scrapaddie
Drama Llama
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Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
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Post by scrapaddie on May 23, 2016 17:57:56 GMT
I wasn't asking so she could join those groups, it was the information about prom so if as a parent you want to attend grand march and take pictures you won't be an uninformed person knowing what time it starts. That kind of things that kids don't think are important until they are walking out the door asking if you will be coming to grand march and you have no idea - stuff like that. You don't only attend as a Junior either, as long as your date is a Jr you can be a Freshman or Sophomore so these types of things come up when you have kids and they get asked to stuff like that. It's just nice to know stuff and not have to call around and ask to get information about a school sanctioned event that they expect parents to be involved with. So no it's not weird wanting to know things. It's weird if you're 12 but if you're an informed adult and like to read things and be informed it's nice to know stuff. But why would you expect the school to have this on their website? They don't plan the prom. The seniors do, at this point they aren't even seniors yet! We voted on a theme maybe in October or November of our Senior year. The senior prom committee then picked a date, etc. So there wouldn't be anything to share about prom before December at the earliest unless you were on the prom committee.
Homecoming is typically the same weekend every year, ours was second in September. All of the schools around here do that. You can't apply to be on the court, you are nominated. That happens by the students and the student council runs that as well, not the school.
I just don't see getting mad at the school about this. Sure, maybe kids don't plan like adults do, but it also isn't going to make or break your daughters life if you don't know when you have take pictures a year from now.
Around here the date for prom is selected during the sophomore year... If they waited until senior year, no venue would be available
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raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
Jun 26, 2014 20:10:29 GMT
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Post by raindancer on May 23, 2016 18:05:54 GMT
Thank you I have no intention of being obnoxious about asking about any of that and I just posted a nice email inquiring about the NHS requirements in case it was something over the summer she needed to obtain or fulfill, etc. I don't care if someone thinks my post is "STRANGE" because I think information should be easier to find. I stand by my original statement that I don't see it as a big deal that any of that stuff shouldn't be information that is free for everyone to see - just because I"m asking as a parent doesn't mean a student might not want to have that information on the school website. They might want to know where prom is, how much it costs, why should they have to hunt down and ask a teacher about it, why shouldn't that information be available? I'm not only asking for myself but for people in general - parents, students - maybe the secondary parent that doesn't get all the information from the primary parent. This is information that students are NOT given and they have to ask around like it's the eighties or something before websites and media that allows for websites to have that information. My sense of frustration is after two years of asking for details from my daughter about an event and her saying "I don't know' and then her spending unnecessary time asking around for information that could be easily accessible on a website. I appreciate your responses directing me to the NHS website, I have that information, which is helpful, but as many other schools have on THEIR particular websites, each school has their own specific criteria, and that would be helpful to have. I would think it would help students strive toward a goal if it was available like that. I don't understand the hunt down the information comment. My mom didn't know when prom was until I needed a dress. She never even asked about ticket prices or pictures or anything like that. All on me. I knew all that stuff from the millions of announcements, posters, and talking to my friends. Same as your daughter I suspect. I understand wanting to know about requirements, but I know less about what my 8th grader is doing than you want to know about your high school student. It's up to them to tell you stuff, ask your daughter.
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on May 23, 2016 18:17:59 GMT
Kind of preachy for a homeschooler. That's pretty rich considering your kids don't even attend a high school to judge me on how I am. And I stand by wanting better communication, I won't apologize for wanting it and I'm sorry to hear you feel the need to stoop to communicate in such a grade school manner by calling me names. You did the same right back at her here---tit for tat--insulted her as a homeschool parent. It would be helpful to have the NHS info on the schools site or in their student handbook. In my experience NHS isn't something that one would "apply to" without first being "invited" (it's not something that is available to everyone, and not every kid having the requirements are invited to apply) it's not something that one can "study" for, and again, many kids that meet the requirements will not be asked invited, teachers/advisors elect or nominate the students. Prom & Homecoming-student led and also in my experience heavily advertised within the school-posters, PA announcements etc. Maybe try volunteering at the school yourself to see what's what!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 21, 2024 20:24:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2016 18:27:56 GMT
I am extremely annoyed with the secrecy that my DD high school has with regard to just about everything. It's not on the website, handbook, pulling teeth to get information. You name it, it's just a big secret. Prom, yearbook, homecoming, national honor society, anything to do with any of those topics you would imagine would be or should be listed/posted somewhere - no. It's all a big secret. How does one get nominated for homecoming? No idea. How is voting conducted? No idea. How do you join or submit pics for yearbook? No idea. Prom details? No idea. Not posted anywhere and you have to ask 80 million people to find out any answers, and my DD will be a junior next year and I still don't know these answers. I just emailed my DD guidance counselor to ask what the requirements/criteria were for National Honor Society application. She said DD would get a letter next year after the first report card and that letter would detail all the requirements of application. I was like ? You can't tell me the requirements/criteria NOW? No, she would receive a letter of invitation to apply, and that letter would post the list of things she would need to apply. You see how crazy this is - ? My neighbor told me when her son applied he had to scramble to fulfill some of the requirements. She didn't remember all of them so she wasn't any help (her son graduated 8 years ago and things may have changed). But basically IF she gets asked by a secret group of teachers, then she will need to go through that list of requirements and make sure she has all of them. I just don't know how it is legal for them NOT to have them posted - I thought the National Honor Society according to their website I thought I read that the requirements had to be posted somewhere. And it's INSANE to me that the guidance department is not in charge of nor does she have the list of requirements. I hate this school so much sometimes especially with regard to communication. I do not know about NHS at our high school. My son would have easily qualified with grades but was not willing to do any of the volunteering and such. He also found the whole ceremonial stuff very, very weird. Homecoming and Prom voting is different at each high school. At our school for Homecoming, nobody is nominated or asks to be on the list.....each grade 9-12 is given a list of ALL girls in their grade and they vote from that list. One girl each from 9-11 grades is selected for the court. The seniors vote as well and the top 3 vote getters are picked to represent the senior class. THEN a second vote takes place when all students 9-12 pick their choice for queen from the top 3 picked by the seniors. At the homecoming game a girl from 9th, 10th, and 11th grade are paraded around and the three seniors are as well... they are all attendants. Then it is announced which of the seniors is queen... she was first picked by her class and then the whole high school. JR/SR Prom court is voted on just by the grade. Juniors vote for one junior girl and one junior guy for prince and princess. Seniors vote for one girl and one guy as well for queen and king. For seniors, the top three vote getters are on the court and it is announced who got queen and king (the ones with the most votes). Parents have absolutely nothing to do with any of this and neither do the girls picked. My DD was homecoming queen and prom court and never asked to be nominated and was not even at school the day of homecoming voting. At our school you DO have to submit senior pictures from your photographer. They do have rules we have to follow as well. We were sent a letter well in advance.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 21, 2024 20:24:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2016 18:37:02 GMT
Prom is not always student led... My friend lives in a rural area and the parents play a HUGE part in putting on prom. They have a dance in the gym but also several classrooms in the school are decorated with themes. For example, one room may have a French theme with decorations, music, food, donated prizes...everything!! These different rooms are totally funded, created, and manned (food servers etc) by parents.
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Post by lbp on May 23, 2016 19:21:05 GMT
I will validate you, and say it is NOT weird. Most of that info would be on our yearly school calendar that comes out the beginning of the school yr. All that stuff would be set before that. I think each school has different standards and different ways of doing things. Here, homecoming is NOT teacher generated, but the kids. Yearbook is an ECA. Sounds like your child isn't very involved in the school? I would recommend they get more involved, and ask the kids involved in it, ie yearbook. The only thing they would have to scramble for HS would be the volunteer hours. It's not a crime to be an involved parent, nor ask questions. Just don't be obnoxious about it..ha. Your school calendar detas the voting process for homecoming queen? Your school calendar gives info a a not yet planned senior prom two years away? Your school calendar has info on enrolling in the yearbook elective? Your school calendar has the requirements for NHS? That must be some calendar. I somehow doubt your school calendar has any of those things. So what info exactly is the OP asking for that wos be on a school calendar? Ours did have this info! You could also access the morning announcements and get any information that the students got that day, what was for lunch, who the varsity football team is playing Friday night, etc... also deadlines for NHS applications, etc..
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Post by jackie on May 23, 2016 22:35:10 GMT
Kind of preachy for a homeschooler. That's pretty rich considering your kids don't even attend a high school to judge me on how I am. And I stand by wanting better communication, I won't apologize for wanting it and I'm sorry to hear you feel the need to stoop to communicate in such a grade school manner by calling me names. You did the same right back at her here---tit for tat--insulted her as a homeschool parent. It would be helpful to have the NHS info on the schools site or in their student handbook. In my experience NHS isn't something that one would "apply to" without first being "invited" (it's not something that is available to everyone, and not every kid having the requirements are invited to apply) it's not something that one can "study" for, and again, many kids that meet the requirements will not be asked invited, teachers/advisors elect or nominate the students. Prom & Homecoming-student led and also in my experience heavily advertised within the school-posters, PA announcements etc. Maybe try volunteering at the school yourself to see what's what! How did she insult myshelly by simply expressing that it seems off for someone who homeschools and therefore I would imagine far more involved in their kids' schooling calling someone a helicopter parent for wanting to know some details about their child's high school events and such. Personally I find it pretty strange as well. I get so sick of everyone throwing out the "helicopter mom" label every time someone is involved in their kids' life in a way that maybe they wouldn't be. It's getting old. OP, I think a lot of your questions and concerns about your kid's high school are understandable and legitimate. Guess that makes me a helicopter mom too! I regularly check my dd's high school's website and the grading system. She's very independent and is responsible but as her parent, I like to know what's going on and provide guidance, suggestions, or whatever as needed. My parents didn't do that for me--just kind of left me to my own devices--and I think that was a mistake. Finding out NHS requirements in particular seems a really reasonable thing for a parent to investigate. Whoever it was that said "If your dd needs you to contact the school a year before invitations are sent, she probably isn't NHS material." that just sounds so catty and ridiculous. Don't we want our kids to strive for the best and to achieve honors, good grades, whatever they can in high school, especially as it may impact college? I absolutely checked our school's website for NHS requirement and asked my dd if she was planning on pursuing. We looked at the requirements together. For our school they are: I would be irritated too if that information wasn't on our website. And they *suggest* that students start working on it earlier.
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Post by karen on May 23, 2016 22:56:36 GMT
The policy for NHS at your school should be published and available to the public. I can show you where it says this in the constitution if you want to see it. The names of the committee should also be public. Voting is by majority, but criteria varies. The minimum cumulative average is an 85, but schools are allowed to raise it, but not lower it. I can't help you with prom or the other stuff. But I can help you with the rules of NHS. Thank you I thought I read somewhere on the NHS site that it was something that the rules should be available to the public so that is where all of this started. I should not have included anything else in my vent that distracted my original thought/topic but I hadn't had coffee yet so I was off and running. I will let DD take care of the rest of this - but thank you! Article IX, Section 4 A description of the selection procedure shall be published in an official school publication that is widely available in a timely fashion to all students and parents of the school. The selection procedure shall be determined by the Faculty Council and shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of NHS. Hope that helps.
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Post by Linda on May 23, 2016 23:01:18 GMT
DD is a sophomore and my son graduated from the same high school. Graduation and baccalaureate dates are on the school calendar - as is homecoming (once the football schedule is released). I have no idea when prom is - not even a general idea. Neither of my children have ever attended so I haven't needed to. The JROTC military ball - my children shared that date with me when it was announced each year. They know to share dates with me so I can add to the family calender - otherwise DH might not be available to drive them (DD has a learners, DS didn't get his license until after he graduated)
NHS? my daughter was inducted this month - she got a invitation from the school and had to RSVP, she then told us when the induction date was so we could attend. No application required - in fact, when I was in high school, some eons ago, there wasn't an application either (different school, different state). NHS has minimum requirements but individual chapters (schools) can set higher ones - I have no idea what our high school requirements are.
High school isn't elementary school - the school's aren't communicating with the parents for the most part, they are communicating with the students who are adults or soon will be (high school is usually 14-18-ish, right?) and who are (or should be) learning responsibility before they graduate and are into the work force or off to University.
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Post by k8smom on May 23, 2016 23:01:46 GMT
Your dd's school sounds very unorganized, here is a link I found. Our local high school is small, so maybe that's the difference, but parents are notified of the Homecoming court before the nominees and are invited to attend the assembly. Each class picks their nominees for Homecoming / Prom, etc. and then they vote as a class. Each school usually has a teacher who is the Yearbook Advisor, and students sign up to take "Yearbook." They put out calls for pictures, take candids around school, and organize all of the ads and items for each year's yearbook. National Honor Society is a little different in that a teacher / advisor nominates a qualifying student and the student then applies for membership. It was a "big deal" at our high school and they would come "kidnap" each student out of their existing class and take them to a special induction ceremony for those accepted. Also, if a student doesn't get in one year they can try again the next year. Membership is awarded not only for scholastic ability but also for leadership, service, etc.
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Post by refugeepea on May 23, 2016 23:20:11 GMT
I'm surprised by the Homecoming and Prom court comments. In high school, they were announced a couple of days before the Homecoming game and they paraded out onto the football field at halftime. No on knew the Prom royalty until the night of the dance. A picture was taken and put in the local paper. That's how you knew!
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Post by crimsoncat05 on May 23, 2016 23:28:32 GMT
--we found out ahead of time for those courts; the entire Homecoming court rode on a float in the Pumpkin Festival parade, which was a weekend-long festival held around the same time as the Homecoming game. Before Homecoming week every class (Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors) decorated a hallway in the school that went with the Homecoming theme, and I think there was voting on those to determine which one was best.
For Prom, I think we (the Junior classmates) voted on the Prom court a month or two before prom, maybe (it was something like 4-5 girls and 4-5 boys) and then voted for the King / Queen closer to the dance?? Our Prom was a dinner and dance put on by the Junior class and the Junior class students were the ones on the court. The Senior class attended prom as 'guests' but prom was always planned and put on by the Juniors. no other students could attend unless they were with someone from either the Junior or Senior class.
-- I don't remember a thing about NHS other than finding out that I was nominated, or whatever you want to call it, and we got our medals (or keys, emblems, whatever you want to call them) at the Fall awards ceremony.
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Post by kristi on May 24, 2016 0:56:54 GMT
Those topics are not easily found on our school website.
Homecoming, prom & dances are organized by student government. As well as royalty & nominations.
My daughter is in NHS. I'm not sure she had the information until when school started. You submit an application (includes areas for volunteering, leadership & grades). She then went in front of a panel for her interview. They meet 1-2 hrs per week & do some school & community events.
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Post by 950nancy on May 24, 2016 1:13:19 GMT
Let me just say that I am so happy that I never heard of this Grand March thing until 2Peas. Never went to a school that had one, schools here don't have them, never heard of it. Having to submit to my mom taking pictures at our house was enough parental time for me. Hahahaha! My son and his girlfriend always had me take pictures of Homecoming and Prom somewhere cool in town. Never took them at our house. I have hundreds of great event pictures. Senior year his girlfriend asked me to go to the Prom setting to take pictures of all of the gang. I went for a bit, took some fun pictures, saw all the pretty girls and left quickly. I am so thankful that both of them like getting their picture taken, but I am with you when it came to having my own pictures taken with my dates. Ugh. So embarrassing. OP, I think many school budgets are completely lacking and having up-to-date information on many school events is not as common as you would expect. I don't see it as secrecy as much as not a priority. I also think that high schools just expect that students will let parents know what they probably hear daily on the announcements. Sadly, high school kids are probably worse than elementary school kids at getting the info back to the parents. My son's school had a FB page that was more current than the school website.
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Post by christine58 on May 24, 2016 1:19:39 GMT
Carry on, please, for the love of god, I'm not having to know things that don't concern me until next year, (it won't be there next year either) I just thought it was frustrating that the the age of media that our school is so awful in communication on a website. They might not have someone that updates that info.
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ellen
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,533
Jun 30, 2014 12:52:45 GMT
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Post by ellen on May 24, 2016 1:27:06 GMT
I think my daughter's high school used "need to know" communication. When you needed to know then you found out. As far as things like NHS, my daughter brought home a packet one day and she filled it out and returned it. I know they don't have things like the qualifications listed on the school website, but I don't think it's hard to find out who is in charge of NHS and then send them an email. As far as prom stuff goes, my daughter found out the information at school when the prom committee let them know at school. There was no need for parents to know all the details. Kids often just need to talk to their parents. On big things like conferences, graduation information, etc we got mailings or the mass calling from the school.
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Post by freecharlie on May 24, 2016 1:34:55 GMT
it was the information about prom so if as a parent you want to attend grand march and take pictures you won't be an uninformed person knowing what time it starts. What the hell is a grand march? Parents are not allowed at prom here. I teach high school. Everything you are asking about is probably covered in announcements during the school day. There are probably posters up in the hall for at least a week in front of the event. Your child has probably been given the information and either didn't pay attention or didn't pass that information on to you. While we have the venue for prom next year, because we have to reserve a year in advance, and quite frankly I have way more going on right now than talking to a parent about next year's prom. The junior advisors and the juniors plan prom. There is no need for parental input. Yearbook is a class in my high school. The students take the pictures. There is no need for a parent to send any in. Parents of those in the class have the info on the class. Others don't really need it. The counselor doesn't know everything in the building. They probably do not know all the ins and outs of NHS. It is silly to think they know everything. I think you'll have a better time the next two years if your dd comes home and tells you the goings on.
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Post by freecharlie on May 24, 2016 1:49:04 GMT
At our school you DO have to submit senior pictures from your photographer. They do have rules we have to follow as well. We were sent a letter well in advance. True. In fact, the email to the juniors (next year's seniors) went out today. The pictures are due by October 14th. Next fall there will be a couple more emails, announcements, and their advisors will remind them a couple of times. Then if they haven't turned them in, they will get called to the office at least once. Parents may or may not be emailed, but I know the students themselves are.
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Post by Belia on May 24, 2016 3:42:38 GMT
I'm a high school counselor. I have NO CLUE how inductions into NHS work.
NHS is a club in my school, therefore, they have a faculty member as a sponsor. That sponsor is the person who takes care of the details for who gets in and how it happens. That sponsor is also responsible for updating their little corner of the school webpage. Not me. Sponsors change periodically, too, and when the sponsors change, the processes usually change too. There is no way I could possibly keep up with all that.
If you called me with this question, I would refer you to the NHS sponsor. If I knew the NHS sponsor was out on an extended leave (which, to be honest, I'm not always even told if staff members go on leave!) I would refer you to our Athletics and Activities Director. Who would probably give you a polite brush off and tell you politely to slow your roll and wait until fall when you daughter gets her letter... or not.
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Post by bigbundt on May 24, 2016 12:12:47 GMT
I agree with all of the previous posters who point out that websites are only as good as the people updating them. I run my company's website and I'm constantly asking for stuff to round out the website and asking people to look at their sections to make sure it is updated and stuff still gets left off. People silo themselves in their areas and don't realize that other people don't know what they don't know. In our district all the school websites are run by the district and are very similar to each other in the formatting and general information. I can't imagine what a massive hassle it would be to get anything added or changed on the website to have to send it to a centralized location. As a result most of the info is very general and non-specific. But I realize that if I want to change anything, I will probably need to volunteer and with a new baby it just wasn't in the cards this year.
Plus people get their information from many different sources these days. Again at my company we do email blasts, website updates, social media across the board, mailings, on hold messages, etc and we *still* get people who claim we never told them XYZ. Frustrating.
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Post by bigbundt on May 24, 2016 12:18:53 GMT
And adding, parents weren't involved in homecoming or prom court business in my high school. The dates of these events are published but unless the grand march is organized by the school, I don't know that it would have been included. Wasn't there a pea here who was trying to organize a grand march and it wasn't sponsored by the school but it was somehow intertwined? I could see where the time and date wouldn't be included on the official school website in that instance.
In my day parents didn't submit photos unless it was for the ads in the back of the yearbook. NHS was by invitation only, I don't remember anybody proactively doing anything to ensure inclusion. We just got letters one day.
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DEX
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,357
Aug 9, 2014 23:13:22 GMT
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Post by DEX on May 24, 2016 14:29:27 GMT
I get what OP is trying to do. She is a "planner". My DIL is one also. It is the way she is wired. Not weird. I think that now that OP has learned how other schools do things she probably has a better understanding of the process. Remember OP's daughter is only a sophomore. Not much happens in HS with regard to proms, dances and NHS until you are a JR. Meh. Cut her some slack. No need for Mommy War III.
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Post by jackie on May 24, 2016 14:51:34 GMT
I think DEX nailed it one the head. I'm a planner too and I think that's why I could relate so much.
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anniebeth24
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,588
Jun 26, 2014 14:12:17 GMT
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Post by anniebeth24 on May 24, 2016 17:56:12 GMT
DS needed to submit signed proof of his volunteer work with his NHS application. He had to go back and ask for several of the signatures after the fact when he found out that the NHS app required it. It was a bit of a pain to track some of the people down.
Just an FYI for kids doing volunteer work - bring along a piece of paper and ask someone to sign it. You might need it for something.
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