<p>only the best, padded looney bins for us!</p>
<p>Move over and make some room for me in the looney bin. Today was one of those days I regret living in this school district. Although I try to remind myself the grass probably isn’t greener…</p>
<p>D handed in her Driver’s Ed papers and specifically said she was not available Friday or Saturday bc of volleyball. So what did they give her? Sat. lecture. What makes me crazy is they emphasize that DE is by birthday, it’s all over the website and they tell the kids that all the time. When the schedule came out there were at least 4 kids with bdays after hers who got what she had requested. Then they say the bday thing is not an exact science. The person in charge tried to change it twice and messed it up twice and then told me today that maybe she can’t be accommodated. I made my point very clear that the 4 kids who are younger than her were accommodated. He said he would get back to me.</p>
<p>Then I find out that the administration eliminated the 6th grade honor roll breakfast much to the teachers’ disagreement. S2 said they didn’t even put any names up on the honor roll frame in the school. Grrr…I know there are so many kids struggling with common core but there are still kids who aren’t, kids who are studying and doing their homework and getting A’s. S2 has been waiting and waiting to get recognized like his siblings since they wait until 6th grade for honor roll. He is finally old enough and there’s nothing.</p>
<p>Ugh, @keepmecruisin! That is vexing! Navigating Driver’s Ed in my state nearly drove me to assault. I hope they get back with you and have a workable plan.</p>
<p>On the honor roll breakfast: is it something the parents could help put on? Is it a matter of funding or of manpower? Maybe the PTO/PTA could step in and run it. Same goes for putting names up on the honor roll frame: could some parents get together one morning, list in hand, and make a fab bulletin board?</p>
<p>School staff are always overworked, in my experience, and someone offering to take a load off is usually a welcome sound.</p>
<p>On a more positive note, D had her scheduling conference today and picked her 5 AP’s and told the GC she wanted honors Govt 1st semester and she wants to take a ceramics class 2nd semester once class rank is finalized. She’s working it out on her own.</p>
<p>Keepme you are a perfect candidate for the LB. Sorry for all the aggravation. My D took DE last summer and for the most part it went smoothly. Hopefully your school will work out the times and come to their senses about that birthday rule- your D was not treated fairly. My community is filled with “RDA” ( rules don’t apply). </p>
<p>As for your son, why did they stop the honor roll breakfast? I agree with Heli in that maybe parents can help out and get it going again. </p>
<p>Good for your D taking ceramics and working it out for second semester- too bad they have to think that way but it works like that here too. </p>
<p>I will go to the loony bin, but only if it has Looney Tunes. </p>
<p><a href=“What's Opera, Doc YouTube - YouTube”>What's Opera, Doc YouTube - YouTube;
<p>You are all entertaing me tonight, thanks! What a great group…and making me very nervous talking about days we need off of work during the Sr year. I have a feeling we will have WAY too many last minute trips to squeeze in next spring. My D currently says she won’t to Jr or Sr prom, and neither will her friends…we shall see. She hates being the center of attention so won’t won’t me hovering arounds school, and likely won’t want a graduation party.</p>
<p>In addition to the small, clearly third-part produced envelopes, we have been getting some large ones that she actually does read. Today she discovered REED which is not what I have in mind at all…and no merit aid so it won’t work anyway…She is not worried about her Sr schedule at all and is actually quite content to run her own, not very competitive race. Even though her HS is so very competitive. Really enjoying seeing her become more comfortable with her own path…as opposed to her sister, class of 18, who is signing up for 9th grade and already nervous about how many AP classes she can fit in and how many classes she can take online to make room for more in her schedule. Will be such a different journey with her.</p>
<p>I hate seeing parents beat themselves up about decisions they make, because kids don’t come with a manual, and one approach works well for one kid and not for another. And frequently we don’t know that until AFTER we make a mistake. We are all doing the best we can…</p>
<p>I doubt it’s funding or manpower. I think it’s about everyone is special and we shouldn’t exclude kids bc Common Core is so hard. I will find out though. I will offer to handle the breakfast but this Principal doesn’t like parents in the building so I doubt he will agree. So much has changed in our elementary school in the 12 years I’ve had a child in the building. It used to be such a family-oriented place and it’s not like that anymore.</p>
<p>D’s school suddenly decided to mention and give certificate to “honor roll” students last semester. We haven’t seen that since she left middle school. They also have a “1800 club” for SAT. I know it sounds … for most of you here. But in her school, 1800 is a big deal. So she is the first and only junior in 1800 club. The club members get free tickets to all the football games. </p>
<p>Well done Maxwellequations…member #1of the 1800 club & Honor Roll!!</p>
<p>^ what a neat program! We have honor and merit roll names in the paper and they are recognized on honors night. Free football tix? That would be cool :)</p>
<p>Our HS does not have an honor roll, but the other HS in the district does. Maxwell congrats on your D being a member of the 1800 club and getting into football games for free! =D> </p>
<p>Keepme it is too bad that your son ( and others) can’t be acknowledged the way his sister was. Perhaps you need to speak to the school ( if they let you in LOL.- our schools are like that now as well but never used to be). </p>
<p>Happy Friday!! One more week until break! We have seven schools scheduled to visit 
as we head south. I would like to take one school away and add the U of Georgia when we are visit Emory ( I may be way off base but I think they are about an hour apart ?) but my H seems to like the schedule that he created so it looks like we will not be visiting the U of Georgia. If my D likes the southern schools then maybe I will have her add it to the list. We have four visits lined up for April and then I believe we are done. In June we will sit down and I will ask her to make a list… :-w. Hopefully by then she will be ready to discuss college for more than a fleeting moment when I am actually available and not in the bathroom, otherwise we may have a slight issue…LOL. This trip will truly test our ability to get along with one another. I will happily report back every night when we are back in our room, exhausted. </p>
<p>Happy Friday!!</p>
<p>mittentigger, every time I read your post, it sounds like you’ve abducted my daughter (and alas found she may not be the ideal hostage). My D has been adamant about no proms; she had suffered through a freshman dance and that was it. She never ever wears a dress. She doesn’t mind being the center of attention but not for the way she dresses or her looks.</p>
<p>We’ve looked at and discarded Reed - too expensive. Their NPC result (I choked when I saw it) made me join CC for advice. Aside from the pot culture, Reed would probably fit my daughter pretty well. Like your daughter, D is running her own race. It’s okay. From what I can see, D is progressing well. She had a small improvement in her GPA (although neither one of us could see from the grades where it came from), so the upward trend continues. Sometimes I wish it were a greater slope but she’s turning into a really thoughtful, confident and interesting person so who can complain?</p>
<p>twogirls ,back in the 80s, Athens was about an hour away from Atlanta but it may have changed. Traffic is/was horrendous in Atlanta. Is your daughter considering engineering? Georgia Tech is worth a visit. There’s also Agnes Scott in Decatur. But maybe you don’t want to visit more schools…so, I’ll just be quiet now and sit in the corner.</p>
<p>Thanks Slacker- but no need for the corner!! My D says " NO WAY" to engineering- today she wants to be a pediatrician and major in chemistry/Spanish… Stay tuned for what tomorrow brings. I think we will stick with our plan, although there are one or two " reachy" type schools that I would like to discard in favor of others… Oh well. If we can come back from the trip with some type of school ie big, small, north, south etc that meets her needs then we will have possibly accomplished something. I made it clear that she is not to fall in love with any one school because at the end of all of this it must be affordable. </p>
<p>Slacker it does sound like we have similar kids. I think for some kids Reed would be amazing, but those parents must have deeper pockets than me. The fact that she is interested in it makes me think we should add New College of Fl…my D tends to be very black and white when it comes to drinking/drugs and none of her friends partake in these things so I have been trying to get her to understand that she will see some of this at ANY college she attends…on the dance thing, my D went to homecoming as a Soph and she was in the ‘one and done’ club…for homecoming this year she and her girlfriends watched a Game of Thrones marathon…She is certainly much less expensive to maintain than her younger sister who is class of 18, and already thinking about her dresses for for the formal dances…</p>
<p>Now that my D seems to have found her groove in HS the GPA is on it’s way up…kind of crazy that she got all A’s first semester, for the first time ever, but the GPA moves much less than one would hope. She has figured out that taking a couple AP’s in classes she likes and is good at is a smarter plan than just doing the moist challenging schedule possible…Her younger sister on the other hand has a four year plan mapped out to complete 31 Ap/Dual Enrollment/College in the Schools classes. HER high school experience may just send ME over edge. </p>
<p>I like the 1800 club, that’s a great idea. I think that would be a proper threshold for our school as well. Any time a school recognizes academic kids it’s a plus. Our JH/HS has a Principal’s Honor Roll breakfast every quarter where they feed them bagels and raffle off school apparel. My kids have won some nice stuff. Although S1 did win a t-shirt that said honor roll student. He won’t even wear it to bed lol. I suppose I can use it to dust :-j </p>
<p>Regarding prom…things have certainly changed since the mid-80’s. D and her group of friends are planning to attend and none of them care if they have dates or not. If they have a date, great, if not, that’s ok too. I like it.</p>
<p>Keepme it’s the same here. My D plans to go and will eventually take the time to find a dress ( not her priority). If she has a date it’s fine, and if not it’s fine. Not a big deal for either one of us. A lot of kids go out after but mine will most likely come home or perhaps get something to eat at a diner with one or two friends. </p>
<p>Same here on the prom…but the cost is the same dress; shoes; hair and nails. 8-| </p>
<p>these padded corners are really comfortable - a cocoony feeling.</p>
<p>I put New College of Fl on D’s list. D isn’t so sure about NCF; she’s experienced written evaluations in lieu of grades and is a bit wary of them. We’re visiting during spring break as well as Eckerd which may suit her better. Yep - D is pretty black and white as well on drugs. She takes chances on some things but not that. I would be surprised if any of her friends did drugs. There are drugs on the high school campus; D just avoids the kids and the areas. </p>
<p>I think limiting APs to subjects one likes and may study in college is a good plan. It makes sense that the student will work harder and perform better if s/he is interested in the subject.</p>
<p>That’s pretty much how many kids go to the prom here - a group of friends going en masse. The tricky thing for D is that almost all her friends are guys, and they aren’t particularly good at dress-shopping (although I think one kid may have the wherewithal to be a good shopping pal for D). I think they are planning to do something in lieu of the prom (rock climbing? dinner and movie?)</p>