2022 summer plans for public high schoolers?

[SKL]

It's that time of year again.

It's a tough year for summer planning here.  My kids are too old (or feel too old) for most of the summer camps/programs, and too young for most employment opportunities, but they need something to do.

So far this is where I'm at:

• Camps that are a go:
  • Culture camp (1-week day camp).
  • "Leaders in training" (sleep-away for 1 week).
  • Mini-band camp (early July).
• Camps that may happen:
  • I hope full band camp will be back, though it's not on the calendar as yet.  Hopefully full time in August until school starts.
  • Looking at one-week camps such as sailing, archery, horse riding.
• Work / service gigs - keeping our options open:
  • Lifeguard training scheduled for March.
  • Zoo crew apps due in March or April (kid1).
  • Will probably call our vet and see if they can use any teen help.
  • Will get work permits for the kids to work at our hotel.  Need to set up training and work schedule.
  • Kid2 can probably help out at her horse barn's camp.
  • VBS help might be an option for Kid1 if they're back in person again.  Another option is to volunteer at the nearest animal shelter.
• Sports:
  • Kid2 will continue horse riding.
  • Both will continue TKD with me.
  • Kid1 will have to decide.  I'd prefer that she choose an organized school sport, but if not, she can do running or something else.
• Studies:
  • SAT/ACT bootcamp - self-paced, online.  Will also look into community in-person resources.
  • Algebra II prep online.
  • Literature and writing - depends on what their school will require.
• Other:
  • Lots of driving practice.
  • More home responsibilities.
  • Travel?

[Frances]

It sounds like a fun and busy summer.

If your daughters are seriously interested in working or volunteering at the vet office, I would strongly encourage them to talk to the vet themselves, rather than you calling.

Is there a wildlife rehab place in your area, either general or specific (such as raptors)? That can provide very interesting volunteer work for those interested. Just in case the zoo thing doesn’t work out.

[EmilyGF]

I just talked with my two high schoolers about looking for jobs. We didn't plan around jobs last summer and went on vacation at the beginning of the summer. In retrospect, that made it so they couldn't find jobs. I told my oldest one (almost 17) that we won't be planning vacation until after he finds a job, or at least until after he makes an excellent attempt. 

Both will take a class or two this summer unless they have demanding enough jobs to make that impossible. Dd15 will take AOPS Python and something through the community college or her school. Ds17 might take a guitar class for fine arts credit for high school. The performing arts department is a shadow of its former self due to COVID and he isn't excited about having to take a fine arts class for a whole year.

Emily

[theelfqueen]

DS is planning another summer of lifeguarding plus going to Space Camp. (And working on completing Black Belt, and probably some blacksmithing). 

(He is homeschooled though) 

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by theelfqueen

[mommyoffive]

On 2/3/2022 at 3:57 PM, theelfqueen said:

DS is planning another summer of lifeguarding plus going to Space Camp. (And working on completing Black Belt, and probably some blacksmithing). 

(He is homeschooled though) 

 

Oh report back on the Space Camp experience please!

[SKL]

Update - Kid1 was selected for one of the zoo volunteer opportunities.  She had to commit to being available 3 days per week from mid-June to mid-August, minus one vacation week.  (The vacation week will be used by culture camp.)  Ideally, Kid2's horse riding schedule works around the zoo schedule, since they are both in the same direction.  I won't know the detailed zoo schedule for a while.  They said mid-May for the June schedule.  Really wish we could get the info sooner.

Band camp is a go for at least the first 2 weeks of August.  (Kid1 will have to skip when she has zoo stuff.)

We are going to try to buy tickets to a Stray Kids concert if they ever go on sale.  So that will be a short road trip, if it works out.

The one-week "leaders in training" camp will be affected by the zoo gig, but I am not yet sure how that's going to look.

The kids got their lifeguard certifications, but not sure whether these will be used this summer.

As the schedule takes shape, we need to get work permits and start training for hotel work.  I plan to get trained also.

I also need to get back online to schedule summer review classes - it was too early to sign up when I made the first post.

[Dmmetler]

L (17, but in college) will likely be working at the community center summer camp (IE, child care), plus going to two conferences.

M (16) will be working part time at the swimming pool in the mornings and helping me with four weeks of music camp in the afternoons, except for  2 weeks with Dad

C (13) will be attending teen camp at the center except for 2 weeks with Dad, and probably math tutoring. 

 

I'll be running four weeks of 1/2 day music camp, plus teaching private lessons. 

[SKL]

We got concert tickets meaning a weekend road trip in early July.

Unfortunately I missed the window for the community ACT/SAT prep workshops I had wanted to sign up for.  I did buy an online prep course for both ACT/SAT and Algebra II.  Should keep looking for other options though.

Driving ... the reality is hitting me that I need to complete 50 hours of watching Kid1 drive between now and October 10, and an additional 50 hours of watching Kid2 drive between July 6 and January 6.  Well ... maybe it's only the initial training that's hard ... at some point they will just drive to wherever we were going anyway, right?

[SKL]

June is over, July road trip is over, and this is the week we should have gotten serious about summer learning.  But instead, we all got Covid.

Sitting here too lazy to do any work, but not too tired to dream up / research more things we "should do" this summer.

I've been reading the book "Crash-Proof your Kids," which periodically talks about the physics of car motion and how that knowledge needs to influence driving decisions.  It makes me want to design a mini-course about the science/physics of cars/driving, since this is really timely knowledge, and also, one of my kids doesn't plan to take physics in high school.  I've bought some books and even invested in a model car kit, which hasn't been delivered yet, but which I hope will be useful in safely demonstrating some of the physics concepts.

Also still hoping to compile our past travel info / photos to make a little geography course / refresher.  One of my kids often bewails her lack of geography knowledge.

I also promised to teach the kids beginning accounting.

I've taken another look at certain short outdoors skills classes that our nearby metroparks offer, now that I know most of our summer schedule.  Thinking about a sailing course, which I could still sign us up for if I am 1st in line next Friday morning.  (Unlikely tbh.)  Not that we will ever go sailing on our own, but it just seems like something neat to learn?  There's a "relaxed" option and a "strenuous" option.  I'm thinking "relaxed" would suit us better right now.

Signed us up for a search & rescue training exercise with CERT.

Oh, and part of Kid1's volunteer zoo gig involves "Frog Watch," observing and contributing to a database about frog activity.  Kid1 did the training, we picked a frog bog, and we did our first observation last week.  Still need to document it.  We need to make a plan for the remainder of the summer/fall, which will probably involve more training / review for me if not for her.  I want to use this as an opportunity to reinforce some biology / earth science education.  (Her job also involves learning and teaching about animals each day, so that's great for her.)

Kid1 is also embarking on a journey to try to understand and resolve her stomach issues.  Part of that is using a food diary app.  We need to learn how to do that.

Kid2 has completed some online courses relating to hotel service, and will hopefully start implementing that knowledge soon.

Hopefully we'll all feel better soon & can get started on all of this before the summer ends!  Only 6 weeks of summer "vacation" left!

[EmilyGF]

@SKL I find teaching kids to drive and driving with them really stressful! I hate driving to begin with, though, so that doesn't help. I'm getting that Crash-Proof book from the library. Maybe it'll help us.

My kids have pieced together interesting summers. Oldest is doing math camp, cross country, and teaching himself R to do some research about bird sightings. Second is babysitting, taking two classes, math and python, and working with an online Spanish tutor. We're camping two times in August, which will give us a nice end to summer before they go back to school.

Emily

[ScoutTN]

My ps student is going out for football (😬😱🏈) and that had completely rearranged his summer. 5 weeks of 3hr/day practices. 
 

He has managed to go to Scout camp and on a youth group trip. No job and so far, no progress on driving. Dh is the main driving teacher, but this kid will take Drivers Ed too.
 

Next summer, if Ds is still playing, we will know what to expect and find ways to work a job around football. 

[CynthiaWalker]

On 7/9/2022 at 9:20 AM, SKL said:

June is over, July road trip is over, and this is the week we should have gotten serious about summer learning.  But instead, we all got Covid.

Sitting here too lazy to do any work, but not too tired to dream up / research more things we "should do" this summer.

I've been reading the book "Crash-Proof your Kids," which periodically talks about the physics of car motion and how that knowledge needs to influence driving decisions.  It makes me want to design a mini-course about the science/physics of cars/driving, since this is really timely knowledge, and also, one of my kids doesn't plan to take physics in high school.  I've bought some books and even invested in a model car kit, which hasn't been delivered yet, but which I hope will be useful in safely demonstrating some of the physics concepts.

Also still hoping to compile our past travel info / photos to make a little geography course / refresher.  One of my kids often bewails her lack of geography knowledge.

I also promised to teach the kids beginning accounting.

I've taken another look at certain short outdoors skills classes that our nearby metroparks offer, now that I know most of our summer schedule.  Thinking about a sailing course, which I could still sign us up for if I am 1st in line next Friday morning.  (Unlikely tbh.)  Not that we will ever go sailing on our own, but it just seems like something neat to learn?  There's a "relaxed" option and a "strenuous" option.  I'm thinking "relaxed" would suit us better right now.

Signed us up for a search & rescue training exercise with CERT.

Oh, and part of Kid1's volunteer zoo gig involves "Frog Watch," observing and contributing to a database about frog activity.  Kid1 did the training, we picked a frog bog, and we did our first observation last week.  Still need to document it.  We need to make a plan for the remainder of the summer/fall, which will probably involve more training / review for me if not for her.  I want to use this as an opportunity to reinforce some biology / earth science education.  (Her job also involves learning and teaching about animals each day, so that's great for her.)

Kid1 is also embarking on a journey to try to understand and resolve her stomach issues.  Part of that is using a food diary app.  We need to learn how to do that.

Kid2 has completed some online courses relating to hotel service, and will hopefully start implementing that knowledge soon.

Hopefully we'll all feel better soon & can get started on all of this before the summer ends!  Only 6 weeks of summer "vacation" left!

I like your ideas. By the way, get well soon. I hope you will be fine soon. :)

Edited October 12, 2022 by CynthiaWalker