Friday, December 05, 2008
I have been remiss...
and I beg your forgiveness (read on, maybe I can make it up to you).
As promised, here is the yarn:
Pagewood Farms Alyeska sock yarn. This stuff has cashmere in it. This will be a pair of socks for a boy!
Malabrigo Sock Yarn in Stonechat. This is going to be mine, I'm pretty sure.
I have been knitting and knitting and making little progress. Maybe if I could focus on one project... I really like this sock, and it flies off the needles. This is Chewy Spaghetti from The Loopy Ewe (of course - so is the Malabrigo Sock.)
This is a dual purpose photo. This yarn is Madelinetosh's latest yarn club shipment. This is gorgeous silk lace, and people. People? I do not knit lace. This is going to be a prize!!! Leave me a comment and when I get back from the Winona Hockey Tournament on Sunday, I will pick a random name and you may have this pretty silk yarn. (This may be the truest color photo I have ever taken of red yarn.) This may be what you call a stealth contest!
Also? Do you like my little bag box? I took that off of Valerie's hands last week. Val at Knitting in Pink. She's making up a whole bunch of really cute little bags and she's got a bunch for sale right now.
I gotta go pack the hockey bags, folks! I'll be back with photos and news and a winner next week!
ETA: So, I got this email today from the High School Principal regarding class rank:
and I beg your forgiveness (read on, maybe I can make it up to you).
As promised, here is the yarn:
Pagewood Farms Alyeska sock yarn. This stuff has cashmere in it. This will be a pair of socks for a boy!
Malabrigo Sock Yarn in Stonechat. This is going to be mine, I'm pretty sure.
I have been knitting and knitting and making little progress. Maybe if I could focus on one project... I really like this sock, and it flies off the needles. This is Chewy Spaghetti from The Loopy Ewe (of course - so is the Malabrigo Sock.)
This is a dual purpose photo. This yarn is Madelinetosh's latest yarn club shipment. This is gorgeous silk lace, and people. People? I do not knit lace. This is going to be a prize!!! Leave me a comment and when I get back from the Winona Hockey Tournament on Sunday, I will pick a random name and you may have this pretty silk yarn. (This may be the truest color photo I have ever taken of red yarn.) This may be what you call a stealth contest!Also? Do you like my little bag box? I took that off of Valerie's hands last week. Val at Knitting in Pink. She's making up a whole bunch of really cute little bags and she's got a bunch for sale right now.
I gotta go pack the hockey bags, folks! I'll be back with photos and news and a winner next week!
ETA: So, I got this email today from the High School Principal regarding class rank:
Class Rank
For the past several years we have heard from students and families, and from student responses on the Minnesota Student Survey, that our students experience a great deal of stress over their academic performance. One of the most common "stress scenarios" occurs when a student takes a rigorous program of studies, earns solid grades, and finds him/herself in a disappointing position of class rank. Students have found that tiny variations in GPA have profound effects on class rank. Using last year's senior class as an example, a student with a 3.89 GPA is not in the top 10% of the class. Given this situation, we would like to explore whether EPHS should stop reporting class rank on our transcripts. This is a move an increasing number of high schools are making across the country. In the past two years, Edina, Minnetonka, and Wayzata have stopped reporting class rank. We will be forming a task force to explore this question. I will be sending home more information on this, but I wanted to take advantage of our conference nights to give parents a chance to share impressions and ask questions about this idea. I will be staffing a table at conferences where parents can visit about class rank. I will be at this table from 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. on both conference nights. Feel free to stop by and visit with me about this topic.
// posted by Guinifer @ 10:15 AM 
Comments:
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First - I have to admit that class rank is not something we hear Gameboy worrying about AT ALL. In fact I'm sure he has no idea that such a measurement exists - school is not on his list of things to concern himself with. I'm sure that when ThePrincess gets to HS it will be a whole different story.
As someone who took advanced & AP classes in HS it drove me absolutely batcrap crazy that someone who took tons of fluffy classes and stayed in the easier general classes could be ranked higher than me when clearly I was a better more knowledgeable student. Doing away with class rank isn't a new concept but I think weighting courses would be a better idea. - Also colleges look at so much more than class rank, so if you are applying to a rigorous college that is difficult to get into they will look more closely at course work and hardly notice the class rankings.
Last night I nearly acquired some Pagewood Farms sock yarn - Double Ewe has it in a wild pink colorway & this really awesome orange/beige color that is fantastic!
Good luck on the ice this weekend - we are also all ice all weekend.
Verification: reesses - and I am suddenly craving a peanut butter cup.
As someone who took advanced & AP classes in HS it drove me absolutely batcrap crazy that someone who took tons of fluffy classes and stayed in the easier general classes could be ranked higher than me when clearly I was a better more knowledgeable student. Doing away with class rank isn't a new concept but I think weighting courses would be a better idea. - Also colleges look at so much more than class rank, so if you are applying to a rigorous college that is difficult to get into they will look more closely at course work and hardly notice the class rankings.
Last night I nearly acquired some Pagewood Farms sock yarn - Double Ewe has it in a wild pink colorway & this really awesome orange/beige color that is fantastic!
Good luck on the ice this weekend - we are also all ice all weekend.
Verification: reesses - and I am suddenly craving a peanut butter cup.
For what it's worth, I remember being very happy with my class rank. I was an above average student, but not an excellent student, and, as I recall, in the top 25% of my class. But that's probably OK someone who knows they aren't at the top. I can imagine the angst of being an excellent student, and not finding yourself in the top 10%. I'm guessing that colleges are already rewriting their formulas.
I don't know much about the class ranking thing since my kids are still pretty young. I really like all your new yarn. The red is truly gorgeous and I am sure someone will love it and give it a great home.
Class ranking is not something that is done in the Netherlands. I'm working in higher education and for some courses we only give 'sufficient' or 'unsufficient'. We think it is more imported that children learn something and try to find ways to get to know that they learn something than class ranking.
Besides, some pupils/students just seem to have to look in a book to know enough and get high results. Others work for days in a row.
I can imagine if a child has negative fear of failure classranking can easily cause an enormous stress.
Well, these are my two eurocents from the other side of the world - so different our worlds, but we all like you beautiful yarns and socks.
Besides, some pupils/students just seem to have to look in a book to know enough and get high results. Others work for days in a row.
I can imagine if a child has negative fear of failure classranking can easily cause an enormous stress.
Well, these are my two eurocents from the other side of the world - so different our worlds, but we all like you beautiful yarns and socks.
# posted by 
: 12/05/2008 2:27 PM
: 12/05/2008 2:27 PM
First of all, those yarns are gorgeous.
I know zippo about class ranking. If they did that in the dark days I went to school, I was oblivious. (I just wanted my B average to keep my phone in my room.) so I'm no help to you at all.
GO TEAM!
I know zippo about class ranking. If they did that in the dark days I went to school, I was oblivious. (I just wanted my B average to keep my phone in my room.) so I'm no help to you at all.
GO TEAM!
# posted by : 12/05/2008 3:40 PM
: 12/05/2008 3:40 PM
This old world is fraught with all types of pressure, disappointments and change. Attempting to shield our young people from it by eliminating class rank (or other stress factors) does not help prepare them for their future stress-filled lives.
Likewise, a high GPA doesn't necessarily insure that the student will be successful in life.
Likewise, a high GPA doesn't necessarily insure that the student will be successful in life.
I believe that Minnetonka is also weighting classes which I find the most helpful. I was in the upper quarter of my class (an honor student) and sat next to the kids who had work study in the afternoons while I toiled away in the pre-college classes. I think weighting classes is better and I would suggest that to EP.
.. I'm a little hesitant to chime in on the class rank issue since I usually lurk, but I'm also a higher ed administrator (not as impressive as it sounds) so thought I'd tender my opinion..
If class rank is unavailable, for most institutions, it won't hurt a student; they'll look at other factors. If it *is* available, and it's not within the bounds of what's considered "good" for that institution, it will never be the only measure considered - the rigor of courses taken, test scores, essays, other submitted materials, etc. If provided, class rank is one of many measures considered by college administrators, but no admissions decision is ever based on one measure of student performance or potential. Ever.
I could (but won't) go on about the research findings related to success in college (they're useful, but never, ever the whole picture.. ever. Ever, ever.), but in truth the thing that matters most in terms of success in college is the desire to be there. Much like anything else in this world. *shrug*
If class rank is unavailable, for most institutions, it won't hurt a student; they'll look at other factors. If it *is* available, and it's not within the bounds of what's considered "good" for that institution, it will never be the only measure considered - the rigor of courses taken, test scores, essays, other submitted materials, etc. If provided, class rank is one of many measures considered by college administrators, but no admissions decision is ever based on one measure of student performance or potential. Ever.
I could (but won't) go on about the research findings related to success in college (they're useful, but never, ever the whole picture.. ever. Ever, ever.), but in truth the thing that matters most in terms of success in college is the desire to be there. Much like anything else in this world. *shrug*
# posted by : 12/05/2008 5:52 PM
: 12/05/2008 5:52 PM
Huh, I have no clue what my class rank was - but I did have a rather untraditional education!
Mmm - that Stonechat is lovely! Heh, I think I'm in the same boat as you - I don't really knit lace, but I sure do have some pretty lace yarn...
Mmm - that Stonechat is lovely! Heh, I think I'm in the same boat as you - I don't really knit lace, but I sure do have some pretty lace yarn...
Yep, my husband works in higher ed and many of the admissions people he works with tell him that because of "grade inflation", they can't always tell if a student is the stellar candidate he/she presents. So they look at how hard coursework is and if the student shows a progression in grades. Also, if there is a steady involvement in enriching experiences like clubs, activities, work, etc. Not all first semester Senior Year! So, keep balanced and have your child be prepared to argue for their choices.
As for that grade inflation, thank those helicopter parents out there.
That lace yarn - sure must be nice to turn down laceweight!
As for that grade inflation, thank those helicopter parents out there.
That lace yarn - sure must be nice to turn down laceweight!
Hope the tourney goes well for Puck.
As a homeschooler, all my kids are the top ranking student in their class (giggle). I can't chime in on the ranking issue but weighting courses seems like the logical solution to me.
I love to knit lace. And I look fabulous in red. (wink) Oh, and I can pick it up and save you postage. (wink, wink)
As a homeschooler, all my kids are the top ranking student in their class (giggle). I can't chime in on the ranking issue but weighting courses seems like the logical solution to me.
I love to knit lace. And I look fabulous in red. (wink) Oh, and I can pick it up and save you postage. (wink, wink)
What sock pattern are you knitting there? It's very nice.
Love the lace yarn. I can't believe you're not into lace but I suppose that just leaves more lace yarn for the rest of us! ;-)
Love the lace yarn. I can't believe you're not into lace but I suppose that just leaves more lace yarn for the rest of us! ;-)
# posted by : 12/07/2008 3:18 PM
: 12/07/2008 3:18 PM
My boy is now a junior at a pretty decent college, so our experience is fairly fresh. He started at Northfield High School in 9th grade, then went to the brand new charter school in town, ARTech.
We were concerned because of the new school, which was planned to be 'gradeless'. However, with the commentary transcripts they provided, his SAT/ACTs, and his extracurricular participation, he was accepted to every school he applied to, and offered scholarships. He had no class rankings and I don't feel he suffered...
While class rankings are certainly something colleges use to evaluate potential students, they also have a number of other things with which to evaluate them.
Heck, to be honest, with the economy the way it is, I think most colleges will just be glad to have students applying at all! Even with scholarships and aid, it's still horrendously expensive.
We were concerned because of the new school, which was planned to be 'gradeless'. However, with the commentary transcripts they provided, his SAT/ACTs, and his extracurricular participation, he was accepted to every school he applied to, and offered scholarships. He had no class rankings and I don't feel he suffered...
While class rankings are certainly something colleges use to evaluate potential students, they also have a number of other things with which to evaluate them.
Heck, to be honest, with the economy the way it is, I think most colleges will just be glad to have students applying at all! Even with scholarships and aid, it's still horrendously expensive.
Ooh, gorgeous yarns. Do let me know how you like that Malabrigo sock. I haven't tried it yet. Love the lace yarn!
Yum Yum Yummy Yum Yum. All of it! Lovely lovely yarn!
And the class ranking thing . . . I didn't even know they did that.
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And the class ranking thing . . . I didn't even know they did that.
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