<p>jackief - I'm sorry, but that annoys me. I guess it hasn't been pleasant for you or your D either. It's not like she's trying to sit through an AP science class - it's chorus!</p>
<p>Queen's Mom - you mean they sell PSAT booklets that have no answer key? Can't you call the College Board and ask them? Maybe you have to take the test online? I haven't ordered those tests for D because I know she won't do them. She's still finishing up her summer assignments!</p>
<p>thanks Queen's Mom for continuing the nagging over there. D is doing some prep for the PSAT and I would like to get a more accurate practice score than from the Kaplan book she is using. If not, then NBD, as the actual practice is what counts. </p>
<p>LIMOM, yes it is annoying but I have softened since the issue arose last year. D is being mature about it and knew when she had to drop a class last year that chorus made the most sense even though she really liked it and liked having that as a break during the day. I am kind of glad if it doesn't work out that she will have the free to do some work (in addition to drivers ed practice driving and tour guide which will also fall during free) but at this stage I am leaving it totally in her hands to figure out how to get the end goal she wants.</p>
<p>oh and summer assignments! :-) School starts tomorrow but other school activities/sports practices today until 5. We want to go out to dinner for D2's birthday. The rule is that the summer work has to be done before dinner. D1 finished her reading last night, birthday girl D2 still has more writing to do for history assignment. I think she will finish and we might have to leave a little later but it will work out.</p>
<p>jackief - I'm sure your D will figure it out - it sounds like she has plenty to keep her busy. Same with my D - she has a free period on her schedule - 10th period! Tempting to leave it free, but it's not like she can come home because she stays late for sports anyway. Her GC told her she can take the rest of the week, and even until the end of the first week of class to decide. I'm leaving it up to her. </p>
<p>Classes here start next Wed., and D said she still has some APUSH to finish, reading and writing. S finished his assignment - but he only had one book to read and a small writing assignment. D went back for sports on Monday. She's at practice now, will come home, shower, and then has to go back to help out in the band room. Hopefully, they'll finish up in the band room, so she'll have tomorrow and Friday afternoon free.</p>
<p>D finished her summer assignments by mid-morning the day before school started. There was a lot of work, but none of it was particularly difficult. However (I will have to brag about how sweet my baby is) she stayed up with her friend helping her do her summer math assignment because she has been having trouble with it (she is in a lower math class than D).</p>
<p>She came home with loads of homework last night. I think her teachers are trying to weed out some students in the AP classes by overwhelming them with work right from the start. lol.</p>
<p>RE: PSAT practice tests</p>
<p>You can order old tests from College Board. They send you a copy of the same test booklet that was handed out on a particular test day ( 2 or 3 each year:Wed , Sat, +/- Alternate test). If you call college board, they will email the answers to you.</p>
<p>Queen's Mom - Yay for your D finishing her summer assignments in time AND for being a good friend and helping out with the math assignment. D always gets loads of homework, through the entire year. That's been the case since 6th grade.</p>
<p>dtex50 - that's helpful to know - thank you. Not sure if I should bother ordering the tests though - I don't know if my D will do them!</p>
<p>S still working on the AP Lang assignment; mostly writing left to do and school starts tomorrow. All the time he spent complaining about how "The Grapes of Wrath" had no plot, shoulda/coulda been spent getting the assignments out of the way. S and H are also (hopefully) at Staples today buying school supplies at the last minute.</p>
<p>A YAY! moment: without the usual prompting from me to advance his EC involvements, S announced yesterday that he has been in contact with the current state association of student councils president because he would like to run for that state-wide office next year (his senior). He says he wants to plan ahead (another YAY! moment) and figure out whether he can do the job along with a school student council position, given his involvement in spring sports and all the AP testing that will going on at the same time next year.</p>
<p>I was thrown for loop on the "planning ahead" idea...given that the summer AP assignments will probably be finished 5 minutes before he leaves for school tomorrow. And neither S has ever thought more than 5 minutes ahead in his life (as an aside...S1 has been at college for one week and still doesn't have a permanent address...says he's doing the "couch tour" of his college town while he looks for a rent. And yes, classes have already started).</p>
<p>archiemom - LOL - I'm guessing S1 is not a freshman? Tell him to keep his cell phone charged!</p>
<p>Nice to hear that S2 is planning ahead for something, isn't it? Good luck to him - I hope he gets that assignment finishe</p>
<p>success!</p>
<p>One of the administators, the one who gave us the most hassle last year on the 7 classes thing, stopped me on the way out of school today and told me to wait she needed to talk to me about it. Well it turns out that the committee or whoever the decision makers are decided that students would be allowed to audit a 7th class if it is arts related and attend performances but will not have to do homework. It will supposedly also appear on the transcript somehow and she won't have to get extra permission to do this. I told the administrator that the free period did coincide with chorus so she will be all set. D will be very excited when she gets home, I will keep stressing to her that it was her determination and persuasiveness that made this happen.</p>
<p>good for you (and D) jackief!</p>
<p>jackief - that's great news for your D. She did a good job!</p>
<p>she certainly did! I will only take credit for encouraging her along the way but the drive and determination came from her. Annoyed as I was when this admin kept talking to me about the issue and not directly to D, I will say that this small school has done quite a bit for kids to self-advocate and push for their issues. She certainly has grown a lot since she entered as a shy 6th grader a year younger than many of her classmates. </p>
<p>Turns out that when she talked to other friends during the past year, others claimed they had wanted to do this but never followed through, they just decided it wasn't allowed. I had enouraged other parents to join the fight against the system but no one else did.</p>
<p>Now her statement last night at dinner that she will have no free time until Thanksgiving probably will be true! :)</p>
<p>Jackief - she must be so proud of herself for making a difference - I'm sure lots of kids will be very happy about this change in rules. I know you're proud of her as well - and you should be.</p>
<p>As far as having no free time until Thanksgiving, tell her to join the club........lol. I'm sure many juniors feel the same way.</p>
<p>I'm joining, and, to tell the truth, I didn't read the first 360+ posts.</p>
<p>DD is getting wound up (in the wrong way) for the big push, to begin next week. Very fun summer, so reality will hit fast.</p>
<p>Hang on, and it will work out in the end.</p>
<p>MSU Dad (a/k/a Starter of the B+ student parents' thread)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Johns Hopkins is a great place. I wish your D2 luck.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Thank you--it really made quite an impression on her. </p>
<p>Regarding AU, no, there's definitely not an Engineering major there. Political Science, International Relations, etc. seems to be AU's bread and butter these days.</p>
<p>welcome MSUDad, you will be forgiven. I admit I am reading your B+ thread although my kids are above that range I am learning some good stuff in there.</p>
<p>My D is nervous also, as many classes segment into H/AP or regular for the first time in this year (for those joining late, she and her 9th grade sis attend a small private school where most classes are offered at just one level but even the 'regular' classes are quite rigorous with mucho homework)</p>
<p>Hi MSUDad. I too have a B+ kid. Well, technically she's an A- kid with B test scores, so I guess she qualifies. ;)</p>
<p>momonthehill, I know AU is will not be a great fit for D, but it is close to home and she does not want to go away. In addition to engineering, she is interested in linguistics (which is more of a graduate school specialty anyway) so any school with strong foreign language or linguistics programs (which are very rare in undergrad outside of big Universities anyway) would work.</p>
<p>Welcome, MSUDad. I just started reading the B+ student thread - just out of curiosity, but it's full of some really good information. </p>
<p>Thanks momonthehill - that's what I thought about AU.</p>
<p>Although my D hasn't started her classes yet, she's spent so much time at school this week, that she feels like she's already back. </p>
<p>Queen's Mom - if AU is close to home, then you have lots of other schools that are also nearby - so a good selection to choose from.</p>
<p>Hi everyone.</p>
<p>I guess I'm number 400 and cherry picked a few replies to read.</p>
<p>DS is ramping up for the start of the year next Tuesday. This week he was busy with water polo practice (the team is stoked after watching the US perform at the Olympics) and the new Link Crew program. A group of the guys taking APUSH have already formed a study group to be ready.</p>
<p>Our biggest hurdle at present is getting off on the right foot with the CTY online program in linear algebra (DH is a math professor.) The more self-directed study is a new thing which I THOUGHT would be good to start late in August, but I guess I lost my mind and forgot it was summer!</p>
<p>DS knows this is the big push year, so in addition to Linear Algebra, he's with APUSH, AP English, AP Physics, Photography (one of the UC requirements is a year in Fine Art) and Water Polo. His GC forgot he asked to drop AP Spanish V (we hinted he might want to have a life beyond an Evel Knieval academic act) and even suggested he could try it for 5 weeks and then drop it. Thankfully there was no room this week for him the finish the summer work for that class, which we had decided in June could wait until senior year ...</p>
<p>Ah, the memories of the fab trip to Egypt just seem so fleeting now. I suspect he's looking at the workload and wondering whether his book pile will rival the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza.</p>
<p>DH already started at USC this week, so the energy level in our house is ramping up. I've warned out out of town guest to be ready!</p>