For various reasons, my teen wasn't able to take the PSAT in 10th for a trial run. We've read over materials for the test as part of her test prep, but just to make sure we're not overlooking anything.... #2 pencils, ID, and approved calculator are all that's needed, correct? Do students typically bring water and snacks for the PSAT? Are any codes needed? It's my understanding codes for major will be provided on-site. Sorry if I missed this being discussed elsewhere. ETA: Ack! I just realized I somehow skipped some posts in the thread about snacks. Apologies! Going back to read more carefully now!

We had a set-up that allowed us closer monitoring when she was younger, but at this point it's not usually a problem. When it is, the consequences happen and she's left to deal with them. (We do help brainstorm solutions, support, etc.) The main reason I was asking is I was trying to compare her days to the days of other teens, and I realized it is hard to pin down the number of hours spent on school. Part of the problem is that her days are broken up with classes, activities, etc., so she doesn't do her schoolwork in one big chunk. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion. It's an excellent one and one we made good use of at the start of high school and online classes.

Ah, that would make a difference. My teen is taking online classes, so she needs to be on the computer for at least part of her schoolwork. It definitely ups the potential for distractions, though!

How is everyone determining time spent on schoolwork? I'm never sure how much time is spent actually working vs daydreaming, going down bunny trails when schoolwork sparks curiosity about something, taking a few minutes to skype/text a friend, etc. Do your teens sit down and diligently work on schoolwork until time for scheduled break or end time?

I remember discussions of boarding school around that age...

I was wondering about you when I didn't see the thread earlier. Take good care of yourself! I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks!

Would you mind expanding on post-high school resumes? Do you mean graduate school, job applications, etc? We hadn't really given those much thought in connection with the award. As much as I hate the hoop- jumping and box-checking madness, I also want to be aware of the reality we live in and what is typically expected.

Is it a worthwhile goal? I know that sounds cynical, but I do wonder these days. She is doing everything anyway, and was doing it even before she started the process. Volunteering, physical fitness, personal development. It's just how she lives her life. Is it suddenly more worthwhile to have some stamp of approval. To be honest, in some ways it almost tarnishes it. I think I have read and overheard too many conversations with kids talking about only doing things for credit and/or applications. To clarify -- she is doing the official recording. I help a bit to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, but the ultimate burden is on her. I also wonder how impressive the Congressional Award truly is. I've read a range of views. There's your dose of negativity for the day. :cheers2: ;)

That's a good idea about doing the silver in high school and then finishing up the gold in early college. It occurred to me this morning that she could do the gold E/E and have it count for both the silver and gold. I had forgotten about that option. It's my understanding it will just need to be submitted twice, perhaps with more detail and explanation the second time. On the other hand, there is always the risk it wouldn't count the second time for some reason, which is the main reason she just wants to submit it for the gold. I guess at that point it would be a year or so later, so doing another E/E might not be that big of a deal. I was looking at the site recently and there is a picture with the gold medals ready for presentation and one of my first thoughts was More clutter... Thanks for you commiseration. It's much appreciated. You've also given us another option to consider.

Everything for the silver here except the E/E. I think she is going to go straight for the gold to avoid having to do two more E/E's. (Silver E/E and Gold E/E. If she goes straight for the gold, she only has to do one.) Honestly on some days all the recording etc gets old. It seems like every.little.thing in her life is being recorded, measured, and scrutinized. (ETA: Not just for the award, but myriad other areas as well -- driving hours, books read, all activities, etc etc etc. Not to mention exams, quizzes, essays, standardized tests... constant scoring and evaluating and comparing.) There is also some frustration regarding the E/Es. What she really wants to do might not count. Not sure if this varies by regional program manager or not, but I was a little taken back by comments about what is acceptable. If in the end what she wants to do doesn't count, I'm not sure I'll encourage her to try to jump their hoop and pass on her other plans. I'm feeling a little disillusioned and jaded by the whole process at the moment.

I often have a bag with LOTS of stuff in the vehicle and another bag I take in with me at each stop during the day. Between locations I restock the bag I carry to have what's needed at the next place. It's much better than lugging around papers etc that I don't need right then.

If I could have a redo, it would be 9th grade too. I can relate to much of the rest of your post as well. Box checking and scholé are far from fast friends... My overall goals for the year: Decide which boxes are worth checking Make health as high a priority as schoolwork Provide a home life and environment that encourage scholé Nix the nagging and lead by example

Looking forward to your thoughts when things quiet down to a more tolerable level. ;) Any thoughts, experiences, or musings on CM or Scholé in the high school years are welcome!

Thanks for sharing your traveler's notebook! I didn't realize you meant it quite literally when you said that you made it! Wow!

Charlotte Mason's second principle: They are not born either good or bad, but with possibilities for good and evil. The strong interplay between nature and nurture remains important, even in the high school years. We cannot control, but we can sometimes guide. We cannot force, but we can sometimes lead. Sometimes even aloof teens are watching how we live our lives (and are quick to note when it differs from the words we say or what we are asking of them). The teen years often involve experimentation and strong emotions. Unfortunately, they are also often the years when mental illness starts to show. It can be tricky to distinguish between the two. Being open to both the good and bad in our teens allows us to fully see who they are and to more adequately help them as they continue on their developmental journeys.

Hope your day gets better as it progress. Early starts are rough. I'm trying to decide what routines will work best on which days with our new schedule. Hopefully this step will get completed today.

This is definitely going to take me two days, but it will be time well spent. It's exactly what I need to be doing right now though as we're trying to get a grasp on the semester's schedule.

My goal for this month is to find some new quick meals and snacks so we aren't always reverting to the same convenience foods over and over. Although they aren't terrible, they also aren't the best choice, and the lack of nutritional variety isn't ideal.

Charlotte Mason's first principle. Children are born persons. Not college applicants, not scholarship material. So many times I've heard (or said), "Oh my teen does xyz because they want to. Not because of college applications!" I've been revisiting this a lot lately. Is it wrong to do something just to jump hoops to get to where one wants to go? At what cost? Where's the line? Obviously there is no one right answer. I've just realized lately that sometimes things get really murky when the stakes are high. So much is going on during the teenage years. So much growth in so many areas. Children are born persons and continue to be persons even when they morph into teens. Who are they now and how is the life they are living affecting who they will become? Are classes and activities stifling them or setting them free?

Did some work in zone one. Trying to prioritize and adjust routines to sync with new fall schedule.

We started a similar process of written comments around the same age. Sometimes she would even write a note back asking for clarification. Written communication made a big difference.

I'm going to attempt to use some decorative file folders instead of a binder. I have them ready to go in a pretty desktop file on my kitchen desk. I bought the file folders some time ago without any real need for them, so maybe now I can finally put them to good use and enjoy them every day. If the file folder setup doesn't work, I've got a binder at the ready. (ETA: Another reason I'm using file folders is because I'm trying to do a Getting Things Done reboot at the same time I'm doing the Flylady reboot.)

I've pulled Charlotte Mason's Home Education off the shelf again and am seeing it with new eyes. The subtitle is Training and educating children under nine. I would argue that many of the concepts even in that volume are relevant until perhaps nineteen -- if not ninety. Note that I'm saying concepts --not details. Perhaps one advantage of rereading it during the teen years is feeling no obligation to follow the details because they were meant for young children. The spirit of the writing takes precedence. I hope to spend some time with both volume 1 and volume 6 in the upcoming days. I also hope to revisit some ideas mentioned in this thread.

:grouphug: Health (both physical and mental) and relationships first. Always. :grouphug: