FlockOfSillies Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I've been gone for a while, but now that I need to begin making decisions about next year, I'm popping in to say, "Hi!" and "Help!" DD12 is in 8th grade. I have her in VPSA's online Latin, and at a cottage school one day a week for science and art. The outside classes sort of swallow up all of her time, and I think she needs someone imposing deadlines on her -- I just don't do it well at all. She's very poky; always has been. Self-paced would be a disaster for her. She'd take two years to do one year's worth of work. I'm considering 100% online high school, with possibly some cc dual enrollment later on. VPSA? Keystone? Liberty? Torrey? A combo of two or three places? My dd likes the online Latin class, although she'd do better if she worked on her vocab more. I haven't talked to her yet about doing more classes online. She's in class for 90 minutes, twice a week. Please help. I'm trying not to panic, but I'm getting worried that we're really starting to fail, and that she won't be prepared for the rigors of high school this fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 So she's advanced academically but acts like a 12 year old in self-discipline, accountability, motivation, etc. Am I reading that correctly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 She's advanced in language arts. This is my first go-round with "acts like a 12-year-old," though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 There's a great classical school about 30 minutes away, but it's $11K/yr. Not happening. Most of the private schools here run $7-$8K, often more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 She's advanced in language arts. This is my first go-round with "acts like a 12-year-old," though. Ah...it's just that most 12 yos I know are NOT in 8th grade. Around here, in January, 8th graders start turning 14. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Please help. I'm trying not to panic, but I'm getting worried that we're really starting to fail, and that she won't be prepared for the rigors of high school this fall. But she's only 12, so you don't have to worry. You can step back a bit and slow the pace, and even if it takes an extra year or more, she'll still be completely on-track to start high school at 14. I think that just because a kid is academically ready to be in high school, doesn't necessarily mean she is emotionally or psychologically mature enough for it. I'm not saying that your dd isn't ready -- she very well might be -- but if there's any doubt in your mind, there's no shame in slowing down a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I'm thinking of a student I had back when I taught. She was very bright, so we offered to bump her up a grade (this was a tiny, tiny school and we could just do things like that - a bit like homeschooling). We talked to the mom and the girl and said, look, you're going to be fine academically so we're sure this the right thing to do for that. But the thing you have to think about is whether or not you can be a leader as an 8th grader, do all the independent things we require for 8th graders (our school had a big 8th grade internship project) and so forth and then be ready for the jump in independence for high school the year after that. She balked. And, honestly, I'm kinda glad she did in the end. She was completely academically capable, but when she went to high school at the normal age of 14, she did have an adjustment where it wasn't all easy at first. I think it probably would have been tougher at 13. While she was ready for the academic work, there were other pieces she got by going a little slower. Regardless of what you do... just sharing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 If she is 12, and you consider her 8th grade.... think of it this way... Really, you have 6 years to complete all the high school credits. If you are being flexible enough to have her ahead like that... let her have that breathing room. Are you really expecting her to go away to college at 16? If so, then that's a bit different... but remember that even SWB suggests a gap year... I say, give her some high school content and start trying to set some time goals, but don't give her a full HS load yet. I doubt she can get her act together with that well for at least 3 years. JMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 Quite all right. I'm considering all my options, and I don't mind people chiming in with their BTDT stories. Maybe two years ago, before my dh lost his job, I would've considered private school more seriously. But with his new job, and now another baby on the way (for whom we have NO space in the house), private school's more of a pipe dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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