<p>He needs to get out of this precalc class, because it is causing ridiculous amounts of suffering. There are so many other ways to get credit for precalc, like doing online classes or summer school. At this point, if precalc was removed from his school schedule, and he had time to concentrate on everything else, he could salvage his junior GPA and his health.</p>
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<p>Absolutely not true. I have been through this. The OP’s son is drowning and the school social support staff WILL help. </p>
<p>OP you are really taking a very unproductive and potentially disastrous course of action with your son. Taking his phone and computer so you can ride herd over his homework is NOT going to cure depression. </p>
<p>You need to understand the urgency here so that you can advocate for your son. This is not about his slacking off his homework.</p>
<p>Op, you have received some great recommendation from posters. Please seek help for your kid. </p>
<p>Please, do not encourage a situation where you are left with your son’s cell phone that you confiscated and not having him around to use it.</p>
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<p>Some will try to help and some will be rigid. There is really a wide variety of people who run schools in the US. With a diagnosis letter you can force their hand. It takes time to line up a mental health team. Please make that call or ask the guidance counselor or school psychologist to recommend someone good.</p>
<p>This must be the time of the year that Mom in panic mode. Count me in.
S got a 51% on top of a 75% on his AP US History test. I am going crazy right now. granted this is one of the hardest classes in HS, but 51% is just way too low for this kid who has been a A student all along. I can feel OP.<br>
I am also getting a tutor for him. The only difference is my S is not overloaded. He’s having an easy time in all his other classes. He has serious problem with APUSH. It’s going to screw up his straight A record.
Errrrrrrh.</p>
<p>JH8888, it’s not going to “screw up his straight A record”. That’s just the kind of attitude that’s going to drive him into depression like OPs son. It’s going to challenge him and make him ask “what’s more important the grades or the education?”. It’s healthy to take a class that makes one ask that question. If you support him he’ll get the message that taking risks to better his education is worth it. That’s the right message. </p>
<p>The OP’s S has a different problem
From the original post
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<p>This is not an academic problem, this is an emotional problem. </p>
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<p>OP cannot let the situation seem hopeless. That just compounds the problem.</p>
<p>Classicrockerdad…I wish there was a like button! Nicely said.</p>
<p>JH - Take a breath. It will be OK. Based on reading CC threads for a few years, at some schools APUSH is verrrrry hard. In a way it is good that your son has this tough challenge before he hits college. In some cases it’s just a need to understand what the teacher wants… true in college too. </p>
<p>Now he will need to buckle down and find a way to bring up his grade. If it’s not an A this semester, it is not the end of the world. It’s a growing experience. Hang in there.</p>
<p>JH - Remember when it comes to AP classes what really matters is their AP score. If he can get a 4 or 5 on the APUSH test it won’t matter much if he doesn’t get a A in the class.</p>
<p>Michigan…I totally disagree with you. The grade this student gets in his course is more important than the score on the AP test. That score is only used IF the school awards credits for a certain score. Not all schools do. Students do not have to send AP scores to the college at all. </p>
<p>BUT a poor grade in a course could adversely affect this student’s high school GPA, which could affect college admissions…depending on the types of colleges he is targeting.</p>
<p>For example…if he is applying to Dartmouth, his AP score won’t matter one bit…because that school is no longer giving college credit for AP scores. BUT a D grade in the course could very likely affect the student’s ability to get accepted to this college.</p>
<p>Thumper I was assuming that JH student will get a decent grade in the APUSH class just not necessarily an A. I know nothing about Dartmouth my DS goes to Georgia Tech and only applied to good public universities that do give credit for AP test scores. IMO it’s amazing how different the AP classes are taught at different schools. I mean really look at CC there are a ton of kids that get an A in an AP class but then get a 2 or 3 on the AP test. Meanwhile there a kids who get a B in the class and get a 5 on the exam. Which kid learned more? I say it was the B student with the 5. Those kids not sending their scores in are the kids who get the low scores. Anyway my point was for JH not to worry so much about the grade and just have him learn what he can in the class. If he gets the material then he will get a good AP score and everything should be ok.</p>
<p>Hey JH8888, </p>
<p>No disrespect intended, but we’ve gotten off course from the OP’s issue. Maybe you should start your own thread so the OP’s thread doesn’t get inadvertently hijacked. </p>
<p>We need to be talking about mental health, not AP score vs AP grade.</p>
<p>OP again. I spoke with the guidance counselor. S cannot drop or change any of his classes. Counselor was pretty unsympathetic and unhelpful. She suggested all the things we are doing, talk to the teacher, go to tutoring, etc. This is just the way our large public high school is. </p>
<pre><code>Grades are no better, however I sense that my son’s mood is improving. He had a good weekend and seems to be carrying it into the week. He went to private tutoring on Monday, and told me his tutor told him she liked the way he was working. He told me (quite strongly) on Friday, that my attempting to help in precalc is NOT a help and to stay out, but he did need my help in chemistry. So that is what I am going to do. I am increasing the precalc private tutor to twice a week. He is also supposed to go in for 30 minutes during lunch school tutoring help with the teacher or other math teacher in the department three times a week.
He met with the precalc teacher individually afterschool on Friday. The teacher told him that he had never had to study before. This statement seems to have made an impression on him.
It seems sort of devastating that one mistake in course selection (precalc) will have so many consequences, but perhaps the lessons learned now will be important later. He does need to develop the ability to work harder when it gets tough, and to understand the importance of practice.
I am taking one poster’s advice to not bring up the grade subject constantly or in front of siblings. I try to only ask once a day and not dwell on it.
</code></pre>
<p>@multuiplemom: if your son is potentially depressed (even if he looks okay today), he needs to see a mental health specialist. It doesn’t sound like it’s just a matter of “working harder”. If the mental health specialist sees that class is making him drown, she/he will write a note so that he can drop it. Trust me, the guidance counselor will NOT want to maintain a kid in a class when a mental health specialist states it’s against the child’s wellbeing. Even if GC is not sympathetic, s/he has to understand the concept of liability.
Tutoring three times a week may help the grade but it won’t help your son get better. Please make sure he sees someone whose job it is to ascertain how well or unwell he is.</p>
<p>Multiplemom, we know you love your child. We really do. But sadly we’re not getting through to you. This isn’t an academic issue. </p>
<p>[Teen</a> Suicide Risk Factors and Prevention](<a href=“http://teens.webmd.com/preventing-teen-suicide]Teen”>Teen Suicide Risk Factors and Prevention)</p>
<p>What Are Teen Suicide Risk Factors?
[stuff skipped]
But if you can recognize the risk factors for suicide early and act to change the ones you can control, you may save your life – or that of a close friend or family member.</p>
<p>Read the suicide risk factors below and check the ones you can control. (For instance, you can talk to a mental health professional for ways to deal with lack of social support, feelings of hopelessness, or mood disorders like depression.)</p>
<p>It’s important to take these risk factors for suicide very seriously:</p>
<pre><code>Previous suicide attempt(s).
Psychological and mental disorders, ESPECIALLY DEPRESSION and other mood disorders, schizophrenia, and social anxiety.
Substance abuse and/or alcohol disorders.
History of abuse or mistreatment.
Family history of suicide.
FEELINGS OF HOPELESSNESS.
Physical illness.
Impulsive or aggressive tendencies.
Financial or social loss.
Relationship loss.
ISOLATION OR LACK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT
EASY ACCESS TO METHODS/MEANS OF SUICIDE
Exposure to others who have committed suicide.
</code></pre>
<p>All I know is what I’ve read in this thread, of course, but based on that, I agree with CRD. If this were my son, I’d be worried there was a mental health issue, and I’d want it evaluated by a professional.</p>
<p>Appreciate the update. Please do keep a close eye on him, and follow up on the depression angle. It sounds like you all have had a break through, though. You couldn’t get him out of the class, but everybody has acknowledged he has a problem and is rallying to help him. And he seems to have decided that a poor grade in preCal isn’t the end of the world.</p>
<p>“I am taking one poster’s advice to not bring up the grade subject constantly or in front of siblings. I try to only ask once a day and not dwell on it.”</p>
<p>OP- Is it necessary to ask him about the grades every day? I would think that would just put added pressure on him. Is there any way you can check the grades online without asking him?</p>
<p>Yeah, I would focus on making sure he sees the tutor and leaving it more between them.</p>
<p>I am new here. I have a similar situation. My son took Algebra 2 Honors in 9th grade. He was so stressed out because the class was way above his level. Tests and quizzes were so hard, stuffs she never taught them or in her review packages. Very frustrating and he just gave up in studying. We felt very bad but understand his feelings. This year, he has Pre-Cal in regular. It’s so much better as it’s within his level, and he feels more motivated to study for the tests. He is gaining back his confident. </p>
<p>I would not let him fail either because I think it’s already very stressful for them to deal with all the school work, they do need our encouragement and help from time to time. I will ask him how he did on his test that day, but will remind him that it’s ok not to get a good grade this time, work harder next time. My son usually feels much better knowing I am not mad at him, because most of the time, he already feels very guilty if he does not get a good grade. I don’t want to give him more stresses, taking into consideration that sometime they are very nervous during tests, careless mistakes happened.<br>
Good luck :)</p>