@copperboom @doschicos Thank you for the insight. I’m sure it will all work out - I’m just a little gun shy as we had some advisor issues at another school (another kid).
@HMom16 I’m still nervous and she’s there! not perfect but pretty amazing place. We were prepared for a lot of homework but the reality was these kids are just plain BUSY! Its hard to believe how much they can accomplish in one day and do homework! Welcome to the SPS family!
@copperboom Thank you!
My son is nervous about the workload and not much of a joiner so it will be interesting to see what he chooses to get involved in.
Any other new boys lax players out there? Team looks like it can use some help!
As @cooperboom said, there are several advisers per dorm, in addition to the head of house. They all take turns being on dorm duty, so kids often choose to hang out with the adviser on dorm duty if they like him/her and want to talk about things, in addition to meeting with their own adviser. And as @doschicos said, teachers and coaches get involved in a similar way albeit informally.
Perhaps you could send the Dean of Students a short note that you prefer not to have a coach in your son’s sport as his advisor. If you do not mention specific names, it should be seen as a reasonable, and probably justifiable, request.
Yeah the workload is quite intense. It’s doable but it takes organizational skills. No, they don’t all come with them. I for one have raised a procrastinator extraordinaire. So if GK can get into the habit of using a planner, anyone can!
Thanks @GoatMama !
I don’t have a problem with any of the coaches, I just think that sometimes kids need someone to talk to if they are disappointed with something the coach does (or doesn’t do.) From everyone’s descriptions, it sounds like there are enough opportunities to get to know the other adults so there is a support system outside of the advisor relationship.
That’s really great to hear!
My son’s current school uses an online calendar for due dates, homework, etc. He can add things to his view as well - for example, if a project is due on Friday, he can add related tasks to previous days. This system works really well for him. Is there anything like that at SPS?
They seem to be using Canvas, which can be used as a planning tool, too. My kid’s advisor insisted on her using a hard copy of the SPS planner, which also includes all the school-wide events and deadlines. The adviser then checked it periodically, too. Apparenly the electronic calendar wasn’t serving its purpose that well, at least the first trimester. Based on subsequent adviser reports, though, there has been a major improvement in organization, so maybe the hard copy was useful after all.
That’s great! @GoatMama I think my son’s school uses Canvas as well. But, if it doesn’t include all the school-wide events, etc. I can see that it might not be as helpful as a hard copy. My son often forgot to write things down when he used the hard copy planner so the electronic works well for him.
He’s going to be taking an online Geometry class over the summer. A few friends are taking the same class so it will be a good opportunity for him to practice self organization. They will need to sit down in May and plan out the course so that they are complete by mid-August, and then stay on track throughout that time.
BTW, how is your daughter doing?
Honestly, I have no idea if it includes them or not. DD is the “independent kind,” so this sort of info doesn’t get shared. I do know that the website uses the same platform used by our private day school; all events are there and one can customize the view however one wants.
Thanks for asking after her, you’re too kind! I think she is recovering well, although life on crutches is miserable. Not worth the elevator privileges!
My son got his SPS email set up yesterday. He was very excited to look at the kid’s pics in the directory and sign up for classes. A few questions:
1 - Can the kids change their directory profile pics at will? A number of the girls had pigtails, as if they’d coordinated.
2 - How many classes do most 9th graders take? What about upper grades? It seemed like you had to take at least 5 but could take up to 7, if you wanted to.
3 - When setting the email up on his Android phone, SPS wanted administrator privileges - which would give them the ability to monitor, erase and hard reset his phone. This is not something we would agree to. Any thoughts on getting around this issue and still being able to check email on the phone?
Thanks in advance!
I have a question about gradimg policu. Does SPS weigh gpa? Do honors and advanced classes give extra point a SPS? In our local school, honors and ap classes were given extra point. Thanks.
@HMom16 Seniors girls often do some kind of coordinated photo thing so my guess, without looking at what you are looking at, is it was that. Returning students have their photos taken in the Spring for the following school year’s directory so my guess is you are looking at the current directory. New students send in a photo to be used so make sure it is one that your son likes because it will get a lot of scrutiny. 
Unless things change, no changing photos at will. What is in there, you are stuck with.
5 is the normal load (Humanities is a double credit for 3rd, 4th, 5th form). You can take an extra class but permission is usually required. I’ve never heard of anyone taking 7 classes although with the double Humanities class credit, some would have 6 classes and 7 credits.
Can’t help you on the phone thing.
@bsnewbie When my kids were at SPS there was no GPA calculated (I liked it that way!) so I’m no expert on the new system. I see nothing mentioned on the website nor in the College Profile, so my guess is they do not weight. @GoatMama might have more color.
https://sps.myschoolapp.com/ftpimages/36/download/download_1765923.pdf
One more question. In our LPS, kids take a lot of ap classes. Some take over 12 ap classes before they graduate. My daughter is incoming 10 grade. She already took two ap exams in 9th grade. How many ap exams do sps student usually take? We looked at the course catalog. It appears that sps doesnt emphasize mich on ap exams.
SPS does not offer AP classes. In fact, when my last child was going through the college process, the SPS college counseling office did not encourage students to take them. They are not needed to get into great colleges and competing to see who can take the most AP exams is not a thing at SPS. I realize there are reasons to take them for some colleges to get credit, etc. however. Some take zero (my kids), some take a couple. I’ve never heard of any student taking anywhere close to 12. Maybe a handful at most and I’d be surprised if many do that.
Most top tier boarding schools do not believe in AP classes. Andover only has a few and they teach beyond the scope of the test. Hey are mostly math I bleive and a science. They strongly talked against AP history. Some students take the tests because they know the material, but it isn’t really a “thing” at these schools.
Thank you, doschicos! I never liked the culture at our LPS driving kids to take ap classes as early as 9th grade.
-No AP classes at SPS and they do not schedule any AP exams. The students can take them if they want or if they need to for a particular college/scholarship ( Georgia requires 3 AP exams for the HOPE scholarship). This was hard for us to grasp at first coming from an AP heavy LPS environment. It also allows the school to teach a wide range of classes NOT covered by AP material
- 3rd formers only take 5 classes: Hum, math, language, science and art. Humanities or Hum is actually two classes combined, english and history, and is one of the core classes at SPS. Hum is a double period that covers not only English and history but art, philosophy and religion. Most 3rd formers take art to get the requirement over with their freshmen year- it is also a great way to meet other classmates. On top of classes, 3rd formers have other mandatory meetings. LINC (Living in Community)- which I have heard did not go over to well this year, dorm meetings, chapell…
My point is that 3rd formers are busy.
-After Hum 4, if a student has an H+ and the time, they can add an additional HUM class to their schedule. (With permission from the department chair and if there is room in the class)
-math is a little different at SPS. Algebra 2 is all one class for one trimester. Then based on your grade and the teachers recommendation they will split the students into honors or reg alg 2 for the rest of the year. Then the students will follw that path into pre cal- The honors math at SPS sounds similar to exeters. They give them packets to work on all week. Students need to be prepared to want to spend the additional time on the packets.
-SPS was going to GPA for the first time this year. Not on the report cards. They still have H++,H+,H… which is confusing enough, but I think they were going to try and and have GPA’s for colleges??? This is what my DD told me. Mind you she’s a 3rd former so the information could be wrong but from what she said the seniors and juniors were very upset that they were going to have GPA’s- We know at our LPS for every honors class they get .5pts added and every AP class1pt added , so in reality SPS should be adding at least that to their GPA’s- It’s a slippery slope!
-@HMom16 @ the phone. PM me- my husband is in IT security. He said he can try and answer some of your questions. Its a security thing (from the schools stand point) to run their programs they need access-
What @copperboom said. No AP classes, no AP exams. Five classes and a sport (ballet for some) every trimester, sixth class by permission only. Same with Honors classes (by recommendation/placement or with permission).
Here’s is the grade conversion to GPA. It’s for college admissions only. Not used on report cards. https://sps.myschoolapp.com/ftpimages/36/download/download_1765923.pdf
Thanks, everyone! This is all very helpful. I guess we were confused because the registration form only tallies 5 credits for 5 classes, including Humanities.
@copperboom - I will PM you
@GoatMama - The .pdf you attached is very helpful. It seems that colleges may have a difficult time deciphering grades for those Juniors and Seniors, I can understand their dismay.
I think one of the hardest aspects of SPS is choosing what classes to take! Have you looked through the course catalog- I would love to sit in on some of these classes!
- There are not a lot of class choices during 3rd form, other than languages and arts. Maybe Computer science?
- I can't speak highly enough for the German department if anyone wants to try a new language. Language at SPS are difficult so you might as well have fun.
- Sciences are done in reverse Physic, Chemistry, Bio-