On the Faranda domestic front

My oldest son, Joe, is in the eighth grade, so we are looking around at Catholic high schools. The way it works, you take a test (in New York it’s called the TACHS), and the results are sent to three high schools you choose, along with your grammar school transcript. They then send out letters of acceptance or rejection around January 19th.

Although you wouldn’t know it from his grades – he’s never made the honor roll in a single marking period in junior high – he must be pretty sharp. He reads A LOT, takes advanced placement math, and always seems to do well on these types of tests. His percentile rank in reading was the highest possible – 99 – and in math 97. (By the way, this settles the Nature v. Nuture debate forever. It’s Nature!)

So he’s been accepted at Kennedy in Somers, Stepinac in White Plains, and Fordham Prep in the Bronx. Stepinac has told him he’s in the honors program, and he was invited back to Fordham Prep to take their scholarship exam.

Tomorrow he is going to have a day at Stepinac – he’ll probably go to classes with a freshman, to get the feel of the place. I have a slight bias toward Stepinac – I went there – but the problem is the commute. He’d have to take public busing, with a change in White Plains, or we’d have to do a car pool with other students from our area. The bus ride would take about 70 minutes.

Kennedy is the closest, and we qualify for school busing (we are just within the 15 mile range). It’s also coed, unlike the other two schools.

Fordham Prep would require a train trip of about an hour (with one switch of trains) and it is also the most expensive. Right now it seems to be the “hot” school to go to from our Croton area. The commute is probably less troublesome to Fordham then to Stepinac, since it’s a lot easier to read or study (or sleep) on a train then a bus.

In a way, Kennedy may be too easy for him – easy bus ride, girls, etc. And either Stepinac or Fordham Prep is likely to push him harder then at Kennedy.

Here’s Joe in a typical pose:

Meanwhile Tim is also motoring along quite well at school, after a slow starting first marking period. He ace’d four of his mid-term exams (but I’ll be kind and not mention his social studies grade) including 90 in math. And we spoke to Mrs. Matra, his teacher, at a school open house this past Sunday. She was quite pleased with his excellent improvement.

So Hurrah, Joe and Tim!!