Lend A Hand

[Reyn]

As writers, we often find ourselves writing about an area that we really don't know much about. Whether that is due to our lack of experience in that area, our lack of knowledge on the subject matter, or a completely different reason, sometimes we just need some help from someone more learned than us.

Most often than not (and with the advent of Google and Wikipedia) we turn to the net to find answers to our questions. However, sometimes this information is inadequate, incomplete or doesn't provide us with the specific knowledge we need. And sometimes it's just plain wrong.

This thread provides writers with the opportunity to ask questions to fellow board members about subjects they, as a writer, have little knowledge about. These questions may concern general knowlege, culture or country specific knowledge, tv show specific trivia knowledge or something else entirely.

Whatever the subject matter, this thread exists to help writers produce work that is as accurate as it can possibly be. By tapping into the eclectic knowledge base of our own forum members, we can ensure writers have the knowledge they need to create factually correct work.

So writers - ask away! And forum members - lend a hand to help our writers be the best they can factually be!

I'll start the ball rolling.

The American Education System

Not being American, I have a very limited understanding of the formal American Education System as well as its nuances and oddities. I was wondering if someone could help me with a few questions. Namely:

1) Do American High Schools have School Captains and if so, is that what they are called, or are they called something different?
2) Do they also have Drama Captains, Sports Captains, House Captains, Class Presidents and Head Cheerleaders? Are they their correct names?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Phoenixlighter]

I don't have all the answers, but this is because I'm not sure what some of your terms are translated from.

1) School Captains? I'll tell you right now, no. Unless it's of a team, but if you're talking about the Principal (Vice Principal), they can be known as the School President. I'm thinking you would know that, not meaning to insult you, it's more of me thinking that my response is too obvious that I may be off on what you're thinking about. But as far as I know, no one has ever gone by the title School Captain.

2) Yeah, we have Drama Instructors, Head of Drama Clubs, Team Captains (for Sports), Class Presidents and Head Cheerleaders As for House Captains, unless it's a boarding school (or college) I doubt they would have a student known as Head of House. I am aware that in colleges, there are some floating dorm leaders who check and maintain the orderly of their zone.

Hope it helps, though I'm sure 1 won't have done you much good, lol.

[Reyn]

Thanks for the response, Adam - it helps me a lot!

1) About the School Captain thing - I was meaning the student who is chosen by the rest of the student body to be the senior representative of the school's pupils, and the school, in the community. We call them School Captains here (which is a British thing) and the closest term I had found for a similar position in America was Student Body President. I was wanting to know if that is the correct term, or if it can be used interchangeably with what you mentioned: School President.

2) Regarding the Class President thing - can you have class presidents for each of the high school years? ie Freshman, Sophomore, Junior Class President? Also - with the Team Captains, Head Cheerleaders and Heads of Drama Clubs - are they usually filled by the 'popular' students? You know the type - the students whom everyone knows are the 'it' girls/guys? (ie the plastics in Mean Girls).

Thanks again for the help Adam - as you can see I need it.

[Phoenixlighter]

1) Yup, Student Body President is another useable term.

2) As for the Class Presidents, there's generally just one student of Senior Year who is an overseer for the student body. Some schools have clubs where some of the smarter and extremely behaved and responsible and blah blah, students can take part in a Student Council and speak for their year.

And yes, the stereotype of popular girls being cheerleaders is true, but not always. They can be nice and fun to han g with.

No problemo. Good luck with writing.

[Reyn]

Thanks again Adam - I've altered my script to include your information. Now it's factually correct and the perfectionist in my can breathe easy. Yay

[Nerf]

Here's a question for anyone that knows anything about babies.

On average, when does a kid stop wearing diapers. I'm writing an episode of my S9 and Chris would have turned two near the end of S8. So would he still be wearing diapers? I do remember that Wyatt went to the bathroom on his own in "The Last Temptation of Christy" and he had just turned three a few episodes before. So he must have been potty trained at some point before that. Just wondering if anyone has an idea of the average time when that happens for a kid.

Another question just popped into my head, again about kids. When does a kid usually start walking? I don't remember really ever seeing Chris walking, or even standing that much on the show. Wyatt had begun to stand on his own in early S7 and he was certainly walking by the end of that season and on into S8. So yeah, anyone got an average time for that one, too?

[Phoenixlighter]

This makes me so embarrassed of Peter in my fic, because I have this kid who should've apparently been a Baby Genius with how well he speaks. It's a series flaw, to say the least, lol, but I've been babysitting for years and had recently just come off a more long term job of the same regard. Kids vary with diapers and walking, but my little cousin just turned one last November and he can even run now. He's been walking since about December, but his speed and balance has strengthened since then. Now with diapers, he still wears them. (I should know - not fun at all to change him.) He might be wearing them for another year I would say - though might I suggest something? Leo was M.I.A for the majority of Season 8 and you can have Chris being potty trained now that Leo is back because since he was absent, Piper never got around to it because she was positive she would get her man back and would allow him to have that same time that he had with Wyatt (as you can make up as well). If you choose to go another way, I don't think it'd be farfetched to have Chris recently done with diapers. Hope that helps.

[Reyn]

From what I've seen of friends' children, babies generally start walking around about 12 months (sometimes earlier or later depending on the child) and they should be out of diapers by 2 (definitely by 2, actually). However all children are individuals and the milestones can vary.

[Nerf]

Hmm... Well Leo isn't back by that time in episode four... and Chris turned two just recently. So I might have him be in diapers for now and then Leo can deal with him since he gets back

SPOILER: Click to show

at the end of that episode, as I think you two know.

And walking by one year old? Wow. I wonder how long it took me... heck, I can barely walk a straight line now.

Thanks for the help.

[Lexi]

I have a little question, back on the American school system actually. How does it work, like over here in Britain, some cities have a First, Middle and then High School and others have Primary and Secondary School. So what is it for you and at what ages do children generally move onto the next school.

I get high school is four years (right?) but I have a character who's 10 and I just wondered where abouts in her schooling she would be.

Also, just still on a similar topic, what's the different between College and Universities for you? Our Colleges are for 16-18 years olds if their high school doesn't offer a 'post-16' choice, but I keep hearing about college choices when students are hitting 18. I just want to make sure that I get everything right before I carry on writing.

Thanks in advance, Lexi

[Phoenixlighter]

I'm going to break it down nice and simple for you:

Pre-K: 3, 4.
Elementary School: Starting from Kindergarden (At Age 5) until Grade 5, sometimes Grade 6.
Middle School: Sometimes considered starting at Grade 6 (At Age 12) until Grade 8 (At Age 14).
High School: Grade 9 (Should be turning 15 this grade) until Grade 12 where you conclude High School (as an 18 yr old).
College: Years vary, depend on what courses you're taking, but colleges offer two-year courses where most are generally a four year sitting. If you're going for additional degrees, such as psychological or doctoral, you can add a couple more years there.

So yeah, we don't start college unless we're super geniuses who concluded High School early. Hope this helps.

[Lexi]

Definitely helps, thank you very much.

Just another question, I keep hearing things mentioned on TV about Junior High School. Is this competely wrong or is this the same as middle school? Sorry, I'm a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to writing and I have to have the right image of everything in my head.

Thanks for breaking it down though, that definitely helped loads.

[Dark Witch.]

Junior High is considered Middle School. They say Junior High as a way to say it is preHigh School. Hope that helps!

[Harrison]

Junior High is the older and more classier name for middle school.

People would've said Junior High probably more around the 70's to early 90's.

But yes, middle school and Junior High are one in the same.

[Lexi]

Ah right, thank you very much to both of you. That clears a lot up now

[Deleted]

Apr 19, 2009 18:02:32 GMT Harrison said:

Junior High is the older and more classier name for middle school.

People would've said Junior High probably more around the 70's to early 90's.

But yes, middle school and Junior High are one in the same.

Well, not quite, at least not here in Minnesota. When I was in school (1958-1971), Elementary went from Grade 1-6, Junior High went from Grade 7-9 and Senior High went from Grade 10-12.

Nowaday, according to my nieces and nephews, Elementary goes from Grade 1-4, Middle School goes from Grade 5-8 and High School goes from Grade 9-12.

According to my dad, when he was in school (1936-1949), there was no such thing as junior high; Elementary went from 1-8, then High School went from 9-10, with Grade 9 being called Freshman, something we didn't have when I went to school but that they do have now.

I'm not really sure when all the changes were made, so I'm not really sure which ones would fit The Charmed Ones when they were in school, and I definitely don't know how it worked in California.

How do they do it in the rest of the United States?

[Nerf]

Apr 19, 2009 20:29:28 GMT @esmeralda said:

Well, not quite, at least not here in Minnesota. When I was in school (1958-1971), Elementary went from Grade 1-6, Junior High went from Grade 7-9 and Senior High went from Grade 10-12.

I live in Minnesota, too, and that's how was for me going through school. And, as far as I know, with only being out for a few years, that's how it still is around here. And we always called it "junior high" and never "middle school." I think both are still the norm. It just matters where you live. If I had stayed in the town I lived before, which is still in Minnesota, I would have ended elementary with 5th grade and started 6th at what was called middle school there. So yeah, it really depends on where you live.

[Dom]

I feel like 'Junior High' is more northern thing, but I could be mistaken.
I'm in Southern Texas, and elementary school is 1-5, Middle School (as we call it) is 6-8, and High School is 9-12. Then college and whatnot.

[LadyDisdain - Liane]

I have a couple of questions about the American education system as well, as I'm from England. I'm writing a fanfiction that is centred around a school pretty much, so I want to be clear.

1. Until what year/grade is physical education (sport) compulsary? And how often is it (once a week for a hour, twice a week?)

2. How are school days structured? In my school, we have 6 50-minuted sessions and sometimes they're put together to make a "double session". We finish at 3pm.

3. What ages are the people in high school?

4. When are exams taken and what are they? (we have GCSEs in year 11 which is 15-16 year olds, and you have them for all the core subjects of science, english and maths, as well as an additional 2/3 chosen by you)

5. Whats the dress code? Most British schools have a uniform, but mine doesnt and we're allowed to wear pretty much anything (i would say "within reason", but its really not. Its anyhting).


EDIT: I've just noticed some of those have been answers. So either ignore them or you can provide more detail ;D

[Reyn]

I'd just like to say - figuring out the Warren witch line and what was and wasn't established in season 1 is a pain in the neck.

The charmed wiki helps, but they don't reference, so I have no idea where all their information comes from, and when it was established.

Also - Pardon my past is weird. Past Piper (who was the warren witch) was married to Past Dan and Past Leo was her lover. Which means that when Present Piper was dating Dan she was getting it on with the soul of her great grandfather. And she ended up being married to and having babies with the soul of her great grandmother's lover. Ick.