We switched my 9th grade daughter to CLE algebra, and she is doing so well. The mastery workbook approach has helped her a lot.

I lived in China for a year 5 years ago. China has very capitalist leanings today. It is a booming economy with infrastructure growing so fast it makes your head spin. Most of the Chinese people I knew were well aware of America and our individualistic and materialist ways. Most admired some things about America, but they had a great love for their own culture as well. No one was clamoring to get out of China. My daughter absolutely loved living there, and at, 15, she has already declared that she will live in China agin someday. I do miss the ease of walking and how safe it was. It is a very family friendly society as well.

Try Stitch fix or something like it. The stylists have been great to help me update my look. I will be 52 in June, and dressing at this age is a lot harder than it seems.

My 15 year old daughter was exactly like this down to being clumsy. She was diagnosed with ADHD and was borderline for Aspergers. As she got older, I realized that anxiety and sensory issues were her biggest problem. As she has gotten older, she is much better. However, she still sometimes has screaming fits when things don't go her way. They are very rare now. We have worked hard on developing coping skills. I have also read The Explosive Child, and while it made me feel I wasn't alone, I didn't get much practical help from the book. For me, the most difficult part of having a child who can go off at any minute is the condemnation from family and "friends" who think that somehow I was supposed to be able to control her. Other than removing her from the situation, there was no chance to control her once she was out of control. I really wish I had had more support during her childhood years.

DD is doing FLVS Driver's Ed. It will give her the necessary tests to take to get her permit. She is 15, but I haven't taken her out to drive yet. I know that neither her dad or I will be patient enough with her. I am really a nervous Nelly when it comes to this sort of thing. We live in a suburb of Orlando, and driving is not easy around here. My daughter doesn't even want to drive. I haven't looked into driving instructors yet, but I am hoping they are somewhat affordable!

Yes, you can enroll an 8th grader in Spanish at the high school level through Flex.

Florida virtual has AP classes. For AP English, our students score above the national average and above most of the school districts in Florida. I personally know several AP teachers, and they are phenomenal!

I'm sorry this was your experience, but it isn't my experience as an FLVS Flex instructor. My live lessons are very different from the online reading and assessments. All the teachers I work with spend lots of time to make our lessons engaging and enjoyable for students. We regularly have students repeat lessons because they enjoy the camaraderie in the virtual classroom. We also have the ability meet with student one on one in our virtual classroom for private tutoring which can be very beneficial for students.

I am an FLVS Flex high school English instructor. I will try to ask any questions that you might have. You have already received a lot of good information. I will say that we aren't pushed to get students through in a hurry. Our time frame for each segment is approximately 8 weeks, which is a standard school semester. We are told to put the student and parents first, and there are many occasions in which we are allowed to give plenty of grace to students. I also don't think our workload is bad at all. I have about 148 students which is on par with how many students I had in a standard high school classroom. FLVS is not for everyone, but I think it is a great option for students who need online learning.

We use a combination of Glencoe World Geography textbook, videos and the PACE booklets. I am not pro ACE Paces for anything else, but the detail in the workbooks is great. It is overly religious, and we just ignore that part. We also use cultural events around Orlando. We are blessed to have many opportunities around here.

My best friend's dad was recently diagnosed with cancer. It seems to be a later stage, and things don't look good. Her dad is in his mid seventies and has always been in good health. Her mom thought her dad just had the flu. It was a total shock to the family to learn it was cancer. My friend is super close to her family and is really hurting. I've been talking with her and went to her house just to be there with her this weekend. For those who have been through something like this, what else can I do to be help with the shock and grieving?

I was born in 1966 and am horrified at things my parents let me do then. Sometimes, I don't think parents necessarily had their kids best interest at heart. I walked to school in first grade with a third grade girl who lived next door. We walked in the neighborhood street and then had to go through a patch of woods to the playground in the back of the school. The front of the school was on a major highway with lots of traffic. One day, another kids told me the woods behind the school were haunted, and I refused to go home that way. The third grade girl took off, and I started home walking along the very busy highway! When I didn't get home on time, mom called the mother of the third grade girl who said I wouldn't walk home. Mom thought I was still at school, so she got in the car and managed to see me walking along the road. I had walked about 1/2 a mile. When I think about what could have happened, and all the stories of things that did happen to kids back then that we didn't hear, I'm glad that kids are supervised better today.

I don't think we should encourage less responsibility for young adults today, but it really is a different world than what many of us grew up in. I'm 51, and in my day, a young couple under 20 could find a job that would support a family with or without higher education. They wouldn't have had much money, but it would have been possible. I know that it is possible to some extent today, but I think it is much harder for 18-25 year old young adults to be completely independent today ( I am including health insurance as part of the problem today.)

My favorite thing to do is go walk in nature or on a beach. Just sitting on the beach helps me refocus. But, I live in Orlando, so the beach isn't always possible. Sometimes, I like to just window shop or bring a book and go to a coffee or tea shop.

Anyone watching the Florida students demonstrating at the capital in Tallahassee? Makes me proud!

My daughter dislocated her knee at gymnastics last year. We did see an orthopedic doctor who gave us some exercises to do. A bout a month later, she dislocated it again, but she was able to get it back in place. We did not go to the doctor but continued the exercises. A few days ago, more than a year since she last dislocated her knee, it happened again at home. This time it was very painful, and she was afraid to try to reset it, so we ended up in the ER. We have another orthopedic appointment this week. My question is, if you or one of your kids has had this issue, what was the solution. We are a little spooked about the knee just suddenly popping out on her again. IS there something that the orthopedic doctor can do differently this time?

I am assuming you don't have Type II Diabetes. Is that correct? Not everyone with PCOS will end up diabetic. For a Type II diabetic, and A1C of 6.5 is very good. I have not been on Metformin for years. My vitamin numbers are fine. I am almost 52 years old and have no side effects from PCOS or Type II Diabetes. I've been diabetic for over 6 years. It is so interesting how our bodies can process things like medication so differently. I'm pretty sure I knew about how to eat better all these years, and In the last 4 years, I've mode lots of changes. For me, fasting is a big no no. For some Type II Diabetics, going hours without food causes major blood sugar spikes. I have altered my eating habits so that I eat small meals throughout the day. This has worked well for me.

My DD, a 9th grade student, is doing integrated physical science and chemistry this year. We did not feel she got a good grasp of the concepts in the private school she attended in 7th grade. Last year, for 8th, we did earth science and some oceanography. I don't want to count this year as a lab science, but I really need help with some fun labs/demonstrations we can do that she might actually learn something from. We've done a couple on our own and a few virtual labs. DD used to love science, and it has really been a chore this year. She will love biology next year, but I don't want her to hate the idea of taking physics and chemistry in the future.

I think seeing an endocrinologist is a good idea. Is the whole foods diet new? If it is, give it time. He may begin to lose weight. He is exercising regularly, eating better and his numbers are good. That's great!

I guess i will settle for that :lol: I thought you meant get off meds and still live a normal life. I could eat just lettuce and a little rice and maybe a few beans for the rest of my life, but quality of life means a lot to me! I do watch my carbs, but I work full time and home school my daughter. I don't have time to micro manage my food intake. I am at a healthy weight, not skinny, but I'm happy. I certainly know that most people will just say I am making excuses. True! I want to live life and not be weighed down with anxiety about what I am eating all the time. I guess I feel confidant that what I am doing is helping, because I am seeing my numbers come down. Forgot to mention that many people with PCOS take Metformin. So, I really am not on any Diabetes medicines. I've been on Metformin before. My A1C has never been above a 7.

Some people actually like to walk. I don't consider walking to be something I have to be conned into. Having a walkable center not only increases the chance for exercise, it also gives a feel of community. When we moved to our current location in Florida, we chose the neighborhood primarily because it has a community feel, with stores and restaurants. It is almost 1/2 a mile to walk up to the stores and restaurants. Since we moved here, I walk a lot more. I've also feel like I know my neighbors and the shop owners. I really don't think there are many opportunities for Americans to walk apart from communities like this and cities.

I wish this were the case for all people, but it simply isn't. I have Type II Diabetes. Because of PCOS, I've had insulin resistance for most of my life. I lost more than thirty pounds, exercise regularly (walked 12+ miles this last week), and I am controlling my Diabetes (A1C is 6.5). But, I am not off all medications. I take Metformin only. I am so happy that I can manage my Diabetes with very little medication, but to say that everyone can reverse Type II Diabetes leads to so much misinformation out there about Type II Diabetes (like that it is primarily caused by eating too much sugar :)

I just got off the phone with my mom. We were talking about the school shooting here in Florida. I'm in central Florida, but i work for a virtual school, and we had students at the school. We've been told we can't contact any of our Broward Co. students for now. Anyway, my mom made the remark that he was such a nice looking, clean cut guy. She went on to say that it was such a shame because he didn't look like a hoodlum(her word) and wasn't from a "foreign country" (also her words). I can't say I am shocked, because my parents are both racist and have clear ideas about what a criminal should look like :huh: Has anyone else heard something like this after a tragedy?

If all those things you mentioned were just caused by poor eating habits, I might agree somewhat with what you are saying. However, overall health isn't that simple. There are numerous factors besides diet that can have an impact on your health including, exercise or lack thereof, heredity and hormones. And some people eat a poor diet their entire lives an never suffer from health issues. I agree that eating healthier in general is a good things, but the 50 year old with diabetes and an amputated leg might have also have inherited the tendency to have diabetes or have had other issues that contributed to the loss of the leg such as a smoking habit.

Our hard earned money is going for many things I don't necessarily support, but in no way do I feel it directly impacts me. I don't have a right to tell others how to live their lives despite the fact that I pay taxes. This mentality amazes me. I've been a teacher for years, and I've actually had disgruntled parents tell me that they "pay my salary" so they have a right to demand things from me! Really?