The biggest hallway in our high school has 40-foot ceilings with flags from all the different countries represented by our student body. We call it "Main Street." Last night, we invited all the incoming freshmen to visit and get a taste for all the clubs, sports, and activities we offer.
My youngest is one of those incoming freshmen.
After a fifteen minute intro by the principal (that felt a little dry), the eighth graders were released (like the Kraken) onto Main Street. My wife and I walked with our eighth grader who was almost vibrating with excitement. His brother is one year ahead of him, and I work at the high school, so he's familiar with most of the activiites he can do next year.
But, he inherited my love of exploration. He's so excited to try everything from drama club to debate to cross country to recycling club. Heck, he might even try out the Taylor Swift Fan Club, who knows.
Making it even cooler, each club, sport, and department had high school students working their table. These kids view it as their job to recruit the new students to their activity, so the eighth graders feel a little like rock stars. Every table they pass has an older kid trying to give them some candy or a trinket or a least a flyer inviting them to join. It's actually pretty awesome for a middle schooler to be getting recruited by a senior.
My wife would probably say she's not ready to have two high schoolers, but I'm stoked to have my boys in the same building with me.
The only thing that worries me a little is that he's so excited to try everything that I'm nervous he might be a bit overwhelmed. We've tried to teach him that he has to choose how to invest his time, but his enthusiasm sometimes overshadows his discression. (I slowly raise my hand, admitting that I also struggle with this.)
He wants to take challenging class and is already thinking about how to make his schedule fit everything he wants to take as a junior and senior. I'm so glad I'm in the school because these choices seem to have increasing consequences. In fact, classes he took as a seventh grader are already impacting things he might want to do later. That seems a little bonkers, right? If I wasn't familiar with the school system and structure, it would be even more intimidating.
I want him to have a healthy involvement in clubs and activities. I want him to learn (and love learning). I want him to challenge himself and maybe even struggle sometimes. But, I worry that he might put too much pressure on himself. Forewarned is forearmed, though. Right? If we're aware of the obstacles and pitfalls, we'll do our best to help him thrive. It just feels like a lot sometimes.
My youngest is one of those incoming freshmen.
After a fifteen minute intro by the principal (that felt a little dry), the eighth graders were released (like the Kraken) onto Main Street. My wife and I walked with our eighth grader who was almost vibrating with excitement. His brother is one year ahead of him, and I work at the high school, so he's familiar with most of the activiites he can do next year.
But, he inherited my love of exploration. He's so excited to try everything from drama club to debate to cross country to recycling club. Heck, he might even try out the Taylor Swift Fan Club, who knows.
Making it even cooler, each club, sport, and department had high school students working their table. These kids view it as their job to recruit the new students to their activity, so the eighth graders feel a little like rock stars. Every table they pass has an older kid trying to give them some candy or a trinket or a least a flyer inviting them to join. It's actually pretty awesome for a middle schooler to be getting recruited by a senior.
My wife would probably say she's not ready to have two high schoolers, but I'm stoked to have my boys in the same building with me.
The only thing that worries me a little is that he's so excited to try everything that I'm nervous he might be a bit overwhelmed. We've tried to teach him that he has to choose how to invest his time, but his enthusiasm sometimes overshadows his discression. (I slowly raise my hand, admitting that I also struggle with this.)
He wants to take challenging class and is already thinking about how to make his schedule fit everything he wants to take as a junior and senior. I'm so glad I'm in the school because these choices seem to have increasing consequences. In fact, classes he took as a seventh grader are already impacting things he might want to do later. That seems a little bonkers, right? If I wasn't familiar with the school system and structure, it would be even more intimidating.
I want him to have a healthy involvement in clubs and activities. I want him to learn (and love learning). I want him to challenge himself and maybe even struggle sometimes. But, I worry that he might put too much pressure on himself. Forewarned is forearmed, though. Right? If we're aware of the obstacles and pitfalls, we'll do our best to help him thrive. It just feels like a lot sometimes.