Parents of the HS Class of 2011 - Original

<p>Spain will be a nice break, don’t you think? Or a cruise… I would love love love to go away but it isn’t in the cards for a long time. Ds is cruising along at this point, even APs don’t seem so taxing, either the teachers have tactically taken a breather or the kids. I keep asking if he has work to do, and he does but it’s not the all-consumming all-nighter or long papers. Has never had such good grades for some odd reason but I really think the teachers have lightened up for this month, maybe because they know the stress. If so, I thank them.</p>

<p>D is managing to be excited about what she is doing, and the “fun” stuff this spring doesn’t seem to be falling flat, luckily. It really did for my D1. Not sure how that chemistry formula works. </p>

<p>She told me yesterday she’s no closer to a decision. I suggested the “pick a school for a day” method. Today she is wearing sweatpants for one of the schools, but she’s been wearing those a lot, so I can’t say it’s “School A” day.</p>

<p>We’ve been getting offers from several schools to do online chats - but all from schools she’s not that interested in. Today we got one from one of her top 3 choices, for next Weds. I think I’m going to suggest trying it out. It’s the school with the most unknowns, so maybe she’ll get some answers, and “meet” people.</p>

<p>Happy Wednesday to all!</p>

<p>**The SS Indecision left port on April 1st.</p>

<p>The ship will stop in many ports this month with the last port call scheduled in 25 days when all final commitments to schools are due. (Or nautically speaking, it’s time to sink or swim.)**</p>

<p>Thanks, Seattle Mom and Novelisto; I talked to DH about it last night, but he is so totally in the dark about this whole trip and all the details . . . that’s MY job. I’m calling the airline this morning and changing to the nonstop. </p>

<p>After DS made his decision and talked to the college coach Monday night, we have now told one school he’s not coming there, with two others we also need to decline. Last night, we signed up for the dorm – he picked the oldest and cheapest dorm, but the one that is closest to the dining hall!! They also have a first-year seminar which all freshmen take, which starts the week before regular classes start, and lasts about 8 weeks or so. You can select four choices, but they don’t tell you until the summer which one you got. Some of his high school and club teammates are finding out where he’s going and that he’s going to get to play in college and so far they all seem excited for him.</p>

<p>Pepper and others: D has checked out here’; 24 days of school left till senior internship project; she says she is “fine” and as long as nobody notifies us otherwise, I’m ok with it…but the complaining about “don’t they realize that we are seniors?” is getting old; if I didn’t go through this once before I would actually listen…</p>

<p>She is still enjoying a couple of her classes; others she just cannot wait to finish and never have to take again…</p>

<p>amandak: I am with you on the UMiami issue; for the COA they could have had something!!!..it’s not like the Newark Airport Marriott doesn’t have a catering department…</p>

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<p>It’s not a spoiled western mindset. It is autism and/or true phobias. Yes, being autistic is limiting. Having a phobia is limiting. I doubt that any of those people will be signing up to serve in a refugee camp or the military.</p>

<p>I keep coming back to this because if your child does have a phobia about things like sharing a bathroom, don’t ignore it and think it will go away. If you’ve been around here a while, you’ve read posts by parents whose kids had OCD and they sent them off to live in a dorm with a roommate and a shared bathroom, thinking it would somehow be okay and of course, it wasn’t. If you have a gut feeling that your child won’t be able to share a bathroom, or will be serverely homesick so far from home, or won’t be able to organize himself on his own, or whatever, listen to your gut and don’t engage in magical thinking.</p>

<p>Re being so over school. This is why boychild’s school graduates the seniors 6 weeks before the school year ends. He graduates May 14th and before that is spring break week of 4/18.</p>

<p>missypie – I SO agree with you! My dd has some autistic tendencies, though she does not have a diagnosis of autism. One of her issues is sound…she cannot tolerate very loud noises. Things that you and I are able to block out are difficult for her to tolerate. Public restrooms are very difficult. First, because the toilets flush really loudly and then, the super-high-energy hand dryers that practically blow you out of the restroom, just send her over the edge. She has learned to handle the toilet flushing fairly well, but just can’t handle those darned hand dryers. We carry antibacterial hand wash with us always. This is a real problem for her – not merely being spoiled or intolerant. Some people struggle with sensory overload, some with OCD, etc. As you’ve said, it’s something to consider and not to gloss over when thinking about living conditions for your child.</p>

<p>I can’t say my son has any senioritis at all. He’s STILL concerned about missing classes for college acceptance visits and excited about tomorrows Robotics tournament but also worried about missing school for that. I’m glad, this is child number three and I really no longer have the parenting skills or energy to crack the whip any longer. He can worry about that for the both of us. Maybe it has to do with the time line. His graduation is June 17th and he will have finals well into June. Heck, prom is even in June! The only thing that is in May are the AP tests and he just has two of them.</p>

<p>My S is so done with school. All regular classes end April 15th, then he only has AP classes til the exam. He comes home most days with no homework. 3 AP classes and no homework??? How can that be? I told him I will be buying him some AP study guides to work on at home. 6 1/2 weeks til graduation. yippee!</p>

<p>School keeps sending out notices warning the seniors that they are still required to follow all the rules and regulations that have existed for the past 3.5 years they have been at the school. Punishment will be severe. The police chief in the town the prom is being held in sent a letter to the school warning that he has a zero tolerance policy regarding alcohol and drugs. Any kid found with either or found intoxicated will be arrested and prosecuted. I look back at my HS days and cross my fingers my S doesn’t attempt a lot of the stuff I did.</p>

<p>My D has senior release and now that drill team is over, she has two classes a day. Her four classes are all AP, so once the exams are over…actually, one teacher is making them actually do something after the AP exams, but I think they are watching movies in the other classes.</p>

<p>Anyone’s kid still on the fence about going to the prom? D1 doesn’t know if she’s going or not. I’m not pushing. I did notice that the location is right next to a subway stop. What are the chances that anyone would take my suggestion to use the subway? :D</p>

<p>emilybee, very jealous that your district graduates the seniors 6 weeks early. Especially since the end of our school year is in late June.</p>

<p>Bluejr’s GF’s hs finishes Sr. classes at the end of April. They then go to school for applicable AP exams. After AP exams they participate in internships for the remainder of May. She has two lined up that are in her major and are amazing. He’s pretty envious of the schedule!</p>

<p>He is far less engaged in school, although he has kept his grades up. He has incentive to keep A’s because Sr’s that earn A’s all four quarters are exempt from the final exam. I don’t see him dropping the ball with the very real possibility of getting out of school a week early and not needing to study for exams! He’s been doing freelance work for one of the sponsors of his EC. It’s far more interesting than school and he’s paid. I don’t blame him for putting more effort into work then school!!</p>

<p>S’s last day of school is June 28, so they are far from done… :(</p>

<p>Except for the AP tests (which count as the final for all AP classes) seniors do not take finals at S’s school. Once the AP exam is taken anyone in the AP class is done with that class, regardless of what grade they are in. I guess it is an incentive to those taking AP classes, you finish several weeks early.</p>

<p>School lets out for non seniors June 3rd. I feel for those kids going on til mid or the end of June.</p>

<p>S is not going to prom. He doesn’t have a gf and doesn’t want to go with just anyone. I think H is a little sad about that, he sees it as a right of passage, but S seems OK with it.</p>

<p>Add D to those who have mentally checked out from HS and senior year. She stays up late, gets up late and arrives at school late for her 1st class almost every day. The only consequence is deduction of participation points, which has not yet affected D’s grade in class. Sure, I could put my foot down and make her go on time, but I am trying to be less of a helicopter/cockpit parent and let her realize that she may be getting an A in the course, but she has probably lost the teacher’s respect. </p>

<p>She has 3 APs and the rest honors, but has next to no HW and solid grades in all classes. Go figure. I will attend my very last conference w/ her HS teachers tomorrow. I still remember going to her 1st conference when she was in kindergarten- and it seems like yesterday. </p>

<p>We remain on board SS Indecision at present- still waiting for $$ info from her top choice. If top choice $$ is not enough, she will decide b/w 2 others who’ve offered lotsa $$, and she’s definitely leaning towards one of the other 2 if comes to that. So happy to hear that many have made decisions- I am anxiously awaiting my inclusion in that group later this month.</p>

<p>Just want to add that I am so very thankful for having shared (and continuing to share)this journey with all of you-individually and collectively. You have inspired, encouraged, comforted, cheered and supported me (& my D) throughout this year. Thank you all so much :D</p>

<p>I can’t imagine having to continue senior year until the end of June. Don’t the schools know that most of these kids will be off to college by the middle of August? So that’s what… <em>July</em> to do any internships or necessary FT jobs to earn enough money to be able to go to college in the first place. Let alone maybe enjoying your final summer before all that becomes de rigueur. Jeez. Way to put more pressure on people who are already in a big ol’ crockpot. </p>

<p>I have felt for some time that school systems want to extend to all the year-round school and rather than just going for it – because they know most parents don’t like the idea – they are being sneaky and extending school into June and starting up earlier and earlier in August. If they manage it, goodbye summer camps, goodbye summer jobs, goodbye summer vacation. Children need time off from the ever increasing pressures of measured performance and most do a great deal of growing, physically <em>and</em> emotionally, during the long summer break. </p>

<p>Summer vacation may not be in keeping with the relentless drive toward scholarly perfection (and keeping up with the perfect Chinese students or whoever the bugaboo of the moment is), but it’s good for children. 6 wks in the summer sounds like a lot but it used to be 12. I’m afraid that soon it will be 3.</p>

<p>No mention of prom chez moi so far…D is just trying to keep her grades up now that she’s trying to get off the WL. Plus the graduation ceremonies will easily cost hundreds of dollars (the email for the recent meeting said “bring your checkbooks!”) between the dress, hair/makeup/shoes; dinner before; party; and celebratory breakfast. And like others, her school goes to late June. I thought senior year was supposed to be fun?</p>

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<p>I wish for my D. She keeps saying she has senioritis, but she still wants to do well in her classes, and she has been buried with work-- tons of reading, homework, quizzes and practice AP tests. I feel for her. But this weekend it should ease, and she’s going on a road trip with two friends to look at one of the girl’s colleges, so that will be a deserved break.</p>

<p>She is going to prom but may not bother with a date. She goes to a Catholic girls’ school. I went to the same school, and in our day you would never go without a date, but these girls don’t care-- they just want to have a good time, and don’t want to pay for a boy they barely know and who won’t dance anyway, so if they don’t have a boyfriend (or a gay best friend guy, in a couple of cases), they just go in a group.</p>

<p>She should be able to coast once the AP tests are done… sure looking forward to that.</p>