Thing I wished I probed at HS Open House ....

[Anonymous]

Wow OP you should have done your homework before enrolling a kid in a private Catholic school

Many do this

[Anonymous]

It does sound like sour grapes

[Anonymous]

Even if you asked current families about block scheduling and free-periods at an open house, you’d still get a wide variety of answers.

My DC is in a bunch of different activities (music, clubs, etc) so having a free period or two allows them to fit these in during the school day, catch up on homework and connect with peers (don’t underestimate this!). I like that they are pushed to do constructive things rather than leaving early to scroll on their phone. Fitting in activities during the school day also means less long days on campus, more quality time at home. If I am paying for school, I want DC to get as much out of it as possible.

Other families prefer that their kid can sleep in if they don’t have class until second period. Their kid may not be in as many activities or have as much homework so open periods are truly downtime. Some kids need more structure. Totally understandable.

Also, remember that families and students who volunteer at open houses are generally happy with the school and are boosters rather than haters. The people who are really displeased with a school are generally not showing up to help host an open house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like SJC or GC

Not GC, my senior just had a 1st period study hall on Wednesday and did not have to check in until 9:35.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP what school is differentiating between whether a student is entitled to two letters of recommendation vs one? How do they make this decision? Only school I can think of is SJC which has a separate college counseling team for their scholars program. Either way, doesn't seem like a good policy.

I've never heard of a parent complain about this at SJC. Had kids go through scholars and non-scholars. None of them had issues getting into college.

Did your non-scholars kid get two letters of recommendation? Asking because I have a kid interested in SJC and I don't think they will be eligible for scholars.

New policy is that only scholars get 2 unless it is a REQUIREMENT for a school.

[Anonymous]

So OP’s kid doesn’t like to follow rules (attendance, dress code), doesn’t have the personalty and/or class performed for teachers to be willing to write letters of recommendation. And doesn’t like to use free period for homework and studying (my kids depend on this time so I can’t relate to wanting to sleep in or go home).

Sounds like the kid didn’t rise to the occasion and is now paying for it. Which is a hard pill to swallow. You pay for school, you expect certain things. But I bet this kid was immature or maybe more mediocre than the parents like to think, and squandered the opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow OP you should have done your homework before enrolling a kid in a private Catholic school

Many do this

I can't fault OP. We're looking now at public and privates and overwhelmed with info and I know there will be things we don't ask that I will be surprised by later. I just can't make looking at schools a full-time job for me or my kid, do all the application requirements, keep up the fall grades and extracurriculars, and, oh yeah, parent my second, younger child. I'm trying to find a few people who are similar to my kid in interests and abilities at our top choice schools and see if they were successful and happy.

Also, admin, regulations, and course offerings can change over 4 years. I've seen a lot of change during our K-8 journey that I would never have anticipated at the start of the elementary years. It is possible to be thorough in your research but still be disappointed by changes that come up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP what school is differentiating between whether a student is entitled to two letters of recommendation vs one? How do they make this decision? Only school I can think of is SJC which has a separate college counseling team for their scholars program. Either way, doesn't seem like a good policy.

I've never heard of a parent complain about this at SJC. Had kids go through scholars and non-scholars. None of them had issues getting into college.

Did your non-scholars kid get two letters of recommendation? Asking because I have a kid interested in SJC and I don't think they will be eligible for scholars.

New policy is that only scholars get 2 unless it is a REQUIREMENT for a school.

I get that they don't want to pile on teachers' workloads, but seems like a strategy not well-suited to a private school that prides itself on getting all graduates into college and touts the amount of scholarship money graduates are offered every year.

[Anonymous]

DC is able to come in a few minutes late on days where they have a free first period, but students are expected to be on campus even if they have a free first or last (except for seniors when off-campus privileges kick in).

The free periods in the block schedule are vital to DC getting homework done because play rehearsals go until 6 or later (much later once tech week hits). If there happens to be no homework (or it’s under control and DC just needs a brain break), the kids hang out and chat or do puzzles in the library. And because the vast majority of students have to be at school at 3:30 for sports, theater, or robotics, going home with a last period free would just be wasting time commuting anyway.

As far as whether teachers are available during free periods, that depends on individual schedules in any given semester. Some of DC’s teachers have a class during DC’s frees. Some are available. But there is a block of time at the end of every day with no classes specifically so that teachers are always available to meet, and they can also meet during lunch or club times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So OP’s kid doesn’t like to follow rules (attendance, dress code), doesn’t have the personalty and/or class performed for teachers to be willing to write letters of recommendation. And doesn’t like to use free period for homework and studying (my kids depend on this time so I can’t relate to wanting to sleep in or go home).

Sounds like the kid didn’t rise to the occasion and is now paying for it. Which is a hard pill to swallow. You pay for school, you expect certain things. But I bet this kid was immature or maybe more mediocre than the parents like to think, and squandered the opportunity.

This. And why is using security cameras to note uniform violations a problem? You chose the school knowing there were uniform requirements.

[Anonymous]

Using security cams to pinpoint dress code violations seems petty to me, but also within the school’s rights. The kids know the dress code. If they want to risk the consequences for breaking it, that’s on them.

[Anonymous]

If you’re not into things like dress codes and rule following, Catholic school probably wasn’t for you in the first place.

In case anyone is considering asking about these things during open houses or tours, please know you’ll sound like a problematic candidate.

[Anonymous]

Both my kids schools let seniors leave early or arrive late if they have a free period at the beginning or end of the day. If your school doesn't, I personally would make up a reason my kid has to arrive late/leave early on those days.
Neither of our schools monitors the dress code with cameras.
Both schools allow everyone 2 teacher reqs and in fact have a process for students asking teachers in the junior spring so it's all set prior to the fall start of school.
Even seniors don't always get their first choice of electives if there are scheduling conflicts--they do make sure they get all their required courses though. Sometimes there aren't enough sections to accommodate everyone that wants to take a certain class, but this normally affects juniors more than seniors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP what school is differentiating between whether a student is entitled to two letters of recommendation vs one? How do they make this decision? Only school I can think of is SJC which has a separate college counseling team for their scholars program. Either way, doesn't seem like a good policy.

I've never heard of a parent complain about this at SJC. Had kids go through scholars and non-scholars. None of them had issues getting into college.

Did your non-scholars kid get two letters of recommendation? Asking because I have a kid interested in SJC and I don't think they will be eligible for scholars.

New policy is that only scholars get 2 unless it is a REQUIREMENT for a school.

Most colleges our kids have applied to want what is required and affirmatively do not want extra LORs. So this doesn’t sound like an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP what school is differentiating between whether a student is entitled to two letters of recommendation vs one? How do they make this decision? Only school I can think of is SJC which has a separate college counseling team for their scholars program. Either way, doesn't seem like a good policy.

I've never heard of a parent complain about this at SJC. Had kids go through scholars and non-scholars. None of them had issues getting into college.

Did your non-scholars kid get two letters of recommendation? Asking because I have a kid interested in SJC and I don't think they will be eligible for scholars.

New policy is that only scholars get 2 unless it is a REQUIREMENT for a school.

Most colleges our kids have applied to want what is required and affirmatively do not want extra LORs. So this doesn’t sound like an issue.

+1

Colleges get so many applications. They literally spend minutes on each. If they don’t ask for more than one LOR, don’t give them more than one LOR.