@bgbg4us Ugh, I hear ya with motivation. Must be horrible!
My S23 who was near death (because I was going to kill him for his attitude) has come around and is entering back to his new normal. They started a new quarter so I think it his mind its more of a clean slate and hes gotten the hang of the online assignments.
So third quarter ended and Iām happy to say that D23 brought her worrisome algebra grade way up. The online format seems to be better for her. Less distractions, and she is one of few kids in her class showing up for the teacherās live presentations-so she semes to feel comfortable asking lots of questions. I guess itās less embarrassing for her to admit she is lost via audio. So-I am happy that she has algebra under control. But I am unhappy in that I think this online school format is not so challenging-so an opportunity to her to get some really good grades and bring up her overall average. She is just not interested and I see her slipping into doing the minimum to get by. Iād say her spirits are at about a 5-she doesnāt seem depressed but she is certainly sick of quarantine and misses real school. But sheās not really engaging with much and Iād give anything to see her be enthusiastic/interested in something other than her phone. I sincerely doubt her school will reopen this year. I go back and forth between feeling like her attitude is totally normal and feeling like I should try to encourage her to do more. My encouragement for her to do more is not met in the spirit that it is given!
As this quarantine goes on longer, is anyone starting to slightly worry about how the trickle down will affect our 2023 grad kids? Example, I have a kid would be be going for TE but Im guessing less and less colleges will be handing out this benefit.
@2plustrio, yeah, and Iāve been wondering about WUE (and other regional tuition compacts), since those are publics and state appropriations are likely to crater.
@2plustrio look on the bright side you have the University where you work as an option which is better than a lot people might have.
Trust me, I know. It is totally a first world problem to have. For now I still have a job and my S23 will likely have some cash from his dads college savings account for him to put towards at least a decent state school as long as tuition doesnt skyrocket!
Checking back in here, but nothing to report that everyone else isnāt going through.
D19 is home from college, and has only one class that even meets virtually. She took the pass/fail option; since her major is theater tech, itās really irrelevant, as she can do very little online. Her first stage management production was to be the spring musical and tonight was to be opening nightā¦sigh.
S23 is forging his own path - still mostly As, despite occasional Fs or not handing in assignments at all, so Iām guessing teachers are grading leniently.
Theyāre both staying up way too late, spending too much time in their rooms, bickering, etc.
I just donāt have the heart to ride either of them. Itās such a grim time.
Both kids wanted to go out and get jobs, but weāre discouraging it - so many others are in more need in our area.
We are lucky, though, I keep reminding myself.
Just thought I would check back in with some good news. Since 4th quarter is pass/fail and no finals and a pass is converted to an A, it is settled both twins will have straight Aās for 9th grade.
One twin on a team of 4 (and only freshman ever allowed to participate) won a state academic (subject specific) competition and will compete in National semi-finals next week. And hopefully National Championships to follow. Of course all of this is on-line with no fun trips, but nice to have something to celebrate.
And other twins just found out today he got into Williams summer Math camp. Again moved on line, but he is still really excited (and the price is reduced).
Neither of them will let me tell people, so thank you for letting me share their good news.
Congrats to your twins!!!
My boys are the same wayā¦my twins tell me Iām cringey if I share their accomplishments on social media lol!
My S21 just got appointed as a section leader for marching bandā¦I bragged in the Class of 2021 thread because he canāt see it there 
@Momof3B Congrats to S21 on section leader. Math twin was just interviewed for trombone section leader. The application was an incredible amount of work and they wanted you to watch around 20hrs of videos before hand. Between the Wiilams camp application and marching band app he is getting lots of practice for college applications.
We donāt have a marching band that competes (just football games and a few parades). I donāt know how there will be a marching band next year. Iām even worried about band classes (too many kids and spit valves).
@Mom24boys congrats to both of your 9th graders on their good news.
Our school system is still giving grades (as of nowā¦and finals are next week, so I think this is the system they are planning to stay with). The grades still arenāt exactly what they would have been, of course, because midterms were cancelled and finals are being done differently.
I have two D23s (āvirtual twinsā we call them as they are in the same grade though not actually twinsā¦one daughter was adopted internationally at age 6), and itās been interesting to see the difference in how the digital learning and grading has affected each differently.
The D23 who has the more rigorous courseload has had almost no change in her gradesā¦This D23 is pretty self motivated/directed, so the digital learning has been relatively straightforward for her though not as fun/interesting. Unfortunately, although her grades are still high, Iām guessing she hasnāt actually LEARNED some of the concepts as well (they havenāt been having live lecturesā¦just assignments to do on your own and then Zoom sessions for extra help, and she hasnāt done any of the Zoom sessions because she doesnāt want to be on camera, doesnāt generally feel she needs the help, and wouldnāt want to ask for it via Zoom if she did. Sheās emailed teachers a few times to clarify her understanding of things)ā¦Iām guessing sheād understand some of the Math and Bio even better if sheād had real classes.
The other D23 has better grades than she probably would have had. First semester was a bit of a struggle for her due to choices she made (this is consistent with all of middle school)ā¦now that more of the distractions of friends/school social life have been removed, she has little to do except schoolwork, so her grades have actually gone upā¦GPA looking to be about 4 full points higher than it was at the end of first semester.
Our county has sent us communication stating that they are considering several possible options for Fall (of course). They listed a few - starting per usual (I hope but doubt), starting with remote learning (but with some in person for kindergarten and 1st grade to get them more acclimated before handing them over to remote learning), or starting about a month later than usual (we typically start in early August, and they mentioned possibly starting after Labor Day).
Iām wondering how much more stir crazy the three teens in this house are going to be in another month or so once they donāt have the routine/structure of schoolwork. One D23 is still holding out a sliver of hope that sheāll be accepted to a competitive summer program - of course it will end up online, but even that would be something to do! I kind of doubt sheāll get it, though. She submitted her application on the due date March 1st, but then they extended the deadline to March 31s and then to late April. D23 didnāt have any interest in going back to refine hers and resubmit, so thatās on her, but Iām sure they got a lot more applications once they extended the deadline twice and students started finding their other options cancelled - why not throw in an application to this one ? It was probably a long shot for her to begin with as sheās the youngest age they allow, but given the two deadline extensions, Iām thinking itās especially unlikely. Fingers crossed just in case - I think sheāll hear towards the end of May.
Iām so nervous about this as wellā¦On the one hand, safety is paramountā¦on the other, I just want things to go back to normal for our kids!!! Itās going to be an interesting yea for sureā¦S23 twins are in marching band as well and Thing #2 plays euphonium/baritone which means heāll be directly under his brotherās leadership for their section lol!!!
And yes, the application and audition process was grueling! Iām so proud of him for getting selected considering they havenāt been in school since March 9th!!
@Mom24boys Congrats to your kids!
My S23 is continuing to engage with most of her classes, despite work not being graded except for students who opt for that to bring up their grades. She has two classes - French and AP World History - where she wants to bring her end-of-Q3 grades up from B+ to an A so those have been the priority, + prepping for the AP test. Sheās keeping up euphonium lessons via Facetime and her band teacher has shifted to a music appreciation approach for the rest of the year. Weekly assignments have been things like create a Spotify playlist around a certain theme, watch a few Tiny Desk Concerts and tell me which you liked best and why. So, thatās been fun for her.
Sheās also spending a lot of time on independent work like writing a new story for a favorite Korean teen drama, lots of art. I hope she can still do the other things planned for summer - two weeks of sleepaway camp and a couple weeks as assistant counselor at a local nature camp ā but at least if they donāt happen sheās good at figuring out things to do (her brother, not so much!)
My S23 has lost most motivation at this point and is doing the bare minimum which sucks. I am not expecting his freshman grades to be a true reflection of his capabilities. Especially as they have another month left of school (and hes done 8 weeks of online courses already).
He plays a wind instrument in band and has been playing around with guitar and piano now at home. I cant get him to read at all. He isnt doing anything truly academic. He has been lifting weights a few days a week acting as if football season will happen.
Now, my college kid did fine with the online transition. I think it helped that his classes ended a couple weeks ago. My college kid has LD and had an IEP since age 3 and heck, he ended with a 3.46 for the semester.
Fingers crossed the admissions teams in a few years are a bit lenient and that our kids who have lost their motivation find it again asap!
@JESmom my D23 sounds as if she has some things in common with yours - she also loves writing stories and creating artā¦not to mention Korean dramas (Itaewon Class is the latest favorite). Like your D23, she also finds ways to keep herself busyā¦there is an online concert of sorts for her favorite Korean K-pop group this weekend, so she spent hours upon hours this week printing and cutting and gluing and mod-podging all kinds of virtual concert stuff (tickets, photo cards, etc.) to prepare for spending her day tomorrow watching the event. Iām sure I will hear plenty of squealing from her room during the concert viewing. Iām glad sheās able to find a way to make it fun rather than ruminate too much on the lost REAL concert experience she was supposed to have with BTS next weekend. Sheās always been a kid who comes up with creative projects and makes her own fun, but I know sheās also going to be incredibly disappointed when her summer karate retreat likely gets called off, her karate lessons continue online, sheās unable to see her significant other for more months, etc.
@nichols51 LOL, they definitely sound like kindred spirits. The main thing that has disappointed my D23 about all this is not getting to go to the the BTS concert. One difference ā her sport is fencing instead of karate 
Hi everyone! I am new to this thread. I have a D23 whose academic journey is a bit out of the box. She has been homeschooled all her life but will enter an Associates Degree program at a community college next year for 10th-12th grade so she can have mostly in-person classes on campus (COVID-permitting). This cc used to not let in anyone under the age of 16, so I am grateful their rules changed within the past year. Her older sister had to wait until 11th grade to take classes there. D23 will also do one or two online APs each year with respected and accredited online providers.
D23 has been a difficult kid in terms of finding the right academic fit, as she has always been advanced in math and science but similar to her peers in everything else. Our local high school would not allow her to enter 9th this past year with courses that would meet her at her level (as in, take AP courses before 11th grade), and the highest that school goes in math is AP Calculus AB, which D23 is taking this year through PA Homeschoolers. She will be full pay for college but we donāt want to pay an arm and a leg for high school, so the community college route for dual credit for three years is much cheaper than a private school, and I think it will suit her needs.
She used to be interested in astrophysics, but discovered after a couple of physics courses and summer programs that she doesnāt like the physics part of astronomy all that much. She is now looking at neuroscience and genetics and public health, trying to explore as much as she can to narrow down a focus and do some sort of a project. I am hoping next year she finds a mentor at the college that can assist her and provide specific guidance.
She is taking her first AP exam tomorrow (AP Calc AB) and is happy it is only 45 minutes long instead of the torture-fest sheās watched her older sister go through over the past few years.
Nice to āmeetā you all and I hope everyone is doing well during these stressful times.
I donāt think any kid is average. Each person has strengths and weaknesses. There is more to success than high academic stats, and sometimes it takes a while to discover strengths and passions. What matters most is meeting a kid wherever he or she is at, so they can improve upon themselves. I have never seen education as a competition between students, but rather an individual growth process. There exists a great college fit for each individual kid out there, and there is no "betterā or āworse,ā there is just what works for the individual.
The thing about public education in this country is that it generally only values Math ability and English Language Arts ability and outside of that specific athletics. If your child doesnāt excel at any of these then maybe theyāll seem average but itās more than likely what they do excel at isnāt valued as much.
@Dolemite, I think youāre right generally speaking, but there are exceptions out thereāmy kids are in a district that really does an astonishing job at respecting the students who are good at fine arts, as one case.
But yeah, in most cases youāve identified a huge problem. And kids who are good at, say, repairing diesel engines? (Which, if you think about it, involves a solid amount of physics and math, we just donāt call it that.) Weāre not very good at recognizing the value there at all.?