A stressful week (for certain IHS students)

This week is the first week of IB testing. Like AB testing, IB exams give college credit, but from International High School. If a student does well on all six IB exams for their school and meets certain other requirements, they get the full IB diploma. Mid-year this year, D. decided not to go for that after all, since he doesn't want to do the second-year physics class. That's fine with me; I figured he could just do the two exams he signed up for this year and at least two for next year.

So this is the week. Each exam has two parts, on two days, and the exams are held on the other side of town. I spent much of the day figuring out their transportation plan... but then, this evening, we discovered that D. had forgotten he was signed up for the math exam. He figured that once the second half of the econ exam was done on Wednesday, he was done. Now he has to review the entire year of pre-calculus he did last year, if he can even find the necessary study materials.

I don't really care how well he does on it, although we did spend a bunch of money so he can take it. I do wish he'd keep track of things better, though!

Meanwhile, we went out to our neighborhood Italian restaurant, which was donating 30% of tonight's proceeds to the youth orchestras. It looked very successful from the fundraising standpoint, but not so great from the customer standpoint, as we had to wait almost 40 minutes for a table, then 10 minutes for a waiter, etc. My chicken piccata was delicious, though.

More auditions

Today I went to the second half of the strings auditions, and I had several great conversations - with the retiring director of the junior orchestra, who is always immensely amusing; with the director of the youth symphony, about Russian music; with one of the other volunteers, about urban growth boundaries and belly dancing; and with one of the parents, whose middle daughter is headed to Julliard next year. Admission to Julliard involves an in-person audition in front of 15 judges, which is a good test of poise if nothing else.

The last audition night will be Monday: brass, woodwinds, and percussion. D's turn!