finding extra-curricular

[choirfarm]

I am failing in this area with my boys. My junior boys so far has a total of one, yep one activity. He does the power point at church on a regular basis and for special events. He is even going to train some other people in it. That's it. He isn't social. Oh, he does take piano and participates in some competitions.

 

My 9th grader used to be in my youth performing sticks group (hard to explain.. you use sign language or sticks to act out the music. Salt and Light has some great tapes!) But he told me at the end of last year that he doesn't want to do that anymore. He hates people staring at him and is tired of being Jesus. I hate that because he was good and will probably take a couple of my other guys with him. But I respected his wishes. He also plays the piano with competitions.

 

First of all, they have to interest in anything and I'm not sure how to generate that as our lives are very full already. I've read all of the posts about how some of you do swimming, debate, etc. But here is my schedule:

 

Sunday- church activities in the morning, my sticks group in the afternoon

Monday- oldest has piano lessons in the afternoon, I leave at 1:45 to drive an hour to take my youngest girl to violin and children's choir

Tuesday- boys have CC classes all morning

Wednesday- morning homeschool co-op where boys do labs and couple of other classes, middle boy and girl have piano lessons in afternoon, daughter has AWANa and the children's choir I direct and then it is youth/adult choir and praise team for me

 

Thursday- boys have CC classes in the morning

 

Friday- love to go to football games in the evening with youth (big here in small town Texas) often they do yardwork in afternoon if they finish early

 

Saturday - flag football with local homeschoolers int he morning

 

I don't know when we would fit something to put on a transcript...

 

My daughter will have tons when she gets there.

 

Christine

[creekland]

Tutoring? Youth groups? Any local clubs that meet on Tuesday and/or Thursday evenings? Chess? Can they pick up any volunteer work at the football games? Can you check your local newspaper for volunteer opportunities and see if any click with them? (Our paper lists them once per week.)

 

Does the oldest drive yet? That's what freed my guys up to do more in activities.

[TrixieB]

Are there any other volunteer opportunities for teens at your church?

 

Sunday school teachers/classroom helpers

AWANA helper

Sing in the choir

Handbell choir

Communion server

Acolyte

Our church serves a monthly meal for the community - teens are welcome to help with cooking, serving, cleanup

Other outreach ministries of the church

[Lori D.]

Christine, it looks like you've got a great list already!

 

- volunteer: participated in church sticks group

- volunteer: oversees weekly church AV

- leadership: led training session in church AV usage

- personal interest: piano instruction

- competition: piano competitions

- sports: weekly flag football

 

In order to list an extracurricular, the student just needed to participate in it during the high school years; it doesn't mean the student had to do it all 4 years -- OR that personal interest or casual things don't count -- OR that the student did it more than once! The point of listing extracurriculars is show the things NOT experienced in a classroom, and areas of personal interest and growth. Look above at the way I listed the things you said your DSs did -- that's a lot of areas!

 

 

If you really feel DSs need a longer list, TrixieB has great ideas about looking for extracurriculars in the areas where they are already committed -- specifically at church. What about at the co-op -- could they be tutors for younger students or even teach a class for younger students? A high school friend of our DSs has taught a ballroom dance class -- a skill she learned earlier on her own for her own enjoyment -- at our local co-op. What about other areas where DSs are already involved -- any hobby interests that they could turn into a potential leadership opportunity that they set-up, organize, and schedule all on their own?

 

 

Sometimes for scheduling it is easier to squeeze in a short-term activity that only takes prep time for a week or two in advance, participate in the event and then they're done.

- participate in a historical recreation event

- they organize a community service event to take place on a Saturday (maybe with friends from their co-op) -- paint a mural, neighborhood park clean-up, group yard work for the elderly or ill, help sort/organize items at the local Red Cross, paint over graffiti in a neighborhood, etc.

- work on a political campaign for the month of October

- attend a JSA conference (these are often either 1-day or 2-day on a weekend, with no advance prep needed)

 

 

Or, how about working in an extracurricular over the summer instead (unless you you school year-round):

- either attend a summer camp OR work as a camp counselor

- volunteer as a helper or docent at the zoo, museum, botanical garden, etc.

- on stage or backstage as part of a summer youth theater production

- help out at the local library's summer reading program

 

 

Since the schedule is so tight, I'd really suggest looking for activities that will do "double duty":

- further their personal interests

- develop a life skill (sports/physical fitness, involves public speaking, being organized, leadership, helping others, etc.)

- can be used towards a school credit (i.e., Teen Pact or Youth & Gov't --> hours toward gov't credit; sports team or activity --> PE credit; music --> fine arts credit)

- help make contacts that will be helpful in the future (i.e., volunteering at an organization they'd like to work at later on; interning with a vet to get exposure to procedures they'd need to learn later; etc.)

 

Finally, I think you are wise to really be looking at your schedule and seeing if you really DO have room or not to add more in there. While it IS good to have extracurricular activities, it is also wise to BALANCE your schedule with non-scheduled time, and to give DC quiet down time, and when they do an activity, to have the time and energy to focus on just ONE extracurricular at a time. (BTW -- one way I've been able to cut down on how much DSs extracurriculars take out of MY schedule is to work out carpooling with other families doing the same activities.) For example: our DSs have quite a few extracurriculars on their list -- BUT, it is because they are NOT doing a co-op or working outside the home. AND, they only do ONE big time commitment per semester or summer. AND, any additional extracurricular they add into their schedule MUST be flexible -- only meets once a month; requires no advance prep; requires no advance notice of attending and that they can attend -- or not -- as the schedule and energy level allow.

 

BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Lori D.
added info

[choirfarm]

I think oldest will be ok. My 16yo has the AV thing at church and then mission trips with dad and piano. Flag football can be participatory. I think that will be ok. The youth also did yard work for the elderly this summer, so that could count.

 

My problem is my freshman. He is only doing piano right now. He did sticks in junior high. He has no interest in doing anything else. His school is tough, though not as tough as oldest. But this is my oldest's schedule: AP Government and Chemistry through PA homeschoolers, Spanish and racquetball at the CC, English III with possible AP exam, Health, and Chalkdust precalc. He wanted to do a computer programming book, but he'll have to do that when Health is over. He is putting in long hours. sometimes he watches a precalc lesson, does a precalc lesson and then in the evening he will often watch another lesson so he can do the lesson in between his CC classes. I don't know how he does that! AP Chem was taking tons of time, but it backed off a little this past week. Plus we have the PSAT prep right now, which will turn into ACT and then SAT.

 

Anyway, I don't know when he would have time to take the 14yo. Plus, what would he tutor. My oldest one is smart enough to tutor, but doesn't really have the people/teaching skills. I signed them up to do AP Government and Spanish together for him to help the younger one and that has been a bomb. I'm the one trying to help him. Oh, I just remembered they are helping out once a month at Helping Hands, maybe I could work on that..

 

That said, the 14yo is stressed out this year about school. He is actually having to try and study in all of his classes not just math. He has AP Government, Spanish and raquetball at CC, Biology, TT Geometry, my literature class with no AP exam though he is studying the same stuff, Health in the fall and Driver's ed in the spring.

 

Christine

[choirfarm]

See this is what I see other people list... I cannot imagine my boys taking the lead and organizing some kind of event. That would mean calling people and talking to them...grin. Now my daughter could/would do that in a heartbeat. They are not leaders... Well, sort of. My youth leader has been bragging about my oldest and how he has come out of his shell. ( Not really he is just comfortable with the youth leader now.) He talks about how he is a leader because whenever they go somewhere: camp, retreats, weekend concerts, my son has the map out and tells them where they need to go and has the schedule ready and memorized about where and when they are supposed to be there. He keeps them organized. But that is just his nature. He hates all new things and must know EXACTLY what he is doing, so that is his coping. Anyway, the whole group looks to him for that. But calling people... forget it. He won't call people he knows much less recruit people to do something. He isn't a leader.

 

It is hard because they are so different from me. I was vp of choir, treasurer of drama club, headed up our show choir where I hosted and wrote our programs, officer in our youth group, etc. I LOVED to organize things and had to use 2 pages to list everything. It is just hard because I think middle one would like debate, but I would have to put in all the work to figure it out and don't have the time.

 

Christine

 

Christine, it looks like you've got a great list already!

 

-

 

 

Sometimes for scheduling it is easier to squeeze in a short-term activity that only takes prep time for a week or two in advance, participate in the event and then they're done.

- participate in a historical recreation event

- they organize a community service event to take place on a Saturday (maybe with friends from their co-op) -- paint a mural, neighborhood park clean-up, group yard work for the elderly or ill, help sort/organize items at the local Red Cross, paint over graffiti in a neighborhood, etc.

- work on a political campaign for the month of October

- attend a JSA conference (these are often either 1-day or 2-day on a weekend, with no advance prep needed)

 

 

Or, how about working in an extracurricular over the summer instead (unless you you school year-round):

- either attend a summer camp OR work as a camp counselor

- volunteer as a helper or docent at the zoo, museum, botanical garden, etc.

- on stage or backstage as part of a summer youth theater production

- help out at the local library's summer reading program

 

 

Since the schedule is so tight, I'd really suggest looking for activities that will do "double duty":

- further their personal interests

- develop a life skill (sports/physical fitness, involves public speaking, being organized, leadership, helping others, etc.)

- can be used towards a school credit (i.e., Teen Pact or Youth & Gov't --> hours toward gov't credit; sports team or activity --> PE credit; music --> fine arts credit)

- help make contacts that will be helpful in the future (i.e., volunteering at an organization they'd like to work at later on; interning with a vet to get exposure to procedures they'd need to learn later; etc.)

 

Finally, I think you are wise to really be looking at your schedule and seeing if you really DO have room or not to add more in there. While it IS good to have extracurricular activities, it is also wise to BALANCE your schedule with non-scheduled time, and to give DC quiet down time, and when they do an activity, to have the time and energy to focus on just ONE extracurricular at a time. (BTW -- one way I've been able to cut down on how much DSs extracurriculars take out of MY schedule is to work out carpooling with other families doing the same activities.) For example: our DSs have quite a few extracurriculars on their list -- BUT, it is because they are NOT doing a co-op or working outside the home. AND, they only do ONE big time commitment per semester or summer. AND, any additional extracurricular they add into their schedule MUST be flexible -- only meets once a month; requires no advance prep; requires no advance notice of attending and that they can attend -- or not -- as the schedule and energy level allow.

 

BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D.