Highschool nerves
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Highschool nerves
| Sat, 03-24-2007 - 6:21pm |
Hello everyone,
Tegan will be starting high school in September. Last night we were watching Intervention and she was telling me some pretty awful things. A girl in her class was recently suspended for coming to class very drunk and others also drink. She tells me probably 1/2 of the grade eights smoke and she thinks there are some that takes drugs. I was stunned, she is only 13!! We live in a middle class neighbourhood. We have some low income housing but we also have some upclass people in our area whose kids go to our girls school.
She confessed to me she is a little bit worried about starting high school. She is known as the "smart kid." She tells me that whenever the teacher asks a question if nobody volunteers an answer that everyone will look at her and say "i bet Tegan knows." Then she will tell the teacher the answer. It kind of bugs her but the kids don't say it in a snide way so it really isn't a big deal.
What she is more worried about is fitting in. She will be going to a school where she will only know 4 other kids. She is concerned that most of the other kids will drink, smoke and do drugs. I have told her that there will probably be a large group of kids that do involve themselves in these type of activities. I believe there will probably be an even larger group of kids that don't. I also think Tegan will migrate to the kids that are like her especially since she is in the gifted program. She is hoping that the kids in this program are interested in school and they want to do well and they are like her.
What do you think? Any other words of wisdom that you can offer would be great.
Kelly
Tegan will be starting high school in September. Last night we were watching Intervention and she was telling me some pretty awful things. A girl in her class was recently suspended for coming to class very drunk and others also drink. She tells me probably 1/2 of the grade eights smoke and she thinks there are some that takes drugs. I was stunned, she is only 13!! We live in a middle class neighbourhood. We have some low income housing but we also have some upclass people in our area whose kids go to our girls school.
She confessed to me she is a little bit worried about starting high school. She is known as the "smart kid." She tells me that whenever the teacher asks a question if nobody volunteers an answer that everyone will look at her and say "i bet Tegan knows." Then she will tell the teacher the answer. It kind of bugs her but the kids don't say it in a snide way so it really isn't a big deal.
What she is more worried about is fitting in. She will be going to a school where she will only know 4 other kids. She is concerned that most of the other kids will drink, smoke and do drugs. I have told her that there will probably be a large group of kids that do involve themselves in these type of activities. I believe there will probably be an even larger group of kids that don't. I also think Tegan will migrate to the kids that are like her especially since she is in the gifted program. She is hoping that the kids in this program are interested in school and they want to do well and they are like her.
What do you think? Any other words of wisdom that you can offer would be great.
Kelly

I am just so shocked that the drinking/smoking/drug thing is a common occurence among her peer group. I didn't have my firt drink until i was 17 nearly 18.
There was a girl at school two years ago in eighth grade that had a baby. Her parents kicked her out of the house. That says a lot about the type of family she grew up in. My heart just broke for this poor little girl. Nobody is support her either financially or emotionally. What should be a carefree time in her life turned into pure misery.
Kelly
I would acknowledge that yes, there are going to be people who make bad choices everywhere you go, but then reinforce the idea that there are going to be tons of new people who are ALL probably going to be feeling the same way she does! Everyone is going to be looking to fit into some group, and all she has to do is to look around her classes to find people just like her! I don't think anyone stands in the cafeteria looking for friends in the pool of people, most friendships spark up in the classroom when you're spending so much time together. She will have so many more people to make friends with, especially in the gifted classes!
Denise
Kelly, I definatly think nerves are so normal!
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High school is set up very differently than middle school. Will Tegan move into the honors level classes at the highschool? If so that may help her find kids to fit in with. Also encourage her to get involved with activities, clubs, organizations, school play, school newspaper etc.. This too will help her find friends who actually care about school and what they are doing with their lives.
As for the Gifted program, talk to your district director about what is offered. I know that our high school has no official GT program because the kids just go to Honors level classes and then AP classes the last three years). Essentially the affective support groups stop and there is no structured program in place like there was in elementary and highschool.
stacy