<p>Grades a solid and cross country season has gone well. All happy.</p>
<p>Ditto here. Great grades. Band season is busy and going well. Sâ18 is a happy boy right now.</p>
<p>So far, so good for freshman year! Orchestra season heats up next semester, so weâll see how it affects his grades. </p>
<p>Hard to believe there is only a month left of DDâs first semester. Time flies. Had our first conference with counselor. Learned that the PSAT next year (fall 2015) will have the new SAT questions (based on Common Core). Also was told that Naviance now has SAT practice questions . . . who knew?</p>
<p>My D has a biology teacher this year that is really amazing. She is loving his class & seems to be blossoming under his personal encouragement toward her. Sheâs spending her Saturday morning in his classroom doing an optional lab. Feel so grateful to teachers like this who inspire our kids. </p>
<p>I think my DD didnât adjust to high school courses, sport/school activities and common core standards well. DD is doing great with her golf, Chinese and Future classes (3 A+ there), but so far 3 low Bs on her all honor core courses (Algebra II, Bio and English). :(. She is trying to bring up her grade before the semester end, but I donât know if itâs possible. 
Itâs easy to drop a letter grade but very hard to brig it up! </p>
<p>Did any 2018ers take the PSAT this year? No scores yet in Oklahoma.</p>
<p>My D took them - my understanding is that the school gets the scores this month. At our school, they donât share with the students until January.</p>
<p>My S took them as well. They said it was possible the scores would be distributed to the students before winter break, but more likely in January. The school (a public school) pays for each student to take the PSAT in 9th, 10th and 11th grade. Itâs a good thing, in my opinion, as my older son was very comfortable with the test by time he took it in 11th grade. One lesson learned - the scores go up between 9th and 11th, so no need for concern the first time around. It seems obvious, but some parents and students panicked after seeing 9th grade scores.</p>
<p>New this time around the school is paying for each student to take a practice ACT each year as well. Then in 11th grade the school pays for one taking of the SAT or ACT. They are very into having a high number of kids go on to college.</p>
<p>Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and that all the kids have settled into HS life now that the first semester is getting closer to done.</p>
<p>My D took something else (I forget what the name of the test was), which apparently was similar to the PSAT. Sheâll takes the PSAT in 10th grade, and then again in 11th. I am not really concerned about standardized testing, particularly this early in the game. As someone said, scores will go up between now and when they are official. I would prefer that she focus on her grades, and right now she has very good grades, played a sport in the fall, sings in the chorus, and manages the boys basketball team so she is handling the juggling act well.</p>
<p>I also learned from my experience with my older son that sometimes a low key approach works best. He didnât take any prep classes or even study for standardized exams and scored a 34 on his first try on the ACT. He didnât do as well on the SAT but still broke 1400 (M+CR) using the same approach.</p>
<p>My 2018 son has never stressed over testing. He takes a curiosity approach to them, like a puzzle. Thankfully heâs not into the the competitive test scores scene.</p>
<p>S18 competed in his first fencing tournament today. He was a little disappointed but I think he did well for his first time. His coach was impressed enough to invite him to start a âby invitation onlyâ Saturday class and found out that we are now at the point that he needs his own gear (heâs been using club gear). I really had no idea how much gear was involved in fencing! Since heâll be fencing 5+ hours a week next semester heâll get a PE wavier and his fencing can count for his required PE credit. Heâll be much happier fencing than taking PE.</p>
<p>S18âs school does not take PSAT freshman year. Wish they did. But they do a lot of PSAT prep work thoughout so he will be well prepared. Waiting anxiously for 2nd quarter grades to see if he pulled out all Aâs. One or two classes are on the edge. Either way, he had a great first semester and exceeded our expectations with his study habits and drive. Happy Holidays to everyone!</p>
<p>One semester of H.S. in the bag! Doesnât seem like that long ago that we had to wait until after break to get report cards. Now, with all the internet based grading systems, grades come trickling in whenever a specific teacher updates the page? Isnât that weird? DDâ18 has two of her grades already. She has no idea when she will get the others.</p>
<p>Happy school break to all. HS finals arenât until after the winter break around here, so no grades until sometime mid-January. PSAT scores in early January (not that these count for anything, but a good judge of where he stands two years early).</p>
<p>We have a marimba in our living room for break. Getting ready for indoor percussion season. Itâs a nice change from the drum set and concert snare.</p>
<p>Sâ18 will be issued his learners permit if he passes the rules of the road test tomorrow (be very afraid).</p>
<p>Merry Christmas to all!</p>
<p>One more week left of Winter Break, and we are so thankful. Lots of pajama-wearing and movie-watching here.</p>
<p>DD just finished her last running workout of 2014 . . . Happy New Year everyone!</p>
In the news this morning in our community - a girl from Dâs high school had an 18th birthday party this weekend, complete with Playboy mansion theme, copious alcohol & inappropriate photos. 150 - 200 teens attended. The cops broke it up, arrested her father who had been there the whole time along with several other adults, & assisted two boys who had passed out drunk. The father is a lawyer and the mom (who apparently was not there) is the past president of the district PTA. Not that surprised at the behavior of the kids, but absolutely appalled with the parents and other adults involved.
@GertrudeMcFuzzâ - heard about that on the local radio today.