New STA parent seeking advice, suggestions, or just plain "I wish I had known X" info

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son asked a girl to homecoming. And she said yes! What do I need to do now?

good lord, butt out ! I believe your job is simply to loan your DS the car keys.

What if he is a freshman?

[Anonymous]

find a pre party, confirm transportation, talk to her parents, take photos, buy corsage for wrist

[Anonymous]

There is some crazy talk about homecoming on the NCS thread. Do the boys really take the homecoming experience that seriously? STA moms, do you really care whether your son goes or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is some crazy talk about homecoming on the NCS thread. Do the boys really take the homecoming experience that seriously? STA moms, do you really care whether your son goes or not?

Lots of STA mom chatter heard over the past week. I do not know about the boys, but these boys' moms take this shit seriously. Measuring out how pretty the date is, how fancy the pre-party will be, and whether the cool kids will be at the after party. It is high school for these moms all over again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:find a pre party, confirm transportation, talk to her parents, take photos, buy corsage for wrist

By transportation, do you mean limo, Uber, or minivan?

[Anonymous]

I also am uncertain of the right transportation to confirm. I think it's our job to engage a limo or some sort of van, but I've no idea what companies to start with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also am uncertain of the right transportation to confirm. I think it's our job to engage a limo or some sort of van, but I've no idea what companies to start with.

Too late, momma. Homecoming is tonight. Happy to give a ride. Still room in our Prius!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also am uncertain of the right transportation to confirm. I think it's our job to engage a limo or some sort of van, but I've no idea what companies to start with.

I'm sure many kids will use Uber. It is very easy to set up an account. You can set it up so that your child has access on his cell phone, but it will be your credit card. You can download an app for android or iOS devices. Then you will be prompted, I believe, to input your information. You get an email with your credit card receipt so you would be able to monitor it if your child wanted to start taking Uber and you did not approve of it. The car will come to the GPS location on your cell phone. It is easy, and the kids do not require cash. Good luck and hope everyone has a fun night!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also am uncertain of the right transportation to confirm. I think it's our job to engage a limo or some sort of van, but I've no idea what companies to start with.

I'm sure many kids will use Uber. It is very easy to set up an account. You can set it up so that your child has access on his cell phone, but it will be your credit card. You can download an app for android or iOS devices. Then you will be prompted, I believe, to input your information. You get an email with your credit card receipt so you would be able to monitor it if your child wanted to start taking Uber and you did not approve of it. The car will come to the GPS location on your cell phone. It is easy, and the kids do not require cash. Good luck and hope everyone has a fun night!

Thanks for the tip. My kid is only a 9th grader, so despite his best efforts to prevent me from doing so, I drove him and his date. Incidentally, although it is very hard to get information out of my teenager, it was pretty clear that he and his friends and their dates had a wonderful time.

[Anonymous]

How common are Cs in high school at STA? My son is new to the school and expects to have at least one C this period. He had been an A student at our public before that. Should I be alarmed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How common are Cs in high school at STA? My son is new to the school and expects to have at least one C this period. He had been an A student at our public before that. Should I be alarmed?

Cs are definitely relatively common in the high school (Upper School) at STA, and there is not only often an adjustment for kids coming from other schools but for kids making the jump from the St. Albans Lower School (8th grade) to ninth grade. You will probably get a pretty detailed teacher comment when the grade comes out, and the academic advisors are an excellent resource. You should not feel bad about contacting the advisor and seeing if the advisor has some additional thoughts beyond what's in the written advisor comment (those come out with the grades also). St. Albans -- and, generally, most high schools -- puts a lot of emphasis on the students taking ownership themselves, so almost always the first recommendation will be that the student starts trying to meet with the teacher more as needed (maybe before and after tests, or to go over a draft of a paper if it is a writing class). If it seems like it's hard for your son to work out a time in the schedule to meet with the teacher, sometimes the advisor can help facilitate that.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

New to STA and with the holiday invites starting to come out....we are a bit concerned. We live modestly can afford the tuition but honestly, we don't feel comfortable going to some of the homes (which of course are fabulous) for parties and brining in the $150 bottle of wine etc. We are not trying to impress anyone at the school by suggesting we are part of the DC "high society"...we are not.

All of this to the question....if you politely decline attendance at some of these events....is it a big deal within the STA community? Not trying to be antisocial but rather, just trying to live within our means. TIA.

[Anonymous]

Another STA parent of modest means here. Most of those invites require you to visit "sign-up genius" and respond. We've found that simply not responding is the best solution. We're not alone, either.

[Anonymous]

This is interesting. I have been thinking STA would be a great fit for my DC but a bad fit for the parents for the same reasons: we are of modest means. Do the parents seriously expect you to bring a bottle of $150 wine? I find that hard to believe. Wouldn't they be welcoming if you came with a $15 bottle of wine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting. I have been thinking STA would be a great fit for my DC but a bad fit for the parents for the same reasons: we are of modest means. Do the parents seriously expect you to bring a bottle of $150 wine? I find that hard to believe. Wouldn't they be welcoming if you came with a $15 bottle of wine?

Not op but I think the point was feeling the obligation to bring a 150 bottle of wine because of the varying levels of social status that exists at STA. Do not kid yourself, there is significant wealth at the school. Not picking on STA or anyone with that wealth..so please let's not fight on Thanksgiving eve! Just making a point.