Can she take the gym requirement in the summer? Or is that all planned out already?
In our district Chemistry is a junior class, 9th Earth Science, 10th Bilology, 11th Chemistry, 12th Physics.
If you have taken ES in 8th grade then you can take Bio in 9th and Chem in 10th.
It is not just a lot of material to study, they also did labs and sometimes had to redo labs after school and work with a partner on lab reports.
I would let her get used to high school, tell her she can still swim and be in band for freshman year, make friends.
Take a history class. Then in sophomore year she can take Chemistry and might have to decide if she wants to continue with swimming or school band. Then junior and senior year take APs.
OP, It would be a blessing for the guidance counselor not to have your name on her roster. Your micromanaging your child and the school just screeches out from your posts. The US educational system isn’t cram school, Obviously you took a wrong turn someplace. Too bad for your child. The GC is not there just for you. The GC has loads of kids to advise. All of whom are as important as yours and some who may accomplish even more than your child. Thankfully so right. Don’t you want all the kids to do well?
In this country, school is about education not gaining competitive edge. If they offered cram schools here, few would show and you’d have to feel really badly for the kids of those parents who signed them up.
Sometimes people can’t see the forest for the trees. If the goal is to get your child into the most competitive school possible, and lord knows the kid will have had 12 years of pushing to set the scene for that, then the GC is probably more important then any other one factor. In other words, admission to the school you desperately want for your kid may rest on whether or not the GC gives the school the nod. And you won’t be there to see since the nod isn’t usually pubic. So maybe allowing your child to develop his or her own relationship with the GC is a really good idea that could get your child into whatever it is that you so desperately want for him or her in a way your approach is unlikely to.
OP. I am guessing that this is you first child. You seem a bit stressed, but most posters here are being a bit harsh. Remember that for most posters, the definition of a helicopter parent is any parent that is more involved than they are, and the definition of a slacker parent is any parent who is less involved than they are. Just ignore the peanut gallery, if their comments are not helpful.
I do not understand why you need the school’s approval for an online course. Our kids take summer classes, and we don’t discuss them with the school at all. We let the kids pick summer experiences to explore their interests.
If your goal is to get your kid into the best college, remember that cramming as many APs as possible into their schedule will not help their chances, and in most cases, will hurt their chances. Parents who do this usually do not understand the current processes for competitive admissions. If your student is a strong student and you want to give them the best chances, I recommend that you read up about the college admissions process, and what top colleges look for. If you aren’t confident, you may want to hire a private consultant who can explain the process and guide your decisions.
We’re also dealing with a less-than-stellar guidance counselor, however, my youngest son will be a HS senior this year. The very last thing I want to do is tick her off, we still need her at this point. So, even though she’s been less than helpful, I make sure to appear very thankful and polite to her. You catch more flies with honey and all that…
On a side note, pushing a child academically to the exclusion of having a “normal” childhood can backfire in a big way.You don’t want your child to be tired of school long before she graduates.
The OP has been reading, if not replying. Most schools are looking for students who are self motivated, engaged, energetic and capable of thinking outside the box (sorry a tired expression but so am I), something kids molded to be the perfect elite college applicant are not. But there is something else I and others mentioned that is worth reiterating. Senior year, those students interested in applying to elite schools will be asking for 3 letters of recommendation; two from teachers. The teachers will be writing letters for many students. Maybe 30 or more. He/she will write “good” letters for each of the students. And, if they were to hand the letter to the student, the student would be flattered. But there are two things to remember.
First, the teachers will consider each kid in relation to the larger pool of kids she or he teaches but, more immediately, will compare the student to others applying that year. And, if you looked at all the letters together, you would see there is a continuum of adjectives and expressions that allow you to order the letters from those the teacher views as extraordinary to those that she/he views as ordinary and nice. And, while academic aptitude plays a role, so does the teacher’s judgement of the student’s character. Students who are viewed as grade grubbing, self centered and pushed by parents won’t be in the extraordinary pile regardless of aptitude or achievement.
Second, the GC’s impressions of the student often means the difference between being accepted or rejected. Schools trying to weigh one student vs another may call the GC. At that point, a good relationship between the GC and student is key. If a parent has been over bearing and has been the one working with the GC rather that the student, the GC’s recommendations may not be strong enough for the school. In that case, the child may be denied even if he or she has 800s, perfect grades and the “right” EC’s.
I’ve said some of this above but not explained it fully enough. In 8th grade it makes sense to advocate for your child but the way you are doing it may end up backfiring.