My High School Nightmares Have Just Begun |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 08:13 PM
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My High School Nightmares Have Just Begun
I've had a bad case of deja vu this morning after attending Miss11's high school orientation day. I'm so upset  At this point we don't know whether she will be in year 8 or 9 or both next year Her whole education has been a circus since day dot and has only settled down the last 2 years with her current
teacher.
My daughters teacher has put in her recommendation to the high school for her to do year 9 math, english and science next year as she's completed all
year 8 levels. (a continuation of composit classes) When I enrolled my daughter this was not a problem. Now they tell me she must either be
accellerated to year 9 (this means a double acceleration) or REPEAT all year 8 work (she won't do it) or do year 9 math and computers only.
Why can't they take the recommendations from the school and teacher that know her well instead of changing all the rules and stuffing her up all over
again.
Thanks for listening I really don't know which way to go with this. |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 08:23 PM
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Yikes!
Hope it all works out for you and your daughter dreamsrfree |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 08:28 PM
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I do wish you all the best, a friend of mines, daughter was double accelerated in high school as she was just so bright and was breezing through,
which is all fine and dandy academically, but socially its not always a good thing. As it turned out she was still 14 , turning 15 going into year 12
which was a big struggle for her to fit in socially with the older kids. Shes since finished schooling and had great scores to go to University, but
unfortunately couldnt cope with it all and has now taken a year off and working part time.
Great to have such a bright smart child, but its not always hte best answer either.
Hope it all sorts out the best for your child. Good Luck |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 08:31 PM
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Is there a possibility of making an appointment and speaking with the accellerated leader of the new school and the Principal and if possible can her
teacher, that she has had for the last couple of years attend and you can put your issues on the table with back up.
Best wishes dreamsrfree for a positive outcome for you and your Daughter
Edit: Also agree with social aspects that allio has raised So perhaps that may
need to be put into the equation with a meeting as the teachers may think that this would be an issue |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 08:59 PM
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Gord are they still doing this to kids????? - it is nuts.
Me repeated year 3 of primary school as they said I was too young & was top in class, so held me back, remember was bored witless doing that year
again.
Then they put me into year 4 the next year & did 6 months, then moved me into year 5 for the next 6 months. did well in top few again.
Then did year 6, then they wanted me to repeat year 6 again, - (said I was too young for high school), it was madness. So then went to private school
as Mother put her foot down, & only had to do 1 term of 6th class, then moved into 1st year high school & back to normal after then.
Regardless was mainly in top few in classes (bar maths)  ) Why do they do this??  |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 09:24 PM
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I know she might be bored doing Year 8 but I'd seriously consider not accelerating her because of the social issues she'll face in the next couple of
years.
High School can be very difficult for teenage girls. Miss 15 is in Year 10, going into Year 11 next year and this year has been by far the most
difficult socially (let alone educationally) as the girls seem to develop at such different rates.
I'd definitely go and speak to the school and even consider speaking to somebody independently - a Counsellor or similar. Try and get a few
different perspectives ... guess that's what we're all helping you with here?? |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 09:32 PM
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My son had his orentation day at high school today and asked me why I didn't sit him for any of the accelerated programs knowing that he would top the
class. My answer to him was fairly simple. I told him he could relax and enjoy school and all the opportunities it presents, knowing that he can do
all his school work without pressure, continue to enjoy his friends from primary school, and after school sporting activities and lead a normal life.
Yes there will be times when he will be bored in the class room but if the work is done, he can ask the teacher for extra, help other students or do
some drawing or reading. High school should be a happy experience not a pressure cooker of problems. |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 10:09 PM
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My son did sit the tests and got into the accelerated learning programs in two schools, one of the schools really pushes for them to finish the 6
years in 4-5 years and the other segregates the kids away from the rest of the kids
... We discussed it with him and the school we chose and decided not to put him in the program after being assured that he could still work to his
level in a normal class environment and we were welcome to relook at the accelerated program later on!
Its great that our kids are so bright but honestly this is year 7 plenty of time for pressure later on. |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 10:11 PM
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I appreciate some teachers are not in favour of acceleration however there are some students that don't fit the standard model either. Miss11's
current teacher was totally against it at first until she got to know Miss11 well and now she is the one who has put in her recommendations.
Throughout my daughters primary years she has always been with classmates up to 3 years older in composit classes with only a handful 1 year older
but none her age. This is the follow on high school so she already knows majority of all the year 8's and 9's. In the early years she was teased and
harrased a lot. This would have happened whether she was accelerated or not but thankfully nowdays majority of the kids look up to her and there are
no social problems.
I have had an appointment with the Dept Principle, Principle and the Guidance Officer at the high school and they have given the options listed in the
thread for us to consider. I would be more than happy to surrender her English Scholarship for her to continue on where she's left off this year. |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 10:19 PM
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Hopefully a happy outcome at your next appointment for your Daughter and you dreamsrfree |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 10:24 PM
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We knew a child who was accelerated through secondary school and she was a social outcast...I wouldn't do it.
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 10:35 PM
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| Quote: | Originally posted by kismet
We knew a child who was accelerated through secondary school and she was a social outcast...I wouldn't do it. |
After graduation tomorrow Miss11 is going to the movies with her classmates, this group are 12-13 year oldsr
She is only an outcast when she wants time to herself to read and do her own thing. But in saying that she is a little bit of a nerd and far from the party girl type.lol |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 10:36 PM
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My nephew was very clever but went to a country school and they did not have an accelerated class, he did not get the help he needed. Ended up in
the Army and leaving when he got hurt. It was a shame. |
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 11:37 PM
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Go with what you and your child are comfortable with. My daughter was Dux of of her year six OC school, she now goes to a Selective High School (she's
in the second top maths class which is one of two excelerated classes) English is and always will be her favourite subject, but she has declined being
in an accelerated class(she wants to enjoy English).
EDIT: my daughter is a year younger than most of her classmates.
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 11:47 PM
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dreamsrfree
| Quote: | Originally posted by kismet
We knew a child who was accelerated through secondary school and she was a social outcast...I wouldn't do it. |
After graduation tomorrow Miss11 is going to the movies with her classmates, this group are 12-13 year oldsr
She is only an outcast when she wants time to herself to read and do her own thing. But in saying that she is a little bit of a nerd and far from the party girl type.lol |
This was later, on older than your 11 year old - so she was 14 or so and they were older & nothing in common with that kind of gap, so it was very
difficult - actually horrible. You have girls who are obviously going to be much more sophisticated than her later, so you just have to be mindful of
it for the future I guess.
I agree you know your child best & you do what you think is best for her in the long run, all round, not just academically.
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posted 8-12-2009 @ 11:50 PM
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With my baby graduating tomorrow and the awards handed out I asked Miss11 whether she thought she'd win an award. Yeah she said I'm sure to get the '0
days absent award'. lol
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posted 9-12-2009 @ 12:51 AM
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| Quote: | This was later, on older than your 11 year old - so she was 14 or so and they were older & nothing in common with that kind of gap, so it was very
difficult - actually horrible. You have girls who are obviously going to be much more sophisticated than her later, so you just have to be mindful of
it for the future I guess.
I agree you know your child best & you do what you think is best for her in the long run, all round, not just academically.
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It doesn't have to be age related to be accepted or rejected by other girls. Jealousy is the main problem with teen girls today.
My daughter has always been around older kids as we constantly host 14-16 year old international students to which she stays in constant contact with
most of them. Everday she helps them with their homework and has been dubbed 'the grammar police.' lol Miss11 wants to do an exchange to a Japanese
school in year 11 (she speaks some Japanese, French, German, Korean, Spanish but is fluent in Italian) Her brother and sister are 24 and 22 so her
life is already influenced by much older siblings. |
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posted 9-12-2009 @ 08:28 AM
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I can also see the age thing becoming an issue. Yes, maybe it's fine at the moment and it may be fine through high school (though I don't know many
17 year old girls hanging out with 13/14 year olds, they are thinking cars and boys), but what happens beyond high school ? Is she going to go to uni
at 16 ? That's a whole different ball game as they are adults leading adult lives. Have you considered a school with a gifted program where she
would be around kids her own age and intellect ?
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posted 9-12-2009 @ 08:43 AM
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My sister was a social out cast at school because she had very little in common with her year group and she was the SAME age as them all.
So while I think the age gap can be hard for some children I don't think it has to be a major problem for all children .
And it seems to me that dreamsrfree has thought about that a bit.
But personally I would be considering a gap year for her before Uni....maybe travelling and using someof her language skills or even doing language
schools abroad so she is a bit older before starting Uni.
best of luck with sorting out was is best for your little girl
Cheers Tarsh |
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