Assignment 11

Katie Anne has done well in all of her math and science classes, and now really finds 11th grade physics to be quite interesting. Katie Anne is going to submit a science project to a county-wide science fair in a couple of months. I took Katie Anne to visit friends who work in math/science-related fields at their place of work in an effort to help her get ideas about possible future professions. She might want to study engineering.
Katie Anne is in Honors English and History and is one of the strongest students. She loves to read. She has written some good pieces for the school literary magazine and is involved in the school newspaper. I enjoy talking about books with her and reading her stories.
She got a C in Spanish II (she switched into Spanish sophomore year), and C's in both English and American History.
She received A's in both Algebra II and Physics. Because of these grades, Katie Anne is eligible for AP Physics and Chemistry in 12th grade.
She received C's in her Fine Arts classes this year and complained that she had "two left thumbs" when it came to drawing or working with her hands. These skills have not been her strength since pre-school!
She received an A in her instrumental music class, and a rating of "pleasure to have in class."

Katie Anne's peer involvement has a positive effect on her social development and her school achievement. She had a break-up with her boyfriend and she has been distraught for the last two weeks. I've spent more time with her than usual, and try to listen well, to encourage her to open up about any feelings that she has. That has brought us closer. She also talks to her girlfriends constantly - that has helped her process! Katie Anne is occasionally moody, more often it seems from something that happened outside the home, rather than anything I did. Whenever this happens I say something sympathetic and remain available for conversation, but give Katie Anne her space.

Katie Anne came home from a party smelling of marijuana. When I asked about it, she looked evasive and stammered, "I - I didn't try it - one of my friends was smoking it outside the party." I told her "I trust you to tell the truth" (hoping this makes her feel really guilty if she actually tried drugs) and we discussed the dangers of drug use with her. Another time Katie Anne went out with some friends to a party on Friday night. Around midnight, she called me to come pick her up. On the way home, I smelled alcohol on Katie Anne's breath. The next day she had a real doozy of a headache. We discussed how alcohol can impair judgment. I was proud of her for calling when she needed help - although she was grounded for drinking. She's underage - there will be plenty of time for experiementing when she is legal. Katie Anne has been dating someone for 2 months now. We are worried because Katie Anne says that she's in love, and we're nervous that Katie Anne may be having sex. So we talk with Katie Anne and try to convince her that she should wait until she is married and more sure of her relationships to engage in sex. However, just in case, I talk to Katie Anne about safe sex, condoms, and birth control stressing that I don't condone them, but want her to be informed and make her own choices. Overall - I think we've done a good job parenting a teen! Her value set seems to correlate with ours.