Thinking about the summer job search - my S has been enjoying his first week off from school (they rehearse Friday for graduation on 6/6, but no school) and just got his lifeguard schedule starting next week. They’ve got him working 40 hours the first week and 30 the 2nd week (only because he can’t work on graduation day). My guess is when some of these kids find out what their summer work schedules look like, they may ask for fewer hours :). My S is excited about how much $$ he’ll be making for college and spending, and we’re happy he was assigned enough hours since in the past he’s barely gotten 8-10 a week at the indoor pool, but I think once he works a 40 hour week the novelty will wear off. We’ll see! I guess he won’t be laying around the house all day like I thought he would, at least :).
That’s impressive @lifegarding . Very responsible summer job.My twin nieces life guarded all through school .
It’s a little thing, but it feels like a win, so it makes me happy. D asked that everyone eat a vegan dinner after graduation. The rest of us are meat eaters. We are a family of four, plus three grandparents, one aunt and one uncle flying in from the mainland.
I was able to order all her favorite foods from a vegan grocery store/deli. Her grandma, who is an amazing cook in the Paula Deen style, has researched and plans to make a beautiful vegan cake.
I am surprised how happy this has made her and glad we can celebrate in a way that is important to her. :x
Congrats @bookmom7 and @carolinamom2boys ! So glad all their hard work on academics is showing! Sorry to say here that the spring sports coaches failed to question the lack of student athlete awards for the two boys on the team that finished in the top of the senior class so those boys took a fair amount of ribbng from their teammates at awards. At least the teasing was because the teammates knew that it had to be a mistake.
Congratulations @bookmom7 and @carolinamom2boys . Great achievements for your boys.
Thanks everyone. @cheeeringsection How frustrating ! Will the boys be recognized with awards later? It’s bad when a group of adolescent boys have the ability to know a mistake was made, and the adults didn’t . I hope that gets worked out.
Thanks @carolinamom2boys ! I have already confirmed, as tactfully as possible, that the awards were actually earned. I understand that mistakes get made but I felt the need to put a stop
to the repeated downplaying of some player’s academic achievements. Given that the coaches must monitor the boys’ grades for eligibility purposes it makes them look a bit silly at best, and vindictive at worst, when mistakes like this are made.
@Cheeringsection Clearly the people involved will not be winning any “Employee of the Year Awards” nor should they. This should certainly be used as a teaching moment, but still should be addressed with the school if academics has been repeatedly downplayed . I’m totally impressed by your restraint. You’re a better mom than me. I know my weaknesses. I hope it gets worked out.
I just find it sad that as much as the school tries to encourage kids to try to excel at lots of different things, there are still those that put kids in a box marked “athlete” or “academic” and then choose which to applaud and which to ignore.
I’m sorry I’ve been so behind here, but congratulations on all those top achievements 
!!!
Exactly @Cheeringsection . It speaks more to their inflated self worth than the child’s accomplishments unfortunately .
Congrats @bookmom7 and @carolinamom2boys. Understand your frustration @Cheeringsection. Our athletic awards and activities awards are tonight and S will get one for having more than 4 varsity letters. He was not invited to the academic awards, despite his high test scores and the fact that he is quite a bit younger than everyone in his grade. It is really competitive in our district and the academic awards have a personal pick by the teachers aspect to them. My S, very smart but quiet as a mouse, tends not to be on most teachers’ radar unless they take the time to talk to him. I’ve learned that most don’t. Ironically, he moved up a grade due to his academic needs but no academic recognition at the high school level for all he has accomplished.
At the same time, he is at school today, doing a two hour essay for a prestigious scholarship given by my DH’s company. S was one of 5 finalists from the entire population of kids of employees. He had to submit a transcript, SAT scores and an essay. I think they use a matrix to pick 5 finalists. Now the 5 finalists have to do a timed essay monitored by an employee or their guidance counselor. Writing like this is not S’s strong suit but I figure he has a 20% chance of winning at this point. So any good wishes you can send his way this morning would be appreciated! It would be so great for his confidence if he won this. Sometimes I feel his academic potential and achievements are so undervalued at his high school. There happen to be a number of very bright kids in his grade, which is great, but, as I wrote, the quieter ones seem to get overlooked. Ten days until our big party and 11 until graduation. And my D will be home in 8 days for the events. We are almost there.
Re academic versus athletic–certainly this is an issue at my D’s school. But I was absolutely THRILLED that she won the female athlete of the year award, even as a great student. The school was not organized enough to let us know that we might want to attend the awards ceremony, so I came home to find a huge plaque in the living room. Academic awards are strange–some departments (English) give multiple awards, others (Science and Math) give zero. And there is a “top 10 scholars” award that the kids in the 12-team athletic conference attend which was awesome, but no recognition at school among their peers at all. Just odd.
Super Good Luck to your DS @PAO2008 !!! What an honor to be 1 or 5!
Good luck and congrats @PAO2008
I picked my dad up from the airport yesterday, and he was wearing a Northeastern t-shirt. At dinner, when my husband casually asked why we don’t have Northeastern t-shirts, my D piped up with, “Because Opa loves me more.” Haha, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my dad’s face. Cost of t-shirt: $20. Value of being his grand-daughter’s favorite: priceless.
@palm715 Love it!
Congratulations @bookmom7 and @carolinamom2boys !
Thanks @Sophmore1
Those of you on the class of 2019 thread- is it just me or are posters there ratcheting up anxieties to unpleasant levels? Not even Tiger Moms. I’m talking Jurrasiac levels!
It makes me so much happier about this supportive oasis of a thread.