D21’s Bay Area high school scheduled to go back 4/19. Preschool, TK, K-2 scheduled for 3/29. Other grades back 4/12, all hybrid.
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That’s awesome about your sports. Nothing here but things are finally starting. We finally started hybrid school this week, yay. 50% in person half days. My son’s biggest class was MVC go figure. All teachers must be back in after Spring Break, so many are still remote. I think mine was a little nervous so he waited until the third day to go in but he did it.
He plays tennis and Illinois changed the season so instead of starting now when tryouts are usually the first week of March, they’ve bumped us to the first week of April with the season going until mid-June. Graduation is May 27 but my kid doesn’t go to camp anymore so we are totally fine with it. Senior last day is somewhere around May 17 so it will actually be nice for him to have somewhere to be in the middle of the day and then next up is to find something to do during the summer. Usually the summer before college I encourage my kids to just do something fun and/or have a fun job and chill, but after not having much to do last summer with Covid restrictions, if things open up this summer I want my kids to get out and do something. Just need to make sure it’s safe and hoping this one can get vaccinated. One of mine is doing an internship in Israel and praying that doesn’t get cancelled or go remote! Such a great opportunity. College is way better than when I went.
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Ha Ha! We have exactly one T-shirt, sent by a school that then deferred my kid. I’m not buying anything until there’s acceptances in hand.
My older kid also got a ton of college logo stuff for free by participating in various events and volunteer opportunities at her school. So much so that she passed on some of it to me!
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Wait, they sent your kiddo a shirt and then deferred him?!?!
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I think U Chicago used to send t-shirts. Not sure if they still do. That was another school “too close” for my kids to be interested in.
I don’t think freshman housing on campus at UW is all that problematic if you hit the deadlines. May not get your first or second choice of dorms, or even the type you want. But I haven’t heard of any large numbers of students falling through the cracks who weren’t last minute late applicants or such. They built a lot of new dorms in recent years. And there is a ton of new off-campus private dorm housing. Cost is more the factor rather than availability. Although depending on which part of CA you are coming from, it may not seem that costly.
As for registering for classes. UW is notoriously bad about this and there are all kinds of tips and hints on udub redit and other student forums for how to make the system work or game it to your advantage. He would be in the same boat as everyone else. I don’t know if it is better or worse than the big UC schools.
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S21 got some stickers, pens and a lanyard from 2 of his acceptances, but doesn’t what any clothing, caps, or drinkware/cups etc until he decides. I, on the other hand, spend way too much time on Etsy and designing tumblers for him on the Yeti website 
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They did indeed. I have no idea what happened there?!
Our Bay Area district has gotten K-6 back hybrid recently with 7-12 on track to start hybrid in 2 weeks.
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Nice! So far, we’ve received mostly stickers, the kind kids put on their computers.
Oy yeah, I forgot about that. UVA sent stickers. Purdue hasn’t even sent the acceptance info yet. They say it is coming, meanwhile we’re going on 2 months since acceptance there. Also, they send an email nearly every day that it reminds me of all the spam college emails my son gets and is still getting from colleges (aren’t all deadlines to apply now past) that it is starting to get a little annoying tbh. In the past Miami (Oh) used to send some swag but can’t remember what this year, but when my son was accepted in 2015 they sent a really nice memo pad. Clearly the marketing budgets have gone way down! Pitt gave us a tshirt also that year when we did an info session.
Lol. You are my kinda gal. I’ve been stalking Yeti, Tervis and yard signs. Since I expect we will have a mid/late April decision I need to be prepared to act fast!
My D has not received any clothing items other than the famous UGA socks… just stickers, key chains, water bottles, lanyards and such. She did get tees on most of our college tours. With my luck, she’ll end up at one of the schools we didn’t tour so I’ll have to add a quick swag purchase to my April shopping.
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Someone mentioned gift cards to college bookstores as a grad gift. I really like that idea. Sorry I can’t find the post to tag and give credit where due.
I have a friend who makes custom cookies. I think a box of cookies customized with the college logo plus a bookstore gift card might make a good grad gift for my D’s friends. What does everyone think?
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ME!
I won’t take credit though, because I wasn’t the giver of the gift, just my kids were the receiver and it was definitely one of the best gifts they received other than of course all the cash they got since cash is always king! LoL. Uber gift cards were good too.
Worse gift they received - starbucks gift cards! I wish people realized not everyone drinks starbucks!! We only give them when we know the person drinks it!
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I’m definitely envious! First meet yesterday was a dual meet, and even that felt euphoric! Then we get one meet and one league championship and that’s it. Track season will start immediately after for the distance kids and hopefully will look a little more complete.
S21 hasn’t received any swag, other than a yard sign from UMD. (Not sure what to do with that?!) We were hoping to get some swag from the few colleges we drove around this summer but that didn’t happen since everything was obviously closed. He did buy a VT shirt since we walked around Blacksburg a little bit and a store was open there. At the moment that a actually seems to be his first choice, so maybe he’ll be all set for senior swag day!
How about thank you gifts for the teachers who wrote LOR’s? I’m still stumped on that this year. For my other kids we got them candy from a specialty store here of the school colors of where they’re going plus a restaurant gift card from a local place with a bunch of different choices. They also wrote notes on the stationery card stock in the colors of their schools.
Not as easy this year with Covid AND my son does not yet know where he’s going. I really don’t want to give something like Amazon gift cards, we actually gave all this teacher those last year for teacher appreciation week as a token gift, and I don’t want to do grubhub/doordash because I just feel like so much of the cost of those meals are delivery/tip. So trying to think of something creative/unique. This is also my last of 4 kids and most of these teachers have had at least 2 or 3 of my kids if not all 4 and this kid has had 3 of these teachers for 2 years in a row and 1 of them for 3 years in a row. Any thoughts?
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Not just a Texan thing! Happens with many schools with lots of spirit. One of my kids goes to Ohio State. Those people devote entire rooms to swag. (but yes, I’m a Longhorn so I get it)
For gifts - I think being able to support your local businesses would be great - it may not be creative (maybe you can dress it up with packaging), but a gift card from your local independent bookstore or local restaurant for take-out has been a well received gift (plus I always tie on a little box of local gourmet chocolates) to swoosh it up a bit 
Easy to leave up at school in the teacher’s mailbox too.
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HS teacher here.
I’ve probably written over 100 letters of recommendation over the years. I don’t recall ever getting any thank you gifts and would actually be a little uncomfortable receiving one. It is supposed to be an impartial process and goes with the job.
Maybe as an alternative, send a thank you gift at the end of the school year or something, thanking them for their teaching and service and putting up with your kids, and not specifically for the letter of recommendation.
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