Class of 2024!!!

[RN2003AZ]

Oh wow… I seriously can’t believe I’m part of this conversation, I can’t figure out how we got here. At the time of this thread I had a 5 year old starting K and a 6 month old infant… those boys are now 17 and 12 and were college hunting, taking SATs, driving his own car and 6ft tall.

It seems like yesterday the kids were 5 and an infant and I was sending him off to K.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

How's everyone else holding up? We started school last week, so mine is already 2 weeks into senior year! I'm still shocked that she opted to not paint her parking spot, but this may just mean she's hoping for more $ in the budget for homecoming...which is the weekend of September 8th! The school sent us this massive list of dates and deadlines to remember that I really need to look at more closely and update my planner. Too much! At least the next thing on that list should be pretty stress free and low key...senior sunrise.

 

[Magical2017]

School starts Aug. 28th here. Senior pics are today, though.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

School starts Aug. 28th here. Senior pics are today, though.

I don't think we're doing ours until October, which feels late. Still trying to decide if we want to do the basic photo shoot or if we want to do something more elaborate.

 

[jackilvsmath]

School started Thursday. Her and a friend planned Senior Sunrise for Wednesday - so they were on the football field at 5:30 with some friends to watch the sunrise. Lots of fun pics. Senior pics were taken a couple weeks ago. We see them this coming Monday. Starting school didn’t get me but her first day of competition dance for the season did. It’s her 16th and last season.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

School started August 7th. She took an SAT prep class over over the summer and will be finishing up soon in September with her college essay class. We visit 5 colleges her Junior year and will visit another in October. She's been on the honor roll and in Beta Club for her HS years. Straight A's. Needs a lot of support, direction and guidance to get things done. HS guidance counselor(s) not very helpful. The place my daughter is taking SAT classes has helped more with information and guidance more in in a couple of months than her HS counselor in years.

 

[darnheather]

I'm class of 2024 for law school!

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Mom of a Senior here! He's my "baby" but my older son graduated in 2020 during the covid mess and elected to start working instead of doing online classes. His class missed out on prom, Grad Bash, and a lot of the senior things, so all of that will be new territory for us. My Senior started classes about 10 days ago, and had his first class at the local college today. All his other dual-enrolled classes have been at the high school, but he opted to take Calculus at the college. Besides his coursework, he's the first chair trumpet player in the marching band, and is part of the Drama program. He's planning to major in engineering at university. We visited his top choice university last week. Until recently, he's been planning to attend our local college to get his AA since he has a lot of dual-enrollment and AP credit, but his chosen branch of engineering is very specialized, so it'll probably be better for him to start next year as a freshman. He'll get better scholarships that way, too. He needs to bump his SAT score a few points to get to the next tier of merit awards at the university he wants to go, so he'll be studying a lot in the next couple of months before taking it again in Oct or Nov.

He's already asked for a Disney trip for our graduation celebration, but he's going overseas with his band to march in a parade later this year, so that might be the only trip he gets!

I've warned my husband that we're going to all the events - the out-of-town games, the competitions, everything. My late mom's voice rings in my head saying, "he'll never pass this way again."

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My daughter starts her senior year in a few weeks. How time flies. She is my youngest and some days I have to take a deep breath.

She started with big dreams of going out of state, to a big name university, but as time is getting closer she is wanting to stay closer to home. I also talked to her about money, debt, student loans, in state schools being cheaper, etc. I think that played a role in her deciding to stay closer. My son who graduated in 2022 also talked to her about not going into debt if she didn't have to. He went in state and didn't accumulate much debt. She takes her SATs again in October and will apply for the five colleges (three in state, one across the bridge in Delaware and her dream school) on her list at the end of October. She barely made it into that test class. They fill up very quick around here!

We are hoping for some early acceptance/decisions with some good merit scholarships. She is a good student, mostly AP classes, does some extracurriculars and has a few national recognition awards. We shall see.

She decided not to go on her senior class trip to Disney and instead wants to go to PR for a family trip and will bring a friend. I do want to do a mother/daughter trip with her before she goes to college and hopefully make it a Disney trip depending on prices.

Her senior pics are in November but that is because she decided to go with a private photographer last week and that was her next opening. It's still enough time to submit the picture for the yearbook. Had she gone with the school the pictures were last week and the package prices are crazy high for not many pictures. I'm glad she chose this photographer since it's a flat rate and you get the USB with all of the edited pictures. About half the school uses this photographer in town.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

We have to use the designated school photographer to have pics in the yearbook. They use 2 pics - the formal one with the jacket/bowtie for guys and the drape for the girls, and a casual shot. My son's were taken in early July. I ordered probably more than I needed, but oh well. I'll have a photographer friend take some casual shots outdoors when it cools down a bit, likely some with his trumpet and maybe with a sweatshirt of his top choice college to use later for announcing his decision if he gets in with enough $ to make it work.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We have to use the designated school photographer to have pics in the yearbook. They use 2 pics - the formal one with the jacket/bowtie for guys and the drape for the girls, and a casual shot. My son's were taken in early July. I ordered probably more than I needed, but oh well. I'll have a photographer friend take some casual shots outdoors when it cools down a bit, likely some with his trumpet and maybe with a sweatshirt of his top choice college to use later for announcing his decision if he gets in with enough $ to make it work.

My son did them with the school when he graduated in 2018. I spent way more than I should have also. Lol.

This photographer takes the formal pictures that are in most yearbook. Our school allows the kids to submit their own picture with guidelines. And this photographer knows the guidelines so it works well.

I really wanted her to take them with the school but it’s ending up coming out better this way.

Hmmm I’m wondering if she should take a sweater with her top pick school. That’s a good idea.

 

[Kimkimba]

My youngest was originally class of 2025 but she’s going to graduate early in 2024. We’re moving to Florida and she’s going to take a gap year.

 

[Monykalyn]

who has a current freshman who started high school in this completely wacky environment?

Yeah looking back- horrid nonsensical covid policies almost destroyed my kid. Thank GOD we had an aggressive governor and AG who put schools in their place and made them drop masks and offer full time seated by spring ‘21. Mine thrived in school environment and suffered depression and loneliness at home even though we had friends over as often as we could.

those boys are now 17 and 12 and were college hunting, taking SATs, driving his own car and 6ft tall.

Yes my son is also over 6 feet tall! He’s my baby! It’s so weird.

Starting school didn’t get me but her first day of competition dance for the season did.

Hugs! This will be our 12 th year of marching band season

he's the first chair trumpet player in the marching band, and is part of the Drama program

That’s an achievement! Good for him! Mine plays trombone and baritone.

He's already asked for a Disney trip for our graduation celebration, b

Lol that’s what our son wants! He hasn’t been since his sister did her first DCP in 2017 so lots of new stuff.

From experience I know the year will go so fast. Not sure I’m ready…

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

My youngest was originally class of 2025 but she’s going to graduate early in 2024. We’re moving to Florida and she’s going to take a gap year.

We live in Florida. We have some great colleges and universities here when she does start college.

 

[AlohaNow]

My son started school last week and they did Senior Sunrise. Last night was the first home football game. Today they took the class panoramic photo, had a senior class meeting, and he came home with the whole Jostens graduation packet. Here we go!

 

[Monykalyn]

We live in Florida. We have some great colleges and universities here when she does start college.

Yep! One is in aerospace engineering at UCF and another one is professor at university of Florida. And we live in Missouri lol

 

[TiggerTrigger]

The year feels like it's flying by, even though some things are going at a snail's pace.

- Senior yearbook photo is done. We hate the pic and retakes don't make the yearbook. So, we'll just have to add in some cap and gown pics when we do her senior pics. She doesn't want to do those until all of her decisions are in and she knows where she'll be going to college.
- Speaking of, more than 2/3 of her applications have been submitted. We decided to trim the list after she started getting acceptances. Several sources said to apply to 20-25 schools, but I just don't see the point when she's already got a number of choices. I guess that's a good "Problem" to have
- We're starting to look into ideas for her senior pics. I really don't get the ones that are ultra provocative, so we won't be going that route and we're not into the gritty urban settings. Currently thinking about a blend of outdoorsy nature settings and something quirkier like an edgy modern art museum or maybe even the zoo. We may even drive down to the beach and boardwalk during the winter. We also have this old bridge on the edge of our town and a gazebo spot that seem to be the obligatory locations for some of the pics.

Other than that, just trying to wrap my head around her being away from home at one of these schools by this time next year (and her remembering to set her alarm every day ). Well, that and trying to keep her from going too crazy with dorm room ideas at this point. I've already told her that decorations are one thing, but not to expect those expertly decorated rooms that make social media each year.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I really don't get the ones that are ultra provocative, so we won't be going that route

I went to an all boys school so please indulge me here, provocative senior photos? as in sexy? Are they showing off a lot skin or in a racy position? This is a thing? Who in the world would think that's a good idea for a high school girl's senior photos?

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I went to an all boys school so please indulge me here, provocative senior photos? as in sexy? Are they showing off a lot skin or in a racy position? This is a thing? Who in the world would think that's a good idea for a high school girl's senior photos?

A lot of skin, racy positions, setting like she's lying in bed, gown and clothes staged to look like they're coming off, and the facial expressions are on par with what you'd see in men's magazines and gentleman's club billboards. She's 18, so I think they can get away with it without any legal concerns, but why would you want this as your high school senior photo shoot? I understand wanting to be different, but that's not the right kind of different.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

@SandyinMonterey This is the thread. There's another one that was also started more recently with some of the application and college selection stuff, but this seems to be the older of the two. The newer is ...

Class of 2024 (and beyond) parents - any questions?​