DYS- how do you use it?

[Kathy G]

So, since another post was talkiing about DYS I thought I would bring up this subject. If you are a member, how do you use it? I will admit I haven't really figured out how to get much out of it. We do not plan on going to Nevada for any of the in person events. My kids attend summer camps at the Belin Blank or through Northwestern so no need to go to Nevada. I do like some of the email groups. I find this forum more helpful at times as it is searchable. We haven't done any of the seminars which might be fun. We homeschool and attend public school if we want to take a class there. I dont really need DYS help in the school area because if our school doesnt have the challenge we want we simply homeschool it.

 

How have you utilized it?

 

Kathy

[2smartones]

I was hoping to use the free access to various types of counselors to answer my questions. I haven't gotten answers, though. I've gotten email responses that are almost as if written by a machine, directing me to articles or books that I've either already read or don't answer my questions. We also won't be traveling to NV, and because we homeschool, we don't need any sort of advocacy. I thought perhaps the forums would be great, but they're completely dead. I'm bummed about the whole experience and have no plans to go through the qualification process with my younger son.

 

I'm still hopeful that I'll get some great information in the future as we plan for early college options...

[Dana]

Forums are an attempt to get started. Elists are pretty active.

[Dmmetler]

I've debated this. Honestly, most of the live stuff for any program is useless for us because we're too far away, and at DD's age group, everything is day-only. I'm not driving 4 hours to Vanderbilt for their Saturday program, even though DD would likely love it, because 8 hours round-trip in the car, multiple Saturdays in a row, for a couple of hours is too much cost in time, money, and hassle. Belin-Blank has some GREAT camps that DD would love, but the cost of spending two weeks in a hotel in Iowa so she can attend is more than we can afford. NUMATS, maybe-theirs are shorter, and Chicago would be a good place for a vacation but she'd have to bump up an age group to be interested, so I'm thinking we'll wait until next year.

 

My thought though is this. I can't predict the next decade. Even though homeschooling works for us NOW, I don't know that there might not be a situation where DD would need to go back to school, and in my local district, where GT services are a once a week pull-out in elementary and mediocre AP classes in secondary, DYS might just be the ticket to getting DD some of what she needs in the school system. I wasn't willing to pay for a full retest to validate her preschool scores (no $75 IQ testing around here-more like $1750, and right now, I think a vacation is more important than yet another report saying that DD is gifted), but now that she has EXPLORE scores that do, I'm willing to put some time in on the application and portfolio and see if they accept it. If they don't, all I've lost is time, even if it turns out to be useless.

[Crimson Wife]

DYS is supposed to be very generous with financial aid for gifted kids to attend the various GATE programs. Knock on wood, we have not been in a position where we needed the help while part of DYS, but one reason we did apply for DD was because of how up-and-down the past 5 1/2 years have been for our family. I would hate to have to forgo some great opportunity for DD just because it coincided with a rough patch for us financially. So I would particularly encourage families of modest means to have your child take the EXPORE or SAT/ACT and put together a portfolio.

 

The local community has been fabulous for us, but that is obviously going to vary depending on how many families are in your area.

[quark]

I applied because I like having options. Analyzing our lives so far, DH and I both seem to undergo a need for a big change every few years or so. If I go back to work, if we move and need to put him in school, if we decide to use the academy in Reno etc, it would be good to have an advocate/resources to do so. So has it been extremely beneficial so far? No. I like the elists but that's about it. Everything else, like mentors/ outsourcing and understanding specific behaviors I've had to research and pursue on my own. But does it give me a sense of security that there might be an opportunity for the future we could tap on? Yes.

[Kathy G]

Quark-could you elaborate on what you said about the sense of security- in regards to what? advocacy? I guess I hadn't thought of relying on them for that. Our family counselor really didn't do much other than send a few articles back when we first joined. I like the elists too, but I have found most of my info elsewhere. I feel like I must be missing the big picture because people seem so eager to be accepted. What exactly am I missing? Maybe I am just so used to doing it myself and that is what others have relied on DYS for? I don't know. At this point, even though child #2 has the scores, I am not going to take the time to put it all together again. The elists really are for me- I don't feel like my child has gotten anything out of it.

[quark]

Yes, I have heard on the elists that some families have been able to rope DITD in to advocate for grade skips. I also like having a backup in the form of the academy in Reno. It would be hard for us to wing it moving to Reno etc. but if we are desperate for challenge and other places don't allow him to do uni-level work early, I at least have the academy option. Correct me if I am wrong though...does one need to be a YS to be accepted into the Davidson Academy? I might be off the mark on that.

 

I have also heard of families listing DYS-related scholarships on transcripts and so on and need to look into that for my kid if he's interested to pursue some of his self-driven research at a higher level.

 

Our family counselor wasn't much help either.

 

My thoughts about people being eager to be accepted? Maybe not the most PC thing to say but it can make you look good...it gives a form of prestige, even among gifted circles, to say you're in DYS. I don't fault anyone or I don't say one shouldn't feel that way or anything like that. Just expressing what I've seen for myself...how parents perk up after having their kids accepted. I guess it's nice to have the validation too. Personally, I don't see the point of spending thousands for the IQ test to do it. My son didn't get in with IQ test results.

 

I applied because he had qualifying Explore results and I had already been keeping a sort of portfolio for him from the time he was 4 maybe 5 years old for my own enjoyment purposes. I like being organized. So it wasn't too hard for me to pull the application together. I don't think I would have pursued a YS application with a second child unless I had more time on my hands. And like you, right now I don't get much else from them that I can't research myself.

 

PM-ing with another parent about DYS reminded me...their few-weeks-long online seminars for the kids might be worth it if you have a child interested in the topics they present. My son did one on writing and that was one of the few times I've seen him write pages of stuff willingly. It was just after he was accepted and I was so grateful for it.

[Dana]

For me, part of the security is that if something happened and we couldn't homeschool, we've got advocacy for our son. We'd have someone who could possibly help with conversations with a school and with providing some support.

[quark]

For me, part of the security is that if something happened and we couldn't homeschool, we've got advocacy for our son. We'd have someone who could possibly help with conversations with a school and with providing some support.

 

What I was trying to say but Dana said it better. :)

[Kathy G]

Quark I believe you are correct in that one needs to be DYS to get into the academy. I guess I wasn't thinking of using it on a transcript. Food for thought.

 

I do think there is a need to be validated. I am sure everyone here who has ever had their kid in a school has been told that their kid isn't that smart. I know I was. I didn't believe it as I saw what he was doing at home. But the first time he took a standardized test and blew it away I FINALLY got some teachers to see it. I felt validated then. I guess by the time we applied to DYS I knew he would be accepted and so it wasn't validation. By the time children #2 and #3 came along I didn't believe most of what a school would tell me. (can you tell my area does little for gifted?!) Now I have standardized test scores and at times I feel like I know more about the scores than the school does.

 

Maybe if I think of it as a back up plan that would be better. I have no plans to quit homeschooling, but we can never see what lies ahead...

[Arcadia]

I also like having a backup in the form of the academy in Reno. It would be hard for us to wing it moving to Reno etc. but if we are desperate for challenge and other places don't allow him to do uni-level work early, I at least have the academy option.

 

Have you look into Stanford Online High School? That might be easier for you logistics wise than Reno. CrimsonWife is considering that as one of her options if I didn't remember wrongly. Grade skip option was one of the reason we went from B&M school to virtual academy.

[quark]

I have no plans to quit homeschooling, but we can never see what lies ahead...

 

Yes! I have no plans to quit either...but life has thrown a number of curveballs our way in the past. Curveballs that have luckily also ended up being beneficial to us (we try to be positive and optimistic as much as possible) but I need to have options. I get antsy without a plan B. :)

 

 

 

Have you look into Stanford Online High School? That might be easier for you logistics wise than Reno. CrimsonWife is considering that as one of her options if I didn't remember wrongly. Grade skip option was one of the reason we went from B&M school to virtual academy.

 

 

Thanks for mentioning it Arcadia. Yes, I have considered it. I really wish we could afford it. Although ours is an only child, we still have other dependents.

I don't think we'll qualify for their aid but some day I might actually try to apply and see! :tongue_smilie: For now though, I still can and enjoy cobbling together his education. There's a distinct thrill in customizing it to his exact interests and needs.

[Crimson Wife]

Yes, OHS is one of the options we are considering for DD's high school. They are supposed to be really generous with their financial aid as well, so I wouldn't let the "sticker price" scare someone off from applying. The way I see it, what's the downside to applying? If the financial aid isn't generous enough, the student isn't any worse off than if he/she hadn't applied in the first place, and the package might very well put the school within the family's budget. You won't know unless you give it a shot.

[Barbara H]

Of course it depends on the area - but local and regional gatherings have been helful for our family particularly during the teen years. If there is not activity in your area, maybe look at the directory and think about organizing something. My experience has been there are many people who would love a get together. People are often really hungry for it and even willing to travel a long distance, so try to organize something and publicize and you may make some more meaningful connections.

 

I agree with Dana kids change and situations change. Often with PG kids it seems like that can happen very quickly and in ways you don't predict Especially for people with younger kids, right now the social component may not seem important but when your kids are 14 it may be a different situation.

[2smartones]

We haven't found anyone in our area who is my son's age. There are plenty of YS in the state, but they're scattered in distance and age. I was hoping there would be more.

[Kathy G]

I agree with Dana kids change and situations change. Often with PG kids it seems like that can happen very quickly and in ways you don't predict Especially for people with younger kids, right now the social component may not seem important but when your kids are 14 it may be a different situation.

 

 

 

LOL- my DS is 14 now!!! Too funny! Should have put that in to start. We have gone years without using DYS very much and this had been my thought too- he might need it when older. In our case he has needed things less as he is introverted and finds challenge in his own ways, and we have learned through trial and error to just use the schools for classes as we wish. His social outlets are just very distinctly different than academic outlets- they have to be for most PG kids, as stastically how do you get a neighbor with another PG kid the right age and gender?!!

[YourFidgetyFriend]

I've debated this. Honestly, most of the live stuff for any program is useless for us because we're too far away, and at DD's age group, everything is day-only. I'm not driving 4 hours to Vanderbilt for their Saturday program, even though DD would likely love it, because 8 hours round-trip in the car, multiple Saturdays in a row, for a couple of hours is too much cost in time, money, and hassle.

 

My daughter did the Vandy summer camp for a week last year and it wasn't worth it anyway. They actually conducted the class I saw remarkably similar to the public school she attended for K. The most she got out of the camp was convincing everyone she had traveled from Chicago to attend (which she thought was hilarious). In short, I now feel it is too much time, money, and hassle and I live less than 30 minutes away.