Yes, I can't believe the words came out of my mouth either, but we are planning on Serenitie attending a public highschool.
I had heard about Aviation highschool last year and was interested in it. Then we found out that one of Ser's friends attends so I looked into it a little more and was really impressed by what I found. A few nights ago we attended an informaiton night and I continue to be amazed by what this school offers.
Now that she has been there and has had a chance to interact with students and staff she is excited also. She is pretty nervous about being placed in a PS setting, but this school is actually so far off the mainstream path that I think she will have no problem at all.
It is a STEM school meaning that it targets Science, Technology, Engeniering and Math. They study english and social studies together in a humanities course. There are no "fluff classes" no home ec., learn how to budget, life skills or others. They must contract for their PE credits outside of school.
They have a science olympiad team, a robotics team, speech and debat and other groups of the like.
For an elective they can take pilot school where they actually earn their pilots license and the school pays for it.
Their learning approach is not text book based but rather group project oriented which is how Seri has been taught all along anyhow. Generally they are given a topic and then the children are put in groups to define, study and research their project and then present it not only to the teacher but also to a professional in the field.
Their freshman year they job shadow in an effort to narrow their focus, Sophmores are then paired with a mentor who works in their focused field. The mentors come from a variety of places but mostly from Boeing, Microsoft, the aviation profession and the Museum of flight. This mentor follows them all throughout their highschool career. Their Junior year they take on an internship and as a Senior they design their individual senior project and are responsible for designing their own senior year program.
The school only accepts 100 students per year, so the size is very small and intimate. Everyone knows eachother here.
They are currently using an old middle school, but the students who are focusing on architecture are planning and designing their new school (under mentors) to be located adjacent to the museum of flight with a walkway connecting the two on the third floor. Education doesn't get more "real life" than that.
Last year they graduated 73 students whom generated among themselves over a million dollars in scholarships!!! One is at the Air Force Academy, nine at Embry Riddle in either Florida or Arizona, one at Harvey Mudd in California, many at UW and WSU. 98% of the graduating class is now enrolled in college and most with scholarships to pay for it!
It just doesn't get any bettere than this. If I were to design what I thought would be a perfect school for her, this would be it....
Here is the website if you want to check it out. http://www.aviationhs.org/pub/pub.aspx
So, next Nov her application is in!!!
She is finally to the age where we have felt the need to out-source her....
She is taking a Shakespear class which she adores. Her knowledge and grasp of the subject usually amazes me. It seems so natural for her. She has read fifteen of his plays since mid Sept.
She is also taking voice lessons.
She is swimming on the VAST aquatics team three to four days a week and is trying for those silver times that will bump her up to the next level. While I want to encourage her I am also not looking forward to the logistical nightmare that would add between now and when she is able to drive. At the silver level she would swim six days a week. M-F from 5:00-8:00 and Sat from 8:00-12:00.
Looking back on our decision to homeschool her, while it has been scary charting unknown territory, I am so grateful that we made that decision.
She is an independent scholar who enjoys and seeks learning and knowledge. Last night when I went to tell her lights off she was finishing a math assignment of her own accord. I now have weekly meetings with her on Fri where she brings me everything she has been studying and has learned and I am astonished. She does her own papers for Shakespear class and her readings without me asking her to...same with her math.... and most times she is so far ahead in both subjects that before we decided on her applying to Aviation I was concerned about her running out of things to learn (which, yes, I know is virtually immpossible, but....)
She is ahead of me in math and I went to college!!!! Luckily we use a self-teaching program which enables her to move as quickly or as slowly as she wants because I haven't a clue what she is doing. She does not cheat or take the short cuts. She corrects herself and if something is wrong will work at it until she figures out where she went wrong. I can guarantee you that you will not find these traits in the majority of PS kids her age. There are some days when she will do math for five straight hours because she wants too!!!!! Then the next she will spend five hours or more on Shakespear.
It was all so worth it....I am amazed and proud and.........
When you think of how much time is wasted in PS and all the damage that is done to their personalities and morals and self-esteem it all seems like such a complete waste. Then you compare it to her experience of being surrounded by others who love learning in a safe and secure environment where she is allowed to be on whatever time line she fits and not molded to fit the "norm" and you realize that both her and the PS student eventually end up in the same place, if her not ending up in a better situation even..... I have a hard time understanding why anyone would want to do the PS route.
