of view!</p>
<p>I’m intrigued by the wide variety of books our kids have been reading…the choices seem so random!</p>
<p>First time posting under Carmen & Co. Was a member years ago when DS started the college search. He begins his junior year in two weeks @ UST. I had to create a new name as I could not remember my old one, nor do I have access to my old email account.</p>
<p>My DD begins 9th grade on Sept. 7th, and just finished the majority of her summer home work–reading The Iliad, 9 short essay responses, memorizing 15 lines orally & written, and translating 20 lines. DD, Storm, attends a small classical school after home schooling through 7th grade.</p>
<p>Went to Back to School Night a couple of nights ago. Got a real surprise. My son’s English teacher gave out summer assignments back in June. A total of 30 kids took the package. He thought if he got 18 or so back, that was a good year. </p>
<p>He got 29! And all those kids will be in the same class!</p>
<p>He told me that he needed to search classes for extra desks.</p>
<p>As for the rest of his classes, most are fairly small. He has two of the same teachers that his brother had the first semester and three the second. Fortunately, they are veteran teachers who know that brothers are different. They are looking forward to having him in class.</p>
<p>^
Momreads - Having teachers who know your older child is a HUGE advantage at our local HS. Be thankful. It took 2 years for any adult to learn my older child’s name (all of the kids knew her,LOL). Ironically, S will not be using that benefit as he will be attending a different school.</p>
<p>School officially starts on Wed. but there is 1/2 day freshman only day on Tuesday. S has almost all of his homework done. When we picked up the schedule we walked around the school and he knew where almost all of his classes were located so he feels pretty comfortable.</p>
<p>Ordinary Lives–Homecoming invites have already been flying around in this town also. Even heard some girls have bought their dresses.</p>
<p>D1 and D2 don’t start until Sept 13, but we’ve only just decided where D2 will be attending. She is switching from a large public magnet to a teeny private. Big, big change. No assigned summer reading, but she’s reading “To Kill A Mockingbird”. </p>
<p>We have such a range of ages here for our 9th graders–from 13 to 15. It’s a little intimidating for me to see that there are so many older than my D2.</p>
<p>^^
Wow S.T.
the 9th graders are as young as 13??
Thats the 7th grade here.
Our kiddo1 is young for the grade and we almost skipped kiddo a grade–however worried that kiddo wouldn’t even turn 18 til soph in college if we did that!</p>
<p>FallGirl: I’m not so sure it’s good that my youngest has his older brother’s teachers. It’s a small HS. My oldest was the valedictorian and first National Merit Scholar and National AP Scholar the school ever had. He was also the school president, president of another community service group and led the academic team to a state title.</p>
<p>My youngest has said it is hard living in his brother’s shadow, but he is trying to carve his own path. He is more interested in athletics than being in the student council. He likes to volunteer for community service things. He wants to take all kinds of AP classes (mostly online since we only offer four in the building). Fortunately, the teachers have known him for many years, so they realize that he is different than his brother. I’m grateful for that.</p>
<p>Those sound like hard shoes to fill. But you say they already know younger son so that may not be so much of an issue. It’s probably better that he has different interests.</p>
<p>In a larger HS, it is still very much an advantage to have that well known older sibling.</p>
<p>fog^2, cutoff here in the public system is Dec. 1, so yes, there are a lot of kids starting kindergarten at age 4. There is some redshirting, though I don’t know how much. D2 will be turning 14 not too long after the start of the school year, so it’s not as extreme in her case. </p>
<p>It wasn’t a good thing when D2 had teachers who’d known D1. They’re very, very different kids.</p>
<p>I have one who was 13 when he started 9th grade, too. November birthday, 12/31 cutoff. Redshirted him so he started K late, took back the year shortly thereafter. School system has since rolled back the cutoff date to 9/1.</p>
<p>Cutoff date here is 9/30 and I know several kids who have skipped grades, so it is not that unusual for a 13 yo to be starting HS. The ones I have known have all done fine both socially and academically.</p>
<p>Youngest D started HS today. Don’t know how she’ll do, but she had on a terrific outfit! :)</p>
<p>The first day outfit is most def the most important thing.</p>
<p>Wednesday will be DD’s first day of high school. Unfortunately, I’ll be out of town at parent orientation for DS, who is a college freshman this year. It feels very strange to miss DS’s first day, but she is quite happy to get a week of sleep-overs at her best friend’s house. I hope there’ll actually be some sleeping going on.</p>
<p>D2 (HS class of 2014) just realized last night that D1 is also class of 2014, in college. D2 firmly stated that we will be attending all of her HS graduation activities - not going to be overshadowed a second time! We missed a big 8th grade concert with awards for D2 because of D1’s HS Honors Convocation. I’m sure I will be worrying about May 2014 for four years now!</p>
<p>29happy - we bought the dress last December! We had it made a tailor’s shop in Bangkok; we stipulated that it also had to be the confirmation dress so that it got worn more than once. Ordinaryd1 had her prom dress made there, too. For somebody who’s always borrowed or bought dresses second-hand, new seemed like a really expensive splurge. But, when I look at what the girls here can pay for a dress, I guess it wasn’t that far out of line.</p>
<p>Books- done
Clothes pickes out-done
Locker ready- done
Reviewed schedule/classes/buildings-room assignments - done</p>
<p>Kiddo2 is ready - though a bit snippy.
2 tests on summer reading this week–one mc, one essay…</p>
<p>Freshman football practice (before school starts) is 10 am to 12:30 pm. No transportation, no carpool that I can think about. Huh. Just venting.</p>