Our SD did away with the summer parent orientation a few years ago and switched it to an evening before 8th grade ended. This year, they started a new program that brought the 8th graders up to spend a day at the HS meeting some teachers, getting a tour and having lunch. Babyboy enjoyed it.
Next week, they are having a morning breakfast where the kids can come up, see their classrooms and check out their lockers.
Unfortunately, babyboy's schedule is totally messed up. They gave him 2 history classes, gave him English and math teachers who are on a no go list and his foreign language teacher is so atrocious that I will make him switch languages if they don't put him in with the other teacher. The language teacher is a main reason why oldest boy was removed from the HS and made foreign language exempt at an alternative school. I didn't think she was still alive, let alone teaching, or I'd have put her on the no go list as well. The other language teacher failed difficult child in 10th grade, but difficult child earned it and I have no hard feelings toward that teacher. In fact, I think she's great. The flaming apex of babyboy's horrible schedule is that his guidance counselor is the same one who was in the elementary school when we had the worst of the problems with difficult child. I asked that he get a new gc as well. Babyboy took it well. He asked if he could drop math and take the 2 histories!
School starts September 9 so we have some time still.