Repeat a grade in Middle school? (Wharton, Jasper: rent, college, live)

[keribeth818]

Unless this choice is driven by your daughter, then I think the time to hold back has passed. According to her teachers she is doing fine academically, and you did not talk about any social issues. But you want to hold her back to game the GPA system?

What is your end goal here? Top 7%? You are just getting a taste for the tremendous amount of pressure that exists in this PISD feeder. There's another 5.5 years to go and it only intensifies from here. You have to decide if you are going to let that external pressure change the path you laid out for your child.

Consider the message you are sending her. She is not, or cannot, meet your (arguably unrealistic) expectations, so you are lowering the bar for her. Grit is not an inherent trait, it is developed from the experience of struggle and perseverance. If you believe in her, give her the gift of your confidence.

[WorldKlas]

As a grandmother of a girl who is a physically and emotionaly immature 13 year old, I recommend you do place her in another setting for at least a year with kids her agein a lower grade. Although my gkid is the correct age for her grade she still enjoys doing things much younger kids do for fun. The social consequences are devastating for her and her parents work very hard with her to manage her self acceptance of herself. You have a much easier situation. Find an alternate school and place her in a lower grade.

[uk2here]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Public schools don’t let a perfectly good student repeat one year. Age issues are only considered at the time of admission or if student is struggling to meet basic standards. It’s a matter of policy and extra expense as well. Private schools don’t mind receiving another year of extra tuition. You’ll have to take one year in a private school or take a gap year and get tutoring.

It sure is a disadvantage to be the youngest in grade school. Even if student is extraordinarily bright and academics aren’t an issue, they face social disadvantages and may not get leadership opportunities. It sure is a big disadvantage in sports.

Be warned, an interruption of life’s rhythm like this may or may not creat desired results. If you just want to give her one more year to be a kid and mature timely instead of prematurely hitting high school scene then it’s not a bad idea.

Thank you! Yes, hitting high school prematurely is a concern. But also the feeling that she could have achieved higher in academics if she was at her age level grade. Of course, GPA is not everything, but what if my child deserved better, but we snatched that chance from her?
Thanks for your inputs and time.

[uk2here]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I agree with you regarding their academic motives, but given it sounds like his daughter is approx aged 10.5 and in 7th grade (where everyone else is 12/13 and many of the other girls are going through puberty whereas his daughter probably won’t until late 9th grade), I would definitely find a way to hold her back (gap year, year in private school to repeat 7th, etc) to give her a chance socially and emotionally to catch up. I bet there is more going on behind the scenes than just academics - 7th grade tends to be the cruelest year for girls and OP’s daughter might be struggling with her friendships, self confidence, etc. It’s kind of a big deal to look and act like a 5th grader socially/emotionally while all your peers are morphing into young women overnight.

Thank you!

[uk2here]

Originally Posted by stan4

I don't think age will necessarily hold her back academically.
Our (PISD) valedictorian, our salutatorian, and I were the youngest in the class - all turning 17 the last semester of high school.

What does your kid think?
How is she handling things?
How is her maturity relative to her friends?

My daughter will be turning 15 in the last month of High School. Maturity wise, yes, she is young. But she has a good friend circle at school. She looks small as compared to her classmates. Academics, she is able to handle now. But am worried how it will be in High school. May be she deserves more than she can achieve? Not just that we want to push her in the race for GPA, but she should get what she deserves.

[uk2here]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Don't let the vitriol within some of these posts bother you.

Our daughter was relatively older for her grade not the oldest but certainly in the oldest 10 or 15%. Being older was good for her.

Our son and a boy ex of India were both 16 when they graduated high school - IIRC the other boy was two days younger than our boy. Most of the odd social occurrences are now a source of laughs. Both kids are killing it as young adults. Being young has been a great advantage for our son.

___________________

Nuts and bolts.

My best guess is unless your kiddo is demonstrably struggling PISD will not hold her back.

Going to a private school for a year and then back to public probably won't work either.
Around here transfering into a decent private for 7th is a long shot especially when the know it's a do-over year. And if the school finds out, which they will probably surmise, you are gaming them for a year they'll slam the door in your face.

Although I wouldn't attempt this - probably the best path in that direction would be to tell one of the lower tiered privates what you are trying to accomplish make it work financially and warehouse her there for a year. Then transfer back.

___________________

Assuming you haven't, although in reality you are probably way ahead of me, schedule a no interruptions meeting with your kiddo and see what she thinks.

Also keep in mind a good number of kids amble through K-12, stumble into brand-x college/university and day one, class one a light goes off and they hit their stride as never before.

__________________

It may be logistically impossible but Texas Tech offers a very well respected at home high school program. That might be worth a look but that would entail wholesale life changes for your kiddo.

__________________

IMO the best path forward is to offer so much support as you can but not change anything.

Thank you for your detailed response!

[uk2here]

Originally Posted by WorldKlas

As a grandmother of a girl who is a physically and emotionaly immature 13 year old, I recommend you do place her in another setting for at least a year with kids her agein a lower grade. Although my gkid is the correct age for her grade she still enjoys doing things much younger kids do for fun. The social consequences are devastating for her and her parents work very hard with her to manage her self acceptance of herself. You have a much easier situation. Find an alternate school and place her in a lower grade.

Thank you!

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by uk2here

My daughter will be turning 15 in the last month of High School. Maturity wise, yes, she is young. But she has a good friend circle at school. She looks small as compared to her classmates. Academics, she is able to handle now. But am worried how it will be in High school. May be she deserves more than she can achieve? Not just that we want to push her in the race for GPA, but she should get what she deserves.

Hold up....your daughter is a 9-year-old 7th grader? Am I reading that right???

[uk2here]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Hold up....your daughter is a 9-year-old 7th grader? Am I reading that right???

No, she is 11. In PISD, High School is Grade 9-10. So she will be 15 in the last month of High School; 10th Grade.

[Peter5457]

Originally Posted by uk2here

No, she is 11. In PISD, High School is Grade 9-10. So she will be 15 in the last month of High School; 10th Grade.

There are plenty of 17 year olds graduating 12th grade. You sent your daughter to the most competitive MS in the state. This happens all the time at Rice and Jasper because transplants always think Texas schools can't be that competitive. But these 2 schools probably produce more science and math award winners than any other schools in the state.

Fortunately, she has made good friends and it will make it easier to adjust to Jasper.

Except for the grade thing. That part, as a parent I think you know better than anyone now that you've been there the environment you're in. And Jasper has the best teachers but they also have the best students. And way too many of them. So the teachers will not give everyone A's even if everyone deserves it because that wouldn't be fair to the several incredibly gifted students there every year.