Freshmen Orientation at High School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is customary that if you go with your child, your child will be identified for the next four years as "That kid whose mommy went to orientation."

Lol.

There was a poor kid who attended my kid's freshman orientation whose parents (mom & dad) PLUS 2 younger siblings (young elementary and older elementary) attended as well.

Dad asked a lot of questions. Mom beamed and tried talking to other 9th graders to find kids who lived close and might have shared interests. Older elementary sibling was chatty and tried to act cute and impress the teenagers. Little sibling was cute, but still.

The poor kid (according to my kid) looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

My kid ended up moving through several classes with the family, so mom kept trying to strike up conversations with him. "Hey look Junior, here is Larlo again. Let's sit here. Larlo, what activities are you doing? Hey Junior, Larlo has your same history class. Larlo, why don't you exchange numbers so you two can hang out before school starts."

The poor poor kid! He was the only kid in all of freshman orientation with a parent there. My son said the teachers kept trying to encourage his parents to leave but they just were not picking up what was going on.

He had no noticeable special needs, and according to my son never showed any signs of being special needs, aspergers or social difficulties the entire year. He was just a little shy and quiet, but otherwise just a regular, nice kid. However, 3 years later he is still known as the kid who brought his parents and siblings to freshman orientation.


Don't be that parent OP.

Let your kid navigate freshman orientation on his own. It will be better for him, and also let the teachers do what they prepared to do (which is not interacting with parents)

It's sad that you as an adult are so caught up in the labeling. It also seems that instead of telling your DC that it's not a big deal, you fueled the ridicule of the kid. So the parents wanted to go, that should be a family choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is customary that if you go with your child, your child will be identified for the next four years as "That kid whose mommy went to orientation."

Lol.

There was a poor kid who attended my kid's freshman orientation whose parents (mom & dad) PLUS 2 younger siblings (young elementary and older elementary) attended as well.

Dad asked a lot of questions. Mom beamed and tried talking to other 9th graders to find kids who lived close and might have shared interests. Older elementary sibling was chatty and tried to act cute and impress the teenagers. Little sibling was cute, but still.

The poor kid (according to my kid) looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

My kid ended up moving through several classes with the family, so mom kept trying to strike up conversations with him. "Hey look Junior, here is Larlo again. Let's sit here. Larlo, what activities are you doing? Hey Junior, Larlo has your same history class. Larlo, why don't you exchange numbers so you two can hang out before school starts."

The poor poor kid! He was the only kid in all of freshman orientation with a parent there. My son said the teachers kept trying to encourage his parents to leave but they just were not picking up what was going on.

He had no noticeable special needs, and according to my son never showed any signs of being special needs, aspergers or social difficulties the entire year. He was just a little shy and quiet, but otherwise just a regular, nice kid. However, 3 years later he is still known as the kid who brought his parents and siblings to freshman orientation.


Don't be that parent OP.

Let your kid navigate freshman orientation on his own. It will be better for him, and also let the teachers do what they prepared to do (which is not interacting with parents)

It's sad that you as an adult are so caught up in the labeling. It also seems that instead of telling your DC that it's not a big deal, you fueled the ridicule of the kid. So the parents wanted to go, that should be a family choice.

Not at all.

I told my kid to be kind to this poor boy as no one wants to experience that much embarrassment on the first day of his new school.

I think all the kids were very kind to him as they all could not imagine being stuck i that position.

As I said, the poor boy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is customary that if you go with your child, your child will be identified for the next four years as "That kid whose mommy went to orientation."

Lol.

There was a poor kid who attended my kid's freshman orientation whose parents (mom & dad) PLUS 2 younger siblings (young elementary and older elementary) attended as well.

Dad asked a lot of questions. Mom beamed and tried talking to other 9th graders to find kids who lived close and might have shared interests. Older elementary sibling was chatty and tried to act cute and impress the teenagers. Little sibling was cute, but still.

The poor kid (according to my kid) looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

My kid ended up moving through several classes with the family, so mom kept trying to strike up conversations with him. "Hey look Junior, here is Larlo again. Let's sit here. Larlo, what activities are you doing? Hey Junior, Larlo has your same history class. Larlo, why don't you exchange numbers so you two can hang out before school starts."

The poor poor kid! He was the only kid in all of freshman orientation with a parent there. My son said the teachers kept trying to encourage his parents to leave but they just were not picking up what was going on.

He had no noticeable special needs, and according to my son never showed any signs of being special needs, aspergers or social difficulties the entire year. He was just a little shy and quiet, but otherwise just a regular, nice kid. However, 3 years later he is still known as the kid who brought his parents and siblings to freshman orientation.


Don't be that parent OP.

Let your kid navigate freshman orientation on his own. It will be better for him, and also let the teachers do what they prepared to do (which is not interacting with parents)

It's sad that you as an adult are so caught up in the labeling. It also seems that instead of telling your DC that it's not a big deal, you fueled the ridicule of the kid. So the parents wanted to go, that should be a family choice.

Not at all.

I told my kid to be kind to this poor boy as no one wants to experience that much embarrassment on the first day of his new school.

I think all the kids were very kind to him as they all could not imagine being stuck i that position.

As I said, the poor boy.

Because his parents went to orientation? Again, you are a part of the problem.

[Anonymous]

^^ NP. I *think* PP is using “poor boy” as there was no reason for the family to be there, regardless if they wanted to be there. It was a day for their child, not them. But it seems they could not see that and were focused on their wants versus their DS. Hence, “poor boy” and PP using this example as a cautionary tale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is customary that if you go with your child, your child will be identified for the next four years as "That kid whose mommy went to orientation."

Lol.

There was a poor kid who attended my kid's freshman orientation whose parents (mom & dad) PLUS 2 younger siblings (young elementary and older elementary) attended as well.

Dad asked a lot of questions. Mom beamed and tried talking to other 9th graders to find kids who lived close and might have shared interests. Older elementary sibling was chatty and tried to act cute and impress the teenagers. Little sibling was cute, but still.

The poor kid (according to my kid) looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

My kid ended up moving through several classes with the family, so mom kept trying to strike up conversations with him. "Hey look Junior, here is Larlo again. Let's sit here. Larlo, what activities are you doing? Hey Junior, Larlo has your same history class. Larlo, why don't you exchange numbers so you two can hang out before school starts."

The poor poor kid! He was the only kid in all of freshman orientation with a parent there. My son said the teachers kept trying to encourage his parents to leave but they just were not picking up what was going on.

He had no noticeable special needs, and according to my son never showed any signs of being special needs, aspergers or social difficulties the entire year. He was just a little shy and quiet, but otherwise just a regular, nice kid. However, 3 years later he is still known as the kid who brought his parents and siblings to freshman orientation.


Don't be that parent OP.

Let your kid navigate freshman orientation on his own. It will be better for him, and also let the teachers do what they prepared to do (which is not interacting with parents)

It's sad that you as an adult are so caught up in the labeling. It also seems that instead of telling your DC that it's not a big deal, you fueled the ridicule of the kid. So the parents wanted to go, that should be a family choice.

Not at all.

I told my kid to be kind to this poor boy as no one wants to experience that much embarrassment on the first day of his new school.

I think all the kids were very kind to him as they all could not imagine being stuck i that position.

As I said, the poor boy.

Because his parents went to orientation? Again, you are a part of the problem.

No, because his parents were the ONLY parents in a class of 600 kids at orientation, and they brought the entire family and they monopolized the class in every session my kid had with this kid and they kept trying to set up playdates for their 4 years from being an adult teenager.

Most, if not all parents, who showed up and noticed they were the only parent/full family in attendance at freshman orientation would have quickly bowed out with a "Have fun. We will meet you by the flagpole at noon."

I really feel for this kid and any other whose parents put them into this embarrassing position.

[Anonymous]

Our school has a day for freshman where they go in and here about clubs, attend a pep rally, have lunch, meet other kids. It's sort of goofy with loud music, lights dimmed, kids roller skating in the hall, holding banners and welcoming the incoming students.

I walked into this chaotic looking, rowdy free for all fresh out of town with my incoming HS freshman (who knew not a sole at that school). I had been expecting this to be more like an Open House event where we saw classrooms, met teachers, got a look at the school - the same as middle school. I had no idea that the event was supposed to last all day. Nor did I have any idea that my son was supposed to go with the *extremely spirited* roller skating wild and crazy kids down one hallway, while I was instructed to go into a parent's conference where the parents were told to leave and come back in a few hours to get our kids.

It was about the strangest of introductions to a school that I could have dreamed up. If we had been warned ahead of time that would have been one thing...but it was a bit nerve wracking to just walk into that scene w/o warning. Made me really wonder about that school and WTH we had done to ourselves, lol. As it turns out, my son had fun and things were better organized than they initially appeared to be. For the second son at least I knew what to expect...

At any rate, by comparison, the orientation days at FCPS are boring and NBD at all. Your kid will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is customary that if you go with your child, your child will be identified for the next four years as "That kid whose mommy went to orientation."

Lol.

There was a poor kid who attended my kid's freshman orientation whose parents (mom & dad) PLUS 2 younger siblings (young elementary and older elementary) attended as well.

Dad asked a lot of questions. Mom beamed and tried talking to other 9th graders to find kids who lived close and might have shared interests. Older elementary sibling was chatty and tried to act cute and impress the teenagers. Little sibling was cute, but still.

The poor kid (according to my kid) looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

My kid ended up moving through several classes with the family, so mom kept trying to strike up conversations with him. "Hey look Junior, here is Larlo again. Let's sit here. Larlo, what activities are you doing? Hey Junior, Larlo has your same history class. Larlo, why don't you exchange numbers so you two can hang out before school starts."

The poor poor kid! He was the only kid in all of freshman orientation with a parent there. My son said the teachers kept trying to encourage his parents to leave but they just were not picking up what was going on.

He had no noticeable special needs, and according to my son never showed any signs of being special needs, aspergers or social difficulties the entire year. He was just a little shy and quiet, but otherwise just a regular, nice kid. However, 3 years later he is still known as the kid who brought his parents and siblings to freshman orientation.


Don't be that parent OP.

Let your kid navigate freshman orientation on his own. It will be better for him, and also let the teachers do what they prepared to do (which is not interacting with parents)

It's sad that you as an adult are so caught up in the labeling. It also seems that instead of telling your DC that it's not a big deal, you fueled the ridicule of the kid. So the parents wanted to go, that should be a family choice.

+1. Yeah, just give the advice that it's best that kids attend on their own. If someone didn't get the memo in 2015, it's not something that either parents or kids should harp upon years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is customary that if you go with your child, your child will be identified for the next four years as "That kid whose mommy went to orientation."

Lol.

There was a poor kid who attended my kid's freshman orientation whose parents (mom & dad) PLUS 2 younger siblings (young elementary and older elementary) attended as well.

Dad asked a lot of questions. Mom beamed and tried talking to other 9th graders to find kids who lived close and might have shared interests. Older elementary sibling was chatty and tried to act cute and impress the teenagers. Little sibling was cute, but still.

The poor kid (according to my kid) looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

My kid ended up moving through several classes with the family, so mom kept trying to strike up conversations with him. "Hey look Junior, here is Larlo again. Let's sit here. Larlo, what activities are you doing? Hey Junior, Larlo has your same history class. Larlo, why don't you exchange numbers so you two can hang out before school starts."

The poor poor kid! He was the only kid in all of freshman orientation with a parent there. My son said the teachers kept trying to encourage his parents to leave but they just were not picking up what was going on.

He had no noticeable special needs, and according to my son never showed any signs of being special needs, aspergers or social difficulties the entire year. He was just a little shy and quiet, but otherwise just a regular, nice kid. However, 3 years later he is still known as the kid who brought his parents and siblings to freshman orientation.


Don't be that parent OP.

Let your kid navigate freshman orientation on his own. It will be better for him, and also let the teachers do what they prepared to do (which is not interacting with parents)

It's sad that you as an adult are so caught up in the labeling. It also seems that instead of telling your DC that it's not a big deal, you fueled the ridicule of the kid. So the parents wanted to go, that should be a family choice.

Not at all.

I told my kid to be kind to this poor boy as no one wants to experience that much embarrassment on the first day of his new school.

I think all the kids were very kind to him as they all could not imagine being stuck i that position.

As I said, the poor boy.

Because his parents went to orientation? Again, you are a part of the problem.

No, because his parents were the ONLY parents in a class of 600 kids at orientation, and they brought the entire family and they monopolized the class in every session my kid had with this kid and they kept trying to set up playdates for their 4 years from being an adult teenager.

Most, if not all parents, who showed up and noticed they were the only parent/full family in attendance at freshman orientation would have quickly bowed out with a "Have fun. We will meet you by the flagpole at noon."

I really feel for this kid and any other whose parents put them into this embarrassing position.

You need to stop digging a hole for yourself. You sound like the sort of parent who notices every idiosyncrasy about other kids and parents and keeps a running tab.

I'm just glad you're not at our school (the freshmen class back then wasn't anywhere near 600 kids).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is customary that if you go with your child, your child will be identified for the next four years as "That kid whose mommy went to orientation."

Lol.

There was a poor kid who attended my kid's freshman orientation whose parents (mom & dad) PLUS 2 younger siblings (young elementary and older elementary) attended as well.

Dad asked a lot of questions. Mom beamed and tried talking to other 9th graders to find kids who lived close and might have shared interests. Older elementary sibling was chatty and tried to act cute and impress the teenagers. Little sibling was cute, but still.

The poor kid (according to my kid) looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

My kid ended up moving through several classes with the family, so mom kept trying to strike up conversations with him. "Hey look Junior, here is Larlo again. Let's sit here. Larlo, what activities are you doing? Hey Junior, Larlo has your same history class. Larlo, why don't you exchange numbers so you two can hang out before school starts."

The poor poor kid! He was the only kid in all of freshman orientation with a parent there. My son said the teachers kept trying to encourage his parents to leave but they just were not picking up what was going on.

He had no noticeable special needs, and according to my son never showed any signs of being special needs, aspergers or social difficulties the entire year. He was just a little shy and quiet, but otherwise just a regular, nice kid. However, 3 years later he is still known as the kid who brought his parents and siblings to freshman orientation.


Don't be that parent OP.

Let your kid navigate freshman orientation on his own. It will be better for him, and also let the teachers do what they prepared to do (which is not interacting with parents)

It's sad that you as an adult are so caught up in the labeling. It also seems that instead of telling your DC that it's not a big deal, you fueled the ridicule of the kid. So the parents wanted to go, that should be a family choice.

Not at all.

I told my kid to be kind to this poor boy as no one wants to experience that much embarrassment on the first day of his new school.

I think all the kids were very kind to him as they all could not imagine being stuck i that position.

As I said, the poor boy.

Because his parents went to orientation? Again, you are a part of the problem.

No, because his parents were the ONLY parents in a class of 600 kids at orientation, and they brought the entire family and they monopolized the class in every session my kid had with this kid and they kept trying to set up playdates for their 4 years from being an adult teenager.

Most, if not all parents, who showed up and noticed they were the only parent/full family in attendance at freshman orientation would have quickly bowed out with a "Have fun. We will meet you by the flagpole at noon."

I really feel for this kid and any other whose parents put them into this embarrassing position.

You need to stop digging a hole for yourself. You sound like the sort of parent who notices every idiosyncrasy about other kids and parents and keeps a running tab.

I'm just glad you're not at our school (the freshmen class back then wasn't anywhere near 600 kids).

We get it.

Either you are a troll, or a parent who does stuff like this to your high school kid.

Land the helicopter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school has a day for freshman where they go in and here about clubs, attend a pep rally, have lunch, meet other kids. It's sort of goofy with loud music, lights dimmed, kids roller skating in the hall, holding banners and welcoming the incoming students.

I walked into this chaotic looking, rowdy free for all fresh out of town with my incoming HS freshman (who knew not a sole at that school). I had been expecting this to be more like an Open House event where we saw classrooms, met teachers, got a look at the school - the same as middle school. I had no idea that the event was supposed to last all day. Nor did I have any idea that my son was supposed to go with the *extremely spirited* roller skating wild and crazy kids down one hallway, while I was instructed to go into a parent's conference where the parents were told to leave and come back in a few hours to get our kids.

It was about the strangest of introductions to a school that I could have dreamed up. If we had been warned ahead of time that would have been one thing...but it was a bit nerve wracking to just walk into that scene w/o warning. Made me really wonder about that school and WTH we had done to ourselves, lol. As it turns out, my son had fun and things were better organized than they initially appeared to be. For the second son at least I knew what to expect...

At any rate, by comparison, the orientation days at FCPS are boring and NBD at all. Your kid will be fine.

That sounds like an awesome freshman orientation.

What state was this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is customary that if you go with your child, your child will be identified for the next four years as "That kid whose mommy went to orientation."

Lol.

There was a poor kid who attended my kid's freshman orientation whose parents (mom & dad) PLUS 2 younger siblings (young elementary and older elementary) attended as well.

Dad asked a lot of questions. Mom beamed and tried talking to other 9th graders to find kids who lived close and might have shared interests. Older elementary sibling was chatty and tried to act cute and impress the teenagers. Little sibling was cute, but still.

The poor kid (according to my kid) looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

My kid ended up moving through several classes with the family, so mom kept trying to strike up conversations with him. "Hey look Junior, here is Larlo again. Let's sit here. Larlo, what activities are you doing? Hey Junior, Larlo has your same history class. Larlo, why don't you exchange numbers so you two can hang out before school starts."

The poor poor kid! He was the only kid in all of freshman orientation with a parent there. My son said the teachers kept trying to encourage his parents to leave but they just were not picking up what was going on.

He had no noticeable special needs, and according to my son never showed any signs of being special needs, aspergers or social difficulties the entire year. He was just a little shy and quiet, but otherwise just a regular, nice kid. However, 3 years later he is still known as the kid who brought his parents and siblings to freshman orientation.


Don't be that parent OP.

Let your kid navigate freshman orientation on his own. It will be better for him, and also let the teachers do what they prepared to do (which is not interacting with parents)

It's sad that you as an adult are so caught up in the labeling. It also seems that instead of telling your DC that it's not a big deal, you fueled the ridicule of the kid. So the parents wanted to go, that should be a family choice.

Not at all.

I told my kid to be kind to this poor boy as no one wants to experience that much embarrassment on the first day of his new school.

I think all the kids were very kind to him as they all could not imagine being stuck i that position.

As I said, the poor boy.

Because his parents went to orientation? Again, you are a part of the problem.

No, because his parents were the ONLY parents in a class of 600 kids at orientation, and they brought the entire family and they monopolized the class in every session my kid had with this kid and they kept trying to set up playdates for their 4 years from being an adult teenager.

Most, if not all parents, who showed up and noticed they were the only parent/full family in attendance at freshman orientation would have quickly bowed out with a "Have fun. We will meet you by the flagpole at noon."

I really feel for this kid and any other whose parents put them into this embarrassing position.

You need to stop digging a hole for yourself. You sound like the sort of parent who notices every idiosyncrasy about other kids and parents and keeps a running tab.

I'm just glad you're not at our school (the freshmen class back then wasn't anywhere near 600 kids).

We get it.

Either you are a troll, or a parent who does stuff like this to your high school kid.

Land the helicopter.

Wrong. We've lived in the area for a while, know the schools, and know the code (i.e., no parents at student orientation; no kids at back-to-school night, etc.).

Other posters have also commented on how obnoxious you sound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school has a day for freshman where they go in and here about clubs, attend a pep rally, have lunch, meet other kids. It's sort of goofy with loud music, lights dimmed, kids roller skating in the hall, holding banners and welcoming the incoming students.

I walked into this chaotic looking, rowdy free for all fresh out of town with my incoming HS freshman (who knew not a sole at that school). I had been expecting this to be more like an Open House event where we saw classrooms, met teachers, got a look at the school - the same as middle school. I had no idea that the event was supposed to last all day. Nor did I have any idea that my son was supposed to go with the *extremely spirited* roller skating wild and crazy kids down one hallway, while I was instructed to go into a parent's conference where the parents were told to leave and come back in a few hours to get our kids.

It was about the strangest of introductions to a school that I could have dreamed up. If we had been warned ahead of time that would have been one thing...but it was a bit nerve wracking to just walk into that scene w/o warning. Made me really wonder about that school and WTH we had done to ourselves, lol. As it turns out, my son had fun and things were better organized than they initially appeared to be. For the second son at least I knew what to expect...

At any rate, by comparison, the orientation days at FCPS are boring and NBD at all. Your kid will be fine.

That sounds like an awesome freshman orientation.

What state was this?

Florida. It turned out to be a good ice breaker for the kids. Everyone was laughing at the goofiness of it all. I believe it was mostly a kid planned thing for other kids. Staff may have been there to supervise from afar but it was a kid led thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school has a day for freshman where they go in and here about clubs, attend a pep rally, have lunch, meet other kids. It's sort of goofy with loud music, lights dimmed, kids roller skating in the hall, holding banners and welcoming the incoming students.

I walked into this chaotic looking, rowdy free for all fresh out of town with my incoming HS freshman (who knew not a sole at that school). I had been expecting this to be more like an Open House event where we saw classrooms, met teachers, got a look at the school - the same as middle school. I had no idea that the event was supposed to last all day. Nor did I have any idea that my son was supposed to go with the *extremely spirited* roller skating wild and crazy kids down one hallway, while I was instructed to go into a parent's conference where the parents were told to leave and come back in a few hours to get our kids.

It was about the strangest of introductions to a school that I could have dreamed up. If we had been warned ahead of time that would have been one thing...but it was a bit nerve wracking to just walk into that scene w/o warning. Made me really wonder about that school and WTH we had done to ourselves, lol. As it turns out, my son had fun and things were better organized than they initially appeared to be. For the second son at least I knew what to expect...

At any rate, by comparison, the orientation days at FCPS are boring and NBD at all. Your kid will be fine.

That sounds like an awesome freshman orientation.

What state was this?

Florida. It turned out to be a good ice breaker for the kids. Everyone was laughing at the goofiness of it all. I believe it was mostly a kid planned thing for other kids. Staff may have been there to supervise from afar but it was a kid led thing.

That is great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ NP. I *think* PP is using “poor boy” as there was no reason for the family to be there, regardless if they wanted to be there. It was a day for their child, not them. But it seems they could not see that and were focused on their wants versus their DS. Hence, “poor boy” and PP using this example as a cautionary tale.

Helicopter moms will be very defensive about that post because they do not think about how this kind of behavior by them makes their kids feel.

We have a lot of friends whose kids are going off to college now. The amount of "special" parent events the universities have to have for freshmen orientation is mind boggling. What happened to parents just dropping their kids off at the dorm and leaving once they helped lug their stuff up to the room?

Parents need to let their teenagers manage more of their stuff, especially at something so guided, scripted and designed for kids only like high school freshman orientation.

These high school freshmen are almost adults. They have to practice their independence before going off on their own, and freshmen orientation is a good time to start.

To the PP who said it should be a "family" decision on whether or not to lug the whole gang to freshmen orientation, no it should not.

The school set this up for the kids, not the parents.

The only thing your attendance will do is embarrass your kid.

Don't be that parent.

[Anonymous]

Why can't kids use their lockers? I went to a large school in FCPS and used my locker between most classes. What changed? We had actual books then too.