<p>Apollo6 and Pepper03, I’m a lurker on a few other threads - mostly “Parents of HS Class of…” and have seen you both around, I believe. So, hello! At the moment, I am learning so much from the Parent threads for classes above my DS15. Frankly, the threads read like a novel, and yet they are very informative, so they are my Guilty Pleasure. But I feel like I’m making good use of my time, too!</p>
<p>To other Newbie parents on this thread, if you haven’t checked out the Parent threads of the classes above you, I highly recommend it.</p>
<p>Hello GoAskDad!</p>
<p>You can learn a lot on here-but it can be addicting!</p>
<p>I think the important thing to remember is no one knows your child like you do-and what works for someone else may kill you! ;)</p>
<p>You are going to get all kinds of opinions on CC-when I speak about something I always try and keep it in the context of what I think is the best choice for my child-I am not qualified to give any specific advice about anyone else’s child-good grief I have enough trouble managing my own!</p>
<p>This is an exciting time in our lives-but it is also a huge time of transition for our children and for us-try and enjoy the ride without getting too focused on the destination! I know from having gone through this process already that things are going to be so different when they finally get to deciding what to do after HS-the best thing we can do as parents is try to help them so when it comes time to make these decisions they have some good options that will work for them academically, socially, and financially.</p>
<p>It’s not going to be dull-that is the only thing I can promise! :)</p>
<p>Dropping in to see how our kids have survived freshman HS year (waving to Pepper and PN and other 2015 parents with college freshmen).</p>
<p>I didn’t find CC until after DS1 had put in all applications. Maybe good or bad, but it all worked out well. I found so much information and helpful advice here! DS2 will be a completely different road to travel as my boys are completely different people (of course). </p>
<p>Physics–AP physics at our local HS this year is a nightmare. Teacher has never taught it, and isn’t a great teacher (DS1 had him for regular physics last year). Teacher told class–you will teach yourselves. And they’ve had to. Really terrible! I hope all parents have complained loudly so it doesn’t happen again!</p>
<p>History Day–I had never heard of it until a parent at another HS talked about it. Too bad, as DS1 loved history and probably could have done well in the competition if they gave any time to the subject.</p>
<p>My DS2 has done better in HS than I imagined. He has LD issues so changing schools is always a question as to how he will do with new teachers and environment. He has an amazing work ethic, so he compensates well by working very hard. It will still be an interesting college search as he doesn’t test well, and I already imagine the SAT/ACT scores won’t be helpful.</p>
<p>He’s already talking college, because of his brother. He has his eye on a local university which will be very good for him if he can get in. He had his brother take him on a mini tour when DS1 was here for spring break. I keep telling him to focus on HS and not worry about college yet. We’ll find the best fit for him when the time comes. </p>
<p>Congratulations to all your kids successes this year --academically, athletics, and socially! This year has flown by faster than I could have imagined!</p>
<p>@VAMOM, It’s interesting to read your comments about physics. It sounds dismal though! The problem with our area’s physics teachers is that none of them was a physics major in college. That sounds very strange. </p>
<p>We have a tough decision to make.: D. has been taking piano lessons since she was six years old. so it’s been about 8 years now. Her first teacher moved away. She has been studying with the current teacher for two years. The teacher is a great musician. she is expecting a lot from her students, esp. the good ones, which D. is not living up to lately. D. plays very good piano and puts a lot of time to practice. Since HS started, she has not practiced much due to school work and other activities. The teacher got mad. H. and I suggested that D. should quit taking lessons. esp. since the teacher expects her to play very long sonatas of Beethoven and Mozart, etc. from memory which takes so much time. I don’t think D. really has a heart for piano even though she likes music. She also plays other instruments which to her are more fun, because she can play with a group, like band, etc. Piano is just too solitary to her - at least that’s my observation. </p>
<p>She made it clear that she doesn’t want to be a professional musician, even though she does love music. She complains the teacher wants her to “quit school to play the piano” which apparently is not going to happen. However, stop taking lessons after these many years is painful, especially with the “talent” that she’s supposed to possess in everybody’s opinion. (Yes she is “talented” somehow but it also takes a lot of practice that other people don’t see.) She refuses to think about it, even after we (parents) suggested to her many times and the teacher gets mad at her for not practicing much as she used to.</p>
<p>Don’t know how to convince her…</p>
<p>Just a word of encouragement re. piano: My son felt he had outgrown his piano teacher after 7th grade. We never found him another teacher yet he has played piano almost every day for the past 3 years. He finds piano music online and he also watches videos of piano players on Youtube so he just plays what he enjoys. He is still the strongest pianist at his school so he gets all the piano parts for the percussion section of band. I imagine he wasn’t at the level that your daughter is when he discontinued lessons but I just wanted to encourage you by sharing the fact that with the instruction she has already had, she probably has the skills to enjoy playing piano for the rest of her life.</p>
<p>My D does what Apollo’s S does. She stopped lessons around 7th grade too but still plays almost every day. Now she just picks out the notes of songs she likes, or downloads the music. I love to hear her play. Maybe she could take a break handhmom, or find a different teacher?</p>
<p>Not piano, but my D never played guitar more than when she stopped lessons as a freshman. She plays daily now for about an hour. I never could get her to play with her lessons. She has improved ten fold because she is now pushing herself. She writes her own music and even has booked a couple gigs. I know it is not the same as the piano but you have already given your child a great gift.</p>
<p>Just checking in her after a couple of weeks. D’12 finally chose UVA last night: D’15, DW, and I wanted W&M but, oh well. Now it’s time to concentrate on D’15. </p>
<p>I just got home from work an hour ago and she was still up doing homework. Part of the problem today was logistics, and not having her homework with her when she found out she wasn’t going to be home to get it, but what worries me is that she is turning into a real procrastinator. She certainly doesn’t have the work ethic that D’12 has, but relies on even more natural ability. I sure hope it doesn’t come back to haunt her later in her HS career.</p>
<p>PS- found out today that S’10 at CC has a C, D, and an F (in a remedial math course that he took last year and got a D in). Not bad for the kid who we originally thought was the smartest of our 3. Uggggg.</p>
<p>I feel for you, 4Caster. I have high hopes for my D13 and S15 and they will complete high school and probably find a college that’s a good fit without too much direction from me. D16, however, is going to give me fits. She was in Spanish immersion elementary school but still is only making a B in Spanish 2 and will be repeating algebra next year. She’s bright enough but has ADHD and cannot see beyond today to see any value in school. It’s frustrating when the same parenting doesn’t seem to work with subsequent children.</p>
<p>suzy and Apollo, thanks for your comments. D. loves music and I’m sure she’ll keep playing the piano. hope she’ll be like your kids, which I’m almost sure she will. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>herandhisMom – My D2015 has played classical piano for ~5years, and got disenchanted with practicing as the pieces got harder. Our solution was to move her to a jazz piano teacher. We found a guy who had been displaced from New Orleans by Katrina, and now teaches lessons and does gigs in our area. He’s amazing. It’s all done by ear, with lots of music theory learned seat-of-the-pants. My D is enthralled! Maybe something like that would work for your D? Alternatively, playing some other instrument in a band or orchestra (at school, or extracurricular) is a nice way to combine music and social aspects.</p>
<p>DS had state music competition today & was happy with a “1” rating for his cello solo. He & another kid were only symphonic orchestra members to make state, but a multitude of band & vocal students from our HS were there. So we stayed to watch & many performances were amazing! Hard to believe the talent some of these young people have. DS’s HS does not do a great job promoting the arts, so I honestly had no idea of the talent amidst our student body! Then we had a rather long car ride home. Drove down the night before, due to early call time for DS.</p>
<p>RE: Piano lessons. DS has friends who have taken (serious) lessons for years and are now scaling back in HS, due to other activities & interests (and homework). However, one kid decided to switch to a more “informal” teacher who works with him only 2X/month. The kid practices when he can and the teacher provides direction. At least the kid is still playing, but he will not pursue music in college.</p>
<p>I’m thinking of having DS try an <em>intro</em> to piano, just for the Summer, just for fun. Don’t see any way he could work in lessons during the school year. Should have given him piano lessons years ago & kick myself for that all the time! Knowledge of piano would be a nice complement to cello, I bet.</p>
<p>I think if you can afford it and your child is interested, piano lessons are always a good idea. I’m struggling with the fact that my 12 yo son would love to have piano lessons but he is kid #5 and we just paid for his tae kwon do lessons through to black belt. I wish I could give him piano lessons too, but it doesn’t seem fair to his siblings when our funds are limited.</p>
<p>Hi All, It’s a while since I posted. What is it about Physics, my DD’s teacher is a lovely lady , but useless when it comes to teaching. Bio and chem are great, the teachers know their stuff and try to engage the kids, but physics ye gods! DD has been teaching herself with help from DH and I but it is so long ago and I flunked it then:).
On another note there has been such a big change in DD this year, she has finally realised that school is important and is NOW and not sometime in the future. We went to Amsterdam at Easter and she has fallen in love with the city and the idea of studying there. Also she has started with some EC’s school paper and a play ( Harvey, the one with the invisible rabbit), I’m hoping it works out I love the play and am dying to see it.
The Music was the same for her, she used to play the Bassoon but has given up lessons and has bought a saxophone which she is playing with friends in a band just for fun, but she is putting more effort into that than she ever did when she had to practice.</p>
<p>@mihcal, That sounds really cool!
@Apollo, I understand your situation. It’s so interesting to see you talk about #5, #6… 
</p>
<p>D. doesn’t want to give up piano but she certainly doesn’t want to go back to the same teacher anymore. We may take a short break and then discuss with her what she wants to do. She cried quite a bit these days because of this… 
She’s been playing the piano for many years. it’s part of her life. </p>
<p>@mihcal, my D. got to the history day runoffs but didn’t make it to national. Oh well. but still, going to State was great! we watched many good documentaries and wonderful exhibits. I always wished to watch some state level performances, never had a chance. Now we are eager to get the judges’ comments back for future references.</p>
<p>I think it is time for me to join in on this thread. I, too have a son (S2) who will graduate HS in 2015. S2 is currently a little down and out–been out of school since last Friday. Took him to the clinic today–he has some fluid in his lungs (not of pneumonia proportion, thank goodness). Ugh, I hope he gets better as he has 2 concerts this week that he would hate to miss. S2 is a bassist, both upright and electric, as well as guitarist and singer.</p>
<p>Like others I have read about on this thread, he has an older brother who graduates this year and has really taken in the whole college process. The younger sibs really do benefit from watching the older ones. S2 is already making his “list”.</p>
<p>About Physics - it was one of the strongest/best taught subjects at our HS until they moved the teacher to a struggling school. I do not know what to do with D’15 and physics now. S’13 was able to take from this good teacher and then continued at college, D will have no chance like that. She is scheduled to take Chem next year, we will probably postpone physics as late as possible in hopes that things will change. Current physics teacher is a nightmare, S’13 was supposed to do IB Physics but is switching to IB Chem bacause of all the commotion.</p>
<p>just found out that our HS Principal is moving on. Boohoo! He has been outstanding.</p>
<p>momsings, our high school just got a new principal mid-year this year. I haven’t seen any changes yet, but that may be because I didn’t know the old principal. Hopefully it will work out well for your school. (And hope your son feels better.)</p>
<p>It’s nice to see more people joining this thread!</p>
<p>Sorry about the problems folks have been having with poor teachers. I’m just now starting to get the lay of the land and am hoping that D gets the “good” teachers next year, particularly the one for Chem.</p>
<p>She confirmed that she is taking both sessions of PE this summer. Kind of a bummer, but necessary. That will eat up all but 3 weeks.</p>
<p>Hi everyone!</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about favorite teachers and principals leaving. </p>
<p>Our HS seems to have good Physics teachers. The teachers who teach AP Phys B vary in quality, but the one who teaches AP Phys C is very well liked by the students, and they seem to do well on the AP test. In our school though, most sophomores take chemistry, so that’s what S will be taking next year.</p>
<p>S just got done with his school musical (Les Mis). I was great. I can only imagine how hard the parents of graduating seniors with lead roles were crying! That show makes anyone cry anyway, let alone it being your son or daughters final high school show. S was in the ensemble and had a great time. </p>
<p>We just have three weeks left - the last day is May 24th! yay!</p>