Reply to Has HGC not worked out for your child?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]And if not, why not? I have a child going into CCES HGC next fall. DS has been incredibly "bored" in his home school. I put quotes because I don't like the whole thing of "my child is so smart that he is bored". But what happens is that he gets his work done quickly and then his teacher allows him to read the rest of the time. So he mostly reads and he isn't engaged in school as a result. I am nervous that the HGC will not be enough of a challenge either. Has that been the case for anyone? [/quote]

I have had two kids at CCES HGC.  I wouldn't say that the program is incredibly challenging (we still supplement at home), but the peer group alone was an amazing benefit.  My kids are kind of quirky -- not a bad, out-of-control, rain-man kind of quirky, but they're into things other kids would consider nerdy and out of the mainstream.  They don't care what's on TV, don't care about the latest music, and don't care about clothes.  They were the kids that sat around reading or writing on their own.  No one at HGC teases them about any of that, and in fact the HGC friends have been incredibly encouraging and positive influences.  One of my kids was being teased at the home school for being different, and feels at home with the other HGC kids.  The older kid (now in MS) thrived with the other oddballs, and still considers the CCES HGC classmates best friends today, even with the split articulation at CCES (which means half of the kids end up at Westland/BCC and the other half at Pyle/Whitman).  They still go to each others' parties and get together to hang out.  AND my kid has all the friends from the home school (two years is not that long).  So the transition to MS was a breeze -- twice the friends!

Yes, there is a lot of writing, and the kids have to learn how to give a TED-style talk.  This can be mortifying for kids who are not born performers.  But I am glad, because it pushed my kids to do something outside their comfort zones.  I think this is what school is for -- not to just cater to the things the kids already like and know how to do.  Also, whether your child decides to go to magnet middle or to Pyle/Westland, the amount of homework jumps tremendously, and writing cannot be avoided, so it's better to learn how to do it well at HGC.  I think my kids are/were better prepared than if they had stayed at their home school.

Our issues with CCES HGC have been more staff-oriented than the curriculum.  But the problematic 4th grade teacher is now gone...the principal is a little nuts, so be prepared for that.[/quote]

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