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School hasn't started yet and I can see the train wreck

BettyRay's picture

Submitted by BettyRay on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 3:59pm

I may be overreacting here but I see SS14’s H.S. career circling the drain and the school year hasn’t started yet.

1. He refused to participate in the AVID program he was accepted into.
2. SS14 called last night asking to do the boy scout jam-o-rees (weekend campouts) in Sept. and Oct.

So the kid flunks ap-math and is repeating this year, is a roller coaster student when it comes to homework and grades. But it’s totally okay for him to go camping the first 2-months of H.S. :jawdrop:

And as for boy scouts: SS14 already has 4 merit badges that are open and incomplete. Plus he has already earned enough nights camping for Eagle Scout. But he just has to go camping this fall. :sick:

So DH is making him sign a contract to the effect of if SS14 get below a grade of C in any class he’s have to sell his xbox and donate the proceeds to charity. Ya like that’s ever going to happen.

Oh and if SS14 doesn’t finish ONE of the open merit badges he can’t go in any more campouts. Right – I’ve heard this before.

BettyRay Predicts: SS14 is going to screw off the first 2-months of school and end up having to repeat 9th grade. Oh and the H.S. just implemented a 4-block course schedule. So a class that would run 4 quarters (all school year) will now be completed in 2 quarters (or 1 semester).

~BettyRay

Comments

Jsmom's picture

Submitted by Jsmom on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 4:55pm

I don't understand the problem on the open merit badges. My son has about 5 open and just Eagled. They were not required ones. But, this is confusing to me. Having open Merit Badges doesn't stop you from participating. Sounds like a SM that is over reaching if it is. We call it an Eagle Mill. I volunteer with the council as a Program Director and was Committee Chair for the last 6 years. Scouting is not about the merit badges...He can not rank up with out having done the camp outs and leadership and certain merit badges.

Forget the contract, those never work and they take too long to see an effect. You need to take away the XBox on daily occurences. Bad Grade on a test etc. The Xbox and camping are his Currency. Use it to your advantage. Why is he getting to go on the campout at all if his grades are bad?

He doesn't need it and he doesn't have to go. That is one of the fun camp outs and that is why he wants to go.

BettyRay's picture

Submitted by BettyRay on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 9:27am

The open merit badges are Eagle required.

The xbox is at BM's house. We have no authority over but BM did agree to the contract. At our house we use the PS3 as currency but he's with us eow and eo-Mon. & Tues. So he has plenty of xbox time to compinsate at BMs.

DH said no to camping, BM said yes. Hence he's camping.

I have no problem with scouting. Scouting teaches boys a lot but it has been my experience with SS14 that it is a huge distraction from him getting his school routine together in the fall. Every fall the focus is on scout camping and not school. Granted he is learning leadership by planning meals and activities etc. BUT Boys Scouts isn't graded, academics should come first.

IMHO I feel that SS14 should focus on getting acclimated to H.S. as it is his freshman year. I feel he is being set up for failure. With the new schedule he will be getting a lot of homework and little time to pull himself out of a hole should he get behind.

Every fall since he has been in boy scouts he spends the first 2-month of school focused on scouts. Camping 3 out of 4 weekends. And every fall by the end of the first quarter he is failing at least 2 classes and spends the rest of the year making it up. He won't have that luxury this year as the classes are condensed and 4 quarter classes will now bw completed in 2 quarters.

I have expressed my concerns to DH.

Frankly, I find your comment "Sounds like a SM that is over reaching" hurtful.

I care very deeply for my SSons. Which is why I blog my frustrations out here. I know that I am not their parent, but it's difficult to stand by and watch this happen.

~BettyRay

alwaysanxious's picture

Submitted by alwaysanxious on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 10:21pm

Its amazing when we really can see the future, but we are never taken seriously. Better to just stay out of it, right?