<p>Thanks CheckersMidwest. Appreciate your advise.</p>
<p>Will try out all those advised</p>
<p>DD will be running cross-country in the fall. All the kids are having regular practices over the summer, she is not able to do it as she is away.
We have heard that the average 5K time for a girl on the team was between 22-23 minutes. DD run a 5K just before her departure (part of our city marathon)and she was barely over 24 minutes without any real practice. I tell her she shouldn’t worry, but she thinks she will miss out on the summer practices. What do you think?
She is trying to run while away, but it is not with the team…</p>
<p>Pepper03 - DD has already visited Toledo but is going back there for the Corpus Christi celebration. We are Catholic so it should be extra special for her 
Apparently entire city smells of thyme that day !
She has just flown to Barcelona and is enjoying few days at the beach. I can’t believe my 14 year old is having all this experience. I am almost jealous (but happy for her , of course) ;)</p>
<p>Hi, My S2 is HS class2015. This is his second week into summer and he is already bored. Anyone has any suggestion for fun and educational websites for his age? He has taken Algebra I and French I in 8th grade. He did not do too good in French so any information that will help him in French will also be appreciated.</p>
<p>sunnydayfun – look for volunteer opportunities (Library, food bank, museums, look on your local high school web site) or plan some sort of reading program (give him a list of classic novels) or something like that. Your library may have language resources. If he’s a sports-minded kid, a workout program, plan to increase running speed, etc. . . . It really depends on his interests.</p>
<p>My S’15 has one more week and he’ll be done with middle school! He’s already working front and back desk at the pool and his baseball season is wrapping up.</p>
<p>His HS doesn’t require summer assignments as they like to let the kids enjoy breaks (they don’t have assignments over any school break). There is a suggested reading list which I will have him read something from but otherwise he’s been doing really well focusing on his studies this year (and improvement over last year) that I don’t mind if he spends his days either working at the pool or being at the pool :)</p>
<p>I’m trying to see if he’d be interested in rowing next year instead of baseball (he loves baseball but is nearing where he isn’t sure he wants to keep at it) and with his height (he’s 6’1" now and growing it seems), his height would be good for crew and as a former rower and my oldest also rows, I am beginning to miss it (even if he’d be rowing for my rival HS, LOL).</p>
<p>Thinkwell courses are really good I think, we have mostly done the math courses, in my experience the kid gets a lot more out of them if they watch it in a common area with a parent nearby, and do the homework. The lecturers are really good. </p>
<p>Art of Problem Solving also has great online math courses that are starting around this time.</p>
<p>Laurelhurst, thank you for your input on thinkwell. The price is quite reasonable for their courses. We haven’t done any AofP courses but I bought many of their books. We used them a lot, really like them. </p>
<p>Summer has been really good so far. In a week D. will go to her 3-wk CTY camp.</p>
<p>Between my two, we’ve done a LOT of AoPS courses, and really think the world of them. It does require a kids with a certain amount of discipline. The pace is fast, and if you fall behind, it can be tough to catch up. </p>
<p>My D’15 will also be at a 3-week CTY camp this summer, but the second session. We’re feeling luck that it’s available, since the high school canceled the “mandatory” summer school course she had to take. Lots of driving for me, but that’s OK.</p>
<p>D’15 is playing in a wedding today, and it’s the wedding of two musicians, which is a little nervous-making. It’s outside on a small pond, and should be lovely (not that I’ll be there).</p>
<p>Enjoy the weekend!</p>
<p>I’m curious about the Art of Problem solving courses. My husband went to school with the guy who did an “Art of Problem Solving” video lecture series for The Teaching Company. It got over my head (or at least beyond my interest level) after about the 4th lecture. Anyhow, are A/P courses just for math competition kids? I’ll check out the ThinkWell classes, too. On a completely different note, I just read,</p>
<p>“All 6,800 post-secondary institutions that receive federal student aid funds are required to post a net price calculator on their Web sites by October 29. Net price is an individual‖s estimated education cost after subtracting merit and need-based federal, state, and institutional grants, which a student is eligible to receive, from a college‖s published cost of attendance, an amount also referred to as the “sticker price.”</p>
<p>I wasn’t aware that many schools already do this. There is a site, StudentAid.com, that some schools work with to provide this information that also creates individual family reports for a fee.</p>
<p>Kelowna my son was in Spain for Holy Week. We too are Catholic and he found the experience meaningful on that level as well. He even was able to attend Easter Services in Madrid! He is a lector at our parish and read last year during Holy Week so I missed him very much but was happy he got to experience Spain during such a week. I would not be surprised if he does an international co-op in Spain during college-although I don’t know if he will continue to formally study the language he does love it and the Spanish culture. How exciting your daughter has such an opportunity.</p>
<p>My daughter is still in school-the last day is this Tuesday. She played soccer and basketball at the middle school and has played both for years but will only be playing soccer in HS. I know many kids play a sport every season but she wants to just stick with one and join other things. They do expect you to play all summer-which in her mind is vacation and beach time! They “strongly encourage” the kids to attend an overnight camp for three days at a cost of $400! No thanks!</p>
<p>@IJustDrive - Which instrument does your D15 play?</p>
<p>my D. also has never taken courses with AoP, but we also have all their books and used them often. In the summer I work with her, using the algebra book of AoP. We have also used the counting and probability book and videos with a group consisting my D. and another girl. The videos are well made. I also like the books. </p>
<p>I’m not aware of thinkwell. Is it an online course? Do they cover a lot of subjects?</p>
<p>My D. took several CTY online courses, all on writing. she really enjoyed them. She had good instructors. she called and talked to the instructor twice a week to discuss the assignments and other issues. I’m happy she had this mentor-student relationship with her online teachers. CTY online courses are not cheap, cost >$800/course. I think it’s a bit steep. But it’s worth the money.</p>
<p>Can some one please share the Biology book for my S’s high school</p>
<p>Would like my S to atleast get a feel for Biology (hope he would open the book) before school starts</p>
<p>Let me rephrase</p>
<p>Looking for the name of a High School Biology book for my S… I would like to buy it for him. Advise the author and pubkisher please</p>
<p>Murugan,It is better if you call your hs.Each district follow different authors book even if the syllabus is the same.Sometimes books are available for purchase in the school library.</p>
<pre><code> Otherwise get the title and you can buy the used books from amazon.They are usually cheaper.I did that for my D15 for her algebra honors and chemistry books.
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<p>Thanks Tripleamom</p>
<p>WIll do</p>
<p>A week till the school is over.Pretty much nothing to do for the kids.Having fun with field trips and fun activities.After that going on a long vacation for 7 weeks.Verry excitied.
They have two rehersals for the promotion.Just a small group of around 60 kids.I don’t know why they need 2 rehersals.Did any of your kids school did this?And the actual promotion is four hours.I don’t know how iam going to sit there with my three yr. old son.The thought itself is tiring.</p>
<p>Murugan, the books are pretty expensive,in case if didn’t know.The used books itself cost around 50 to 80 bucks .</p>
<p>Tripleamom–Two rehearsals sounds like overkill to me, too! We have something in common in addition to our 2015 kids–preschoolers! I got a babysitter for our 2 1/2 year old for D’s graduation. That turned out to be a very good decision–based on the toddler’s awful behaviour at Elmo Live yesterday (!!!), I probably would have missed a lot of D’s graduation or at a minimum ticked off a lot of the spectators unfortunate enough to be seated near us. The babysitter was well worth the $. I only wish I had gotten one for Elmo, too (just kidding).</p>
<p>wordworld,Having a babysitter is a good idea.I have to look for one.Thank you for the suggestion.Wish i could do the same with my 19 hours flight time.Already packing lots of coloring books and crayons.Hope things go smooth.</p>
<pre><code> Did your toddler enjoy elmo?Maybe i can take mine too.
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