<p>S15 and D13 both had their All-State auditions this week too. They’ve both been in before and we will be on pins and needles expecting the results to come out early next week. S was very disappointed that he didn’t make the top band at his high school so he was really on a mission to prove himself. I REALLY hope he will be happy with the results.</p>
<p>Fingers crossed for the kids waiting for audition results!</p>
<p>Tripleamom, MFA is a master of fine arts. D’s friends who have or are pursuing this degree are willing to live the starving artist life, at least for now. They’ve either gone to artists’ colonies to write (yes, there really are such things!), sought grants, or taken jobs as editors or teachers while also writing on their own.</p>
<p>Good luck to all those waiting for All State results!</p>
<p>Happy to report that S was ecstatic with the All-State results :D. He beat three out of the 4 who beat him for the top band at his school so he is flying high. Doesn’t know how he is going to sleep tonight. And now he doesn’t really even care about being in the lower band at school! Course he also says he’s too excited to do any homework. D13 was also happy with her placement :)</p>
<p>^^^ WooHoo! to STEMFamily’s S!</p>
<p>Congrats STEMFamily.</p>
<p>3girls3cats,i am sure D won’t choose that path for her career.Thats the reason she wants the engineering degree as a fall back.</p>
<p>Field hockey season finished on Friday. D’s team lost in overtime in the State semi-finals. No tears. It was a grwat season, with the team going 18-4.</p>
<p>Two of the three captians are off to play collegeiate athletics - one will play lacrosse at Catholic Universaity & the other Field Hockey at Penn. Captian #3 is waiting on college acceptances currently and may not compete intercollegiately.</p>
<p>No school this week as its Thanksgiving break. The DD will catch up on her sleep and schoolwork.</p>
<p>Congrats to STEM!!</p>
<p>D. tried out for All State band as well. She got into the finals room. In our state auditions, they first get through the first round selection to get into the finals room. Then they play something for the judges in the finals room. will have to wait for about 2 weeks to hear about the final selection. At least finals room is an achievement. 
</p>
<p>We also went to an information meeting for a summer program at London, which sounds really attractive.</p>
<p>Great news Stemfamily! And Threesdad - that’s a great record!</p>
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<p>I’m looking for a little guidance.</p>
<p>Has anyone’s child done an independent study? Our HS allows it, there are official forms and requirements. My S did one in music - jazz - with a group of 6 kids. They met weekly on their own, performed at all school concerts, wrote some original pieces. But it was a different kid in the group who dealt with the paperwork with the school.</p>
<p>D wants to do one in neuroscience. She studied it last summer @Brown but wants to go a little further with it. She has time this winter, not during school but after, because she isn’t playing club volleyball this year. She approached her Chemistry teacher about it and he agreed to mentor her, but the school administration says he is not qualified - he’s not specifically trained in neuro (also, he’s a new teacher, which is probably why he’s interested in doing it…not burned out yet). </p>
<p>But he is qualified to teach high school science, obviously, he’s her “pre-Chem II” teacher (comparable to honors chemistry) and he’s willing to learn any neuro-specific stuff he doesn’t already know along with her.</p>
<p>At this point they want her to get a mentor from a LAC in our town instead, which means it’s no longer an independent study but a “credit flex” which has a whole different set of requirements. And she’ll have to find a professor at this LAC who is willing to work with her.</p>
<p>I’ve stayed out of it so far, other than talking with her about it, but her counselor emailed me today to tell me they were not approving the teacher, so now I’m sort of in it. I responded to her counselor see what the options are, and pushed back a little against the idea that this teacher can’t be her mentor. </p>
<p>If any of you guys have had any experience with this I’d love to hear it. I’m a little annoyed that they sort of shot her down after she put herself out there to get this rolling.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear that, OHMomof2.</p>
<p>My kids’ school allows independent studies, but the plan must be approved as well.</p>
<p>I wonder if the biology teacher at your D’s school would be willing to mentor her in neuroscience. I can understand the school’s reluctance to let a chemistry teacher mentor neuroscience, which is more related to biology than chemistry. Or could modify the proprosal to a more chemistry-oriented topic such a biochemistry? I hope she and the school can agree on the proposal - it sounds like a great idea.</p>
<p>twomoose, that’s a great idea. Neuroscience at the college level seems to be part biology, part chemistry and part psychology…or at least it is often professors from these departments who teach the classes, if there isn’t a neuroscience department per se. At our local LAC, it’s taught by profs from those departments.</p>
<p>Unfortunately our really good bio teacher, who taught D last year, left this year to do research abroad. She doesn’t have a relationship with any of the others and I’m not sure how experienced they are. </p>
<p>But it’s worth pursuing…as is something closer to Chemistry, as you say, perhaps biochem.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestion :)</p>
<p>Congratulations to the STEMfamily kids! How great and how lucky to get the results so quickly! Congrats to Threesdad’s D as well! That’s a great record and a great season. Maxwellequations, congratulations to your D getting to the finals room. I’m sure she’ll be happy with the results when she gets them.</p>
<p>Tripleamom, MFA is definitely not for most and I admire your D for wanting to combine English literature with engineering. </p>
<p>OHMomof2, although I also don’t see why the chem teacher can’t serve as a mentor, I was also going to suggest the AP bio teacher before I saw that you don’t have a good option there. Biochemistry sounds like a good compromise. Is there an actual class taught in biochem and does the school mind if your D studies it as an independent study with a different teacher? Maybe it’s even worth exploring whether there is a person who teaches neuroscience at the LAC who would be willing to serve as a mentor. It wouldn’t involve more than a quick email and maybe a phone call to see what the options might be.</p>
<p>Thank you 3girls. I’ve reached out to a friend who works at the LAC and a neuro prof is willing to talk to D about it…he’s indicated he’s got a busy schedule but I’m hoping she can work something out where he does a little overseeing/occasional meet-up and the Chem teacher does the weekly mentoring. </p>
<p>We’ll see…if that doesn’t work she may try to biochem route (no, it is not offered as a class).</p>
<p>Thanks all. S really didn’t sleep much last night but had a big grin on his face going to school even at 6 this morning.
Helpsilteplait and MaxwellEquations: Sending positive thoughts your way on audition results.</p>
<p>D. starts to get letters from colleges. Do colleges just send letters to sophomores? The letters say “based on your good high school performance…” yet I think it’s just a courtesy. Her PSAT is not even out yet. there is no way the colleges know how she performs at this point. Am I right?</p>
<p>I have noticed an increase in the college mailings in the last week or so. At least one a day this week. I am thinking she ticked some box on the registration info.</p>
<p>Congrats to Stemson and good luck to those facing auditions.</p>
<p>D2’s friends are in the back yard with a fire and hot chocolate/ smores. D1 upstairs chatting to her bf on skype. Love having a full house! Happy Thanksgiving to all.</p>
<p>Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! </p>
<p>D. also got letters from colleges. we don’t really know what that means. :p</p>
<p>Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
No letters from colleges for S yet, and I am kind of glad. Not quite ready for round 2.</p>
<p>Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and is enjoying the break. :)</p>
<p>D has only gotten one, her older brother was accepted but didn’t attend. I tink they sent it based on his sibling info.</p>