Comments on: Back in the swing of things

By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:21:13 +0000

Congratulations on the schedule, Jesse. I’m so glad we aren’t seeing a mess on the scale of last year.
(And I’m even more happy that my Spec Ed junior has had his inclusion teachers handling his schedule every year. He doesn’t have your ability to sort it out for himself.)

I really hope you’ll write about your impressions of Mr. Sye after you meet him. I’m very, very curious about him.

By: Jesse Dutton-Kenny

Jesse Dutton-Kenny — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:32:45 +0000

In case anyone was wondering, my schedule all worked out, Im much happier. And the senior class will be meeting Mr. Sye tomorrow.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:11:05 +0000

When I was in high school there was no such thing as being barred from the counseling office – unable to get an appointment maybe, then you’d leave the story with the secretary who would (I suppose) do the triage and make sure everybody’s deadlines were covered.

Is it possible for you to get needed classes elsewhere during your senior year? Merritt College? another OUSD High School? That presupposes that you are mobile – when I was in your situation everybody had cars or motorcycles and gas and insurance was no biggie. I did HS in the morning and UC Berkeley in the afternoon, and Summer School every summer. So did other classmates. And we all seemed to have jobs too.

And I can tell you that I don’t remember that year fondly – actually, it’s hard to remember it at all. I was always due somewhere else in what seemed like 60 minutes. The people I dealt with were all disparate – there was little connection between each world. Academically I had things under control but things moved very fast. Taking it easy Senior year and going away to a 4 year college would have been better, I think, but that’s water under the bridge.

I also took simultaneous classes at Merritt College during college elsewhere to pick up some easy A’s. And the funny thing, was I ran into some of the same East Bay students from HS Summer School and (later) law school there at Merritt doing the same thing. Good thing gas was cheap.

Anyway you probably pretty well know whatever it is that has to be done to get what you need. If the school throws up roadblocks you can get around get your parents on them. Every month closer to graduation and college starting the less important Skyline is going to be to your life.

You’re going to graduate and leave Skyline way behind. Eventually you’ll be one of us. Remember these conversations later when you catch yourself thinking like me (“…I am very much starting to feel this way…”) I once was probably like you. Scary, isn’t it?

By: Jesse Dutton-Kenny

Jesse Dutton-Kenny — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:07:10 +0000

We usually don’t agree on many things Nexset, but I am very much starting to feel this way. I want my classes taken care of because right now, I’m not taking the classes I need, especially not for the schools I’m applying to. Unfortunately today all students were barred from the counseling office and I made zero progress. But I’m still trying everyday for someone to realize that graduating seniors do need priority.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:35:54 +0000

You will have stress.

Your senior year is all about you and not about that school. You have to finish any graduation requirements, and select the colleges and complete the applications and testing for college admission. You will probably plan any senior summer travel and jobs – and create a budget for the summer and the upcoming school year. You will be possibly saying goodbye to a lot of people if you go away to college. Things will really change.

There is no profit in getting involved in much drama of school politics. That school was there when you were born and it will be there when your children are born. It will go on regardless of anything you do in the next 9 months.

Take care of number one. Small decisions and changes now will have the maximum effect on where your career goes after 12th grade. What about college tours? You will get offers and contacts from schools you may not have heard of or considered. Do you have time before you commit to go see one or two of the many new contenders that will fall into your line of sight?

I remember the people who put all their 12th grade energy into being class president and the life of the party in high school. I saw them at the reunions. You will do better working on your future rather than the present in 12th grade. Go for a reach.