<p>AtomicGirl and mamabear, add me to the 2011 son and 2013 daughter club :)</p>
<p>AtomicGirl, I’m going to start homeschooling LuckyYoungest (dd10) in the fall! We’re going to keep her home until high school—she’ll probably go to her sister’s school then.</p>
<p>LuckyGirl is taking</p>
<p>English 1
French 1
World History
Bio
Geometry
freshmen religion class
Acting 1 first semester/gym & health this semester</p>
<p>Her school has “phases” for academic levels, 1-5. 3 is considered college prep, 4 and 5 are Honors. Phase 5 classes carry the most weight. For her phased classes (the usual academics, not religion etc), she is in 5. The school is pretty large—there are two sections of most phase 5 classes.</p>
<p>On the permit thing, my D1 had been a huge help in transporting my other two to their activities. When she left for college, I miss that help as much as I miss her! So, yep, D2 has her permit and will get her license when she turns 16. I sure don’t love driving with her for her permit year but I can’t wait till she’s ready to drive!</p>
<p>mom2them - I had to laugh at how similar our 2 are in the differences. My D’10 is all math/science and has wanted to go into mechanical engineering since middle school and loves it the more she does. My D2 ('13) is strong in math, 2 years ahead, but hates it too and is my drama/arts girl! And she’s the avid reader and much better test taker so I’m curious how she’ll do on the SAT and ACT but I don’t think I’ll have her try them until junior year. My D’10 struggles with standardized tests even though she is a great student and can handle a rigorous course load - she’s one of those where the classes really are hard, she is still tops in them, but her test scores don’t match that. Still solid scores that will serve her well I hope but I expect D’13 to top those. For D’13 though, who is intimidated by the classes D’10 takes and her GPA, it will be good for her to excel at something more than her older sister. I also have an S’15 who is a blend really of his sisters and all we know is that he needs to end up in some non-desk job! Actually, same with D’13 - she right now is passionate about photography and turning that into a career so we’ll see if that carries through.</p>
<p>You’re right! Our kids’ differences are similar!!</p>
<p>I am having to come to terms with my first real issue of teenage rebellion…</p>
<p>Both of my kids are really good kids (again DS - 19 and DD - 15) and while we’ve argued about things here and there (clean up your room, turn the radio down, etc.), I’ve never heard the typical teenage proclamation: “But it’s my life…” </p>
<p>until now!</p>
<p>My D (HS’13) had to turn in her course schedule request for next year. In middle school she was in band and choir. As a freshman she chose band. The band director is new, young, and “completely immature”…that’s according to her (and I agree… at the Christmas band concert I was embarrased for him b/c to say he was less than professional would be an understatement.). </p>
<p>She met the HS choir director while in 8th grade and worked with him in the fall in the school’s musical which he jointed directed with her drama teacher. He wants her in choir, and she said in january she would switch. Now, after being asked to being in honor band, now she’s turned in her schedule with band. </p>
<p>She wants to be in Musical Theatre and I’ve told her that she won’t have to play her instrument for auditions, but sing. I know it’s her life; but I’ve read enough of these boards to know that singing is probably weighed more than dancing…which is her strength.</p>
<p>I guess I am most disappointed that she’s not listening to me and valuing my judgment. I think she’s getting peer pressure from her friends to say in band… and that’s probably what I’m most upset about.</p>
<p>I know we raise them to leave the nest, but it hurts and really makes me mad that she’s worried more about these other kids and not thinking long-term about what she needs… URGH!</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcome all, I appreciate it.</p>
<p>I can sympathize with you, Mom2them. My son and I have been going back and forth with class schedules. We are united in what we think will be best, but it took a LOT of talking it out for him to realize I was not imposing an agenda on him, but wanting to maximize what little time we had to “catch up” since he decided this year to pursue a different major than he was going to and he needs to “beef” up his classes in music to compensate. But agreeing on what would be best was not easy. I loved his line," But mom you have to be logical about this…" Yeah, me the engineer, not logical…I’m used to getting the other accusation, stop being so logical, and let your heart decide…</p>
<p>Best of Luck to you and your daughter</p>
<p>And to KLucky, I wish I could have homeschooled longer and still have been able to have the kids compete for spots in the State schools, our states really have no way of dealing with them. The best we could do was more of an accredited independent study, not true homeschooling, so we put them into school. I miss having complete control over their schedule and timing. (Several years ago we went to China for 2.5 weeks, never would have been able to with the kids in school.)</p>
<p>My goodness AtomicGirl, dh and I were talking yesterday about going to China with our youngest (once the older ones are in college–that would be her 8th grade year, the last homeschooling)! We have native Chinese friends who teach at the oh-so-local State Flagship who take a group of students/faculty/locals to China every year during the January winter term. </p>
<p>We live in an exceptionally homeschooling-friendly MidAtlantic state The State Flagship’s website mentions hs highschoolers in several sections on its website. We’re only going to be homeschooling gr 5-8 though.</p>
<p>Just found out today that all freshman are taking a “practice” ACT at school on Tuesday. All Juniors HAVE to take it on Tuesday as it is a graduation requirement in the state of TN. In the message we got, it said they would get reports back so every student could see their strengths & weaknesses (which sounds remarkably like a regular ACT report.) Do ACTs stay on their records from freshman year? And they can send whatever results they want for ACTs correct?</p>
<p>Yes they can send whichever reports they want for ACT, most schools for the ACT know that you have to pay per test that you send so they only request that you send one(presumably your best one). I would love to have D’13 take a few tests just to get an idea of where she’ll fall with them but I don’t want to scare her off of them either so I sort of wish she had to do a practice one Here though she’ll do a practice PSAT in 10th so we’ll go with that. Her scores have always qualified her for CTY, etc but she’s just not interested, sigh!</p>
<p>This is the first year that they’re making the Freshmen take them. In the message, they said they have a goal of having the school average be a 24, so they’re exposing them to it earlier. For my older D who is currently a senior, they took the PLAN (pre-ACT) at the beginning of their junior year, and their ACT in the Spring. They were offered the chance to take the PSATs as sophomores & juniors, but it wasn’t required. My younger D was strongly encouraged to take the PSAT as a freshman this past fall so I guess the school is trying to raise scores on both tests. </p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification! My oldest was a “one and done” girl for the ACT so I didn’t know.</p>
<p>I asked the principal about the ACT scores for freshmen last night; they’re taking an ACT test but having them scored by an outside source so they won’t have “official” scores; they’re just being used for testing experience, and to see where any deficiencies lie. We’ll get a score report back with areas of improvement needed highlighted. OK.</p>
<p>If you have the chance to go to China with a local as your guide, I highly recommend it. That’s what we did, best trip ever. Find a way to do that trip if you can, you won’t regret it. We were fortunate to have locals from there take us around, they had only visited the US for a year and we got to know them then. We were able to meet their families, wives, children etc. Most phenomenal trip. We all still talk about it…years later.</p>
<p>Imagine walking across Tienanmen Square discussing “Lady Liberty” and the uprising there, and getting the Chinese view, not American. I’ll never forget that and walking/hiking the Great Wall. Some of the steps are so tall we had haul my D up them because she was too tiny. And the Summer Palace outside Beijing with it’s huge man-made (hand dug) lake. I could keep posting about it forever.</p>
<p>^I still remember PCM was in her third trimester with D1 when we climbed the icy steps of the Great Wall many moons ago. Defintely get a trustworthy local guide.</p>
<p>^Wow, I was winded and I was in pretty good physical shape…and so was our local friend, who jogged and was in excellent shape…funny story here…</p>
<p>We walked along the restored part of the wall, but then we went beyond the tower where most were resting and walked on a bit of non-restored wall. No one was on that non-restored part until we started doing it, then the natives started scaling it…they were not to be outdone…most of the Chinese thought we were from Australia being a bit closer than the US.</p>
<p>My D is going to be starting high school in the fall (sniff). As you guys wind down your kids freshman year, what have you learned? What do you wish you knew at this time last year?</p>
<p>We did the general open house last week, and Monday we are going to the open house specific to her magnet program. I plan on having her attend every even the high school holds for upcoming freshmen between now and August.</p>
<p>My freshman D is my #2, so a lot of the “what I wish I had known” was answered by going down the path once already. One thing I did do with #2 (and what I’ve advised some rising freshman parents this year) is make sure that they don’t close any doors that they don’t have to yet. Big example: we have the IB program at our school. D1 went to the presentations and then said “no, I don’t think it’s a good fit.” In reality, her freshman & sophomore courses would have been the same whether she said yes or no. D2 said “yes” to IB even though she’s not 100% sure that she’ll finish the program. But at least that option is still open to her.</p>
<p>I think making sure that you do go to all the meetings, tours & events is great so you can meet people involved in the school (admin, teachers & other parents.) Make sure you sign up for the school emails as early as you can, because I know that information comes out in the Spring for Fall events (especially athletics.)</p>
<p>I don’t post on here a lot yet because I’m still trying to launch ds1, a '10er, but the main thing I’ve done this freshman year is to be much less vested in how/what he does. The second time around I know that it will work out in the end and so don’t worry about. Of course, the kind of kid ds2 is has a lot to do with it.</p>
<p>Hi! My DD is a freshman this year, can’t believe we are beginning the 4th quarter already. DD is a gifted student, but was diagnosed ADD inattentive type two years ago. She is holding steady at about a 3.5 gpa, but has significant executive functioning issues. I am helping her keep on track, sometimes it feels like I am in high school again! I am nervous about her attending college when she can’t find her homework half of the time, but I am hoping that as she moves through high school she will find her own way of getting through(fingers crossed!).</p>
<p>My question…at your child’s high school do they take the PSAT in 10th or 11th grade? I have seen it both ways here. DD is planning on taking it this fall. She does very well on standardized tests, so I am hoping she will do well on the PSAT. Is anyone planning on doing any prep before the test? The local CC offers an online ACT/SAT prep, and I am wondering if something like that would have any value. DD’s cognitive ability is very high, but math is a little more of a struggle.</p>
<p>YDS - I have the same approach with D2- more laid back and know it will all work out as well as she is a different creature over her older sister!</p>
<p>Midwest - Our county has them take the PSAT in both 10th and 11th so D2 will take it this fall. I’m curious to hear if anyone recommends prepping - we never did for D1, whereas we probably should have since she struggles with such tests but D2 has always taken such tests with ease so I’m not sure.</p>
<p>Midwest: D1 took the PSAT in 10th & 11th grade (11th grade is when it counts for National Merit) but they started recommending that the kids take it in 9th, 10th & 11th starting this year so that’s what D2 has/will be doing. I wouldn’t bother with any serious prep before the 10th grade one, with the exception of having them take the sample test that comes in the booklet you get when you register. But that’s just me :)</p>
<p>BTW, my oldest has ADHD-Inattentive & NVLD with executive function issues along with being gifted. One thing that worked with us was getting her a tutor that worked specifically on the organization, and study skill issues. It’s hard to believe she’s the same student now; she keeps on top of things and I don’t have to remind her. It also helped to keep our relationship intact.</p>
<p>Rob~
That sounds similar to our situation! We suspected NVLD when DD went through her testing, only to find ADD inattentive and anxiety(which has manifested in OCD). It is a delicate balance with her because the stimulants aggrivate her OCD, but without them she is off in the clouds. I have a nephew that was just diagnosed PPD/NOS, and DD definitely shares some of the same traits. Where did you find your tutor, and when did you start using one? I have been unable to find one in our metro area, but maybe I am looking in the wrong place. I would love to find something like that, the whole thing has been hard on our relationship.</p>
<p>I didn’t even think about kids taking the PSAT twice, I only remember taking it once. I will talk to the counselor to be sure, but if that is the case then a prep class won’t be necessary right now. That is good to know!</p>
The State Flagship’s website mentions hs highschoolers in several sections on its website. We’re only going to be homeschooling gr 5-8 though.</p>