My son (SS) left to return to boarding school on Sunday. He was home for 8 days over Thanksgiving and we had a great time.

Before he left we discussed his academic performance which is currently significantly improved over his performance the first two years of high school. He has been struggling with his advanced Alg class. He started after the first few weeks of this semester with a low F. We helped him set up plan to get extra help and to prioritize how he does his work so that he could work on getting his grade in Alg up.

We got his weekly grade report last Friday and he had a 67% (D) in Alg. A vast improvement over his low F start. The school he is at is a rigorous college prep program and is very challenging so a D is not a small accomplishment for a kid that has a history of barely passing or even failing classes due to a lack of effort. He is one of those kids that tests off of the charts on standardized tests but just wont do his homework or study for tests. At his previous school if he tried at all he made straight A's but he rarely would put in any effort at all so straight A's rarely happened.

Anyway, before he flew back to school to finish up the first semester we told him that he needs to put in three weeks of focused effort and pull his Alg grade (currently a D) up to a C so that he could get credit for the class for the semester before he flies home for Christmas break. The program only gives credit for C's and above. We asked him how he planned on making it happen. He outlined a well thought out plan on how to accomplish the goal of pulling his 67% up to a 70% or better in the remaining three weeks of the semester.

Well, I opened my e-mail this evening and his new progress report was in my inbox. Advanced Alg is now a ............... Drumroll .......................... 70.3% (C) in one week he accomplished his goal! I printed up the report and took it downstairs to my wife. She teared up and we both beamed about the incredible turnaround our son has made in the past three months.

We called him at school this evening. He answered and sounded busy with some Corps of Cadets activities. Being who I am I razed him about goofing off rather than working on getting his Alg grade up before Christmas.

Rags: "Quit goofing off and get focused on getting us a C in Advanced Alg before Christmas Break. You laid out the plan now quit goofing off and work the plan."

Quiet mumble from the Skid: "Yes Sir."

Rags: "Kid, we got your grades today".

Kid: "Yes Sir". (you can actually hear the pouting through the phone.)

Rags: You Promised us a C"

Kid: "I know but I am really working hard but I don't know if I have time to get the grade up to a C before Christmas"

Rags: "Well we just got your grades and you had better keep working hard because if you slack of ....... you will drop back down to a D"

Kid: "?????? Drop back down to a D?"

Rags: "Congratulations son, you did what you said you would do you now have a C"

Cheering in the background from my Wife and I. Yaaaaayyyyyyyyyy! Wooo Hooo! Go Kiiid, Go kiiid, Go kiiid! Cheer cheer cheer.

Kid: "Daaaaaaad, you just had to mess with me didn't ya?"

Rags: "Yep and I will keep messing with you because I am your Dad and that is what Dad's do. I am very proud of you son"

Kid: "Thanks dad I have never worked that hard before in my life. That C was a lot of work"

Rags: "I know son, I have seen how much work you have done and your teachers are very impressed with your work and improvements especially you Alg teacher. And keep that C up so we can have a great Christmas holiday together and not have to worry about the school lectures Ok. Now talk to your mother son she is siting here crying."

Kid: "Ok Dad, I will try. Hi Mom, are you crying again........................."

What a great conversation we had with that increasingly incredible young man.

Anyway, it was a great evening.

Best regards,