I just wanna say -- the random comments thread

[dragonfly411]

My random venting of evil thoughts regarding a few pet peeves:
poor spelling - SPELL CHECK is your friend - use it!! Ok, I know that I can get thinking and my fingers go to fast for my brain or vice versa and there are typos.... but consistently spelling the SAME WORD(S) WRONG over and over and over?? I don't care if you are typing on an electronic ABACUS or using birch bark and tar - check your spelling!!! The dictionary is your friend - USE IT! This is not grade school, this is real life and it makes you look stupid....

and... here's another:
people who fixate on one item/brand/company/style/colour only. The world is our oyster, folks - spread your wings, try new things, branch out, live on the wild side, take a chance, open your eyes to other options!!! People vary for a reason and companies are out there to provide us w/ a myriad of options. LOSE the obsession already!

oh, and while I'm ranting:
desperate needy people that seek attention at every opportunity. If the world isn't looking, they need to create drama and bring the focus back to 'themselves'. HOLY CRAP does that get old, quickly... skip the needy behaviour... no ONE CARES!!

These are the things that are currently dancing on my last nerve. Thank you for being patient with my explosion ... back to happy thoughts now...

++++11111. I'm becoming more of a lurker than a poster.

I totally agree with the spelling issue. It bothers me, and I am more and more correcting people. SO's sister and her friends are very very very bad about it and I get onto them a lot. They are younger and unfortunately the school doesn't emphasize spelling to them. So I do. They're going to need it in real life. They're going to need it to fill out job applications, write letters, and complete work projects. If they can't be understood, they are not going to be able to have proper jobs.

Thank you all for the positive thoughts and support. I cannot go into detail now, but SO's family had a shooting occur at their house this weekend. SO and I were called there at 3:30 in the morning to get his sister and her boyfriend when they were done talking to police. She unfortunately saw too much for young eyes. she stayed with us until last night, and may be coming back to stay longer depending on what councilors say and how she responds over time. The perpetrator broke into the home, and that has left us all on edge. We haven't slept more than a few hours at a time. It was someone we all thought we knew, and that makes it worse. Having to face that you trusted someone who flipped so suddenly is a terrifying thing, and leaves you with no sense of security, even in your own home. Yesterday evening was definitely a bit better, we were able to joke, and play a little, and she felt good enough to sleep at home, and today we are more together, more calm. I've tried to maintain a calm for them, to support SO and his sister. I explained the benefits of counseling to his sister and she worked with her mom to get an appointment set for this week, and is ready to go frequently and accept anything they have for her to do. We'll get through, but it's going to take time, and healing, and I am utterly exhausted. SO and I had a trip planned for this coming weekend, and have decided to stick to that plan. We need to get away, to breathe, to rest our minds and bodies, and to find some form of release.

 

[TooPatient]

DF -- I'm so sorry! I hope everyone is physically safe.

Your SO's sister is going through a lot right now. I had a very dangerous and scary event happen at home (alone) when I was about 18 and it took a day or two to really hit me how upset I was. I couldn't sleep in my own room. I found myself curled up under the dining table and only able to sleep when the fear exhausted me. The slightest noise left me re-living the entire event inside. I didn't admit that part to my family because I was embarrassed how jumpy I was.
After a few days of misery, the psychologist I was seeing (one of the nation's leading PTSD people) strongly urged me to move out of that house until I was ready to go back. It helped. I was still anxious but I could actually start to relax a bit. He also communicated with my physician and had them put me on a mild anxiety medication to help my body begin to recover. It was a couple of months before I even visited the house with others around in the middle of the day. The first visits were just long enough to shove more clothes in a bag and get out.
It was close to a year before I could sleep in that house again without the anxiety taking control. The process is different for each person and you really can't rush it.

Do they have a monitored security system? If not, I'd strongly suggest adding one. In your home too.
I can't explain why it helped so much (since I'd seen first hand how long it can take the police to get to you and how much bad can happen in that time) but it did. Getting an alarm installed was, for me, the start of being able to go back into the house to visit a bit longer.

The biggest help my psychologist gave me was letting me know that my responses were normal and okay. He also spoke with my family on occasion to let them know that my response was normal and some ways they could help.

I takes a long time but you do get through the worst of the anxiety. I'm still (10 years later) jumpy at certain sounds and uncomfortable being in any house without an alarm system. But I am okay most of the time.

 

[dragonfly411]

Toopatient - I'm so sorry that you went through that! This is the third incident of my life where my family (or SO's family who are now my family) have been affected. One when we were not home, and the entered through my bedroom. This was the most emotionally scarring for me as a child. One we walked up on as he was trying to enter, and he tried saying he had gotten the house wrong, he was caught almost immediately. Now this instance, which happened in the dead of night.

They do not have a security system, though I'll be suggesting it. They do have dogs that are normally very vocal, but of course, they knew this person, very well. We'll be installing one in our home, I can guarantee that.

We have pretty much gone with anything SO's sister wants to do. She stayed back at home last night, though she had school today so I haven't gathered how it went. She's been told she can stay with us any time she wants for however long she wants. We have an extra room that can be entirely hers. We will see if that happens. Her father and mother are divorced, and he feels she shouldn't be in the house at this time, and may have some influence over that, in which case, again, she'll stay with us.

There are just so many things to think about, and that weigh you down, and so many extra thought processes that we are going through. There are so many could haves, and so many what ifs, and so many how did we miss this thoughts. Even though SO and I were not there, we are jumpy and constantly looking behind us now, because it just feels like we can never be sure anymore.

 

[Matata]

dragonfly...hugs to you and yours as everyone deals with this very scary incident.

 

[Matata]

Pumpkin pies are once again in season at Costco. Yesssssssssss

 

[Niel]

So I know its lame, but yesterday I got my wedding band out (making sure my SO wanted yellow gold before we put the order in). Anyways. I got it out and I just had to slip it on. SHOOT. I just can't wait to wear it around. Less than 3 months

Snapped a few nighttime pics. As I am a PS member and all

 

[junebug17]

Oh no DF, that' s awful - keeping all of you in my thoughts, hope everyone is doing better soon.

 

[Sparklelu]

My random venting of evil thoughts regarding a few pet peeves:
poor spelling - SPELL CHECK is your friend - use it!! Ok, I know that I can get thinking and my fingers go to fast for my brain or vice versa and there are typos.... but consistently spelling the SAME WORD(S) WRONG over and over and over?? I don't care if you are typing on an electronic ABACUS or using birch bark and tar - check your spelling!!! The dictionary is your friend - USE IT! This is not grade school, this is real life and it makes you look stupid....

and... here's another:
people who fixate on one item/brand/company/style/colour only. The world is our oyster, folks - spread your wings, try new things, branch out, live on the wild side, take a chance, open your eyes to other options!!! People vary for a reason and companies are out there to provide us w/ a myriad of options. LOSE the obsession already!

oh, and while I'm ranting:
desperate needy people that seek attention at every opportunity. If the world isn't looking, they need to create drama and bring the focus back to 'themselves'. HOLY CRAP does that get old, quickly... skip the needy behaviour... no ONE CARES!!

These are the things that are currently dancing on my last nerve. Thank you for being patient with my explosion ... back to happy thoughts now...

++++11111. I'm becoming more of a lurker than a poster.

+++++++++1111111
As a teacher in used to crazy spelling in school, but those are middle schoolers! Adults should take more pride in their work.
Long ago right after we had my youngest DS I received a solicitation in the mail for a law firm. They wanted to help us put our financial house in order with the new addition. Well the letter was so full of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes I marked it up with red pen and sent it back in the prepaid envelope! Told the fellow he would get much more business if he hired a secretary!
On another note:
I hate the use of seen! As in I seen that happen. One of our teachers uses that and I cringe each time!

 

[TooPatient]

Just got back from meeting with vice principal. Will write more later but HAD to share a sign I saw. If I hadn't been so I would have taken a picture!

All of the administrators had signs on their doors made by the "Leadership Class" (you know the group of 4.0 students who like to suck up -- maybe not at all schools, but that is what it is here). One of the school counselors had a sign on her door that really made a statement

"Mrs. *counselor* your the best!"

 

[TooPatient]

Toopatient - I'm so sorry that you went through that! This is the third incident of my life where my family (or SO's family who are now my family) have been affected. One when we were not home, and the entered through my bedroom. This was the most emotionally scarring for me as a child. One we walked up on as he was trying to enter, and he tried saying he had gotten the house wrong, he was caught almost immediately. Now this instance, which happened in the dead of night.

They do not have a security system, though I'll be suggesting it. They do have dogs that are normally very vocal, but of course, they knew this person, very well. We'll be installing one in our home, I can guarantee that.

We have pretty much gone with anything SO's sister wants to do. She stayed back at home last night, though she had school today so I haven't gathered how it went. She's been told she can stay with us any time she wants for however long she wants. We have an extra room that can be entirely hers. We will see if that happens. Her father and mother are divorced, and he feels she shouldn't be in the house at this time, and may have some influence over that, in which case, again, she'll stay with us.

There are just so many things to think about, and that weigh you down, and so many extra thought processes that we are going through. There are so many could haves, and so many what ifs, and so many how did we miss this thoughts. Even though SO and I were not there, we are jumpy and constantly looking behind us now, because it just feels like we can never be sure anymore.

I hope she did okay last night and today at school.

Each person responds differently. She may be dealing with the stress of what happened by continuing to live her life. That is okay too. My psychologist made sure to remind me that people are all different and there is no "right" answer.

It sounds like she's got great support!

How is her mom doing? I'm sure this is hard on her too.

 

[longtimelurker]

Just got back from meeting with vice principal. Will write more later but HAD to share a sign I saw. If I hadn't been so I would have taken a picture!

All of the administrators had signs on their doors made by the "Leadership Class" (you know the group of 4.0 students who like to suck up -- maybe not at all schools, but that is what it is here). One of the school counselors had a sign on her door that really made a statement

"Mrs. *counselor* your the best!"

I missed the last PNW GTG, but I did make the one last summer. I have a very strong feeling I know EXACTLY where you're talking about and, boy, can I empathize. We may have some common FB friends. I found that attitude especially prevalent at certain schools vs. others in the district.

 

[TooPatient]

Just got back from meeting with vice principal. Will write more later but HAD to share a sign I saw. If I hadn't been so I would have taken a picture!

All of the administrators had signs on their doors made by the "Leadership Class" (you know the group of 4.0 students who like to suck up -- maybe not at all schools, but that is what it is here). One of the school counselors had a sign on her door that really made a statement

"Mrs. *counselor* your the best!"

I missed the last PNW GTG, but I did make the one last summer. I have a very strong feeling I know EXACTLY where you're talking about and, boy, can I empathize. We may have some common FB friends. I found that attitude especially prevalent at certain schools vs. others in the district.

I'm not on FB. If you know YT, Cygnet, or Gregchan they know how to reach me.


FI and I are

I posted earlier about getting "A" into algebra. Yeah...
I spent over an hour with the VP going over her MSP (scored a 4 in math! -- this alone should put her in algebra according to their policy), math placement exam (2 points short of required for algebra), her grades from last year (okay 1st semester, near 100% in math 2nd semester) and her tutoring records. STILL isn't enough! She's been doing algebra for a couple of months now and is already ahead of the algebra class. The VP and her counselor are worried that the algebra may be "too fast paced" for her

The tutoring center owner is calling the VP to talk with him about the program she's been in for a year and will be remaining in again this year. He's worked with her an average of about 4 hours per week (one on one!) and knows her better than anyone in the public school.

I'm working on a written request to the VP & principal requesting that they allow her in. She met their requirements to be in the class so I am NOT asking for any sort of "exception" for her.

The whole school has the feel of the favored kids getting the opportunities and everyone else just being run through some one-size-fits-all sort of program.

FI is so upset that we're actually looking into homeschool options and following up on that as a possibility. We've been working hard to show her that you can set goals in life, work towards them and ACHIEVE. She knows she met the requirement. How do I explain that they still won't let her in even though she put in the work and passed their test?

 

[dragonfly411]

Toopatient - I'm so sorry that you went through that! This is the third incident of my life where my family (or SO's family who are now my family) have been affected. One when we were not home, and the entered through my bedroom. This was the most emotionally scarring for me as a child. One we walked up on as he was trying to enter, and he tried saying he had gotten the house wrong, he was caught almost immediately. Now this instance, which happened in the dead of night.

They do not have a security system, though I'll be suggesting it. They do have dogs that are normally very vocal, but of course, they knew this person, very well. We'll be installing one in our home, I can guarantee that.

We have pretty much gone with anything SO's sister wants to do. She stayed back at home last night, though she had school today so I haven't gathered how it went. She's been told she can stay with us any time she wants for however long she wants. We have an extra room that can be entirely hers. We will see if that happens. Her father and mother are divorced, and he feels she shouldn't be in the house at this time, and may have some influence over that, in which case, again, she'll stay with us.

There are just so many things to think about, and that weigh you down, and so many extra thought processes that we are going through. There are so many could haves, and so many what ifs, and so many how did we miss this thoughts. Even though SO and I were not there, we are jumpy and constantly looking behind us now, because it just feels like we can never be sure anymore.

I hope she did okay last night and today at school.

Each person responds differently. She may be dealing with the stress of what happened by continuing to live her life. That is okay too. My psychologist made sure to remind me that people are all different and there is no "right" answer.

It sounds like she's got great support!

How is her mom doing? I'm sure this is hard on her too.

I find her more concerning really. I don't know how to explain it other than to say, she acts as if it was just a thing that happened, like a speeding ticket, or a flat tire, or a bounced check. She's dealing with all of the paperwork and legal stuff after, but there's nothing of what we are going through. There's no insecurity, there's no devastation, almost like no recognition of how severe this is. I can't decide if it is a matter of extreme repression of emotion for the sake of others (somewhat like I've done), or if it is repression based on trauma (which I've done), or a combination or something else. I recognize that she has repressed things. After my ex (who was incredibly, INCREDIBLY abusive), I locked everything about that time period away. The only memories I have from a three year stretch are those of my family and horses, and those that include a good friend who died a few years later, but do not include my ex. Any group memories, memories of my ex and myself, memories of me with my ex around people, they are incredibly fuzzy, or non existent. My subconscious seems to have thrown them away. I thought perhaps that was the case, but she can describe how things happened in detail to me vs. SO's sister's boyfriend literally cannot remember. His mind has truly shut it away. So I don't know what to make of her yet, but I'm waiting to see.

 

[longtimelurker]

Just got back from meeting with vice principal. Will write more later but HAD to share a sign I saw. If I hadn't been so I would have taken a picture!

All of the administrators had signs on their doors made by the "Leadership Class" (you know the group of 4.0 students who like to suck up -- maybe not at all schools, but that is what it is here). One of the school counselors had a sign on her door that really made a statement

"Mrs. *counselor* your the best!"

I missed the last PNW GTG, but I did make the one last summer. I have a very strong feeling I know EXACTLY where you're talking about and, boy, can I empathize. We may have some common FB friends. I found that attitude especially prevalent at certain schools vs. others in the district.

I'm not on FB. If you know YT, Cygnet, or Gregchan they know how to reach me.


FI and I are

I posted earlier about getting "A" into algebra. Yeah...
I spent over an hour with the VP going over her MSP (scored a 4 in math! -- this alone should put her in algebra according to their policy), math placement exam (2 points short of required for algebra), her grades from last year (okay 1st semester, near 100% in math 2nd semester) and her tutoring records. STILL isn't enough! She's been doing algebra for a couple of months now and is already ahead of the algebra class. The VP and her counselor are worried that the algebra may be "too fast paced" for her

The tutoring center owner is calling the VP to talk with him about the program she's been in for a year and will be remaining in again this year. He's worked with her an average of about 4 hours per week (one on one!) and knows her better than anyone in the public school.

I'm working on a written request to the VP & principal requesting that they allow her in. She met their requirements to be in the class so I am NOT asking for any sort of "exception" for her.

The whole school has the feel of the favored kids getting the opportunities and everyone else just being run through some one-size-fits-all sort of program.

FI is so upset that we're actually looking into homeschool options and following up on that as a possibility. We've been working hard to show her that you can set goals in life, work towards them and ACHIEVE. She knows she met the requirement. How do I explain that they still won't let her in even though she put in the work and passed their test?

How about Hlmr or miraclesrule? I'm thinking we're 2 degrees apart.

Does the school in question have about 900 students and when you walk in the front door it's polished concrete floors, 2 story foyer?

One roadblock I'm sure you'll run into is that students were scheduled in classes last June, and there's just.no.room in most classes/they're already overcrowded. All is not lost with CMP8--you can go from that straight to geometry and skip algebra -- they cover a lot of the same material. Also, look at the progression through high school and where you want her to be at the end. I.e., if you push through the classes too hard you could be looking at some really difficult classes that she'll have no choice but to take. The math starts off painfully slow until high school, then they rocket through some complicated stuff.

 

[TooPatient]

Just got back from meeting with vice principal. Will write more later but HAD to share a sign I saw. If I hadn't been so I would have taken a picture!

All of the administrators had signs on their doors made by the "Leadership Class" (you know the group of 4.0 students who like to suck up -- maybe not at all schools, but that is what it is here). One of the school counselors had a sign on her door that really made a statement

"Mrs. *counselor* your the best!"

I missed the last PNW GTG, but I did make the one last summer. I have a very strong feeling I know EXACTLY where you're talking about and, boy, can I empathize. We may have some common FB friends. I found that attitude especially prevalent at certain schools vs. others in the district.

I'm not on FB. If you know YT, Cygnet, or Gregchan they know how to reach me.


FI and I are

I posted earlier about getting "A" into algebra. Yeah...
I spent over an hour with the VP going over her MSP (scored a 4 in math! -- this alone should put her in algebra according to their policy), math placement exam (2 points short of required for algebra), her grades from last year (okay 1st semester, near 100% in math 2nd semester) and her tutoring records. STILL isn't enough! She's been doing algebra for a couple of months now and is already ahead of the algebra class. The VP and her counselor are worried that the algebra may be "too fast paced" for her

The tutoring center owner is calling the VP to talk with him about the program she's been in for a year and will be remaining in again this year. He's worked with her an average of about 4 hours per week (one on one!) and knows her better than anyone in the public school.

I'm working on a written request to the VP & principal requesting that they allow her in. She met their requirements to be in the class so I am NOT asking for any sort of "exception" for her.

The whole school has the feel of the favored kids getting the opportunities and everyone else just being run through some one-size-fits-all sort of program.

FI is so upset that we're actually looking into homeschool options and following up on that as a possibility. We've been working hard to show her that you can set goals in life, work towards them and ACHIEVE. She knows she met the requirement. How do I explain that they still won't let her in even though she put in the work and passed their test?

How about Hlmr or miraclesrule? I'm thinking we're 2 degrees apart.

Does the school in question have about 900 students and when you walk in the front door it's polished concrete floors, 2 story foyer?

One roadblock I'm sure you'll run into is that students were scheduled in classes last June, and there's just.no.room in most classes/they're already overcrowded. All is not lost with CMP8--you can go from that straight to geometry and skip algebra -- they cover a lot of the same material. Also, look at the progression through high school and where you want her to be at the end. I.e., if you push through the classes too hard you could be looking at some really difficult classes that she'll have no choice but to take. The math starts off painfully slow until high school, then they rocket through some complicated stuff.

I don't think they know how to contact me. Hmmm....

The VP said about 1200 students. They've got a knight as a mascot and are at the top of a hill rather surrounded by trees. Just a mile away from Safeway/Bartells.

They haven't gotten to the "full" argument yet. They've just stuck with "our policy is..." and then the expression of sympathy.
I've been looking at the straight to geometry option. It looks like it is possible so it isn't too horrible if they don't shift her. I'm also trying to reach the high school and see if they can do a placement higher than geometry if she tests beyond that going in. She's already doing algebra in tutoring and should be through the equivalent of algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 (easily -- 20 minutes per day) by the end of this school year. We'd like for her classes in school to be similar in level to what she is studying with her tutors. She anticipates taking calculus and linear algebra at least so she won't be doing anything higher than she'll need anyway.

FI tested out of all the easy classes in college and ended up having to take all of the Master's level classes just to complete his bachelor's! The goof was so busy testing out of chemistry and stuff that he ended up having to do a human dissection course

 

[TooPatient]

Toopatient - I'm so sorry that you went through that! This is the third incident of my life where my family (or SO's family who are now my family) have been affected. One when we were not home, and the entered through my bedroom. This was the most emotionally scarring for me as a child. One we walked up on as he was trying to enter, and he tried saying he had gotten the house wrong, he was caught almost immediately. Now this instance, which happened in the dead of night.

They do not have a security system, though I'll be suggesting it. They do have dogs that are normally very vocal, but of course, they knew this person, very well. We'll be installing one in our home, I can guarantee that.

We have pretty much gone with anything SO's sister wants to do. She stayed back at home last night, though she had school today so I haven't gathered how it went. She's been told she can stay with us any time she wants for however long she wants. We have an extra room that can be entirely hers. We will see if that happens. Her father and mother are divorced, and he feels she shouldn't be in the house at this time, and may have some influence over that, in which case, again, she'll stay with us.

There are just so many things to think about, and that weigh you down, and so many extra thought processes that we are going through. There are so many could haves, and so many what ifs, and so many how did we miss this thoughts. Even though SO and I were not there, we are jumpy and constantly looking behind us now, because it just feels like we can never be sure anymore.

I hope she did okay last night and today at school.

Each person responds differently. She may be dealing with the stress of what happened by continuing to live her life. That is okay too. My psychologist made sure to remind me that people are all different and there is no "right" answer.

It sounds like she's got great support!

How is her mom doing? I'm sure this is hard on her too.

I find her more concerning really. I don't know how to explain it other than to say, she acts as if it was just a thing that happened, like a speeding ticket, or a flat tire, or a bounced check. She's dealing with all of the paperwork and legal stuff after, but there's nothing of what we are going through. There's no insecurity, there's no devastation, almost like no recognition of how severe this is. I can't decide if it is a matter of extreme repression of emotion for the sake of others (somewhat like I've done), or if it is repression based on trauma (which I've done), or a combination or something else. I recognize that she has repressed things. After my ex (who was incredibly, INCREDIBLY abusive), I locked everything about that time period away. The only memories I have from a three year stretch are those of my family and horses, and those that include a good friend who died a few years later, but do not include my ex. Any group memories, memories of my ex and myself, memories of me with my ex around people, they are incredibly fuzzy, or non existent. My subconscious seems to have thrown them away. I thought perhaps that was the case, but she can describe how things happened in detail to me vs. SO's sister's boyfriend literally cannot remember. His mind has truly shut it away. So I don't know what to make of her yet, but I'm waiting to see.

I hope they are all able to do whatever they need to get past this event. Some stuff is just too big to "recover" from, but you can move on and keep living. I hope her mom is just being strong to get through the required paperwork and then will take the time to take care of herself.

 

[dragonfly411]

Toopatient - I'm so sorry that you went through that! This is the third incident of my life where my family (or SO's family who are now my family) have been affected. One when we were not home, and the entered through my bedroom. This was the most emotionally scarring for me as a child. One we walked up on as he was trying to enter, and he tried saying he had gotten the house wrong, he was caught almost immediately. Now this instance, which happened in the dead of night.

They do not have a security system, though I'll be suggesting it. They do have dogs that are normally very vocal, but of course, they knew this person, very well. We'll be installing one in our home, I can guarantee that.

We have pretty much gone with anything SO's sister wants to do. She stayed back at home last night, though she had school today so I haven't gathered how it went. She's been told she can stay with us any time she wants for however long she wants. We have an extra room that can be entirely hers. We will see if that happens. Her father and mother are divorced, and he feels she shouldn't be in the house at this time, and may have some influence over that, in which case, again, she'll stay with us.

There are just so many things to think about, and that weigh you down, and so many extra thought processes that we are going through. There are so many could haves, and so many what ifs, and so many how did we miss this thoughts. Even though SO and I were not there, we are jumpy and constantly looking behind us now, because it just feels like we can never be sure anymore.

I hope she did okay last night and today at school.

Each person responds differently. She may be dealing with the stress of what happened by continuing to live her life. That is okay too. My psychologist made sure to remind me that people are all different and there is no "right" answer.

It sounds like she's got great support!

How is her mom doing? I'm sure this is hard on her too.

I find her more concerning really. I don't know how to explain it other than to say, she acts as if it was just a thing that happened, like a speeding ticket, or a flat tire, or a bounced check. She's dealing with all of the paperwork and legal stuff after, but there's nothing of what we are going through. There's no insecurity, there's no devastation, almost like no recognition of how severe this is. I can't decide if it is a matter of extreme repression of emotion for the sake of others (somewhat like I've done), or if it is repression based on trauma (which I've done), or a combination or something else. I recognize that she has repressed things. After my ex (who was incredibly, INCREDIBLY abusive), I locked everything about that time period away. The only memories I have from a three year stretch are those of my family and horses, and those that include a good friend who died a few years later, but do not include my ex. Any group memories, memories of my ex and myself, memories of me with my ex around people, they are incredibly fuzzy, or non existent. My subconscious seems to have thrown them away. I thought perhaps that was the case, but she can describe how things happened in detail to me vs. SO's sister's boyfriend literally cannot remember. His mind has truly shut it away. So I don't know what to make of her yet, but I'm waiting to see.

I hope they are all able to do whatever they need to get past this event. Some stuff is just too big to "recover" from, but you can move on and keep living. I hope her mom is just being strong to get through the required paperwork and then will take the time to take care of herself.

TooPatient - I agree. Time will tell. SO and I are going to a lake house this weekend. It's been planned for several months and I think it is just the thing we need to recoup a bit. His sister is going to her first counseling session today. Last nigh SO and I talked a little more about it, but also both expressed that there are some things we just never want to know the answers to. We are installing a deadbolt on our back door, and we'll be looking into security systems. I think we are fortunate to have moved to a very low crime rate area and I am not thankful that our neighbors are so close. We made home made pizza last night and each enjoyed a home made beer that his client made, and it definitely was a more relaxed evening. We recognize that things will probably never be the same for us or his family, but we'll find our Okay again.

In response to the school issue above, if the principal does not let your daughter re-take the exam, I'd approach the school board with her current work with the tutor, and a statement from her tutors. Never be afraid to take a step further when it comes to your children's future! My mom and second grade teacher went above guidance and the VP to the principal to get me into the gifted program in elementary school and it made a world of difference to my education!

 

[dragonfly411]

P.S. This will go in the book thread too, but my chief rabbit, and at least one yearling or doe are back out! They have been taking silflay fu inle' like I thought. The chief, or perhaps he is just a large owsla like thlayli, has been staying until just sun up at the edge of the trees. Saturday night when I went to go answer the call for the shooting, he was in the yard and hopped towards the trees when I turned on my truck lights. I guess what they say of cats is true, and they are only dangerous if you don't see them, because we have an orange tabby hanging out, and the rabbits I am sure have smelled and seen him, but don't seem to mind. I think he hunts mice, lizards and small things mostly. Lord knows there are plenty of bugs.

 

[TooPatient]

TooPatient - I agree. Time will tell. SO and I are going to a lake house this weekend. It's been planned for several months and I think it is just the thing we need to recoup a bit. His sister is going to her first counseling session today. Last nigh SO and I talked a little more about it, but also both expressed that there are some things we just never want to know the answers to. We are installing a deadbolt on our back door, and we'll be looking into security systems. I think we are fortunate to have moved to a very low crime rate area and I am not thankful that our neighbors are so close. We made home made pizza last night and each enjoyed a home made beer that his client made, and it definitely was a more relaxed evening. We recognize that things will probably never be the same for us or his family, but we'll find our Okay again.

In response to the school issue above, if the principal does not let your daughter re-take the exam, I'd approach the school board with her current work with the tutor, and a statement from her tutors. Never be afraid to take a step further when it comes to your children's future! My mom and second grade teacher went above guidance and the VP to the principal to get me into the gifted program in elementary school and it made a world of difference to my education!

Glad you're taking a weekend away to relax. I remember having non-stop anxiety for months and high anxiety for years. I'm still not entirely relaxed and do have lingering issues but I am able to function. I hope the rest of your families are able to take the time they need. Hiding such intense feelings from yourself is never a good thing!

I've got an e-mail to the VP and hope to hear back today. The tutor is calling to talk to the VP. If that doesn't work, I will be escalating to the principal and beyond if I have to. She deserves to show what she is capable of and I'm not going to let the bureaucratic situation keep her from reaching as high as she wants.

I'm glad your mom was able to get you in early! I have seen what that meant for other people and the difference is amazing.
FI and I were both kept in lower classes and suffered because of that.

 

[longtimelurker]

Just got back from meeting with vice principal. Will write more later but HAD to share a sign I saw. If I hadn't been so I would have taken a picture!

All of the administrators had signs on their doors made by the "Leadership Class" (you know the group of 4.0 students who like to suck up -- maybe not at all schools, but that is what it is here). One of the school counselors had a sign on her door that really made a statement

"Mrs. *counselor* your the best!"

I missed the last PNW GTG, but I did make the one last summer. I have a very strong feeling I know EXACTLY where you're talking about and, boy, can I empathize. We may have some common FB friends. I found that attitude especially prevalent at certain schools vs. others in the district.

I'm not on FB. If you know YT, Cygnet, or Gregchan they know how to reach me.


FI and I are

I posted earlier about getting "A" into algebra. Yeah...
I spent over an hour with the VP going over her MSP (scored a 4 in math! -- this alone should put her in algebra according to their policy), math placement exam (2 points short of required for algebra), her grades from last year (okay 1st semester, near 100% in math 2nd semester) and her tutoring records. STILL isn't enough! She's been doing algebra for a couple of months now and is already ahead of the algebra class. The VP and her counselor are worried that the algebra may be "too fast paced" for her

The tutoring center owner is calling the VP to talk with him about the program she's been in for a year and will be remaining in again this year. He's worked with her an average of about 4 hours per week (one on one!) and knows her better than anyone in the public school.

I'm working on a written request to the VP & principal requesting that they allow her in. She met their requirements to be in the class so I am NOT asking for any sort of "exception" for her.

The whole school has the feel of the favored kids getting the opportunities and everyone else just being run through some one-size-fits-all sort of program.

FI is so upset that we're actually looking into homeschool options and following up on that as a possibility. We've been working hard to show her that you can set goals in life, work towards them and ACHIEVE. She knows she met the requirement. How do I explain that they still won't let her in even though she put in the work and passed their test?

How about Hlmr or miraclesrule? I'm thinking we're 2 degrees apart.

Does the school in question have about 900 students and when you walk in the front door it's polished concrete floors, 2 story foyer?

One roadblock I'm sure you'll run into is that students were scheduled in classes last June, and there's just.no.room in most classes/they're already overcrowded. All is not lost with CMP8--you can go from that straight to geometry and skip algebra -- they cover a lot of the same material. Also, look at the progression through high school and where you want her to be at the end. I.e., if you push through the classes too hard you could be looking at some really difficult classes that she'll have no choice but to take. The math starts off painfully slow until high school, then they rocket through some complicated stuff.

I don't think they know how to contact me. Hmmm....

The VP said about 1200 students. They've got a knight as a mascot and are at the top of a hill rather surrounded by trees. Just a mile away from Safeway/Bartells.

They haven't gotten to the "full" argument yet. They've just stuck with "our policy is..." and then the expression of sympathy.
I've been looking at the straight to geometry option. It looks like it is possible so it isn't too horrible if they don't shift her. I'm also trying to reach the high school and see if they can do a placement higher than geometry if she tests beyond that going in. She's already doing algebra in tutoring and should be through the equivalent of algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 (easily -- 20 minutes per day) by the end of this school year. We'd like for her classes in school to be similar in level to what she is studying with her tutors. She anticipates taking calculus and linear algebra at least so she won't be doing anything higher than she'll need anyway.

FI tested out of all the easy classes in college and ended up having to take all of the Master's level classes just to complete his bachelor's! The goof was so busy testing out of chemistry and stuff that he ended up having to do a human dissection course

I sent a FB message to YT to pass on my contact info.

I know exactly which school -- not the one my kids attended, but knew several people.... It's so frustrating I know. When they scheduled her in June into classes, they really only looked at her first semester performance---one of my kids was screwed by that policy too--not in math but another subject. And now classes are really full. Overfull. And you know her (not YOUR) motivation level, because when she hits the classes at the high school, if she takes the high(er/est) track, her peer group could be a little, um, shall we say intense. I have two kids, both equally very capable, and one has done everything in her power to get OUT of that track, while the other one strives to stay IN it. Both could have taken two years of AP calc. One dropped back and only took regular calc her senior year. Both started with Algebra in 7th grade. Geometry has both kids from Algebra, and straight from CMP8.

 

[longtimelurker]

Just got back from meeting with vice principal. Will write more later but HAD to share a sign I saw. If I hadn't been so I would have taken a picture!

All of the administrators had signs on their doors made by the "Leadership Class" (you know the group of 4.0 students who like to suck up -- maybe not at all schools, but that is what it is here). One of the school counselors had a sign on her door that really made a statement

"Mrs. *counselor* your the best!"

I missed the last PNW GTG, but I did make the one last summer. I have a very strong feeling I know EXACTLY where you're talking about and, boy, can I empathize. We may have some common FB friends. I found that attitude especially prevalent at certain schools vs. others in the district.

I'm not on FB. If you know YT, Cygnet, or Gregchan they know how to reach me.


FI and I are

I posted earlier about getting "A" into algebra. Yeah...
I spent over an hour with the VP going over her MSP (scored a 4 in math! -- this alone should put her in algebra according to their policy), math placement exam (2 points short of required for algebra), her grades from last year (okay 1st semester, near 100% in math 2nd semester) and her tutoring records. STILL isn't enough! She's been doing algebra for a couple of months now and is already ahead of the algebra class. The VP and her counselor are worried that the algebra may be "too fast paced" for her

The tutoring center owner is calling the VP to talk with him about the program she's been in for a year and will be remaining in again this year. He's worked with her an average of about 4 hours per week (one on one!) and knows her better than anyone in the public school.

I'm working on a written request to the VP & principal requesting that they allow her in. She met their requirements to be in the class so I am NOT asking for any sort of "exception" for her.

The whole school has the feel of the favored kids getting the opportunities and everyone else just being run through some one-size-fits-all sort of program.

FI is so upset that we're actually looking into homeschool options and following up on that as a possibility. We've been working hard to show her that you can set goals in life, work towards them and ACHIEVE. She knows she met the requirement. How do I explain that they still won't let her in even though she put in the work and passed their test?

How about Hlmr or miraclesrule? I'm thinking we're 2 degrees apart.

Does the school in question have about 900 students and when you walk in the front door it's polished concrete floors, 2 story foyer?

One roadblock I'm sure you'll run into is that students were scheduled in classes last June, and there's just.no.room in most classes/they're already overcrowded. All is not lost with CMP8--you can go from that straight to geometry and skip algebra -- they cover a lot of the same material. Also, look at the progression through high school and where you want her to be at the end. I.e., if you push through the classes too hard you could be looking at some really difficult classes that she'll have no choice but to take. The math starts off painfully slow until high school, then they rocket through some complicated stuff.

I don't think they know how to contact me. Hmmm....

The VP said about 1200 students. They've got a knight as a mascot and are at the top of a hill rather surrounded by trees. Just a mile away from Safeway/Bartells.

They haven't gotten to the "full" argument yet. They've just stuck with "our policy is..." and then the expression of sympathy.
I've been looking at the straight to geometry option. It looks like it is possible so it isn't too horrible if they don't shift her. I'm also trying to reach the high school and see if they can do a placement higher than geometry if she tests beyond that going in. She's already doing algebra in tutoring and should be through the equivalent of algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 (easily -- 20 minutes per day) by the end of this school year. We'd like for her classes in school to be similar in level to what she is studying with her tutors. She anticipates taking calculus and linear algebra at least so she won't be doing anything higher than she'll need anyway.

FI tested out of all the easy classes in college and ended up having to take all of the Master's level classes just to complete his bachelor's! The goof was so busy testing out of chemistry and stuff that he ended up having to do a human dissection course

I sent a FB message to YT to pass on my contact info.

I know exactly which school -- not the one my kids attended, but knew several people.... It's so frustrating I know. When they scheduled her in June into classes, they really only looked at her first semester performance---one of my kids was screwed by that policy too--not in math but another subject. And now classes are really full. Overfull. And you know her (not YOUR) motivation level, because when she hits the classes at the high school, if she takes the high(er/est) track, her peer group could be a little, um, shall we say intense. I have two kids, both equally very capable, and one has done everything in her power to get OUT of that track, while the other one strives to stay IN it. Both could have taken two years of AP calc. One dropped back and only took regular calc her senior year. Both started with Algebra in 7th grade. Geometry has both kids from Algebra, and straight from CMP8.

There are other schools in that district that have a much, much, much different attitude towards the kids. One in particular I adore the principal, and another parent I know drove there for 3 years to avoid the school you're at because of the attitudes.

 

[blackprophet]

"Be the Change you want to see"

Trying to figure out how to live that phrase.

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks LTL!

Is the high school any better that way? We're just a mile from it so would be very convenient if it is good. "A" is excited to do AP classes and even asked if she could do an extra online class some semesters. She LOVES learning stuff!

We don't want her to exhaust herself or miss out on the fun experiences at this age, but we don't want to hold her back either.
This year she'll be doing 3 days in Seattle, 3 days in Portland, 4 days in Vancouver BC and 4 days in Disneyland with a teen group she was a part of last year. They also usually do a 5 day NY trip but that hasn't been announced yet so we're still waiting to see.
She's also doing a weekly art class since she loves art.
Tutoring will slow down a bit this year so that she has a bit more down time as well. (She's actually about to complete their reading program )

We are, thankfully, in the position to be able to drive her to a different high school if the one further up the hill (across from the library) is better than the one next to Safeway/Bartells.

 

[longtimelurker]

Thanks LTL!

Is the high school any better that way? We're just a mile from it so would be very convenient if it is good. "A" is excited to do AP classes and even asked if she could do an extra online class some semesters. She LOVES learning stuff!

We don't want her to exhaust herself or miss out on the fun experiences at this age, but we don't want to hold her back either.
This year she'll be doing 3 days in Seattle, 3 days in Portland, 4 days in Vancouver BC and 4 days in Disneyland with a teen group she was a part of last year. They also usually do a 5 day NY trip but that hasn't been announced yet so we're still waiting to see.
She's also doing a weekly art class since she loves art.
Tutoring will slow down a bit this year so that she has a bit more down time as well. (She's actually about to complete their reading program )

We are, thankfully, in the position to be able to drive her to a different high school if the one further up the hill (across from the library) is better than the one next to Safeway/Bartells.

I do not have direct experience with either of those 2 high schools. Both of the ones you're discussing with are rather strong in a particular sport. HS can be better because there's so many more choices about the directions to take. The bummer is the enormous size of the schools with kids just crammed in there -- note there's a couple of levies/bonds coming up to try and keep up with the number of students being added to the district each year. Growth is around one elementary a year--year after year after year.

Have you looked at all into some of the choice schools? E.g. STEM school? Although the district claims otherwise, it seems like a suspiciously large number of students from the high schools most overcrowded are being admitted to the STEM school.... Look at the district website if you're at all interested--the application deadlines are super early in the year for the following year.

PS I won't lie. CMP7/8 are not ones I'd like to have either of my kids take. I asked one of my kids and she went off about the CMP7/8 curriculum. Her teacher (since retired) supplemented the material greatly. I'm just saying that "A" doesn't have to be set back a whole year; she may skip Algebra and go into Geometry from CMP8.

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks LTL!

Is the high school any better that way? We're just a mile from it so would be very convenient if it is good. "A" is excited to do AP classes and even asked if she could do an extra online class some semesters. She LOVES learning stuff!

We don't want her to exhaust herself or miss out on the fun experiences at this age, but we don't want to hold her back either.
This year she'll be doing 3 days in Seattle, 3 days in Portland, 4 days in Vancouver BC and 4 days in Disneyland with a teen group she was a part of last year. They also usually do a 5 day NY trip but that hasn't been announced yet so we're still waiting to see.
She's also doing a weekly art class since she loves art.
Tutoring will slow down a bit this year so that she has a bit more down time as well. (She's actually about to complete their reading program )

We are, thankfully, in the position to be able to drive her to a different high school if the one further up the hill (across from the library) is better than the one next to Safeway/Bartells.

I do not have direct experience with either of those 2 high schools. Both of the ones you're discussing with are rather strong in a particular sport. HS can be better because there's so many more choices about the directions to take. The bummer is the enormous size of the schools with kids just crammed in there -- note there's a couple of levies/bonds coming up to try and keep up with the number of students being added to the district each year. Growth is around one elementary a year--year after year after year.

Have you looked at all into some of the choice schools? E.g. STEM school? Although the district claims otherwise, it seems like a suspiciously large number of students from the high schools most overcrowded are being admitted to the STEM school.... Look at the district website if you're at all interested--the application deadlines are super early in the year for the following year.

PS I won't lie. CMP7/8 are not ones I'd like to have either of my kids take. I asked one of my kids and she went off about the CMP7/8 curriculum. Her teacher (since retired) supplemented the material greatly. I'm just saying that "A" doesn't have to be set back a whole year; she may skip Algebra and go into Geometry from CMP8.

I've heard the STEM school mentioned and need to look into it. The schools do seem a bit crowded. Our neighbor has a kid in the HS now so I should chat with him about the place too. He's also had issues with the MS and encouraged me to keep escalating.

CMP7/8 is awful. CMP7 was a repeat of what she did in 6th grade. Same workbook and all! She came home with such hw problems as "circle the largest triangle" and was not lucky enough to have a teacher who cared enough to supplement.

Great update -- The VP just called and said that her schedule has been changed to put her in algebra! He will be meeting with her on Friday to warn her about how difficult it is, how much homework there will be and how a lot of kids just can't manage and move out after the first quarter (I've already spoken with her and told her to not let him scare her.)

 

[longtimelurker]

Thanks LTL!

Is the high school any better that way? We're just a mile from it so would be very convenient if it is good. "A" is excited to do AP classes and even asked if she could do an extra online class some semesters. She LOVES learning stuff!

We don't want her to exhaust herself or miss out on the fun experiences at this age, but we don't want to hold her back either.
This year she'll be doing 3 days in Seattle, 3 days in Portland, 4 days in Vancouver BC and 4 days in Disneyland with a teen group she was a part of last year. They also usually do a 5 day NY trip but that hasn't been announced yet so we're still waiting to see.
She's also doing a weekly art class since she loves art.
Tutoring will slow down a bit this year so that she has a bit more down time as well. (She's actually about to complete their reading program )

We are, thankfully, in the position to be able to drive her to a different high school if the one further up the hill (across from the library) is better than the one next to Safeway/Bartells.

I do not have direct experience with either of those 2 high schools. Both of the ones you're discussing with are rather strong in a particular sport. HS can be better because there's so many more choices about the directions to take. The bummer is the enormous size of the schools with kids just crammed in there -- note there's a couple of levies/bonds coming up to try and keep up with the number of students being added to the district each year. Growth is around one elementary a year--year after year after year.

Have you looked at all into some of the choice schools? E.g. STEM school? Although the district claims otherwise, it seems like a suspiciously large number of students from the high schools most overcrowded are being admitted to the STEM school.... Look at the district website if you're at all interested--the application deadlines are super early in the year for the following year.

PS I won't lie. CMP7/8 are not ones I'd like to have either of my kids take. I asked one of my kids and she went off about the CMP7/8 curriculum. Her teacher (since retired) supplemented the material greatly. I'm just saying that "A" doesn't have to be set back a whole year; she may skip Algebra and go into Geometry from CMP8.

I've heard the STEM school mentioned and need to look into it. The schools do seem a bit crowded. Our neighbor has a kid in the HS now so I should chat with him about the place too. He's also had issues with the MS and encouraged me to keep escalating.

CMP7/8 is awful. CMP7 was a repeat of what she did in 6th grade. Same workbook and all! She came home with such hw problems as "circle the largest triangle" and was not lucky enough to have a teacher who cared enough to supplement.

Great update -- The VP just called and said that her schedule has been changed to put her in algebra! He will be meeting with her on Friday to warn her about how difficult it is, how much homework there will be and how a lot of kids just can't manage and move out after the first quarter (I've already spoken with her and told her to not let him scare her.)

Congratulations!!! glad it worked out. Advocating for the best interests of our kids isn't very fun, but necessary.

Definitely look @ STEM -- maybe it's for you, maybe not, but then you'll know. Both of mine were vehemently opposed to it. I will say that many of the kids it attracts are of a certain type and it may be that A has then found her people; or she just doesn't connect at all. But DO NOT MISS THE INFO NIGHT if you have any interest or that option will be eliminate for the rest of high school.

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks LTL!

Is the high school any better that way? We're just a mile from it so would be very convenient if it is good. "A" is excited to do AP classes and even asked if she could do an extra online class some semesters. She LOVES learning stuff!

We don't want her to exhaust herself or miss out on the fun experiences at this age, but we don't want to hold her back either.
This year she'll be doing 3 days in Seattle, 3 days in Portland, 4 days in Vancouver BC and 4 days in Disneyland with a teen group she was a part of last year. They also usually do a 5 day NY trip but that hasn't been announced yet so we're still waiting to see.
She's also doing a weekly art class since she loves art.
Tutoring will slow down a bit this year so that she has a bit more down time as well. (She's actually about to complete their reading program )

We are, thankfully, in the position to be able to drive her to a different high school if the one further up the hill (across from the library) is better than the one next to Safeway/Bartells.

I do not have direct experience with either of those 2 high schools. Both of the ones you're discussing with are rather strong in a particular sport. HS can be better because there's so many more choices about the directions to take. The bummer is the enormous size of the schools with kids just crammed in there -- note there's a couple of levies/bonds coming up to try and keep up with the number of students being added to the district each year. Growth is around one elementary a year--year after year after year.

Have you looked at all into some of the choice schools? E.g. STEM school? Although the district claims otherwise, it seems like a suspiciously large number of students from the high schools most overcrowded are being admitted to the STEM school.... Look at the district website if you're at all interested--the application deadlines are super early in the year for the following year.

PS I won't lie. CMP7/8 are not ones I'd like to have either of my kids take. I asked one of my kids and she went off about the CMP7/8 curriculum. Her teacher (since retired) supplemented the material greatly. I'm just saying that "A" doesn't have to be set back a whole year; she may skip Algebra and go into Geometry from CMP8.

I've heard the STEM school mentioned and need to look into it. The schools do seem a bit crowded. Our neighbor has a kid in the HS now so I should chat with him about the place too. He's also had issues with the MS and encouraged me to keep escalating.

CMP7/8 is awful. CMP7 was a repeat of what she did in 6th grade. Same workbook and all! She came home with such hw problems as "circle the largest triangle" and was not lucky enough to have a teacher who cared enough to supplement.

Great update -- The VP just called and said that her schedule has been changed to put her in algebra! He will be meeting with her on Friday to warn her about how difficult it is, how much homework there will be and how a lot of kids just can't manage and move out after the first quarter (I've already spoken with her and told her to not let him scare her.)

Congratulations!!! glad it worked out. Advocating for the best interests of our kids isn't very fun, but necessary.

Definitely look @ STEM -- maybe it's for you, maybe not, but then you'll know. Both of mine were vehemently opposed to it. I will say that many of the kids it attracts are of a certain type and it may be that A has then found her people; or she just doesn't connect at all. But DO NOT MISS THE INFO NIGHT if you have any interest or that option will be eliminate for the rest of high school.

Thanks for all the help! It is NOT fun dealing with the system but we want her to have every opportunity and will fight to give her the chance.

I'll watch for the info night and make sure we go. I'd hate to close off an option that she may be interested in. My feeling right now is that she'll probably want to stay in the HS just down the road from us because she's been making friends and would like to be in class with them. Either way, worth a couple of hours to keep her options open!

 

[longtimelurker]

Thanks LTL!

Is the high school any better that way? We're just a mile from it so would be very convenient if it is good. "A" is excited to do AP classes and even asked if she could do an extra online class some semesters. She LOVES learning stuff!

We don't want her to exhaust herself or miss out on the fun experiences at this age, but we don't want to hold her back either.
This year she'll be doing 3 days in Seattle, 3 days in Portland, 4 days in Vancouver BC and 4 days in Disneyland with a teen group she was a part of last year. They also usually do a 5 day NY trip but that hasn't been announced yet so we're still waiting to see.
She's also doing a weekly art class since she loves art.
Tutoring will slow down a bit this year so that she has a bit more down time as well. (She's actually about to complete their reading program )

We are, thankfully, in the position to be able to drive her to a different high school if the one further up the hill (across from the library) is better than the one next to Safeway/Bartells.

I do not have direct experience with either of those 2 high schools. Both of the ones you're discussing with are rather strong in a particular sport. HS can be better because there's so many more choices about the directions to take. The bummer is the enormous size of the schools with kids just crammed in there -- note there's a couple of levies/bonds coming up to try and keep up with the number of students being added to the district each year. Growth is around one elementary a year--year after year after year.

Have you looked at all into some of the choice schools? E.g. STEM school? Although the district claims otherwise, it seems like a suspiciously large number of students from the high schools most overcrowded are being admitted to the STEM school.... Look at the district website if you're at all interested--the application deadlines are super early in the year for the following year.

PS I won't lie. CMP7/8 are not ones I'd like to have either of my kids take. I asked one of my kids and she went off about the CMP7/8 curriculum. Her teacher (since retired) supplemented the material greatly. I'm just saying that "A" doesn't have to be set back a whole year; she may skip Algebra and go into Geometry from CMP8.

I've heard the STEM school mentioned and need to look into it. The schools do seem a bit crowded. Our neighbor has a kid in the HS now so I should chat with him about the place too. He's also had issues with the MS and encouraged me to keep escalating.

CMP7/8 is awful. CMP7 was a repeat of what she did in 6th grade. Same workbook and all! She came home with such hw problems as "circle the largest triangle" and was not lucky enough to have a teacher who cared enough to supplement.

Great update -- The VP just called and said that her schedule has been changed to put her in algebra! He will be meeting with her on Friday to warn her about how difficult it is, how much homework there will be and how a lot of kids just can't manage and move out after the first quarter (I've already spoken with her and told her to not let him scare her.)

Congratulations!!! glad it worked out. Advocating for the best interests of our kids isn't very fun, but necessary.

Definitely look @ STEM -- maybe it's for you, maybe not, but then you'll know. Both of mine were vehemently opposed to it. I will say that many of the kids it attracts are of a certain type and it may be that A has then found her people; or she just doesn't connect at all. But DO NOT MISS THE INFO NIGHT if you have any interest or that option will be eliminate for the rest of high school.

Thanks for all the help! It is NOT fun dealing with the system but we want her to have every opportunity and will fight to give her the chance.

I'll watch for the info night and make sure we go. I'd hate to close off an option that she may be interested in. My feeling right now is that she'll probably want to stay in the HS just down the road from us because she's been making friends and would like to be in class with them. Either way, worth a couple of hours to keep her options open!

GOOD JOB! Choice schools take applications for the first year, then run off the waitlist created. So, if you don't apply for year 1, odds of ever being able to turn down a slot are pretty slim. The other highschool choice option starts @ 7th grade and has around 600 applications for around 90 slots.... IDK about STEM -- its pretty new.

Also, did you get my contact info via YT?

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks LTL!

Is the high school any better that way? We're just a mile from it so would be very convenient if it is good. "A" is excited to do AP classes and even asked if she could do an extra online class some semesters. She LOVES learning stuff!

We don't want her to exhaust herself or miss out on the fun experiences at this age, but we don't want to hold her back either.
This year she'll be doing 3 days in Seattle, 3 days in Portland, 4 days in Vancouver BC and 4 days in Disneyland with a teen group she was a part of last year. They also usually do a 5 day NY trip but that hasn't been announced yet so we're still waiting to see.
She's also doing a weekly art class since she loves art.
Tutoring will slow down a bit this year so that she has a bit more down time as well. (She's actually about to complete their reading program )

We are, thankfully, in the position to be able to drive her to a different high school if the one further up the hill (across from the library) is better than the one next to Safeway/Bartells.

I do not have direct experience with either of those 2 high schools. Both of the ones you're discussing with are rather strong in a particular sport. HS can be better because there's so many more choices about the directions to take. The bummer is the enormous size of the schools with kids just crammed in there -- note there's a couple of levies/bonds coming up to try and keep up with the number of students being added to the district each year. Growth is around one elementary a year--year after year after year.

Have you looked at all into some of the choice schools? E.g. STEM school? Although the district claims otherwise, it seems like a suspiciously large number of students from the high schools most overcrowded are being admitted to the STEM school.... Look at the district website if you're at all interested--the application deadlines are super early in the year for the following year.

PS I won't lie. CMP7/8 are not ones I'd like to have either of my kids take. I asked one of my kids and she went off about the CMP7/8 curriculum. Her teacher (since retired) supplemented the material greatly. I'm just saying that "A" doesn't have to be set back a whole year; she may skip Algebra and go into Geometry from CMP8.

I've heard the STEM school mentioned and need to look into it. The schools do seem a bit crowded. Our neighbor has a kid in the HS now so I should chat with him about the place too. He's also had issues with the MS and encouraged me to keep escalating.

CMP7/8 is awful. CMP7 was a repeat of what she did in 6th grade. Same workbook and all! She came home with such hw problems as "circle the largest triangle" and was not lucky enough to have a teacher who cared enough to supplement.

Great update -- The VP just called and said that her schedule has been changed to put her in algebra! He will be meeting with her on Friday to warn her about how difficult it is, how much homework there will be and how a lot of kids just can't manage and move out after the first quarter (I've already spoken with her and told her to not let him scare her.)

Congratulations!!! glad it worked out. Advocating for the best interests of our kids isn't very fun, but necessary.

Definitely look @ STEM -- maybe it's for you, maybe not, but then you'll know. Both of mine were vehemently opposed to it. I will say that many of the kids it attracts are of a certain type and it may be that A has then found her people; or she just doesn't connect at all. But DO NOT MISS THE INFO NIGHT if you have any interest or that option will be eliminate for the rest of high school.

Thanks for all the help! It is NOT fun dealing with the system but we want her to have every opportunity and will fight to give her the chance.

I'll watch for the info night and make sure we go. I'd hate to close off an option that she may be interested in. My feeling right now is that she'll probably want to stay in the HS just down the road from us because she's been making friends and would like to be in class with them. Either way, worth a couple of hours to keep her options open!

GOOD JOB! Choice schools take applications for the first year, then run off the waitlist created. So, if you don't apply for year 1, odds of ever being able to turn down a slot are pretty slim. The other highschool choice option starts @ 7th grade and has around 600 applications for around 90 slots.... IDK about STEM -- its pretty new.

Also, did you get my contact info via YT?

I've heard that STEM is hard to get into also but maybe not as hard?

No e-mail from YT yet. Will keep watching.

 

[manderz]

Why don't one of you throw up a LT listing to get in touch off the boards?