DD and DS Survived ...

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
DD and DS Survived ...
14
Tue, 08-28-2007 - 6:16pm

… the first week in their respective new schools. Pretty well, actually! Both the junior high and high school have rather complicated rotating block schedules, and I am still puzzling over the reasoning and logic behind that. Both kids still have to refer to their schedules daily but I’m sure they will adapt and adjust over time.

About mid-week, Wes felt a little lost, missed his ‘posse’ of buddies and the comfort of knowing who was who, what was what, who he would eat lunch with, etc., but that seemed to pass relatively quickly. He joined the tennis team and actually went to the first practice (which was yesterday), stayed and played! When I picked him up afterward, I heard many ‘bye Wes’ and ‘see ya Wes’ and ‘you play good!’s. While I don’t think he will be over-taxed academically, things seem to be falling into place for him and he seems pretty comfortable and happy.

I must confess to having a less than positive first impression of the high school. In spite of a summertime meeting with her counselor, Chelsea still had many holes and wrong classes in her schedule and had to meet with her counselor FOUR times to have it changed. Ugh. It has been very hard for me not to compare this experience with the one we had with the school we left behind (where very little was left to chance) and wonder if this was the right thing for her or not. BUT … she told me in pretty much no uncertain terms this morning that she ‘is fine’, ‘is happy’ and ‘just because *you* are freaked out about it all, it doesn’t mean *I* am’. Soooo … I am going to have to learn to keep my worries to myself and my mouth shut! I picked her up yesterday to find her exchanging a friendly good-by embrace with a Marilyn Manson look alike. Today she went out with a new friend today for a bagel and juice or something and there is some talk of trying out for the school musical. So it seems she is settling in well, too and I do think she is enjoying the more relaxed atmosphere.

So now that I’ve posted ad naseum about my worries over the move and school change, of course it appears it was all for naught. But isn’t that often the way it is? It’s just unfortunate that such great kids have such a weenie for a mother!

 

 

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Tue, 08-28-2007 - 6:57pm

Kids are pretty adaptable, and it sounds like yours are going to be just fine.

Avatar for mjaye2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-28-2007 - 9:22pm

Julie, so glad to hear your kids are settling in and doing well. Sounds like Wes is going to be going great guns this year, and has already gone out for the tennis team! How cool is that??! :) I have to admire kids that can just jump in like that. And Chelsea sounds like she is going to do great also. Sounds like she handled the changes in her schedule wonderfully, even if mom had a little trouble with it. ;) And LOL at the Marilyn Manson look-alike!

And you are NOT a weenie! If you were a weenie, you would have never been able to make this move!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-28-2007
Tue, 08-28-2007 - 11:41pm

Hi-- Greetings from your fellow or sister Mom on the Move. We arrived and had the usual Murphy Law mishaps--plumbling amok, mold, dog got off leash three time as she misses having a backyard so much and can't figure out what a labradoodle is doing in a townhouse, the school didn't have my dd signed up for field hockdy (medical clearance was lost), my dds have not finished their summer reading yet for this academic pressure cooker of a school, well, you get the picture.

My dd going on 15 and into 9th grade said the girls were in groups--but they really don't leave you out. She's just done field hockey so far. Classes itself start Tuesday. I feel bad for the dd that is 13--as she didn't get to finish 8th grade at her old school. They wrote me a letter saying how sad they were after eleven years to be getting ready to open their doors without our family...and how lucky the new school is to have us..that was very nice of them.

Hardest adjustment is for our dog--who was born to run and needs a backyard. I feel like leaving her in country a bit until we get settled, bu dh won't hear of it...altho he seems like he is going to drop. We moved for the short commute!!! At first he said wow this will add five yrs to my life. But then when we discovered dog would not go to the bathroom without constant walking, my husband's fatigue set in...

My dds have been great--so unspoiled--they gave up a huge yard, ocean, boating, pool, river, charming town where they could roam freely--for major highway, townhouse, nobackyard and no place to walk--but they have not complained and are looking on the bright side.

I adore living in a townhouse. So, I guess my big question is how do you make friends when your kids are in 8th and 9th grade. 11 years ago it was a piece of cake--playdates, get togethers and parties...we had a big yard and house and entertained a lot. I have friends in nearbvy manhattan and an hour away in our old town at the jersey shore

But Moms here have already made their friends. I make friends very easily--as I'm talkative and friendly. But I don't see anyone. The students come from sixty towns--and the kids go by bus and you see no one.

If any body has any ideas, I'd be interested. I'd like to give my 15 year old a party and invite the grade. We're assigned a buddy if you are new--I asked mine and she said she didn't know, she hadn't given her kid a party for a few years...She didn't seem to want to correspond beyond that. She lives in the wealthiest town...and wears designer clothing etc.

Anyway, it was so easy when the kids started elementary school. I thought of a book club. Well, I'm hoping my kids like it...We'll see Tuesday!!!!! Good Luck to you but you seem as tho you are on a roll! Have you seen the pirate/student againLOL

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
Wed, 08-29-2007 - 11:24am

DD was on a block schedule the last two years -- 6 classes, three a day. DS had a sort of block schedule in that he had one teacher for math/science and one for language arts/humanities which were combined into one long class. He had however, the same classes every day. I *do* see the benefit of this, but the blocks here are a little crazy ...

DS has a total of 8 classes -- all 8 on Monday, the 'odd' classes + study hall on Tuesday and Thursday and the 'even' classes + study hall on Wednesday and Friday. Okay, that isn't so bad, now that I write it out. The weird thing is that for a relatively small campus (3 grades, 400 students) there are 3 lunch breaks! DS doesn't have the same lunch period two days in a row. My only guess as to the reason for this is to keep the kids mixed up enough (as in interacting with different kids all the time, not necessarily confused, LOL) thus warding off potential cliques, dominant groups, etc. And jr. high is the place where this stuff runs rampant. I know, pretty far fetched but it's a theory ...

C is supposed to have 8 classes also, but thanks to the dingbat counselor, has a free period she 'forgot' to fill up. Anyway, Mondays, C has all 8 classes. Tuesday, she has 4 classes, Wednesday she has all 8 again PLUS this 'mentoring' class. Thursday, the 4 she didn't have on Tuesday and all 8 again on Friday. I think.

The school calls this add-on Wednesday period AIM (Advocacy in Mentoring) but I'm so far not seeing where the mentoring part comes into play. My far-fetched theory on this one is that due to the extremely diverse student body, the AIM class brings a mix of kids together to 'work together' on a project -- juniors pick community service -- thus breaking down the barriers that might otherwise exclude them from interacting in a normal classroom setting. I dunno ... what do you think?

I did hear from a few people that the school administrators at these two schools do a bang-up job of working with the diversity so it makes sense to me.

And that's the other thing that bothers me ... C's counselor did not ONCE mention the word 'college' during any of her meetings ... nothing about her plans, aspirations, goals, SAT, ACT ... zippo! It seems to me that this is something she 'might' have considered discussing with an incoming junior? One coming in with pretty darn good transcripts?

{{{SIGH}}} ... I told C that she was going to have to be very pro-active about the college thing here, because it doesn't seem anyone is going to be nudging her along (like they did back in California. I guess that is one 'service' we paid for in our tuition fees ... lol).

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
Wed, 08-29-2007 - 11:31am

Oh yes, Mitzi, the Marilyn Manson thing was a pretty big 'eeeek' moment. LOL, I managed to not say much about it to C though.

I think tennis will be another big boost for Wes. There are a lot of kids of the team (there are no tryouts, just show up if you want to play) and a lot of beginners. Since Wes has played for a couple of years already, coach already has him playing with the top players. THAT should make him feel good!

And thanks, but I still feel like a big weenie ...

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2000
Wed, 08-29-2007 - 12:46pm
Glad things are going so well, Julie.
Pam
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2005
Wed, 08-29-2007 - 2:08pm
I'm glad they are adjusting so well!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2006
Wed, 08-29-2007 - 2:10pm

Hi Julie!

I just wanted to stop by and say that I am glad everything is working out well for your 2 children! And while I understand how it is to "worry" about our kids, please keep in mind that, like someone else said, you are NOT a weenie. True weenies don't know that they are weenies! Any YOU, my friend, are a GREAT mom!!

Amelia

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
Wed, 08-29-2007 - 5:34pm

It IS a pretty long day on both accounts! W has 3 electives: two pc classes and French. School starts at 7:45 and ends at 2:40. I think the school added the study hall as a last period for everyone to encourage kids to get their homework done while still at work and all the teachers were available for help.

C has basically the same schedule but since she has a free period, only two electives: French III and Creative Writing. School typically starts at 7:45 and gets out at 3:10, but Mondays are late starts so that changes things and she has no 8th period so gets out at 1:20 or something on Thursday and 2:12 on the other dayss. Like I said, it's complicated! Way more so than it needs to be, imo.

Once C starts driving herself about, I won't have to concern myself so much with all this!

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
Wed, 08-29-2007 - 5:38pm

Why thanks, Amelia! I think this is one of the instances where the kids turned out okay, 'in spite' of their mother! LOL.

How are things in your life? I haven't changed my e-mail address since we moved, but I'll do that right now ... drop me a note when you have time!

 

 

 

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