65 when dd graduates college. Oh, my! Denise

Mommymonster - that is very interesting. Thank you for responding. I will be honest and say that when a school can not be more forthcoming about what they do, flags go up in my head. Yet, I don't want to be overly skeptical and miss a good opportunity for my dd. I'll keep digging. Thanks again for your response. It does help me. If I send her to this school in the fall, maybe we can compare notes. :001_smile: Denise

Have any of you sent your dc to an Expeditionary Learning School (EL)? If so, would you mind telling me about your experiences, likes/dislikes? A new charter school is opening near me and they say they are an EL school. The model is based on the ideas of Kurt Han, founder of Outward Bound. They say it's their method, not the curriculum, that is so effective. I haven't found a lot of info. on all this yet, other than the very positive ads by the EL schools themselves. My dd will start kindergarten in the fall. She is has been fascinated by medicine and the human body since she was 2. The school opening near us will have a focus on medicine and include participants from the local medical community here. If you have any insight to share, it will be greatly appreciated. Here are some links: elschools.org and risingleadersacademy.org Thanks for your help. Denise

Thank you for all the replies. We looked at the link and ds decided he has a lot of work ahead of him to raise his score. It seems to have motivated him to study a bit harder. Thanks again for your help. Denise

Good poll, Nan. Ds - 10th grade Critical Reading 65 Mathematics 51 Writing Skills 57 Score 172 That's up from the 9th grade score of 150. He took it cold both yrs. Next yr. we will study for it but I don't think he'll make the cutoff for NM. Still, it let us know where we need to plug holes. His math scores really surprised me b/c he loves math. It was the Data,Stats., Probability section that did him in. Number&Operations was lower than expected too. Last month he finally, finally came to an understanding that he needs to tighten up and not make careless errors so, I expect this part to go up next yr. I hope this helps others on the board. Denise

Thank you for responding, HiddenJewel. Ds is only a sophmore so his score doesn't yet count. He wants to see about how much he needs to improve his scores to qualify next yr. I know it changes every yr. but it will be helpful to know. Denise

Forgive me for being daft but, I've looked all over the College Board site, including the state reports. I can't seem to find where it shows the cutoff for National Merit Scholar for each state. Where do I find this info.? Thanks for your help. Denise

Once my dd hits her teen years, I think she is going to dress exactly as you describe. :glare: She already likes very bright and very mismatched colors. I'm learning now to grit my teeth and smile. Let it go, she'll grow out of it. Denise

I like the changes. In addition to being closer to the original Latin, it sounds more sacred to me. For me, it's a welcome change. Now if we could return to the more sacred music...but that's for another thread. :D Denise

Your heart really hurts for her. Mine would too. :grouphug: You are right about waiting a bit on the counseling. Maybe you could find a good book about loss to open a bridge between the two of you. Ds and I read a book about a girl dealing w/the loss of her big brother. I had had two stillbirths and it helped us talk about them. It was a very gentle and tender story. I am sorry that I don't remember the name of it. We got it at the library though, so maybe your librarian can help you find it, or something similar. And yes, hopefully she will begin to open up to her riding instructor. Sometimes young teens will talk to a trusted adult outside the family before talking to mom or dad. Prayers for you both. Denise

My oldest ds is the same way. What has helped him gain confidence is martial arts, running and hiking (through Scouts). He wasn't really interested in running at first but needed it to do the hikes. In the end though, the running has helped him gain confidence too. Now, he runs daily and wants to do more hiking. The biggest part is that now, he loves gym night at our church youth group and he's willing to shoot hoops or rock climb w/other kids - things he wouldn't do before. I'd let your ds drop the gym class and find other ways to boost his confidence. Once he feels more secure, he'll be more inclined to participate in group games, whether he's great at them or not. He just needs to build his confidence first. Denise

I haven't read all the posts so I don't know what advice you have received so far. For what it's worth, when dh lost his parents he became very angry. He was volatile w/ds and I and would yell really loudly (he's a Marine) at us over nothing. After a few episodes, he went to grief counseling and within a few weeks, the anger subsided. That's a long way around to say, it could be grief. Your dd has had a lot of losses in a short amount of time and it may be more than she can handle, especially at such a young age. If she won't discuss it w/you, and she may not even know the root of her own anger, take her to a grief counselor. It is most likely a combination of factors but I'd bet that grief is significant portion of it. :grouphug: Your dd will be in my prayers. Denise

Praying for your ds. Denise

Yeah, we do that too. Denise

I second the vote for Hannah Anderson (when they have the rare good sale). We also use CWD when they have sales, which is often. Both of these stores I use for dd's clothes. For my boys, I buy at JC Penney and Dillards, again during sales. Oh, and LL Bean for my oldest who is done growing and has stopped spilling everything down his shirt. Denise

:iagree: This is me. I couldn't have said this any better. Denise

Praying. :grouphug: Denise

B.S. in Mass Communication (Journalism) and M.P.A. (Public Admin.) Denise

You all are in my prayers. :grouphug: Denise

Oh, so maybe they came from a salad or something? Wow. That's really scary. They live where they can buy organic. Maybe they will consider shopping at organic grocery stores now. They were never against it, just didn't see the need. What about those w/out access to organic produce? How does everyone stay safe? This whole event has been so surreal. I need to take that vitamin C and get extra rest now. It's hard to wrap my head around all this. Denise

I did it 2 yrs. ago for 4 weeks, no exercise. I lost 15 lbs. and have kept it off. In Jan., I plan to start it again but w/walking this time. It's a good diet and phase I isn't as bad as most diets. I hope I can stick w/it this time. Denise

Sounds like a fun and much needed break. It's part of the joy of homeschooling, doing something unusual and fun like that. Denise

This is how it works in my house too. Mine are 16, 10 and 4. I often have to remind one or both of the boys that I am the mommy and in charge. My 4 yr. old is a girl, so she's beginning to boss everyone around. :tongue_smilie: Denise

$25-$30. Sometimes for a gift and sometimes as a gift certificate. Denise

:iagree: Yes, I agree w/this. Denise