Release the white smoke – Hayley finally picked a HS.
In the end while she had a great year at Kestrel, she couldn’t turn down the spot at the STEM charter HS in RTP, Research Triangle HS. Getting a slot there was hard and they only take kids as 9th graders. Needless to say, Jeff and I are THRILLED as this was our first pick all along. Go Raptors!
It’s the same team that founded Raleigh Charter HS, one of the best HS in the country. It’s a STEM focus, which means Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. With her science fair wins and love of animals, it seemed like something with a great science curriculum, especially a hands-on one was really important. 100 kids a grade, flipped learning – so your homework is more about watching the lessons the teachers record for the class and then your in-classwork is more focused on labs, applying what you’ve learned and collaborative projects. No textbooks, everyone has laptops – check out their presentation from their Open House. They play most HS level sports except football and are even joining the NCHSAA in the fall.
I’m catching up on photos slowly but surely! As some of you know, I don’t like being in photos but the fabulous photographer Graham Morrison came up from Charlotte so I couldn’t resist.
Hayley and her friend Kiah went to the Justin Bieber concert in Greensboro. My dad got her tickets for Christmas. It was funny, my first concerts without parents were at that same Greensboro Coliseum (Prince on the Purple Rain tour, Police on the Synchronicity tour). My dad sat out there waiting and this time, I did the same – he even waited with me. I just had no urge to see that show – Bieber is fun but the hours of screaming for him, Cody Simpson and Carly Rae Jepsen (aka Call Me Maybe) were too much for me to contemplate.
They had great seats – lower level 10th row from the floor
Girls there.
View from their seats (they didn’t take this)
I love these videos because you can hear screaming like a crazy person, lol.
We had low-key New Years but we always do. Between the holiday and football, it’s definitely a time to relax and enjoy friends. This year we had a murder mystery at the house for Hayley and her friends who were sleeping over again this year. We’d never done one of those murder mystery kits, thank goodness for a patient group of teens and some goofy adults – oh and a box of silly stuff to wear especially mustaches. But everyone was a good sport and it was a fun way to pass a lot of the evening.
We had a great holiday. As always we had a full house with both our families here on Christmas day. I know so many people who have to pick but we are lucky to have my bunch here and Jeff’s crew willing to come down for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s just so easy to have everyone together.
As usual we did our Gingerbread Demolition Derby on Christmas afternoon – year 8!
In the end while she had a great year at Kestrel, she couldn’t turn down the spot at the STEM charter HS in RTP, Research Triangle HS. Getting a slot there was hard and they only take kids as 9th graders. Needless to say, Jeff and I are THRILLED as this was our first pick all along. Go Raptors!
