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The kid is a Phenom!


oenophile
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Ryan, my 16 year old has done it once again. He will be entering the 11th grade this month with a 4.2 gpa on a 4.0 scale.(You get more qp's for ace-ing a Advanced Placement class)

This summer he was accepted into the gifted student program at Johns Hopkins University. He lived at JHU for five weeks and took college classes with college students and held to the same academic standards.

One of the classes he took was 18th and 19th Century European History taught by a professor who the regular JHU students said was VERY STINGY with the A's. Ryan received an A- and the prof told him that he would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for him to go to Johns Hopkins but would rather see him at Princeton where he could test out of the first two years. The prof also taught Russian Literature and gave Ryan a copy of Dostoyevsky's The Idiot.

We are still waiting on the grade from his freshman level Intro to Literature to arrive but are not too worried. His teacher in that class told him that he has a good ear for dialogue in his writing.

Everyday I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming that I sired such a smart kid.

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Everyday I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming that I sired such a smart kid.

It's our job.

There will still be plenty of challenges for you. Remind him of his roots and make sure that he understands that his abilities are a gift and that he needs to use them wisely.

I have a similarly gifted 18-year-old.

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quote:
Everyday I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming that I sired such a smart kid.

You shouldn't be! Fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, my friend. icon_biggrin.gif:D-->

Congratulations and thanks for bragging on here so we can be pleased, excited and proud with you!!

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Not all that glitters is gold:

Caution about any program education that your child is involved in: We need to remember that it's our choice, always.

When my most wonderful son Paul was classified as "gifted" I was really impressed, but when I examined and discussed with Paul his classroom experience and visited teacher and classroom, I became more and more disillusioned and then pretty Upset.

(This was God-daxxing California.)

At first I shrugged it off as "new experience," but then could not ignore the damage it was doing to his soul and spirit.

"creative writing" imagining Harry Potter stuff -- long before Harry Potter was written. this teacher was ahead of her time.

This 6th Grade teacher was teaching No discipline, let your mind wander. No structured reading writing and arithmetic. (6th grade is when these foundations need to be set in a child's mind.)

By the time I figured out what was going on (about 6 months she had him), I almost lost Paul.

When I went to school and pulled him out of the program, the teacher said that if I pulled Paul out, "He would never graduate from any school whatsoever." And she was almost right.

(Fred was not around at this time, me and the kids were on our own, and we were pretty much outcast by twi as well.)

It was only a miracle that Orlanda Lilly the twi US Marine Corps gentleman, after his tour with Operation Desert Storm was stationed in Sacramento in the Recruiting Office, and he worked with Paul so that Paul did graduate from high school (by the skin of his teeth) and went into and completed a 4-year tour in the Marines.

Kit

p.s. he is ok on track now.

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quote:
Originally posted by oenophile:

Oh, did I say he is one-half Hispanic.

Puerto Rico es la estrella del Caribe.

and...

one-half Tar Heel

Esse Quam Videri To be rather than to seem.

1/2 Hispanic, and 1/2 Tar Heel?? icon_eek.gif

If he has any height to him -- Look out NBA!! icon_biggrin.gif:D-->

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Thanks David!

Kit,

Thanks for your concern. I feel pretty good about Ryan's experiences in his AP classes as well as his experience at college this summer. (You see, my mom taught AP English and I actually had her for a teacher.)

I am sorry to hear about your experience with Paul and the kooky teacher. I think that goes to underscore that parents need to be involved in their children's education just as they would need to be in the loop about their kid's medical treatment.

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quote:
Thanks David!

Yer welcome!!! icon_smile.gif:)-->

It is a real treat to hear of kids like this that work hard, have the *smarts*, and achieve things --- instead of just hearing the *doom and gloom* reports about today's youth (that have been so prevelant), although I will admit that much of today's youth are not as focused as Ryan is.

Tell that son of yours to reach for the stars. I'm thinking he'll have a handful or two of them before he is finished! icon_cool.gif

David

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Kit

I had a similar experience with one of my girls. She was considered TAG in 2nd grade and there was all this hoopla then the teacher in charge of the TAG program announced that the parents of the TAG children would be the teachers since the district had cut funds for the program. They asked me to do a session but I refused. I told them it was a lawsuit waiting to happen, me alone in a portable classrom with 7 students. Me with no teaching certificate and not on the payroll so no insurance...the program never got off the ground.

This child is now a senior in high school and taking AP classes. She only needs 1.75 to graduate so she is taking all the AP classes she can since they are the first year classes offered at the community college. She pays $45 for the class instead of $300.

Congrats to Ryan. Keep up the good work!

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