Caroline Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 My oldest is starting high school in the fall. I have been to the parent orientation night. I am friends with the math department chair because we attended AP Institute together last summer. I am really not that worried. I am wondering, though, if I am kidding myself. His proposed classes seem great. He is taking Accelerated Math II, which is the equivalent of Algebra II and part of Analysis. He is also taking honors ninth grade lit, honors chem, Spanish II, orchestra, and gifted psych. The gifted psych class is only for kids who scored consistently in the 99.5th percentile since fifth grade. It is about how gifted people are different and how to use their giftedness for good. They have been running this course for a few years, and previous students have said great things about it. Psych is only a half year course. The other half is pre-AP world geography to get ready for AP World History as a tenth grader. Anyone else have a kid starting high school? What are their schedules? What are your afterschooling plans? We are going to continue Latin and read some of the great book suggestions in LCC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBre Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Ds started hs last year. He also signed up for several "Honors" and AP classes, although not nearly as challenging a load as it sounds your ds is taking. I had every intention of afterschooling in the areas I know the school to be deficient, but his homework load combined with after school sports and such turned out to be too time consuming. I would recommend playing it by ear. All I heard about the honors classes was how challenging they were, but that's proven to be subjective. Compared to the regular courses at this high school, I'm sure they are significantly more difficult, but it's just average for ds. The difficult part isn't necessarily in the content of the courses, it's getting the homework done. Start out with your ideal plan, knowing that it may have to be tweaked along the way. Latin and great books sounds completely doable to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 dd will be going to our county tech high school next year. She signed up for her classes last week. She signed up for honors geometry,cp english, cp american history, cp biology, spanish 1, p.e. and 90 minutes a day of what the school calls exploretory. This is required for all 9th graders. What it is , is about 7 0r 8 days spent in each technical field of all of the 23 technical fields that the schools offers. This is so that the student can make an informed decision for what technical field they want to concentrate on for the following 3 years. So dd will be spending time in such fields as welding, plumbing, carpentry areas that she normally would not be interested in . Dh says he wants to take a camera and take a picture of dd welding as this would be so unlike her lol. Oh, regarding the honors vs. college prep classes. The school spends the first 2 weeks of school deciding if the students signed up for the right level and switching any around that need to be. Dd said that she would rather be moved up than moved down so that is why she signed up for cp instead of honors except for geometry being that math has always been her strongest subject. Regarding afterschooling, right now I am assuming that at first, I will be helping dd learn how to take notes from both teachers and textbooks. And how to study for a test, help with homework, etc and then we will go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellogirl Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I have heard of honors classes being easier than regular classes. And that's according to current high school students I know. Not saying they all are, just that honors classes are often overrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 I have heard of honors classes being easier than regular classes. And that's according to current high school students I know. Not saying they all are, just that honors classes are often overrated. I know that is not the case in this school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 Ds started hs last year. He also signed up for several "Honors" and AP classes, although not nearly as challenging a load as it sounds your ds is taking. I had every intention of afterschooling in the areas I know the school to be deficient, but his homework load combined with after school sports and such turned out to be too time consuming. I would recommend playing it by ear. All I heard about the honors classes was how challenging they were, but that's proven to be subjective. Compared to the regular courses at this high school, I'm sure they are significantly more difficult, but it's just average for ds. The difficult part isn't necessarily in the content of the courses, it's getting the homework done. Start out with your ideal plan, knowing that it may have to be tweaked along the way. Latin and great books sounds completely doable to me. Thanks for the advice. We will definitely play it by ear. (Now to figure out how to get the elementary school to let my 8 year old skip a grade. The county level person in charge of curriculum is on my side, so that should help.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I put my four younger boys in public school last Feb. At the time they were in grades 5, 6, 8, and 10; they are now in 6, 7, 9, and 11. They love it. We have an excellent district, and my high schoolers are in honors classes (and my goodness, they are much more challenging than the regular classes!). Next year they'll be taking honors and AP classes. Our district really stresses writing, and, as a former writing instructor, let me say I'm impressed with the assignments, the amount of writing (lots!!) and the grading/feedback. My 11th grader has done well enough this year to qualify for the university English class next year (taught in the high school by a state univ. prof who comes twice a week...same curric. as at the state univ)...he's thrilled. My sons are challenged, not bored. Their teachers are intelligent and informed. Both my high schoolers are doing sports (track and frisbee club) and making lots of friends. Nice friends. Friends who come over, and are polite, and whose parents value a good education, too. Not all public school experiences have to be terrible, lol. Ours has been wonderful. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Oh, sorry, you asked for their schedules: DS 14 (9th grade): Honors geometry Honors English Spanish 1 Honors history Honors biology computer programming (JAVA) PE Advanced computer applications (web design) Next year he'll be in AP European history, Honors Eng, Spanish 2, Honors chemistry, honors math analysis (precalc) and a few electives DS 16 (11th grade) Geometry Spanish 2 Honors English Honors US History Chemistry some type of business course (ds is at work so I can't get the exact name) Next year he'll be in AP Statistics, honors physics, University English course, Spanish 3, honors political science, honors economics, and some electives Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in IL Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 We don't have lots of honors or AP choices. Last year (9th) English 1 World Studies Honors Biology Geometry Spanish 1 Orchestra PE This year (10th) English 2 US History Honors Chemistry Honors Alg. 2 Spanish 2 Orchestra PE Next year (11th) Honors Eng. Lit. Physics International Studies/Economics (1 sem. each) Finite Math/Probability&Statistics (1 sem. each) Spanish 3 Orchestra PE Plan for 12th AP Eng. Lit. AP Chemistry Sociology/AP Psychology (1 sem. each) Pre-calc. Spanish IV Orchestra PE I have been afterschooling with great books and starting some ACT test prep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Anyone else have a kid starting high school? What are their schedules? What are your afterschooling plans? We are going to continue Latin and read some of the great book suggestions in LCC. My son will take Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 at our local public high school during the next two years, including summer school, with a group of other incoming seventh-graders. Class starts at 7:40, and afterward he'll get bussed back to junior high. Although our public high school is very good, we're leaning toward a Jesuit high school that offers several tracks and AP and honors programs. So far, our schedule is Freshman / Soph / Junior / Senior Math: Precalc / AP Calc / AP Stats / Multivariable Calc, Linear Algebra Science: Integrated Science* / Integrated Science* / Undecided / Undecided Latin: Intro and Caesar / Cicero, Sallust / Pliny, Petronius, more Sallust, First Catilinarian Oration and Pro Caelio of Cicero / AP Vergil, Horace, Catullus, Ovid Greek (all honors): Intro and Fifth Century Athens / Herodotus' Histories / Iliad and Odyssey / Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides (Classics students can opt to spend three weeks studying in Greece and Rome during summer. I'll have to chaperone, of course! :D) English: English 1 / American Lit / Brit Lit / AP English Religion: Faith and Sacraments / Scripture and Speech / Ethics / Justice Seminar Phys Ed: two years Jazz band * Integrated Science is Biology, Chemistry, and Physics all rolled into one. Students have to test in. If they do and maintain an A, they can then join a group that is similar to the Great Books Seminar but focuses on math and science issues. The students also have to complete 50 hours of service over three years. It's a demanding program, but we like what we've seen so far. Ds also participates in cross country competitively and swimming non-competitively. I don't think he'll have much time for afterschooling, but for summers we're considering math camps (his goal is to at least participate in the Ross Program), travel abroad, and lifeguard jobs. High school will probably be challenging, but he's looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 Thank you for all of your replies. It is nice to hear about good experiences. My son tried out for the orchestra this week. He made the intermediate level, which is better than I expected. I am looking into Latin through e-high school so it will be on his transcript. One intersting thing to note is that his hs is on a traditional schedule, and I teach at a block schedule hs. (They are in the same district. Due to vast demographic differences across the county, our high schools are given some autonomy.) This is the first year his school has switched to traditional, so I am sure there will be some kinks to work out. Thanks again for the responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fast1 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Caroline indeed, but i really appreciate it guys.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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