@cj9623, excitement is contagious. My coworker is going to the treat the twins to an all you can eat restaurant. Diet out the window…again.
Good Morning everyone. I would like to hear from the parents or students about the wonderful impressions they have of the schools they decided to attend. We still have positive thoughts about the schools that had put us on their wait list. The campus at the St. Paul’s School is gorgeous. I remember how Peddie 's staff would take their time and not rush when give information about the different programs. It is the personal touch that means so much. Tell me your thoughts about your special schools.
Happy Mother’s Day! Sending this message early…
A Washington Post writer used the word oleaginous. I had to look it up. First time new word for me… We learn every day.
Within the past couple of weeks my son had his first experience trying to explain his departure to boarding school to his longstanding teammates on his club team. Unlike his schoolmates, who are familiar with the BS process and reasons why kids go - his teammates all attend public schools. He’s played on teams with many of these kids for years, some even as long as 6 years! I guess he hadn’t mentioned the boarding school thing to these friends until recently. The topic came up with he told his teammates that he would not be with them in the Fall - and then all was revealed. He got many of the same kinds of questions that I have dealt with as a BS alumna. I told him that he would be answering those questions for the rest of his life - because going to BS is a privilege that most Americans do not get to experience. I think he was disappointed that his teammates did not understand how important it was to him and how hard he worked to get there. I just hope that when he comes home from school for breaks and Summers that some of these kids will still be there for him as friends. He’s close to a small but tight group of schoolmates, but I have always been grateful to his long term teammates who are a more diverse group of kids (in a good way.)
Yep. Nobody in my family’s experienced with answering questions about boarding school, but people keep asking me if I’m going to the public high school and I say “No, I’m attending XYZ Boarding School,” and their face suddenly gets shocked… what’s your trick to letting them know that you chose to go there and it’s not because you did something terrible? Lol
Maybe tell them you are going to a “college prep boarding school”. If they ask the name of the specific school, you can always mention it but many people don’t know most of them anyway.
We get horrified expressions from parents, along with comments and questions:
“Why, what is wrong?”
“Did your child fall in with the wrong crowd?”
“ Are you and DH having problems and sending DC away?”
“ I would NEVER send my child away!”
“How cruel to send your child to BS!!”
“Does your child have issues?” (Yes, actually, with the mediocrity you accept)
“ Did you all get accepted to the Hilton Head golf academy ?!?”
=))
@woodcal03 I don’t have a catch-all answer. In most cases it takes a bit of explanation for people to understand. I just tell my son to explain that he’s willingly going to a college prep school and that he basically went through the equivalent of a college admissions process to get there.
We’ve been dealing with the same ignorant reaction to the news (some of the time, not always). Now I just say "Well, I’ve been trying to find a place to send cjkid for YEARS, and I FINALLY found one that would take them!
We aren’t there yet, but when people hear we’re looking and say “you’re sending him away?”, I say “No, I’m facilitating him going to the school that he really wants to go to”.
Today is a time for reflection…We must think about the people that lost their lives in the armed services and the people who were dear to us in our personal life. Happy Memorial Day to all…
We played with our Wounded Warriors this weekend and as golfkiddo has done for the past 8 years now - amazing to spend time with our brave men and women who have given so much…very inspiring! Having kiddo volunteer annually with these heroes has been a great experience.
Wow, what an experience @Golfgr8! That type of volunteer work leaves such an impact on anyone who participates, you must be so proud.
Hey, I was wondering if we could continue the discussion on preparing for school? Now that it’s summer, I have a lot of time on my hands and I’m very bored… what are your kids doing to prepare for the fall? Thanks!
My kid is blowing stuff up, shooting things, riding in tanks and humvees, ordering other kids around, and doing robotics research. I know, I know, not boarding school anymore, but I have nowhere else to go. 
Well, Summer has not begun for us yet - that begins next Friday. My son has his last final tomorrow, has a game on Saturday, then must do 2 placement tests over the weekend so we can submit them on time. Monday he leaves for the 8th grade trip and gets back the day before graduation next week.
After that, it will be a Summer of sports camps, Summer reading, pool time and using his season pass at our local amusement park. We’ll throw in a week at the beach towards the end of Summer. There are a few weeks when he has no camps to attend and he will probably drive me up the wall during those weeks!
We also have a tour scheduled for my husband and father to see his new school. Hubby wants to see it before move in day, and my dad’s health is not good and he will not be able to attend family weekend.
Other than that, Summer is Summer and a time to relax and enjoy a break from the craziness of the school year!
New word for today is probity.
@ChoatieMom - your DS’ summer sounds like my dream vacation…there is a place in Colorado for us mere mortals to try that too…I found a crazy excursion in Italy where you have a driver and a convertible Fiat - driving tour in the fast Fiat! Now, just trying not to tell DH about it because (frankly) after applications this year, I just need my own vacation ;
This morning I decided to look up Mercersburg’s summer reading list and was treated to a 7 minute video production that they put together to introduce their reading requirements. It was titled “The Summer Reading Club” which was a direct parody of “The Breakfast Club.” They had the 5 main character types, used original lines from the movie, and recreated several scenes from the movie (including the one where they are all dancing to the music.) The Simple Minds song played throughout as well :)>-