Talk to me about turning down a spot in a regional CES

[Anonymous]

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

Yeah, the PP sounds like a scare tactic. 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration on the other hand is no big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

In DC's CES there was one project where several kids did write over 10k words. 2k wasn't uncommon either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

In DC's CES there was one project where several kids did write over 10k words. 2k wasn't uncommon either.

7500 is what? 15-20 pages, single spaced?

I had to do that in middle school, so even that sounds like a lot, but not totally outrageous if it were a semester-long thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

In DC's CES there was one project where several kids did write over 10k words. 2k wasn't uncommon either.

7500 is what? 15-20 pages, single spaced?

I had to do that in middle school, so even that sounds like a lot, but not totally outrageous if it were a semester-long thing.

Our 5th grader in CES did the autobiography project last year. Theirs was over 7,000 words as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

In DC's CES there was one project where several kids did write over 10k words. 2k wasn't uncommon either.

7500 is what? 15-20 pages, single spaced?

I had to do that in middle school, so even that sounds like a lot, but not totally outrageous if it were a semester-long thing.

Our 5th grader in CES did the autobiography project last year. Theirs was over 7,000 words as well.

It was a long term project over a month or so, and the longest one of the school year, but it is true that some of the projects were that long. Other kids in the class did not write as much. Probably half that word count, but there are some kids who got very into it and wrote a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

In DC's CES there was one project where several kids did write over 10k words. 2k wasn't uncommon either.

7500 is what? 15-20 pages, single spaced?

I had to do that in middle school, so even that sounds like a lot, but not totally outrageous if it were a semester-long thing.

Which CES is this? Clearly you all are talking about a particular school. I think it would be helpful to those who are trying to decide whether to accept a seat or not.

Our 5th grader in CES did the autobiography project last year. Theirs was over 7,000 words as well.

It was a long term project over a month or so, and the longest one of the school year, but it is true that some of the projects were that long. Other kids in the class did not write as much. Probably half that word count, but there are some kids who got very into it and wrote a lot.

[Anonymous]

Which CES is this? Clearly you all are talking about a particular school. I think it would be helpful to those who are trying to decide whether to accept a seat or not.

[Anonymous]

It isn't Barnsley.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's CCES either but work rarely gets brought home at CCES so parents are not involved so even if they did do something I probably would not have known about it.

They did do a lot of reading and writing but DC found it enjoyable and wishes there was more of that in MS.

[Anonymous]

Every year there are parents who start these threads hoping to get others to drop out so their DC will get an opening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

I've heard some people turn it down because their kids don't like writing and there's a lot of writing in CES.

Kids don’t like hard work and that’s not a good reason to enable them to avoid it. Writing is a necessary skill and in most of MCPS they do a crappy job of teaching it. That alone is a great reason to go to the CES.

~Former Center for the Highly Gifted parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

In DC's CES there was one project where several kids did write over 10k words. 2k wasn't uncommon either.

7500 is what? 15-20 pages, single spaced?

I had to do that in middle school, so even that sounds like a lot, but not totally outrageous if it were a semester-long thing.

Im the PP that wrote this originally. Multiple kids wrote 30 plus pages. It absolutely is not a couple of paragraphs per chapter. The instructions were very detailed and there’s no way to do everything without writing thousands of words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

I've heard some people turn it down because their kids don't like writing and there's a lot of writing in CES.

Kids don’t like hard work and that’s not a good reason to enable them to avoid it. Writing is a necessary skill and in most of MCPS they do a crappy job of teaching it. That alone is a great reason to go to the CES.

~Former Center for the Highly Gifted parent

Not always. I have a gifted kid, who while they would totally benefit from the academics of CES, the potential social emotional hit is a real concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font

10 "chapters" yes. Each chapter is 1-2 paragraphs and an illustration. No child wrote a 7500 word autobiography. Stop your nonsense.

In DC's CES there was one project where several kids did write over 10k words. 2k wasn't uncommon either.

7500 is what? 15-20 pages, single spaced?

I had to do that in middle school, so even that sounds like a lot, but not totally outrageous if it were a semester-long thing.

Im the PP that wrote this originally. Multiple kids wrote 30 plus pages. It absolutely is not a couple of paragraphs per chapter. The instructions were very detailed and there’s no way to do everything without writing thousands of words.

Don’t know word counts but this assignment included title pages, drawings, photos, awards, ticket stubs, a table of contents, family tree, personal timeline, interviews with friends and family, in addition to the text covering ages 0-6, 7-10, feelings, achievements, description of self, family history, an autobiographical self portrait with a theme, birth story, likes and dislikes, future plans, hopes and dreams etc. Some kids had 40-50 pages.