Parents of the Class of 2019

[PollyannaMom]

DS got student of the month- a check in his name.
And an alumni of the school scholarship- a check in his name. From personal donors not from a company.

So I can’t remember for DD scholarships; I kinda think were not in her name. DD’s was from a company. Her’s were given to her college and they went against her tuition.

Since DS has scholarships that cover his tuition, I want to find out if they can go towards his room and board.

I believe if the checks are in his name, they can go for anything - books, room and board, even transportation expenses to school.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm not sure how it started, but our school's tradition is to hold dances on Sunday nights with Monday off for students. But of course, the AP schedule doesn't take that tradition into account, so some years can be a little rough on kids in a particular AP course. Taking the exam is mandatory for students who take AP classes too, so there's no getting around it even if it isn't something that has a ton of value for their specific college plans.

That is crazy! My daughter couldn't believe anyone has a Sunday night prom. Maybe it's to discourage partying after? Regardless, so hard for those kids taking AP exams.

 

[lovesdumbo]

We pay for our own AP exams, and it adds up fast on top of other expenses, especially senior year. Kids don't have to take the exam, but don't get their grade weighted unless they take it.

Our public school is the same-you won't get AP credit if you don't take the exam.

In addition to paying for the exam, we have to purchase the text books for AP classes.

 

[mjkacmom]

Ours is a public school as well and we pay for the AP tests and are not reimbursed regardless of the score. We don’t generally pay for labs or workbooks although one year (can’t recall which class) there was a study guide the teacher highly “recommended” to those taking the exam but it was not required so we ordered that and paid for it ourselves. In our district you can take the class without taking the exam.

We have to pay for the exams in September, if you don’t pay, you don’t take the class, and the exams are mandatory. Dd took 9. Freshmen don’t take AP classes, dd16 is taking AP statistics as a sophomore as a second math, I don’t know what other AP classes are offered for that grade.

 

[Eureka]

We have to pay for our tests too, and taking them is mandatory. It is part of the agreement parents have to sign off on when the kids are planning their schedules for the upcoming year. It is a private school, though, so add-ons and extra fees are just par for the course. We also buy our own books, though the school does have a hand-me-down program, and have a couple required seminars/retreats with an additional cost each year.



Our senior awards are tomorrow after the school mass and DD's only concern is whether my mom and MIL coming means we'll sign her out to go out to lunch afterwards. She's about done with all of it right now, especially since we're in the middle of the softball season that will never end - more rained-out games than those we've played as scheduled so far - and she's getting increasingly frustrated with her teammates who aren't making the sport enough of a priority to handle all of the schedule changes. The team made the state playoff tournament for the first time in 6 or 7 years and their starting 1st baseman has already announced that she won't be at the first-round game because she planned her graduation party for that date on the assumption that they wouldn't make it that far.

My DS16 is taking AP Stats next year as a junior as a second math too. He'll also be in precalc I think. DS18 loves AP stats (partly the subject and partly the teacher) and may minor in it in college. Both my kids have a head for stats and math, I wouldn't be surprised if DS16 majors in those.

Our senior awards are the day before graduation and they won't know until several days ahead of time if they got anything. Apparently it's long and very boring but he needs to go even if he doesn't get anything. I don't know if he'll get any scholarships he applied for but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an award. He's gotten several underclassman awards.

 

[mumto3girls]

We have to pay for the exams in September, if you don’t pay, you don’t take the class, and the exams are mandatory. Dd took 9. Freshmen don’t take AP classes, dd16 is taking AP statistics as a sophomore as a second math, I don’t know what other AP classes are offered for that grade.

We don’t pay until the spring. It gives the kids a chance to figure out if they think they’ll do well on the exam.

 

[soccerdad72]

Our senior awards are the day before graduation and they won't know until several days ahead of time if they got anything. Apparently it's long and very boring but he needs to go even if he doesn't get anything. I don't know if he'll get any scholarships he applied for but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an award. He's gotten several underclassman awards.

Ours is a couple days before as well - it's a morning assembly with the whole school and it's long and boring too. At least that's what my son says every year when he begs us to call him in sick so he doesn't have to sit through it Last year, we actually took that day as one of his excused days for college tours, so it worked out well.

 

[mjkacmom]

We don’t pay until the spring. It gives the kids a chance to figure out if they think they’ll do well on the exam.

Here you have to commit to the exam in September, if not, no AP class for you.

 

[mjkacmom]

My DS16 is taking AP Stats next year as a junior as a second math too. He'll also be in precalc I think. DS18 loves AP stats (partly the subject and partly the teacher) and may minor in it in college. Both my kids have a head for stats and math, I wouldn't be surprised if DS16 majors in those.

Our senior awards are the day before graduation and they won't know until several days ahead of time if they got anything. Apparently it's long and very boring but he needs to go even if he doesn't get anything. I don't know if he'll get any scholarships he applied for but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an award. He's gotten several underclassman awards.

Dd16 loves stats (she is also taking pre calc and will take AP calc as a junior), her grade has been higher than dd18 all year.

Our senior scholarship awards are a few weeks before graduation at night, if you are invited to attend you are getting at least one. Dd is going to a dinner tonight for one of them and a breakfast next week for another, so she knows she got at least two.

 

[Eureka]

Dd16 loves stats (she is also taking pre calc and will take AP calc as a junior), her grade has been higher than dd18 all year.

Our senior scholarship awards are a few weeks before graduation at night, if you are invited to attend you are getting at least one. Dd is going to a dinner tonight for one of them and a breakfast next week for another, so she knows she got at least two.

Ours are at night too, which is a bummer because being the day before graduation, we'll have family in and won't have a chance to go out to dinner bc I think they start at 6. My parents say they want to go but we're trying to discourage that only bc it's a long night (2-3 hours) of sitting on the bleachers before doing it all again the next night. I think my mother-in-law won't have a problem staying home from the awards.

 

[bjscheel]

DS got student of the month- a check in his name.
And an alumni of the school scholarship- a check in his name. From personal donors not from a company.

So I can’t remember for DD scholarships; I kinda think were not in her name. DD’s was from a company. Her’s were given to her college and they went against her tuition.

Since DS has scholarships that cover his tuition, I want to find out if they can go towards his room and board.

DD has received one in her name, it's now in her savings account and she could buy candy with it for all they know. Of course her savings account will be used mostly for college.

Our big weekend is coming up with DD's reception this Sunday. Last night I finished baking the cookies. Tonight I need to get the last of the groceries for the party, wash DD20's bedding, and hem a dress DD17 wants to wear to awards night. Friday night is a soccer game and DD20's boyfriend is coming for the weekend. Saturday we go to dinner at the in-laws, Saturday night a grad reception. Sunday I play organ at church, then we set up the church hall and cook the food for our reception which is 2-5. Then DD's advanced choir concert is at 7.

 

[design_mom]

Wow! @bjscheel! That sounds like a busy night and weekend. Good luck getting everything done!

I'm not sure if I mentioned, but I have been asking my son about a grad party for at LEAST the last six months. He has insisted (over and over again) that he did not want one. He does not personally see graduating from high school as any sort of "accomplishment" and I got an earful about participation trophies and celebrating things that need not be celebrated. (Roll eyes.)

So... by saying it was a big deal to *me* and I felt like we needed to at least offer dinner to the family members who are coming to the actual graduation ceremony, he agreed to having dinner at home after the ceremony. I wanted to have something catered in (mainly so *I* wouldn't have to make anything) and he said he wanted pizza. I tried to lobby for something that's not served out of a cardboard box, but he is insisting on pizza and had woo'ed the grandma's to his side. ("It's his day. If he wants pizza, he should have pizza!") So I guess pizza it is.

He insisted that none of his friends were having parties either. (And, I talked to several of their mothers and he was telling the truth... but the invitations have started to arrive and several of his no-party friends are now having parties after all.) Last night over dinner, he asked me "you know how we're just going to get pizza after the ceremony? Is it OK if I invite a few guys over for it? We can just order a couple of extra pizzas and make a few more snacks, right?" Um, I guess so... what kind of snacks did you have in mind.

Let's just say that this is turning into more of a party than I expected... and graduation is 9 days away. In good news, most of what he's requesting can be made the day before... and we're going to order the pizza but 1) I wanted something nicer, and 2) this is going to be a lot of work. (Maybe not as much as bjscheel is doing this weekend... but more than I wanted to do!)

Edited to add: He told me today that he invited 10-11 friends. Um, there were only 12 people coming in the first place. He's essentially doubled the size of the party. And he told them all it's super casual, just stop by if you can (so no RSVPs). How do you plan for that?! Argh. Stressing me out.

 

[mjkacmom]

I thought all scholarships come in the student’s name, we were told not to tell the college, because if they learn about outside scholarships, they will reduce their scholarships.

 

[Eureka]

My DS wrote out invitations to his party and was going to be handing them out at school. He's only inviting 15 kids and I hope enough of them can make it, it's for a Sunday night. He just wants to order pizza and wings and I'm going to get cupcakes from a friend who has a business. His party is strictly his friends, he did not want a big one with our friends. But because our schedule won't allow for a big dinner (graduation is at 7 p.m. and he and DS16 who's in band and they perform have to be there before 5), I'm going to order sandwich platters.

On another note, he said they are getting a cord for SKillsUSA but he doesn't know if they'll have a sash/stole for Science National Honor Society. He is not in regular NHS (long story there, he boycotted after not getting in in 10th grade) so he won't have a sash for that and he has a lot of pins to wear for various things but says nobody wears their medals. I'm disappointed...I was looking forward to seeing his golds for state competitions and silver for national competition. Oh well.

 

[Colleen27]

That is crazy! My daughter couldn't believe anyone has a Sunday night prom. Maybe it's to discourage partying after? Regardless, so hard for those kids taking AP exams.

I think it probably had more to do with our football set-up - we share a stadium with the local public school, so our games are on Saturdays instead of Fridays -and after holding homecoming on a Sunday, someone realized that the halls that host such events are cheaper and/or easier to book on Sundays and decided to make the rest of the events the same.

This is the first year I'm aware of that it has been a problem, and this spring has just been full of conflicts and poor planning so I think our soon-to-be-former principal dropped the ball on checking the AP test dates. DD is going to miss the all-school picnic because he didn't think to make sure it wasn't scheduled on the same day/time as any exams and it conflicts with the AP bio test, and some of the her friends couldn't go out to lunch with their parents & friends after this morning's senior awards because of the AP psych test. She is SO happy that he finally resigned - between planning snafus like this and the staff turnover in the last couple years, he's just made an all around mess of some of their senior year traditions.

 

[mom2rtk]

I think it probably had more to do with our football set-up - we share a stadium with the local public school, so our games are on Saturdays instead of Fridays -and after holding homecoming on a Sunday, someone realized that the halls that host such events are cheaper and/or easier to book on Sundays and decided to make the rest of the events the same.

This is the first year I'm aware of that it has been a problem, and this spring has just been full of conflicts and poor planning so I think our soon-to-be-former principal dropped the ball on checking the AP test dates. DD is going to miss the all-school picnic because he didn't think to make sure it wasn't scheduled on the same day/time as any exams and it conflicts with the AP bio test, and some of the her friends couldn't go out to lunch with their parents & friends after this morning's senior awards because of the AP psych test. She is SO happy that he finally resigned - between planning snafus like this and the staff turnover in the last couple years, he's just made an all around mess of some of their senior year traditions.

I know they have a lot to consider, but some of this stuff should be basic. What a shame to have so many conflicts.

3 of our top 4 in the class missed the senior awards last night because they were in a dual credit class with a final last night.

 

[bjscheel]

I thought all scholarships come in the student’s name, we were told not to tell the college, because if they learn about outside scholarships, they will reduce their scholarships.

In our experience, the majority get paid directly to the school. Then you hope that they get it there before the payment is due. And that they apply it in a beneficial manner (i.e. if it is ONLY for tuition, that they apply it first before tuition is paid by other scholarships).

I really can't wait to find out about the rest of the local scholarships so we know how this first year is going to play out!

 

[mjkacmom]

In our experience, the majority get paid directly to the school. Then you hope that they get it there before the payment is due. And that they apply it in a beneficial manner (i.e. if it is ONLY for tuition, that they apply it first before tuition is paid by other scholarships).

I really can't wait to find out about the rest of the local scholarships so we know how this first year is going to play out!

Wow, that stinks if the student was getting financial aid, none of our local scholarships make the checks out to the colleges for this reason (but need to provide proof of attendance). https://www.fastweb.com/financial-a...eed-based-grants-and-merit-based-scholarships

 

[soccerdad72]

Prom weekend is officially over - while my son still claims he had no fun during Prom, all his friends said otherwise.

Here's my favorite pic from that afternoon before they went to Prom (they all took pics at the art museum beforehand) - my son is farthest on the left:

One more try on the pic...

Ok, maybe one more try

 

[design_mom]

Ooh, your picture isn't showing up for me, soccerdad_72. I want to see it! I am glad he had fun, even if he claims he didn't.

This is the last week of school for my son. He has classes today (which appears mainly to be turning in his text books). Tomorrow is "senior finals" but he only has one. Wednesday and Thursday are days off for most seniors, but mine has AP exams both days. There's a class picnic Wednesday afternoon. Then a breakfast and graduation practice on Friday. Then Sunday is the big day. Aaack.