<p>Sansserif, If I were the kids I would be tempted to say “oh the homework due today, we changed our minds and decided its due tomorrow” Of course that wouldn’t work but wouldn’t that send a message to the teacher. If he/she expects the kids to respect her deadlines then she needs to be consistent and fair. I would have the kids respectfully protest!</p>
<p>Sailing is not officially sanctioned by our School district and is considered a “club” sport but we get a lot of recruiting from Universities for it. As for dabbling in everything. My three older kids were generalists, not specialists and two jumped all over the page and they still got into great schools. I find that its so unpredictable what the colleges want that I have encouraged my D to do what she likes and let the chips fall where they may. I see so many people gaming it and when it backfires or doesn’t work the way the planned they are disappointed and the HS experience was not what the kids wanted. Of course with hindsight I say that, 3 down 1 to go but I do worry deep down inside but try not to show it or voice it to my D!!!
Easier said then done!!!</p>
<p>I’m just trying to make sure my last words as S heads out every morning aren’t, “Hey - it doesn’t take any more time to put your dishes in the dishwasher on your way out of the kitchen!” How’s that for a cheery send off. :(</p>
<p>Just to clarify–it isn’t orchestra that meets at 6:00 am; it is the top jazz band group!! S does Jazz Band I, choir, orchestra, plays bass for the jazz ensemble for the Jazz choir (this is the biggest commitment) and he does a youth symphony!! I had to tell him he couldn’t do a couple of other music things he wanted to do–this is MORE than enough! He absolutely loves everything he is doing, including his classes (at least at the moment, hey, there have only been 5 days of school so far).</p>
<p>Regarding AP–only AP for sophomores is WHAP, as they call it at our school (AP World History). I am glad.</p>
<p>@mihcal, I think it is NOT the best thing for her to do. but she insists. so what can I do? I talked to her many times to switch to honors chem. But she won’t give in. I think she’ll be okay with the class, but national exam will be a real challenge. </p>
<p>@momsings, I’ve heard WHAP is a tough one. Good luck.</p>
<p>When my D1 was going through (three years ahead of D2) the only AP our HS offered to sophomores was AP Euro. But the teacher that taught that retired year-before-last. Since then, we’ve gotten accredited for WHAP (love that acronym!) and AP EngLang. So now those are being offered to sophomores. </p>
<p>Our district has also started sending H.Geometry teachers into the middle schools, rather than bussing the advanced math kids to the HS. So now the numbers of kids taking H.Geom early is way up. Three years ago, D2 taking H.Geom as an 8th grader was highly unusual – she was one of only 18 kids bussed to our HS for math that year. Now, there are 100 8th graders and a couple of 7th graders taking H.Geom at our MS! I don’t need a crystal ball to predict that this will put pressure on the HSs to offer math beyond Calculus, and possibly also PhysicsC (so far, they only offer regular Physics and AP PhysB).</p>
<p>Occasionally the advanced math kids will also take Biology and/or Chem over the summer, and then try to jump into AP Bio or AP Chem as freshmen or sophomores. (AP Bio requires completion of Alg1 and concurrent Geom; AP Chem requires concurrent Alg.2) Previously our HS did not allow kids into these AP classes without previously having taken the honors version (which is only offered during the regular school year, not in summer). But I’m hearing that a few kids were allowed this year. </p>
<p>I have mixed feelings about whether all this honors/AP class “inflation” is good for the kids.</p>
<p>herandhismom–my older son found APUSH to be a lot more challenging than WHAP just due to the more detailed nature of the material. It will be interesting to see what younger S thinks of WHAP.</p>
<p>Our math/science path might be weird? After getting at least a B in Alg 2 and Chem, the “most rigorous” next class is IAP - “Integrated Analysis and Physics”. That’s pre-calc/trig and physics taught together by two teachers as a team, but only one credit so you sort of knock out two classes in one credit/period. </p>
<p>The next year they take AP Calc and an AP science of their choice.</p>
<p>herandhisMom – The only thing you can do is let her make the call and then she has to live with the consequences. That’s all any of us can do anymore with our headstrong teens. :eek:</p>
<p>I had the same problem with my D2 wanting to take the AP Music Theory exam last year, with what proved to be inadequate self-preparation. Luckily College Board allows scores to be withheld from colleges or even completely deleted from a student’s record (instructions [here](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>View Your AP Scores – AP Students | College Board)</a>). Before she does her college apps I need to get some good advice on whether it’s better to report, withhold, or expunge the score.</p>
<p>@mihcal, exactly! I made my observation and suggestion. She won’t accept. So far she gets As and 5 (in the only AP she took). I feel she is overly confident. Maybe I’m wrong - in fact I hope I’m wrong. We’ll see. At least she takes in on herself so she will have no one to blame. Still, she is better than some of her “friends” who are unwilling to take any academic challenge, but rather do bizarre things with their time.
BTW mihcal, will your daughter do history day project again? :)</p>
<p>^^^ She wants to do it again, another skit with the same partner. But she’s worried that the other girl is overcommitted to other ECs and won’t be able to follow-through.</p>
<p>My D may not have time, either, depending on what’s going on with her other ECs. She’s trying out for her HS’s teams for some academic competitions. Long odds against making it as a sophomore, but you never know. She thinks trying out this year may give her an edge as an upperclassmen.</p>
<p>Pinotnoir, I know what you mean, my D catches the bus at 6:25 and its always a mad dash to the bus. I find myself reminding her of stuff she hasn’t done instead of saying, “have a great day!” Will try harder!</p>
<p>WHAP, love that acronym! The amount of reading alone will Whap you on the head!</p>
<p>Well, S tried out for his comedy sportz team at school. It’s really hard to get on the team. Apparently if they pick him, they’ll call me today to set up coming over really early and waking him up tomorrow. So, the question is, do I tidy his room a little on the off chance they call, or will that make him think they must have called and then be disappointed when they don’t show up tomorrow. It’s these big important decisions that I struggle with. ;)</p>
<p>Pinotnoir, Let the friends come over and see the messy room, if it bothers him maybe he will keep it cleaner! Probably not but we can dream can’t we? What is a Comedy Sportz team, sounds fun. Good luck to him! </p>
<p>It’s amazing the little things that wake me up to decide upon at 3 a.m. Does anyone else have this problem, and its always 3 a.m., whats up with that!!!</p>
<p>EAO - I hate when I go through stages of waking up during the nigh and not being able to get back to sleep! Luckily, these days I’m sleeping really well.</p>
<p>Hi room isn’t actually very messy. But I’m picturing 5 enthusiastic theater-type kids crowding into his room and jumping around, and I’m thinking the guitars should be hanging up out of the way and the keyboard pushed back up against the wall. Maybe even the pile of laundry consolidated into a hamper. More no-tripping, no-breaking than trying to look good. Comedy Sportz is improv games put on for entertainment, pretending it’s a competition against another school. I think it’s unusual for a sophomore to make the team (6 kids out of a 4,500 student school), but you never know.</p>
<p>mihcal - I’ve heard that the AP Music Theory test is really hard.</p>
<p>EAO-same with my D here.Her bus is at 6:42 and she is always on the run.Nowadays,i have to pack her breakfast too so she can eat it ih the school,she has 25 minutes before the school starts.</p>
<p>PN-That sounds interesting.Haven’t heard of comedy sportz before.Wish your S goodluck.</p>
<p>Mihcal1- I agree with you on taking advance classes.When D took algebra I,we had to fight with the school to let the kids take the class as it was a new school and the principal was not interested in making the effort to accomadate the kids with the 8th graders.
Finally they agreed to the kids taking alg I but said we have to self study Geometry.So we changed D’s school in 8th grade.We had to go through all the trouble just to get one grade ahead.This year a friends D just took Geometry in the summer(the district started letting kids take from community college) and is taking alg II as a freshman.I know its good, at the same time i feel its unfair(with all the trouble and stress we went through).</p>
<pre><code> There are lot of kids who take allg II and trig/preclac in the summer and move ahead.I just don’t know if its worth all this rushing in the end.I think it more about quantity than quality nowadays.
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<p>My D and I were just discussing this acceleration/AP issue this morning. (Side note: while I can’t wait for my D to drive, I will miss our mornings together. Sometimes the only time I can get that child to talk is on the drive to school.)</p>
<p>If D stays on her accelerated track, she would be slated to take 4 AP classes plus Honors pre-AP French next year - her only break in the craziness being Choir. I think that’s too much, but she is feeling pressure not to pull back in anything. Obviously we have time, but I hate the concern this is already causing her, and she doesn’t even know about that “most rigorous schedule” box that she’ll want the GC to check!</p>
<p>Agreed it can be a treadmill that keeps speeding up unchecked if you don’t make some difficult choices. Handling 4 AP classes depends so much on the school, the teacher, and the kid. My S took 4 or 5 his junior year, but he always avoided the history ones like the plague because it’s so much work of the KIND of work he doesn’t like to do. He loved learning and talking about history, but liked the big picture way more than learning specific dates and names and other details. At the same time, he had friends who loved the AP history classes but absolutely killed themselves in AP Physics. In my mind, it’s all about picking the ones you want to take.</p>
<p>And good news - I just got the call! S made the Comedy Sportz team. They’ll be here to wake him up at 6:00 am and take him out to breakfast. I went and looked at his room. It’s in pretty good shape. his laundry was actually in the hamper. Which for some reason is in the middle of the floor, but whatever. He’s going to be thrilled! He won’t be thrilled about being in school all day without a shower though!</p>
<p>PinotNoir - Congratulations!!! What an exciting morning it will be in your house tomorrow! That is fantastic </p>
<p>I don’t write here much, but I do read this thread every day. I just wanted to jump in to say how much I agree with what EAO1227 and others wrote a few posts back - I know that life isn’t fair, but it is so upsetting when you see high schoolers focused so much on getting into an “elite/ivy league/name brand” school that they miss out on the joys of being a teenager, and just life itself. It breaks my heart to know that thousands and thousands of children will spend their high school years studying to take as many Honors/AP/What have you classes as possible, not getting involved in ECs they used to love due to the time commitment, all for the elusive prize of acceptance into a top college. When a top college may have 30,000 + applicants for a class of 1,500, it is as clear as day that thousands upon thousands of highly qualified, very bright, hard working students are being turned away - and all for what? They will go on to have terrific experiences in other great schools, succeed in life in a myriad of ways - but that striving for what is basically a lottery ticket in my opinion, is just unnecessary stress and pressure. Work your hardest, involve yourself in sports, plays, music - whatever brings you pleasure and a sense of accomplishment - and let the chips fall where they may. Just do your best, but be sure to always make sure you’re enjoying life too. BALANCE is the goal, I would say!</p>
<p>If D’15 had stayed in our local HS, she would have ended up with 8-10 AP courses and exams by the end of senior year. The school she’s now attending has no courses designated AP, but many kids take the AP exams, and some of the classes follow a curriculum that facilitates taking those exams (and some classes do not).</p>
<p>D wasn’t planning on any AP exams this year, but it looks like her USH teacher thinks that her class will be close enough that the APUSH exam is do-able. We’ll see what it looks like come winter. The style of most classes at this school is very different from her previous school experiences, and there’s definitely an adjustment period. I don’t want to put the wrong kind of pressure on her. </p>
<p>I do want her fully participating in ECs, since this is one of the reasons she’s attending this school, and I want her paying attention to her school work, since it’s easy to let it slide. We’ll see about standardized tests.</p>
We’ll see. At least she takes in on herself so she will have no one to blame. Still, she is better than some of her “friends” who are unwilling to take any academic challenge, but rather do bizarre things with their time.
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