I guess it’s all up for interpretation. I don’t watch CNN but what you posted doesn’t strike fear in me, though I suppose it could in others. But I haven’t seen that fear manifest itself in communities where I live (DC/Baltimore area), nor is the local news portraying it as such.
Funny because a friend is set to go on a cruise next week (domestic). They called, and if they cancel they are out all the money (for a family of 5), so they’re going. Then I see the CDC is recommending people not go on cruises. Maybe only international??
On a non COVID-19 topic, my daughter just found out she is going to the state finals for Math Team. She couldn’t be more excited. She’s been on the team since last year, but this year has become really enthusiastic about it. I’m so glad her hard work/practice has paid off.
Congrats @3kids2dogs, that is fantastic!!!
D 's Academic Decathlon team got 2nd place in Texas for med s size school and the only title 1 school that made it to the finals. D got 3rd place in math (part of ACADECA) for the state in med size schools. She will be going to Austin for computer science finals for UIL. Busy time.
Now The physics teacher asked (since D has decided 4 years of Academic Decath is enough (started in 8th grade) if she will join the Science Bowl team as the physics person (she is only in Physics 1, so how much of a expert can she be?), I am Begging her to decline. She is so burnt out, hygiene is suffering, no appetite. The stress is palpable.
Yay!!! @3kids2dogs, how exciting, and what an accomplishment to get that far!
We have no school today (teacher conferences). I had hoped we could slip in a college visit, or at least a revisit of a not-too-far-away school that we saw last spring, but D had a consultation with an oral surgeon. Wisdom teeth can’t be extracted until April 6th but at least her pain has gone down considerably.
D has a friend visiting U Richmond today. He texted her that she would like it. We have taken it on and off of her list a few times. We’ll see. Not sure about the social fit. Also depends on her SAT math results this time around! Yikes, Saturday! She has been prepping, but not as regularly as she did last November , when she’d get onto Khan Academy every day (even if some days were only 30 minutes). Still, she’s gotten through the heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math and partway through the graphs, statistics, scattergram portion (so far) of the PWN book, so hope that will be enough. I do want her to finish the graphs section tonight. ARGH! the rest of the book talks about additional strategies, I think, but probably too much to expect of her at this point, with heavy ECs all week.
I talked briefly to her GC today about scheduling. First time I had really spoken In person with her, except once on the phone. She made a comment of “Great ACT score, btw”. D’s reading score IS great, with the others lagging considerably behind, so I said, yeah, but she needs to get her math score up a litttle bit so she,s not quite as lopsided, she’s taking the SAT Saturday. The GC then asked if she’s going into engineering. When I said no, she shrugged and said, well, then all she needs is about a 530, so she’ll be fine. (???)
Now all of you know I’m no academic snob (I hope) and a 530 is a fine score for MANY students’ goals. but (even in our community) I can’t get over a GC stating something like that without having any idea what a student’s hoped-for targets are. Especially for a student in the school’s highest GPA range/ AP track (as modest as that may be compared to students in many of your schools). LOL. Every time I think I’ve heard it all in this community, something tops it. Our good-but-not-elite flagship expects more than a 530 math.
Ack! I kind of wish I hadn’t written the above (or at least not mentioned a specific score). Don’t want to make light of anyone’s achievement level, wherever that might fall. I guess I’m just aghast at any GC having some universal score that is deemed suitable for any student going to college. As if everyone in town is going to the local directional (and I’m not knocking the directional…my husband teaches there!)
@inthegarden my D is retaking Saturday too, also get math up. I’m so worried they are going to cancel! Fingers crossed nobody in town quarantined before this weekend!! She has been meeting with an SAT tutor for the last 4 weeks or so, so she really needs to take it now! Her last math practice test was up 50 points, so if that holds we are DONE!!
S17 comes home for break Friday. Break was extended to 2 weeks to let profs get their classes ready to go online, if needed. But at this point, no plans to definitely finish the semester online. I hope it doesn’t come to that!
Cheering for all 21er’s taking the SAT this Saturday.
Congrats. My D just informed me that their State aca deca competition is now going to be an online competition (instead of traveling to Sacramento). Not sure how that’s going to work. It’s unfortunate as these kids have prepared for this since last summer.
@NJWrestlingmom, I’d be thrilled with a 50-point math increase too, and call it a day. Any more re-testing after that would have to come at my D’s own insistence, and even then I might not let her sign up unless I saw her prepping consistently on her own initiative for a few weeks before the sign-up deadline. Now, If she just has a difficult testing day that is “off” Saturday and does’t improve at all, I might be OK with another test. But at some point, her score is her score and we’ll work with that. No point in trying to get to a school that would be too stressful.
We rode a packed subway train back from a day at our state House of Representatives where it was quite crowded and seemed to be business as usual except that S21 got a fist bump instead of a handshake from the Rep he was paging for today.
But then, while on the train, we got an email from Clark U letting us know that they are still doing tours and info sessions but no class visits next week (we are scheduled to visit next week). My guess is they may cancel more than that before we get there (https://clarknow.clarku.edu/2020/03/08/march-8-2020-covid-19-update-to-clark-community/) and that the other two schools we’re planning to see next week may cancel some things as well.
We’re flying, so we don’t have the flexibility we would have if we were driving and will need to make a decision a few days before we are supposed to leave. Since Thursday at midnight is the deadline for us to cancel our hotel for the first night of our trip, we’ve decided to make the call on Thursday to decide whether we’re going or not. Argh. Fingers crossed, but I think it’s even more important to me that the SAT go on as planned for S21 this Saturday.
Good luck to everyone else with school visit plans and SATs. And congrats to the @3kids2dogs and @TVBingeWatcher2 for your daughters’ accomplishments.
FWIW @nichols51 , if you want to delay even further, my guess is that you could get the same rate or lower on those hotels these days, with so many people curbing travel! We travel fairly frequently and often have better luck day of or day before a trip if you have some flexibility. If you need a specific hotel or it’s during a particularly busy time (okay, maybe spring break counts!), it might be worth checking rates. Then again, maybe a deadline will be helpful!
Lmao D just came down to tell us NOW is the time to take a cruise because we’ll get a great price!
Good luck to all taking the SAT this weekend!
It’s getting to be stay or go decision time for us regarding travel next week. I emailed both schools we are supposed to visit. ASU was all “everything’s still on! Come see us!” While U Arizona hasn’t said anything, but they did post on Twitter they were discussing class plans for post spring break and would have a decision soon. Sigh. If we don’t go I will be looking at entertaining surly teenager at home all week. Might drive to Texas Hill Country for a few days.
Thanks for the well wishes everyone. My daughter is not sporty, but her brothers are so we are always cheering them on or cheering on our college/professional teams. My daughter just quietly does her thing (no spectators at math team meets) simply because she loves it. But even her brothers know what “going to state” for something means. They are excited for her, too.
Wow - those are some impressive accomplishments - good for your daughter!
@kbm770 thanks! That’s a good suggestion in general about the hotels - hopefully that will be helpful to someone else on here (and something for me to keep in mind for the future). In our case this time, though, all of our hotels were booked with points, so we’re tied to those hotels/that hotel chain.
Yesterday morning I was pretty much full steam ahead…last night H and I discussed and were on the fence and decided we’d make the call on Thursday…this morning I’m getting more acclimated to the idea of cancelling and think I’m leaning towards doing so. Disappointing, but it is what it is. (I’m still really hoping SAT remains on).
D21 had a school trip planned for next week with her newspaper class. They were supposed to go to NYC, attend a journalism conference at Columbia and do other touristy things like Broadway plays, museums, dinners. Friday we were told the conference was cancelled. Sunday we had a meeting with the teacher she was still planning on taking the trip and would try to find other educational things to do to fill up the free time. By Monday night the trip was cancelled all together. I warned D as soon as NY declared the state of emergency I didn’t see how the school district could allow them to go. I am glad they cancelled instead of me having to make the decision, now i don’t have to be the bad guy! D is so upset, she had been looking forward to this for two years. The class only does the NYC trip every other year because it is expensive and she doesn’t want to exclude students. On the off years they do a conference in Orlando which is much cheaper since they can drive.
I am getting very nervous about testing, D hasn’t put any effort into studying at all. I don’t even think she has finished going over her wrong answers from he last test, forget practicing for the one in April. In the meantime she did take the free SAT at school last week, she almost skipped it since SAT is not what she is focusing on but since it was free she decided she might as well try again even with no prep.
@momtogkc oh I’m so sorry. That’s such a huge bummer.
D is invited to a leadership conference with a half dozen of other kids from her school and that’s in July in northern CA. I’ve already started planting the seed with her that it might not happen.
@momtogkc I’m sorry. I live on Long Island, suburbs of NYC and some schools here are closing, Not ours though. We don’t have any local cases.
I’m finally all caught up with the posts from the weekend, everybody was chatty. My D had her first dance competition of the season so I was busy.
We have a couple of visits planned for mid April during our Spring Break. Hoping we will still be able to go.
I am a Long Islander whose school district is closed. I went into NYC via train to brunch and a show on Sunday and it was business as usual for lots of people. I am a total germaphobe, and taking the necessary precautions but trying to live life with as much normalcy as possible. I have seen lots of people attend concerts, travel and go to sporting events.
I’m sorry for all the kids whose trips were canceled, we have an upcoming trip for Spring Break (not to a hot spot) and hoping things will improve by the time we leave.
I think about all of the Junior nights we have planned, including a college fair, and what that will do to our students. Such an unfortunate, disruptive turn of events that I hope quiet down sooner rather than later for all of our anxious HS Juniors.