<p>How’s your kids’ CTY experience? D. came back with what she calls post cty depression. she made many friends. I think Lancaster is a really good site.</p>
<p>D is having a super terrific time at CTY-Carlisle! They’re about half-way through the second session. Aside from the cost, it was really just the right thing for her this summer.</p>
<p>I was just thinking of bumping this thread to see how everyone was doing.</p>
<p>D2 headed to Freshman Orientation this morning.She has been at a magnet school for the past 4 years and is returning to our home high school. I was surprised how nervous she was. She asked me to walk her in- so unlike her. I think she forgets how many of these kids she knows from elementary school and from neighborhood swim team etc</p>
<p>Summer disappearing for us school starts Aug 8th and tryouts are next week. D1 leaves for college same day as D2 starts high school. That is going to be a loooooong day!</p>
<p>Hope all are enjoying summer!</p>
<p>Wow Gibson you do start early! We don’t go back until right after Labor Day so we are still over a month out though fall sports tryouts/practices will be starting up shortly though I don’t think either D2 ('13) or S ('15) are planning on doing any sport this fall. </p>
<p>I contacted the guidance department to see about switching an elective for him but don’t know how well they are staffed this summer - I guess I could ask D2 to ask her BF’s Mom (one of the GC) LOL!</p>
<p>We start the week before Labor Day. My daughter has had her orientation and will have open house, where they walk through their schedules, the Thursday before school starts. She decided not to try out for the tennis team this year but wait and improve over the next year before trying out.</p>
<p>Right now, she’s away on a youth group trip. She’s done most of her summer reading but hasn’t started her French or geometry assignments. She’ll be busy when she gets back!</p>
<p>Yes , we do start early and it is going to be HOT! We complain about the early start date every year. The county moved to 2 semesters and I guess this is how they squeeze in 90 days before the winter break. We let out May 20 this year. I would much rather be in till the end of May and start back later in August, but oh well.</p>
<p>Shilly-I need to make a switch on D’s electives too on the second semester. But, I am going to wait till school is back. Much more relaxed with this second child in hs : )</p>
<p>Quotia- For once we didn’t have summer assignments. My elder D told her sister to enjoy, this would be her last summer "free " till she graduates HS. Next summer she will have AP assignments and needs to start building her resume. Can you tell we have just been through the whole college app process? LOL</p>
<p>Son had a great time at first session CTY-Carlisle. When I picked him up he said he was ready to go home but really wanted to come back next year. I am getting ready to take just him on a cruise to Alaska (its a belated Bar Mitzvah present) and then its back to school a the end of August, very fast summer this year.</p>
<p>He has finished one of the two books assigned for summer reading and should finish the second during the cross country flights. The only reason I knew about the assignments was because I checked the HS website looking for something for my older son and saw English summer assignments for 9th grade. According to son, no one mentioned this at Middle School or High School orientation, should be interesting to see how many kids have read the books.</p>
<p>My D also learned yesterday, from a classmate with an older brother, that there is summer HW for 9th grade H.LanguageArts. Their middle-school teachers never mentioned anything. Perhaps the assignment(s) will be promulgated at HS registration, which happens one week before classes start?</p>
<p>Anyone have any experience with the Stanford Achievement Tests? I’ve got my D15 and D16 enrolled in what amounts to a private summer school program at a local tutoring outfit, and I just found out that the program culminates in this Stanford testing, for which they charge $100 additional to the camp tuition. I hate the idea of torturing the kids with testing like this, when my intention was just to give them something constructive to do school-wise that didn’t require nagging from me. I’m also annoyed that I’m being charged extra without prior knowledge. The director is pushing the tests and says that the same testing, outside of the camp program, in the fall would cost $600 per child if I wanted to do it. Thoughts?</p>
<p>My D. has summer reading assignment - Great Expectations, with tons of questions to answer. she is about done.
She has a band camp starting tomorrow. The camp is 4 days this week, from 8am to 5pm, 3 half days next week and 2 half days the week after that. Then school starts the very next day.</p>
<p>I don’t know what they do for a 8-5 band camp day. It’s very hot here still. It’s a camp for marching band. A camp day is longer than a school day. Any of your kids have had band camp experience? What do they do during those long hours?</p>
<p>My kids aren’t in marching band, but we live near the HS and see the band camp kids outside doing their drills. They spend a lot of time marching around in the sun. Your D should bring sunscreen and a hat. Also a water bottle on a strap, so she can carry it around with her.</p>
<p>@mihcal1, thanks! The advice is much appreciated. The band teacher didn’t tell us anything. It’s very strange. All we got is the band music and from a meeting I attended two months ago telling us the schedule.</p>
<p>I took a wrong turn and ended up here by accident (DD1 is college class of 2015, DD2 is hs class of 2014… oops!), but I can answer the marching band question before I leave as both my girls were/are involved.</p>
<p>Our band camp is 8-8 the first 3 days, then 8-5 the second two, so we throw dinner and movie night, talent night in there as well so they have some bonding time outside of the music part. During an 8-5 day, though, they can expect sectionals where they learn the music with just their section (winds, low brass, mellies, drumline, pit, etc) and also learn the field routine. Rookies also need to learn exactly how to march in the style of the band as it’s not the same as just walking from one spot to the next. </p>
<p>They will also work with the band as a whole, as they learn how their parts interact with the other sections. They will also incorporate the color guard. The directors see what works, change some things, etc. Then, if available, they start working with the props.</p>
<p>There are usually three movements to the music. Music and choreography have to be memorized by the end of camp, so they usually just start with the first movement and keep working it until it is learned and then go onto the second and then the third. Then it gets all put together.</p>
<p>Part of band camp and all this practicing is conditioning. They need to be able to hold up their instruments for the entire 8 or so minutes of the show, while marching. It’s not as easy as it sounds! I give these kids a lot of credit… it really should be considered a sport (and at some schools it is).</p>
<p>They get a nice lunch break to get out of the sun and off their feet. We also have plenty of water breaks and freezie pop breaks. Band moms send in cut up fruit and treats for the afternoon, which is always appreciated.</p>
<p>As the above poster said, bring water, sunscreen and a hat as they will be outside for much of the day. As the season goes on, depending on where you live, plan for weather changes. When school starts and we get into October, it gets cooler after the sun goes down. DD learned to keep both a tank top and a hoodie or long sleeve tshirt in her bag so she was prepared for being both too warm and too cold. Also, our kids practice in their dinkles (white shoes) but if you don’t know, definitely plan for sneakers and not sandals.</p>
<p>Good luck with your season and have fun! If you are allowed to video tape, get a video of a complete run through toward the end of camp or very early in the season, and then watch it at the end of the season… you will be amazed at how far they get and how polished it becomes!</p>
<p>Haven’t ever had a child involved in marching band but many of their friends are and I give a lot of credit to their commitment and dedication - it doesn’t look easy and they are devoted! Here it is just starting as well, a month before school starts and they seem to go all day.</p>
<p>8/8 at 8, D. went to the marching band camp with a Beatles shirt on and dressed up all musical. 
@JAM, Thank you very much for the input. We read it last night and it was very helpful.</p>
<p>D2 started high school today… same day as her older sister left for college.</p>
<p>I am very impressed she is signing up for the SAT question of the day- wow! I guess the second one is so much more clued in!</p>
<p>Bragging now- just found out she made the varsity softball team. </p>
<p>These next 4 years will go sooooooo fast : (</p>
<p>^^^Wow! That is an early start. Congrats on the softball.</p>
<p>@Maxwellequations re Band Camp My D16 has attended Signature Music Camp (a residence program) the past two years. Focus is on band, but they have many classes throughout the day and additional content at night Besides band, everyone sings, so everyone participates in the large group choir, and the large band. In addition, kids either do show chorus or jazz band. My daughter did show chorus since she plays flute. All of the instruments also have their own master class. They have no trouble filling up nearly 12 hours of programmed activity.</p>
<p>What is CTY? I can glean a lot from the posts here but I’m not familiar with this program.</p>
<p>Tutor – CTY is the Center for Talented Youth run by Johns Hopkins. They have school-year and summer programs, both enrichment and replacement classes. CTY also runs Talent Search (middle school students taking SAT or ACT as out of level tests) for the northeast US and CA. CTD is the organization in the Midwest, Duke TIP in the southeast. </p>
<p>CTY is the oldest and their summer programs are the most well established, and in addition to a good track record, have a great deal of tradition. </p>
<p>The summer programs are on the pricey side, but our experience with it this summer was superb.</p>