Monday, February 25, 2008

Welcome to High School...Now Declare Your Major!

I had a 7:30 a.m. meeting at Jake's new high school this morning. The high school has a dedicated gifted counselor. She called me to set up an appointment to go over Jake's curriculum. I was actually a bit relieved. We went to the open house a month or so ago, for 8th graders going in to 9th and it was overwhelming. Too much info to take in and I thought, "How the hell are we going to know what to sign him up for?"

They have a set curriculum for gifted students, set to get them into college, even helping them get the credits they need to get a couple of Florida scholarships. AP classes, Pre-IB classes, etc. etc., two books he has to read this summer (Of Mice and Men and Fahrenheit 451 - I read 'Of Mice & Men' last year and 'Fahrenheit's' on my list to read, so I told him we'd read it together this summer and talk it over) AND he has to declare a "major." LOL I said "Seriously?" He said he was interested in Music, and they have a Music major, broken into something like Choral and instrumental.

The woman was really nice and assuaged some fears I had with regards to the school. She said she knew that the school had been in the news last year (gang-related), but that was NOT the norm. She told him that she knows his middle school does not give a lot of homework (they don't!) and to be ready for tons. Joy.

High School sure has changed since my day...when we walked barefoot, uphill (if we had hills in Florida) in the snow (you know, if we had snow.)