Wow! That’s quite a story. So sad on so many levels.
Did anyone else get PSAT scores this week?
My D16 got her scores this week, S18 didn’t take the PSAT this year. D16 did very well and S18 will have a tough act to follow. S18 has always been very competitive with his older sister.
Do you try to discourage the competitiveness? I always worry about siblings who compete. Each kid is a completely different person.
Yes I have done everything to discourage competitiveness but it’s an innate drive with s18. When d16 was 5 and s18 was 3, D was having issues with reading in her K class. This was before we started homeschooling but I started helping her with flash cards, level books and a book called The Reading Lesson. to help her stay on track with her classmates. S18 was so ticked off when D16 started to read and he couldn’t. He used to sneak into her room and take her books and with out my help taught himself to read because he couldn’t stand his sister doing something he could not. By the time he was 5 he was reading Harry Potter on his own.
S18 has always been physically and intellectually mature for his age and he and his sister were pretty much treated like twins until D16 started high school. I did insist that they do different ec as they got older, play different instruments and different sports. They work really well together and always try to help each. It’s just that S18 always tries to ‘best’ his siblings doesn’t matter if it’s a test score or a game of Monopoly it’s just his personality.
I guess I could have worse problems than him wanting to get better grades, PSAT/SAT scores than his sister. Last week they came home talking about a new elective class that will be offered at school next year and they both want to take it and told me how cool it would be if they got into the same class, All I thought was oh, the poor teacher! At least it will be taught by a teacher that has had my daughter in the past and has my son this year so she is familiar with them individually.
Overheard on the way to school this morning, “is it just me or is Odysseus a jerk?” I had to work to not laugh.
Second semester is underway . . .
The college mail for my 2018er is ramping up. Gross.
Hi, I’m relatively new to CC, joined a couple of months ago while waiting for DD18’s early decision. I have boy/girl twins who are 2018. Can’t really wrap my head around my babies being in high school and prepping for college!
DD18 is completely focused and driven, she’s a level 10 gymnast - school, gym, school, gym, repeat.
DS18 is the polar opposite, skates thru school and life, happy with B’s and occasional C. Ugh. Frustrating because he can do well, he chooses not to.
My D18 took PSAT when she was a sophomore. In our school, it is mostly taken by juniors, she was one of few soph taking the test. I don’t know if any freshmen take it…it does seem like every year, things are being done earlier and earlier though.
I guess I have a year’s worth of posts to go back and read to catch up! 
Welcome gymmonkeymomma. This thread will be continuing for several years, so take your time catching up.
Helimom - I just found out that S’18 has been receiving email from colleges ever since he got his PSAT scores back a few weeks ago. A few pieces of mail as well, but mostly email. I think it doesn’t mean anything and is mostly worth ignoring at this point.
On the other end of the spectrum, we got a piece of mail a few days ago addressed to my older son who is now a college sophomore, So I know of at least one school out there that needs to update their database.
Welcome gymmonkeymomma! DD has gotten a few emails from Cross Country coaches, but nothing from the PSAT yet.
Oops I just realized I meant my. D15 took PSAT as sophomore.
DD applying for summer jobs. Should hear in March. It’s earn tuition money at a job or earn credits in summer school.
Learning to earn - that’s a good way to spend the summer. S’18 will spend most of the summer helping coach tennis at a local public court. No pay, but hours count toward community service, so time well spent. Plus it’s a very active job leading 4-6 year old kids around a tennis court for three hours a day.
Welcome, everyone! 2018 Son is excited about receiving college mail. I’m finishing the college app season now with 2015 Daughter, so I’m much more cynical about college mail coming to him but I don’t want to pop his bubble. 2018 Son is excited about Orchestra camp this summer, and growing his garage-based computer repair and building business.
My 2 are late July babies, so no jobs available until they turn 15 
they will fill up time with volunteer work. D18 is hoping to go to a college camp for gymnastics.
S18 is my middle child and surrounded by very competitive, high achieving siblings. His mom and I always worry S18 feels a bit overshadowed by them. It came to a bit of a head recently, as all three children were cast in the same spring musical at S18’s school. Despite a great tryout performance, S18 did not get the role he wanted and was cast in the ensemble. To make it worse, his sister got a significant role (expected) while his little brother got a lead (very unexpected, but there was a lead role for a child actor). S18 seemed bummed but shook it off. Then, in the past week or so, fortunes have turned! The ensemble roles are quite significant in this musical and also the director decided S18 can dance and cast him as one of the main dancers in the musical! Then a young lady also in the theater group asked him to another school’s Winter Formal (first real date!). So great to see him speading his wings.
2018 Son is in the first blush of first love. His ladylove will be at our house tomorrow night for their First Date, and
they’ll eat pizza and watch “The Wrath of Khan” with the whole fam in attendance. We’ve been searching the land for the best, most perfect sweater for this momentous occasion.
Has everyone gotten enrollment packets for sophomore year?
S’18 has met with guidance counselors and selected his preferences for electives for next year. They are assigned to core courses based on current status and teacher recommendations (AP, Gifted, Honors, etc.). I think they get a tentative schedule later in the semester, another in the summer, another on the first day of school and a final schedule a few weeks into school (yup - schedules change even after school starts as a result of classroom size rules at the state level). I don’t think the changes result in different classes, maybe just different times and teachers as new classes open or close depending on demand.
DD’s school had their curriculum fair last week where kids could stop in and learn about the different electives open to her. As a sophomore she really only has one spot open on her schedule. She has her four core classes, gym, and a foreign language already fixed on her schedule. Ordinarily she would likely take a “personal finance” class (graduation requirement) but she will take that online over the summer to free up room for an elective – probably journalism. She is sad that she won’t have room to take chorus again next year though.
On another note – spring sports tryouts start next week. Hopefully we break out of these chilly temperatures and the snow we got last night melts. But I’m not in Boston, so our snow is paltry compared to that!