Transitions: Middle School Blues...Stress?

Life Rewind

Stress? Who is stressed here? My teen has informed me that she is STRESSED!!This is the second time that I have heard her say that. Since my last post in September, I have been checking off the items on the To Do list for prospecting high school, and doing my best not to STRESS about it. So in my course to stay sane and not overwhelmed, I have manage to now have Anxiety! Preparing my teen for the next transition, has at times made me feel like I'm not up for this task. This is uncharted territory for me and my husband, for we both are products of the public school system. Whatever public school was in our neighborhood, was the school we attended. Yet in my case, my public school high school years was spent on a military base(s), in which I received a great education!

So rewinding back to my teen stating how STRESSED she is. The past few months has been a lot to deal with. She along with other classmates spent a few weekend hours (out of the 2 months) preparing for what we parents dubbed the Super Bowl of testing. The High School Placement Test is an entrance exam for eighth grade students wanting to attend a Catholic high school. This three hour entrance exam is like the SAT/ACT for 12th graders applying to colleges/universities. The "Blues Parents" (as I like to call us) came together to create a weekend study group for the teens. One fabulous set of parents stepped up to the plate by organizing the places and time for the study group sessions. They (the husband) even taught the study sessions and assigned homework. The teens took pretests and were taught strategies to use in the different parts of the test. Meanwhile we the "Blues Parents" were doing the very thing we shouldn't-STRESSING!

Now Press Forward

The High School Placement Test just came and went on November 30. 2016. The night before, the teen took more practice tests, and we made sure to send her to bed early. I placed my hand on her forehead (routine jester I adopted from my grandmother) and we prayed for God to continue to give her the knowledge, strength, peace, wisdom, and confidence to make it through the test. My fellow "Blues Parent" sent me an email she had received from a prospect school that was wishing our students well. The school offered encouragement, test day tips, willingness to answer questions, and prayers. The following prayer is a prayer for students before taking a test. It is offered from the Notre Dame prayer book for students called Day by Day: 

           "Lord, it seems as though our lives are one test after another, weighing us in somebody's balance. Save us from taking the coming test too seriously or too lightly, but grant that we may reflect the best of the word we've done and the best of the teaching we've received; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

I didn't realize until the next day. that I had received the same email from the school. Plus another prospect school on our list had also sent best wishes. So I thank my fellow "Blues Parent" for the forward, because I read it to my teen before she went to sleep. When asked how the test went, my teen stated, "It didn't go as bad as I thought!" Now we wait for the results, which we will receive in a couple of months. Now my focus for the next few weeks are high school applications and financial aid deadlines! Hence my Anxiety surfacing, but I am going to "breathe" and let God be in control! No STRESS and ANXIETY!! As usual, my Life Rewinds, but I continue to Now Press Forward.

For information on High School Placement Testing, check out the link www.studyguidezone.com/hspttest.htm

Kaisha
Blog copyright December 5, 2016
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