Not perfection but please, no mediocrity!

I was just helping Brianna with her English.  She is soooo behind.

Bri is a stubborn girl.  She is doing a "home-school" program through Insight Schools of Oregon but three days a week she attends an all day class at the school she attended for the past six years.   This "class" is actually a support group for the online academy she attends.  I'm not sure what happens in that school during the school days but it appears that Bri is failing most of her classes because she is so far behind--and there's like 5 days left for her to get her work made up.  She's going to be busy.  Bri has rarely asked us for help through the months of this first semester.  We had assumed she was up-to-date. But we all know what ass u me means.

I'm all for this online format.  Bri is an average student with lots of interests.  She's a typical, boy-crazy fourteen year old girl who we are desperately trying to get to focus on what is important to her NOW.  As a parent, I WANT her to succeed in school.  She's bright enough to get "B's" and "C's" at least.  She's already talking about going to college.   But what she wants is going to need discipline and stick-to-it-ness. She's frustrated and feeling the stress.  I've been there when I was in college. I was the "king of procrastination" in undergrad school--at least until I got my head out from where the sun doesn't shine. Frankly, I really feel for her.

We received a letter from the county school system early in the term telling us that she had to pass at least 50% of her courses.  Frankly, I'm a bit worried.  The English class alone is a whole bunch of writing--easy enough for me to look at and see how it could be done but I'm not sure she can.  I know she'll read this so let us hope it is a challenge. The online academy should work for her and the perks that come with it--a laptop, a printer, getting to sleep in a couple of days a week should be a great amount of motivation.  Fingers crossed.

Bri takes a class at the county high school--it's an agriculture class.  She seems to love that one.  She's enthusiastically helped out with some of the class projects.  She has joined the FFA (Future Farmers of America) which will give her lots of skills.  I pray she can transfer that motivation to the rest of her school work.

My wife and I have long said we don't want Bri to go to a public school--at least not full-time.  I taught at them and know what goes on...and how students get lost in the cracks.  The only two Christian high schools in this region are mega-expensive and miles and miles away.  WE had hoped that this online academy would be the answer.  I don't know now.  The local public high school is mediocre at best.  And the one thing Brianna isn't is mediocre (a walking hormone, yes, but not mediocre). 

This is going to be a busy week for Brianna.  I may have to get a horsewhip (only kidding) to help her to focus. My training is in the Language Arts and my love is science.  I can help as much as she needs.  But it's up to her.