Parents of the HS Class of 2019 (Part 1)

@replyback Wow, the most competitive school in our area only has 3 NMSF. We live in West Texas and it is very low key here.

Thank you @carolinamom2boys @VANURSEPRAC 2019hope For your attention. the example from calorinamom2boys is something we will keep in mind. We were not aware as much, we did not do our schooling in USA and thought process was if our son can even be in top 25% in a school that is nationally ranked top 50 public school that has to count much more than being in top 5% in the other HS in same city. Yes, we are talking to the second son and hanging the threat of moving out as well! Think S2 surely has the talent to get more than B in Hon Math,as he scored 100% in state level proficiency test Math section, end of 8th gr.

Two kids have committed suicide in the last month from my kids school. If I didn’t have perspective on grades before that, I sure do now. There are thousands of schools in the United States, not one. There are many way to achieve financial success. What I know is that I want my kids to choose a good night’s sleep over the difference between a high A and a low A. I want my kids to choose to spend a bit of time goofing around on the computer instead of stressing so much over a grade that they think a low A is the worst thing in the world. Ours isn’t even a super highly competitive district but I know there are two families wondering every day what they did to make their 16 year old kids think that their lives weren’t worth living.

I don’t know whether grades played any part in these suicides, but I know that these suicides have played a part in my perspective of my kids grades.

@mom2twogirls that is absolutely heartbreaking. Hugs to everyone and their precious kiddos !

We told our kids to try to do their best they can do and then rest easy and accept it, One can always learn from mistakes and try again but life goes on.

Hi all! Throwing my hat in the ring as I have S19.

Welcome @Undercovermom1

School soccer and club soccer are colliding at the moment. Tomorrow DD plays her 17th game since Jan 2. Daily practices
 Her grades are not awesome this semester. I hope she can adjust. She’s forgetting to turn in assignments, “forgetting” she has tests until the night before/ morning of. Bummer

@2019hope

I know what you mean. DD had a brutal schedule over MLK weekend:

14 Jan - winter play (Stage Door) at 7pm
15 Jan - basketball cheerleading at 7:30pm
16 Jan - club vball practice 1-2pm; mass 4-5pm; winter play 7pm
17 Jan - club vball tournament 8am-2:30pm; winter play 3pm
18 Jan (no classes due to holiday) - helped with confirmation retreat 8am-5pm

I think as a parent I need to guide her better on prioritizing activities. This is the last play, drama, musical, etc she does for the school and she made that decision herself.

I am so flipping tired of busy work and overloading by my son’s English teacher. She’s the one that had them make a menu for Edgar Allen Poe’s restaraunt including 20 menu items named after things relevant to Poe with descriptions , 6 pictures, etc. She consistently does this. Her latest project that counts as a major test grade is to make 50 “trading cards” dealing with Greek Mythology that have to be hand drawn with a large picture on the front and a small pic and
facts on the back. She gave them one week to complete this project in addition to all of the other home wow she has piled on. It is worth a major test grade. Then on Thursday she assigns another assignment on Google Classroom involving reading 20 passages and answering questions which is worth a major test grade and due at midnight tonight. This is insane. Rant over.

New to this thread - I have a S19 who is probably supposed to be choosing classes for next year, but forgot or lost his course selection sheet because that’s how he rolls. He is no closer to having a specific college, major, etc., in mind at age 14 than he was at age 14 months!

My D19 has to pick her classes for next year already. Looks like all the teachers are recommending Honors/AP Classes. Her math teacher told her to take AP Stats ( that is an elective) She will be also taking an Honors Math( I forget which one) So 2 maths. She is going to try and take Gym over the summer to free up a period next year. Which I thought would be a study hall. Now she says she may want to take a computer engineering course ( another elective) instead of a study hall. Just crazy stuff.
eh1234 my D19 has no idea where she wants to go to college or a major either and she wants to play soccer in college.

Welcome, @Undercovermom1! Good to see you undercover here too! @carolinamom2boys, English teacher sounds wildly unreasonable. Time to talk to an administrator?

S19 has also had to choose classes for next year. Staffing happens after course registrations, so many schools require students to choose classes very early! It was tricky for S to think about next year’s classes when this year wasn’t even half over!

@EastGrad Update on English teacher. DS19. He arrived to school with his project completed and completed his Google Classroom project by 8:00 on Saturday . He was definitely in the minority . Then he was faced with another test when he walked into her classroom . He had forgotten about this test while he was trying to get everything else completed . He said that it looked like she threw the test together the night before . It was riddled with spelling errors, one question has duplicate answers .We’re struggling through the class( I say we because it affects our whole family) but we only have a couple months to go and he has a high B in the class. My husband has a meeting with the guidance counselor on Friday for his individual graduation planning meeting, and he plans to mention it then. I have decided that he will never have this teacher again.

Ouch, @carolinamom2boys, June can’t come fast enough
for DS19s. Let’s slow it down for our 16ers.

@GKparent2019 my D19 is also planning to double her math by taking PreCalcH and AP stats. she also is hoping our school’s computer class fits into her schedule. She ruled out study hall awhile back because she says they are boring and it’s too hard to concentrate on homework in them anyway.
@carolinamom2boys I get where you are coming from on the dreaded class. For my kid it’s been Spanish. She never loved the subject, but at this point she hates it with the fire of a thousand burning suns. It’s an honors class, but most of her classes are (all that have that option) and this class has been more work and more stress than the rest of her classes combined. She’s decided that the honors option for Spanish just isn’t worth it and will be taking non honors next year.

I like the expression “hates it with a the fire of a thousand burning suns.” DS19 occasionally (not always) feels this way about his household chore assignment. He doubled up on math this year, with Honors Common Core Math III and AP Stats. He will have AB Calc next year, BC Calc as a junior, and HL IB Math as a Senior. Fortunately, he is lukewarm toward math, with all the warmth of a thousand gentle setting rays.

Update regarding crazy English teacher. DS19 was rewarded with a 100 for his mythology trading cards. Latest crazy assignment : 500 word essay on your favorite teacher.

What a dilemma, @carolinamom2boys! Write the essay about the English teacher and get 100, or write it about a teacher he really likes and get a lower score
hmmmm
let us know. Sounds like your trip with DS16 went well! Congrats.

What the what??? Essay on your favorite teacher? Just get through this year
 Just know that everyone gets a crazy English teacher at least once or twice


DD’s have been slipping. Only on CC can one lament about B’s and not be laughed out of the room. All A’s first semester