zaichiki
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Posts posted by zaichiki
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We are about to begin dd's 9th grade year and I'm still changing, searching, and tweaking...
Math -- This is my unknown (still deciding). Dd completed more than 50% of both Algebra I & Geometry, but needs to finish both before starting on Algebra II later in the school year. Need to change curriculum...
English -- Teaching the Classics, Vocabulary from Classical Roots, Literature from Sonlight
History -- Sonlight Core 100 and lots of "field trips"
Marine Science -- Marine Biology (still deciding curriculum) plus Oceanography from Great Courses *and lots of "field trips"*
French -- French in Action and Breaking the Barrier
Music -- viola lessons, studio class, quartet, orchestra, music theory class, and ear training class
PE -- long bike rides, lap swims, and/or tennis
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All the wire ones are pieces of junk.
Agree. Don't get a cheap stand. They fall apart... and then you buy another... and another... and end up spending what you would have spent on a good quality stand at the start.
We use mostly Manhasset stands.
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I asked ds to read this thread... this will give him lots of new ideas to consider. He's looking for an internship at an aerospace company in our state... something he can do all year (his senior year of high school)...
I suggested that he contact (via phone or e-mail) several companies and ask if he can set up a tour or a shadow day, first. At that point, I suggested, he should ask about internship possibilities. Anyone have experience with this? Is this the right path? Do you have other suggestions? (His guidance counselor, even at this STEM high school, is not helping... in fact, I have heard she has left the school over the summer and the school will now have only one GC for about 400 kids...)
Thanks again!
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Some kids are ready at 4, some are ready even younger, and some can wait. Our experience (below) shows how different it can be, even within one family (same parents, same musical environment).
Over the last 12 years I've participated in Suzuki lessons with all four of my kids (cello x 2, viola, and violin). Oldest asked for lessons at 5 and began lessons soon after asking. He played for 9 years before putting the cello aside. Second child asked for lessons at 2, got them at 3, and plays very seriously now and plans to make it a career. Third child asked for lessons at 4, played for 2 years, then decided he hated practicing (he would try to find all sorts of ways to get out of practicing... and when he was sitting with me, oh boy did he fight it... so I was thrilled that he wanted to quit, but he had to finish out the semester first). Youngest child wanted a teacher ever since she could speak. She started at 2.5 and loved it for a few months. When the teacher said she was ready to start using fingers on the strings, dd disagreed, wanting only to scrub away at the strings. I put the lessons on hold (instead of cajoling/working my tail off to get her to cooperate) until she was willing to follow along with the teacher's ideas. She started again at 6 and is flying. Honestly, she could have started at 4. She was ready then (but I was not).
There is no one right time. Whatever works for your specific child and your specific family is the way to go.
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Wow... thanks everybody! (I wasn't sure I'd get any responses... heh...)
So, no ROTC... Also, ds isn't prioritizing aviation, but he sure wouldn't turn it down as a bonus. His main interest is probably aeronautical design (is this actually a term?)... I don't think he's much into space/astronauts, but he's still mulling over all the details.
His strengths, as far as aerospace are concerned, are probably his incredible visual memory/attention to visual details, his interest in aviation and military history, and his visual-spatial skills. Ds has got some wicked drawing skills that could certainly be useful in this field, I think, especially when combined with CAD... His academics at his STEM high school are definitely not shabby.
One of my grandfathers was a pilot who worked for an aircraft engineering corporation and had patents in his name related to that work... Wondering if ds may be interested in a similar journey...
Well, now he's got some more researching to do... Florida, Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, Indiana, Colorado...
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Anybody have a ds/dd who is studying for an undergrad degree in Aerospace Engineering? What colleges did your child consider? Where did they end up? What do you think of their experience?
Ds is interested in Embry Riddle. He has buddies looking at other Engineering programs at RPI and WPI... I'd like him to broaden his search a bit, but he's convinced it's Aerospace all the way.
Staring down college apps and starting to get twitchy...
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since we do have time to look at all angles, I would love to hear some of the specifics you've heard in case there are some considerations no one has brought up yet...maybe a pm or email?
Sent a PM including some considerations I've discussed with other parents. I'm sure you've heard them already... Keep in mind that classical music may be very different from Irish traditional music with respect to some of these concerns.
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If it helps your decision any, my daughter, who is now 19, says that 14 and 15 year olds do not ever belong in dorms. I am sure that she would be glad to pm you more if you would be interested.
It's not about whether or not we trust them (the younger-than-typical kids) or how mature they are, but "Do we want them exposed to certain things at such a young age?" Even if we are confident that they would make the right (safe, legal, etc.) choice, do we want them to be exposed to it before they have to be? After all, there's no going back.
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I have had a number of discussions lately with parents making these decisions IRL and they have "stories" to share that are very eye-opening. These are people that have BTDT themselves (they have achieved greatness in the same area, often starting when they were teens). I notice a pattern in the choices they make for their kids...
Also teachers... the parents mention specific teachers who have a reputation for working with unusually talented children at an unusually young age -- the parents have said that the teachers counsel extreme caution.
The OP might also talk with parents of kids who, for example, work in movies **(in Hollywood or on Broadway) at a young age or compete in the Olympics at a young age (I'm thinking ladies gymnastics or ice skating)... I think there may be similar considerations. (Obviously not everyone chooses to apply the brakes.)
edited to add **
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If we're voting, I vote for "let her go for it." If one of my kids ever showed a passion and drive like that, I wouldn't hesitate. Normal childhood and adolescence is not all it's cracked up to be. Better to pursue the opportunity for greatness.
That sounds very tempting... but I think it depends on the opportunity (the particular experience). I didn't use to think so... but I have had a number of discussions lately with parents making these decisions IRL and they have "stories" to share that are very eye-opening. These are people that have BTDT themselves (they have achieved greatness in the same area, often starting when they were teens). I notice a pattern in the choices they make for their kids...
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I think I have an idea of the opportunity... and I will not give you any suggestions... but you said "I always think dd should have been born to at least one musician parent who knows what they are doing." So I thought I might share a bit from that angle.
I am not a musician, but I do know some parents who *are* working, professional (some very well known) classical musicians with kids who play classical music at a very high level. I have talked to them about their perspective on raising these kids and the decisions they make when unusual opportunities are offered to their kids at unusual ages. In every case, these parents have applied the brakes. Every case.
I can chat specifics with you about it if you want, but I wonder if you might get similar ideas chatting with working professional (well-known) musicians in your dd's genre, those with kids, and asking them what they would do if it was THEIR child (ask them to really imagine it IS their actual son or dd by name). These people already know the pros and cons and how the experience could affect a child.
Chin up.
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An example is that my almost 6 yo was told to write as many numbers as she could in a row up to 100 and only wrote the number 1.
She 100 percent knows how to count. This test was completely unexpected. They were hungry and taken off guard. We thought we were dropping papers an leaving.
I don't know what to think. I just feel like a big fat, no options failure right now. I am basically ruining my kids lives.
Kindergarten is a starting point for formal education. Kids are not expected to, as a base line, come into Kindergarten already knowing how to write their numbers... One of the Kindergarten goals is to learn to count to 100! Maybe this school is not expecting the base line? Maybe they're expecting more? Is this normal in your area?
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Go to the pharmacy and get Zanfel. Over the counter.
My oldest is very sensitive to poison ivy and got wicked reactions on his face, necessitating steroids and trips to the ER, UNTIL WE GOT ZANFEL.
It's like a miracle.
The itching and swelling were gone in minutes. No more need for the ER.
The little tube is expensive, but it's far cheaper than a visit to the doctor or the ER.
*Fair warning* -- follow the directions exactly.
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Considering a camping trip near Lake Erie... We want to spend time in/on the water. Which beach should we prioritize? Where would you go?
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Actually, whether a dog is hypoallergenic has to do with a particular person is allergic to it.
I am an adoption coordinator for a breed-specific rescue, and this breed is supposedly hypoallergenic. We get applicants who are allergic to dogs, and we have an allergy policy in place and we always ask if anyone in the household is allergic to dogs and explain how no breed or dog is truly hypoallergenic.
Sometimes people either lie or they just don't realize that a family is allergic to dogs. The last time this happened, the wife had never been allergic to any dog. The dog the couple was fostering to adopt caused her such severe allergies that she had to move out of the house while we found the dog a foster home. Her choice was basically to stay and be able to breathe, or to move out.
Absolutely. I agree: it's the person, not the dog. And no dog is truly hypoallergenic. Absolutely!
In our case, dd was not, at first, allergic to these dogs. She sat with one in her lap for an hour at the animal rescue, petting and loving on her. No reaction. Six months later, doggie can no longer sleep in her room unless dd takes an allergy pill. Just like with dd's other allergies, it seems, more exposure leads to more of a reaction.
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No, they are not. Read the article Hornblower linked about the "inventor" of the Labradoodle regretting his decision.
This is part of what bothers me. Anything crossed with a Poodle or a Bichon is marketed as a non-shedding, hypoallergenic dog, but allergies are not simple and heritibility of traits is not guaranteed.
To be fair, I have heard some people more realistically confess that their cross sheds less but does shed and people I know with a known allergy to dogs either get a purebred poodle or don't get dogs at all.
Our bichon/poodle crosses don't shed at all. If I am combing/brushing vigorously, I will get a couple square inches of fluff after 10 minutes and brushing the entire dog. No shedding in the house, though. I'm cool with that.
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I thought these dogs were only allergy-free for people who are specifically allergic to fur and if you're allergic to dander or saliva the poodle crosses won't help.
From what I understand, all animal allergies are actually dander... but less shedding means less dander being spread around.
There *are* some dogs that dd is *less* allergic to... and these two were in that category until we had had them for a while. She reacts to them more easily now.
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I got a hypoallergenic (poodle/bichon mix) from a rescue.
For anyone looking -- just a heads up -- not all poodle/bichon crosses are hypoallergenic.
Our rescued poodle/bichon crosses (so say their vet records -- with one vet their whole lives before coming to us) are NOT hypollergenic. We love them! We adore them! Allergic dd adores them! We bathe them regularly and vacuum (dander only, because there's no shedding) often, but she sill needs to take allergy pills several days a week when she's home/around them.
Dd seems to have gotten more sensitive to them over time. (When we first got them we thought she wasn't allergic to them because there was no reaction.)
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Do you agree?
I have mixed feeling about this, because I have loved dogs, cats and horses since childhood. I love to have pet dog(s) and cat(s) and have had one or the other or both in my life since I was a teenager. I'm not into horses anymore because they are too expensive, but that kind of segues right into what I am about to say.
When I was a teen, I was very concerned about the problems of inadequate pet ownership: indescriminant and accidental breeding, puppies and kittens as surprise presents, ignorant pet ownership and management, animal abuse via incorrect or non-existant training, ad infinitum. So I do see it as a good thing that there are far fewer unintended litters than there used to be and life-long pet ownership seems to be much more the norm than it once was.
However, pet ownership, most especially of dogs seems to be becoming an elite activity. If you want to acquire a puppy in the first place, this is no longer a simple or inexpensive/free event. The puppy I got when I was 16, my beloved sheltie/spitz mix, Nika, was acquired from a classified ad in the paper for free. She was a dear friend for 16 more years. I think it is actually impossible to get a free mutt this way anymore. Blessing/curse.
Now, every "mutt" I know was intentionally combined and costs a thousand dollars. Beag-a-Chons and Chow-a-Poos and Shepra-Doodles. (Yes I am being a little bit intentionally absurd.) But, having dropped a four-figure sum just to get your farcically Hypoallergenic dog, you have only scratched the surface of Responsible Pet Ownership because that first year's vet bills will set you back many hundreds. Plus obedience classes, grooming, toys, beds, idiotic leashes and the finest pet food. And a mini-fridge in the garage because you're feeding him Fresh Pet. He will have an anxiety disorder so you'll buy a Thundershirt and give him Prozac. Or have a canine psychologist work with him so he will stop eating the cat turds.
I don't really know what the solution is, and, like I said, I am happy that many more people consider carefully pet ownership than it once was and I do believe a much greater percentage of pets have a wonderful life than in decades past. But I do worry sometimes that having pets, especially dogs, is becoming a status symbol. I think fewer kids from working class or lower-middle (or even just frugal middle) will even grow up with a dog or cat. I find that sad.
I think by todays standards, I would not have had pets as a child and I would not have gotten my lovely Nika.
Am I wrong? Is it good? Should pets only belong to people with ample dough to buy them and who don't bat a lash at spending $900 on a mixed-breed dog?
Elitist?! For real?
I live in a rural area... lots of middle class and lower middle class people here. Lots of pets. Very few appear to fit the descriptions above.
We actually have two "designer breed" dogs. They are "supposed to be" hypoallergenic, but they are NOT. So please don't anyone believe a dog is hypoallergenic unless it's been proven for that particular dog.
Got these two from a rescue (found it on petfinder.com) for almost nothing. We have not brought them to obedience classes, though we have taken classes with previous dogs (all of our dogs have been rescues), so we know what we're doing... We bought our own clippers because we cannot afford $100 a month to pay a groomer for two little dogs. Bought no beds or toys (they sleep in our beds or on the floor and use the kids' old tennis balls).
Our kids, like I said, live in a rural area and so we are surrounded by farms and by animals. We have a small farm with no disposable income for the types of house pets you described above. Bu that doesn't mean no pets! Not counting the livestock, our kids have had dogs, rabbits, a cockatiel (a rescue) and parakeets (rescues), and a mouse. Still need a cat to round things out -- ha! Now it's true that we have spent more money, overall, on animals than most, but then... we do live on a farm. The house pets have been quite inexpensive.
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I had forgotten about some of the things you all mentioned... thank you so much for calling my attention!
I decided to forgo the Apologia because of references to Young Earth that run counter to our family's beliefs... even though I love the way it's organized...
I found these!
http://www2.vims.edu/bridge/search/faq.cfm -- Bridge, "an ocean of free marine education resources"
http://nosb.org/ - National Ocean Sciences Bowl
http://www.us-satellite.net/marinescience/ - NASA/NOAA Marine Science Education
Now I just have to plan this all out (which was what I was hoping to avoid...). Maybe I should have the girl help me "write" the schedule/plan the resources and field trips for the year... I think that'd be educational, in and of itself. Plus, it would beef up her feeling of ownership... Hmmm...
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To be clear, I was the one asking about Boston because my husband has expressed interest in moving back there. The only school I was aware of was a magnet school in Worcester which isn't exactly GBA. But I figured it was on topic, so I'd pick people's brains while in this thread.
As momma2three said, because kids have different interests and strengths, there's no one place that is going to be the right fit for every child (same goes for gifted children). I have homeschooling friends whose gifted kids have had good experiences in the Framingham Public Schools, Wayland Public Schools, Newton Pulbiic Schools, The Sage School (private for gifted kids in Foxboro -http://www.sageschool.org),Christa McAuliffe (a public charter in Framingham - http://www.mcauliffecharter.org), and the Russian Math School (http://www.russianschool.com/location/framingham). I could list others if I asked around a bit...
If you have a high school aged child who is gifted in music and looking for the music version of Hogwarts, Natick has a (pricey, but they do offer need-based financial aid) boarding school that has a wonderful reputation: https://www.walnuthillarts.org/
***Edited to add: Plus dance, visual arts, theater, writing, film and the media arts
MIT's Splash program has been a hit with these same kids: https://esp.mit.edu/learn/Splash/index.html. MIT offers other workshops and classes for younger kids during the school year that homeschoolers take advantage of... and several high school aged kids I know in the area have taken advantage of Harvard's Extension School to get working on their degree early: https://www.extension.harvard.edu/
These are just off the top of my head. If anyone's interested in more info about the Boston area, let me know. I don't live there anymore, but I can ask friends there for their favorite local resources.
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Take a beach walk at low tide
Go to an aquarium
Go whale watching
Tour a fishing boat
Visit a fish ladder
Visit a fish hatchery
Walk along a spawning stream
Walking on the beach at low tide is a good one!
Aquarium and whale watching are definitely on our list.
Maybe we'll have to do a fishing trip... hadn't thought of that one.
We have a hatchery nearby... so that one is easy, but what is a fish ladder?
I'll have to do some research to find a spawning stream. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
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We're making a list of field trip ideas for this year. Even "pie in the sky" ideas are going on the list for now.
Any suggestions?
:bigear:
Thank you!
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Lial's Intermediate algebra may also be a good fit for your ds for algebra 2 because each chapter begins with the algebra 1 level of the material before expanding on it and introducing new concepts.
Thank you for posting this! I have Lial's Intermediate Alg on my shelf and now I'm totally doing this with my girl (who, believe, needs a review of Alg 1 before moving on)! Thanks!
How to categorize activities for a future transcript
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
Dd follows a lot of rabbit trails and is always very busy in her "free" time. She reads a lot -- that's easy to track. She keeps a reading list.
But what about interests and activities related to history, science, and the arts? How will we decide (in the future) how much of a certain activity, grouped together, can describe a "course" for a transcript? (Understandably, not every little thing she does will go on a transcript, but it can't hurt to keep track just in case certain interests, conveniently, work well together to flesh out a course of study.)
Here's a brief example: dd has spent a lot of time folding intricate paper flowers recently (origami). Hypothetically, in the future, where could this fit? Into a Japanese culture study? As part of art coursework (paper as the medium)? Help me wrap my brain around the possibilities, please.
I would love to read about your own examples! What did your kids spend time doing during the high school years that you were able to group as a "course"? How many different activities worked together to create a course? Did you list resources? How did you describe the course of study for the transcript?