Just did some scrolling to check out the 12 pages of chat that occurred since I last checked in before high school was about to start! Crazy that this first year of high school has come and almost gone. About a month and a half left here. It was kind of fun to look back and see what I said about the upcoming high school year.
Itâs been a decent year, with several things going differently than I anticipated.
My former cheerleader seems to have left the sport behind for good, despite her pre-high school plans. She did cross country running and skiing, and now is taking the spring off of school sports. I was somewhat disappointed by that, as I think she benefits from the routine of sports practice, but it did open up some time to do other things.
I told her if she wanted to skip the school sport she needed to get involved in some community volunteer work, along with identifying some informal regular physical activity. So, she is doing an after school âhomework clubâ for elementary students and work with an animal rescue. Both activities are fairly low key, but thatâs good for her current somewhat anxious self. Sheâs been going to the rock gym and climbing the local mountains with friends, so thatâs fot the informal activity bill.
Thereâs been more friend drama/social upheaval than I would have seen coming. And I didnât her expect to get quite so wrapped up in spending time with her boyfriend. The social stuff is a work in progress, but mostly fine.
Sheâs kept a 4.0 with no problem, but honestly the classes here are not terribly challenging (not meant in a false modesty way.) She rarely has homework. I know I could do a better job homeschooling, as I did with the older sisters, but it is what it is.
Next yearâs schedule is set. Sheâs on the honors track, which here means one AP course sophomore year, World History. She will do Algebra 2, which is not the highest offering for her grade, but itâs the way the math worked out from middle school. Kind of a funny story in regard to that that reflects her laid back personality: when she transferred to the middle school in 6th grade, they put her in the mid-level math class (not prealgebra). I was surprised because she had been a top math student at the elementary school, and did question the placement, though probably half-heartedly (sheâs not super motivated and Iâm on third child burnout.) Nothing changed, and I didnât think much more about it. However, she came home in December that year and told me that she was asked if she would like to move to prealgebra for the next semester (odd that they didnât ask the parent, but typical of things here.) I assumed she would go, but then she said, âI told her, 'No thank you, Iâm good.â LOL Not a competitive bone in her body.
Other classes beside the Alg 2 and AP World History are Honors English 10 (as they call it), chemistry, German 2 (I think they do a trip next year), and band (I think she will try out for a more advanced band.) The band decision was kind of surprising as she was somewhat ambivalent about it all year, but she has worked up some enthusiasm of late. The upcoming trip to Seattle may be a factor there.
Summer is going to be training for mountain races, some travel to visit a cousin and friends, and a marine biology camp that she requested. She may have regretted that request after she was actually registered, but TOO LATE, lol. It will be a good experience for her.
If you are still reading, I just filled out the last financial aid form for the current college student! Bizarre that she will be a senior, and great to get a break from that form for a couple years. The oldest, now married, daughter took her GRE and should go to grad school in the next year, but we wonât be involved in that so much.
Itâs a fine line between âpushingâ and âencouraging/facilitatingâ.