<p>We use trimesters but each only counts for 1/3 of a year. For example we have a requirement of 1 year of arts classes, they can take a full year course or three trimester courses. We don't have any two trimester courses.</p>
<p>We do have some things like the select choir which meet during "activities period" which is twice a day when in school ECs can meet. There isn't a band EC like this, my younger daughter a drummer would enjoy that, she isn't taking band no room in her schedule.</p>
<p>abasket- Is your son's AP Gov class only for spring semester? In our HS, AP Gov is usually over both semesters senior year. Actually, I've heard that in some high schools AP Euro is often taken senior year(which would make sense to me, given the lengthy chronological scope of the class), whereas in our district, European History is taught during Sophomore year. </p>
<p>Regarding the Phys. Ed. issue, it is a required course, albeit 2x per week (w/ Health Ed. on the other three days during Fresh. & Soph. year), for all four years of HS, here. </p>
<p>It looks like D will be taking the following courses this coming year:</p>
<p>Pre-Calculus
Honors Physics
AP English Lang.
APUSH
AP Psychology
AP Spanish
Phys. Ed.</p>
<p>Random thought:</p>
<p>On another thread I wrote I'm apt to call financial aid merit aid and vice versa because I don't pay attention to what it really is as long as it's money I don't have to take out of my pocket. So, if I use the wrong terms during these next two years together feel free to correct me!</p>
<p>We return to regularly scheduled programming.</p>
<p>Youdon'tsay: That reminds of a post I saw, a while back, on the Skidmore sub-forum, where a student was talking about "merit aid" that (s)he received, which, in turn, got my hopes up, (my understanding was that Skidmore had very limited merit aid) until the poster clarified that it was really FA that (s)he was referring to. ;)</p>
<p>jackief - your D's school has actual "activities" periods scheduled into the day? Maybe that's why her school offers less class time? All of our ECs meet after school, sometimes going late into the night.</p>
<p>Youdon'tsay - lol.</p>
<p>momonthehill - sorry about the Skidmore mistake - disappointing, I'm sure.</p>
<p>LIMONOF2: It was disappointing, initially, since Skidmore was high up on D's radar screen last year, but the schools that interest her seem to be continuously changing and Skidmore seems to have fallen by the wayside. Generally, I try to encourage her toward schools(other than state schools) where there's at least some chance of merit-based aid.</p>
<p>S2 has a seven period day -- some of his classes (Macro, Comp Rel, TOK, EE) are one semester courses. He wanted to take AP Comparative Gov't but the course was cancelled. It's usually paired with Comp Rel, which I hear is a very interesting class w/a great teacher. The IB Euro class is a two-year sequence and includes enough world history to meet state graduation requirements. </p>
<p>S2 has thought about taking Comp Gov't self-study and World Hist for grins (he is looking at an IR/history major) -- I can see why he wants to do it -- but with the rest of his load, I am discouraging it. We have the Ethel Woods book (S1 took it last year) and some World Hist AP prep books, and he has enough background and motivation that it's feasible. (We know other kids who have done this.) Whether it's smart is another story.</p>
<p>The full IB diploma program is great, but it doesn't leave much time for electives, that's for sure.</p>
<p>S1 was at a different school and had eight courses on an alternating block schedule -- he loved it. That extra period gave the students a lot of options for journalism, music, drama, etc.</p>
<p>DougBetsy,
One of S2's favorite hobbies is cooking -- so AP Macaroons would be just fine by him, though he would probably prefer AP Hamentaschen! :)</p>
<p>Yep, Government is only a semester class - 1/2 a year. Goofy cause then you have to find another semester class to fill the other half of the year - and there aren't many of them.</p>
<p>Abasket, hereabouts economics usually fills the other half year of government.</p>
<p>ZS got an invitation to an open house today and I told her that we needed to consider planning which colleges to visit and when. Seemed reasonable to me. She then told me that she doesnt need to fall in love with a college and go through a year-long odyssey to find The One. It is her plan to come up with about 8 perfectly acceptable schools, apply, and then go to the one that scores best on her scale. says she'sgoing to do what she has to do, but has no intention of letting this take over her life and isn't going to fall in love with a school because she simply doesn't care that much where she goes to college. Ok?</p>
<p>(Can you see me rolling my eyes?)</p>
<p>I hope that's how it is here as well - one semester of AP Gov and one of AP Economics - that would be helpful.</p>
<p>momonthehill - I'm trying to point D in the direction of schools with good merit aid as well - but it's not easy. She really doesn't want to talk about college all that much. She wants to go, of course - just not hear about all the pesky little details like visiting, applying and financing.</p>
<p>zoosermom - has your D attended any college open houses? My D has refused all invitations. I'm pretty sure that her school starts getting the juniors involved in the college search early this year, and I'm hoping that once it is officially introduced to them at school, that D will start showing more interest. I also have to figure out how to get her to consider some safety schools. At the moment, she's reaching pretty high, and I need for her to have at least 2 options that are more realistic.</p>
<p>Limom, we went to a college fair at her school and it was so wretched that it's turned her off the process a bit. We went to visit Seton Hall and she thought it was perfectly fine, so she doesn't think she needs to go to too much more trouble. that's her personality, though. Good enough is just fine with her because she always has something else to do. This is the kid who's not going to reach.</p>
<p>Thanks zoosermom. What a shame about the awful college fair at your D's school. They held one at my D's school near the end of the school year, but D couldn't make it due to a conflict (there's always going to be a conflict). </p>
<p>If your D doesn't feel compelled to reach, it's not necessarily a bad thing. She'll be more likely to get merit aid from less competitive schools, and maybe she knows she doesn't want to go too far from home. She'll be fine, I'm sure, whatever she decides to do.</p>
<p>My darling informed me last night that she is NOT going away for school and the flagship state school is good enough for her (assuming she gets in). This is the same child who wanted a LAC with under 3K students. Well, at least I would be able to pay tuition out of pocket. I give up.</p>
<p>the activities period we have is 2x week for around 1/2 hour, so not comparable to a class period. There is an all school assembly on Monday in the same slot, I'm trying to remember what takes up the other 2 days. They meet in their advisor groups 2x week but I don't think that is more than 10 minutes or so. I guess the summer has been long.. But that is a good point and does explain some of why we have fewer classes.</p>
<p>Its funny about the kids flip flopping but I think it is typical. I think D will be more similar to me who had her college major/career mapped out in HS and am still on the same path, what can you say I am boring.. She does tend to set multi-year plans and keep on the same track, sometimes blindsighted to other things wihich may crop up which could be better possibilities. But she at least is humoring me and giving some considerations to school which I suggest.</p>
<p>Queen's Mom - your D is probably just not into the college search thing right now - she'll probably change her mind again (maybe a few times). </p>
<p>jackief - it's interesting that your D's school has those 1/2 hour activity periods - what types of activities take place during those times? Is that when they have their ECs, or is it something separate? I'm asking because none of my D's activities take only a 1/2 hour, unless she has a quick club meeting. Also, D's school rarely has all-school assemblies - most are held by grade, and they are held much less often than once a week - maybe once every other month or so. Also, the kids only meet with their GCs once or twice a year - unless there is a problem, of course. </p>
<p>BTW, now I'm going to be curious to see if your D sticks with her HS plan. So many people change course during life, that it's interesting that you stayed on the same path and believe your D will as well. I just can't be sure about my D.</p>
<p>You mean there are guidance counselors who actually meet with the kids. The one D has is just awful. I realize she has a lot of kids and some of them have serious problems, but D can't even get an appointment with her to get a naviance password.</p>
<p>My kids attend a small private school so a lot of things are going to be different. The school grades 6-12 is < 400 kids and they all fit in the auditorium for weekly all school meetings. In contrast, the public HS around here are around 250-400 kids per grade and the school I attended was 500 kids per grade.</p>
<p>The advisor groups are about 8 kids and they talk about different things and this is the main teacher who monitors your kid through all the classes. If there is an issue you have with your kid not related to one particular class the advisor is the one you go to. All the teachers get together weekly to trade notes on kids who might be having problems. </p>
<p>There are also two teachers in the college planning office. Both of these also taught a couple classes, next year they are going to a dedicated college counselor who will not teach and be more free to travel to colleges etc. So for right now the 60 seniors, and juniors starting in the winter, get one of these 2 counselors.</p>
<p>Activities. I'd say we don't have tons of ECs but I am comparing to larger schools. As I mentioned the select chorus meets during activities. Some of the service clubs like Key club and some more directed clubs may meet once a week or less often. There are fun clubs like chess and art clubs. Yearbook does meet sometimes but not year round and does lots of their stuff on their own time, same with the newspaper. I assume the clubs which are teams, like the quiz bowl team meet regularly. She does one EC which is a peer facilitator for an ADL anti-bullying program, it is that and key club which I think are the two she regularly attends.</p>
<p>I will also say one more time that it blows my mind that activities can run late into the evening with any regularity. Both in my experience attending public school, and my parents both public school teachers, I know this never would have been acceptable to the unions at the time when I was growing up. In fact during years of cutbacks teachers were enforcing work-to-rule where they would only do what was in their contracts. This made getting college recommendations let alone activity advising at risk. You guys are lucky to have schools and communities which put the money into the whole educational experience.</p>
<p>My D's school has activities late into the day, as well. As I've said before, it's a very poor inner-city school and the principal gets (worker her butt off) large amounts of grant money. She uses that money to offer tutoring in every subject several times a week, and a full slate of tutoring on Saturday. THey also have Kaplan SAT online prep through a grant and in-person prep every Saturday. The result is that in terms of the Regents, RCT and other standardized tests, this school scores very well. I feel very fortunate.</p>