smilesonly Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Just be brutally honest, but be sure to give your reasons!;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Yes. I let my boys go to the public junior high on a part time basis for music, math and science, all of which are better opportunities there than I can give them at home. We made the decision five years ago and haven't regretted it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Is that a class offered at the school? Mine belong to Fencing Club and Ski Team, but they don't have to be a pt student to participate in extracurriculars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 We've been round and round about this. Not with dance - but sports in general. Is there anywhere else she could dance? We finally decided that there were other options for our children and their chosen sports (running and baseball), so we decided not to send them. Yet. We take it kid by kid though. Next year, we'll be re-thinking the high school option with our second child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 This really depends on the kid. What other dance opportunities are available? How good is the dance team--until a couple years ago the dance team at my neighborhood school was amazing with a coach who had amazing credentials in dance and taught a couple of dance electives (elective PE credits) at the school What kind of friends does the kid have and what kind of kids does she seem to be attracted to. Knowing her main goal is to be on the dance team, what classes would she be taking and are they classes that might otherwise be something that would be hard to do at home (lab science, foreign language). The academics could make her reasons for going worthwhile, if she kept of her end of the bargain in performing well academically. What kind of dance routines does the team do--some public school dance teams perform routines I find inappropriate. What is the cost--uniforms, travel to competitions, everything. What is the plan if your dd enrolls and after starting school is cut from the team--assuming competitive tryout. Some of these details would probably clear up my thoughts on this. If the situation is simply that her bff big sis is on the team and says it's great, then I'd say no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Maybe. It depends on the school and on what alternative activities were available. Also, would participating on the dance team require traveling to competitions and/or away sports games? I wouldn't be comfortable with the low-level of supervision typical of high school sports team travel. I remember hearing about all sorts of problematic behavior happening on those kinds of trips (drinking, "hook-ups", etc.) If I were to allow a daughter of my to participate in a travel team, I'd have to be willing & able to travel with her and have her stay off-site in my room under my supervision rather than bunk with the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy1k Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Maybe. I'm looking ahead to cheerleading for my daughter. I hope that it will work out in junior high to be only partially enrolled or something, but we'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy1k Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Our district allows homeschoolers to participate in athletics, but I haven't yet had a child want to participate in other activities, so I don't know their policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pqr Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 (edited) disregard I just saw the pt bit of the question. Edited May 15, 2011 by pqr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganClassicalPrep Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Maybe. What is the quality of this dance team? Is it a hobby-team, or nationally recognized squad that could lead to chances in college (even scholarships?) How serious is your DD about dance? How long has she been dancing? Are there other opportunities in the area for competitive dance? And.... is she a good student? How is her attitude? Responsible? I'd have to take all those things into consideration. If I had a responsible, hardworking student who had danced for years and wanted to join a highly-competitive squad with opportunities for advancement.... yes. I most likely would let her go. If she was having academic problems already, or the dance team was a passing fancy, or just something that would be done for a year or two... probably not. (I'd be more likely to let her go PT, depending of course on what subjects she'd be taking.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 No. The pressures of what PS offers in terms of body image, popularity, looks, and sexiness is all embodied in the school dance team here. My girls do dance at a studio so that I have some say in what they are dancing to and how they are dancing. I feel like cheer leading and dance teams sum up all that I hate about public HS and teenage girls. But that's just my 2 pennies.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Just be brutally honest, but be sure to give your reasons!;) My older dd goes to a public school, and I would not want her on the dance team- due to their bad reputation (if you know what I mean, wink wink.) There are other high schools in the area where the dance team members are more upstanding citizens, so this is not a problem at every school. Just see who she'll be hanging around with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Just be brutally honest, but be sure to give your reasons!;) Yes, we did that. Dance team has been a great experience. Academics, not so much. But I don't regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paz Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 I did let ds go back full time for baseball. It brought both positive and negatives. I think the fact that you have an option of only sending her part time is good because you can still be in control over some or much of her coursework. My ds probably got a weaker education by going back. He did learn a lot of life lessons and developed independence very quickly. He is extremely social and was having difficulty meeting other homeschoolers (we had just moved to the area) so the social part was mostly good. Of course, some influences were not so positive but he graduated with a good education and without much drama or negative experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Maybe. It would depend on a lot of factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pax Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 No. My oldest son goes to public high school and I really wish he was home. He plays football and baseball and I see what goes on with the sports programs. I have friends who have daughters on the cheer and dance squads and their values do not mesh with ours. It would definitely be a case by case basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 I guess it would depend on what other dance opportunities there are in your community. I might have allowed my dc to attend a charter school in our community that focussed on performing arts. I was able to watch a ballet class and a rehearsal for a musical. Both were professional quality, much, much better than any other public school dance I have ever seen. We moved to another part of the state, though, so she didn't get that chance. However, we managed to find excellent ballet and Highland dance schools where we moved; dd had every opportunity to participate in as much dance as she wanted (her ballet schools were strictly ballet--no competition dance teams), without having to put up with public school shenanigans--although we did have to put up with other shenanigans :glare: but we still homeschooled, and dd could have dropped out of those activities at any time. I guess I'm saying I wouldn't do public school for the sake of dance if those opportunities existed in the community. Yes, even though school would have been "free." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 From what I've seen of dance teams, no. Other sports? Really tough call. It would depend on the kid, the team, the school, what else was avail, & what was entailed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Just be brutally honest, but be sure to give your reasons!;) Depends on the school and the kid, but probably if it was really important to her and I thought we could find part of the school day that would be meaningful. Lab based science and foreign language are popping into my head! PT is a good option if you could swing it. I might exhaust all other solutions first though. We have so many fantastic programs outside of schools here it really would more likely be an opposite situation (a PS kid would moved to be homeschooled to do dance(or theater, music, art, skate, etc) more competitively). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 (edited) Yes, DS wants to be in band and play tennis. Our local high school does not allow for part time attendance. If we had a part-time option we would definitely get do it. Edited: The dance team at our high school is about the most virtuous of activities for girls. The outfits, although form fitting, are neck to toe black body suits. Girls on the team range from fit and firm to heavy; not exactly the popular crowd but not total misfits either. The girls on the dance team tend to be smarter than average and earn pretty high grades. The joke at our school is that the dance team are girls who were too smart to be cheerleaders (the cheerleaders say the girls on the dance team aren't coordinated enough to be cheerleaders - they can't talk and walk at the same time). Edited May 15, 2011 by The Dragon Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 I did. Dance is her life. She's smart, social, well-rounded, and has a good head on her shoulders. I wasn't worried. And her school has an amazing track record in the arts. :D The kids there are incredibly focused and serious. She's almost done with her freshman year and both of us couldn't be happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 No. The pressures of what PS offers in terms of body image, popularity, looks, and sexiness is all embodied in the school dance team here. :iagree: Plus, we are rather conservative, well, ok, very conservative, so I can already tell you that the dance routines and probable costumes, outfits, uniforms, whatever they call 'em would NOT meet our criteria. Midriffs, booty moves, etc. Not gonna happen while she's under our roof! (said tongue in cheek, please don't jump on that!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilesonly Posted May 15, 2011 Author Share Posted May 15, 2011 Is that a class offered at the school? No Mine belong to Fencing Club and Ski Team, but they don't have to be a pt student to participate in extracurriculars. This really depends on the kid. What other dance opportunities are available? Yes-this is the 1st yr she hasn't danced at a studio. How good is the dance team--until a couple years ago the dance team at my neighborhood school was amazing with a coach who had amazing credentials in dance and taught a couple of dance electives (elective PE credits) at the schoolGood-not nationally, but regionally. What kind of friends does the kid have and what kind of kids does she seem to be attracted to.Mostly really good kids-most of them are hsed, but not all of them. She is an exceptionally beautiful girl and therefore most are drawn to her b'c of her looks. She tends to be drawn into "popular" crowds. Knowing her main goal is to be on the dance team, what classes would she be taking and are they classes that might otherwise be something that would be hard to do at home (lab science, foreign language). The academics could make her reasons for going worthwhile, if she kept of her end of the bargain in performing well academically.They would be foreign language and possibly science. In our PS system, she is considered "gifted" and does well with grades, though mostly due to her people pleasing tendencies. What kind of dance routines does the team do--some public school dance teams perform routines I find inappropriate.Definitely on the s*xy side.;) What is the cost--uniforms, travel to competitions, everything. It would stretch us.;) What is the plan if your dd enrolls and after starting school is cut from the team--assuming competitive tryout. We have no plan-but if that were to happen, she would be expected to stay in regardless. Some of these details would probably clear up my thoughts on this. If the situation is simply that her bff big sis is on the team and says it's great, then I'd say no. Maybe. What is the quality of this dance team? Is it a hobby-team, or nationally recognized squad that could lead to chances in college (even scholarships?) Not college-scholarship good. How serious is your DD about dance? How long has she been dancing? Are there other opportunities in the area for competitive dance?She's danced since she was 5, and took this yr off-she's not really that serious, just enjoys it. And.... is she a good student? How is her attitude? Responsible? She is a good student in a school environment. At home, she is a high spirited, strong-willed yet sweet natured, God-loving and God-fearing. She currently has an attitude that is hot/cold, is mostly a very responsible dc-though quite immature for her age. I'd have to take all those things into consideration. If I had a responsible, hardworking student who had danced for years and wanted to join a highly-competitive squad with opportunities for advancement.... yes. I most likely would let her go. If she was having academic problems already, or the dance team was a passing fancy, or just something that would be done for a year or two... probably not. (I'd be more likely to let her go PT, depending of course on what subjects she'd be taking.) No. The pressures of what PS offers in terms of body image, popularity, looks, and sexiness is all embodied in the school dance team here. My girls do dance at a studio so that I have some say in what they are dancing to and how they are dancing. I feel like cheer leading and dance teams sum up all that I hate about public HS and teenage girls. But that's just my 2 pennies.:) Are you my twin??;):grouphug: My older dd goes to a public school, and I would not want her on the dance team- due to their bad reputation (if you know what I mean, wink wink.)Yup-know exactly what you mean.;) There are other high schools in the area where the dance team members are more upstanding citizens, so this is not a problem at every school. Just see who she'll be hanging around with. We have decided no. Like someone else said-if it were for a better reason or opportunity, yes-but it isn't. In the classroom she is a leader. Socially she tends to be a follower. That=disaster in this situation.;) Thanks for your input and making me think through this!:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilesonly Posted May 15, 2011 Author Share Posted May 15, 2011 :iagree: whatever they call 'em Umm...strip tease outfits??;):iagree: We're not that conservative in many areas. Dd's favorite music artist of the year (so far) is Lady Gaga.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Here in Utah you are not required to attend the PS in order to participate in extra-curricular activities. My dd participated in the high school's dance team her senior year and loved it, so my answer would be "yes". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I would have to say yes. I let my oldest go to school full time so he could be on the high school wrestling team. If there was a part time option, I would have taken it for him but there wasn't. There were no other options for him to compete without being in a high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 It would depend. If dance is her life and she needs to be in some sort of dance team/troupe to have it on her transcript for college, and if the dance team was more than just an opportunity for teen girls to gyrate to horrid music, then maybe. But I'd sure look into other options first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Our district allows homeschoolers to participate in athletics, but I haven't yet had a child want to participate in other activities, so I don't know their policy. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaAkins Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 No. There are plenty opportunities for dance as an extra curricular activity at a studio. I would not send my child to school just so they could participate in dance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I haven't read all the replies, please forgive any repetition. Personally, we would not do it for dance. One of the reasons we have avoided ps for our kids is the early oversexualization of teens. From what we've observed, the provocative moves and costumes of local hs ps dance teams further emphasizes this trend. FWIW, while we are conservative, we are not ultra-conservative. Dd's had many opportunities for fun singing and dancing, mostly through musical theater. But those are venues chosen with knowledge of the directors and a clear idea of what a finished production will look like. Be sure you are comfortable with the coach, the values, the peer pressure... It might be a great opportunity, but it may also end up having too high a cost. I'd be doing a lot of research before going down that road. JMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 (edited) Go to youtube and find videos of the school's dance team. See if you are comfortable with the performances and costumes. I think the quality of programs varies a lot. Edited May 16, 2011 by ondreeuh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I think you have to decide why you home school. If you have strong reasons I wouldn't change them for a school dance team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Maybe. It would depend on a lot of factors. :iagree: Dd is starting at a charter school in the fall. It has strong academics (as much as it can, being a group setting) and community feel, but half of the reason she's going is the dance class. And the drama class. And the music class. And the art class. And so on. If there are mild academic shortfalls, I plan to cover them in afterschooling. We'll see how it goes in actual practice, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Ummm...no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 No. I wouldn't want my girls to be on the dance team in the first place. JMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.