Tonight was high school orientation for my daughter. Aside for making me feel old, it was interesting from a number of standpoints. The principal seems to be about as no-nonsense as her middle school principal (whose father was a Marine DI, so you can imagine how he runs things-hah!)
The guidance councilors were not nearly as touchy-feely as I would expect, which is also a plus. The school has a lot of extracurricular activities, including a large and active Junior ROTC program (bonus points!). However, emphasis is on the academic side, as it should be. They have a large number of Advanced Placement (AP) and honors courses, plus a cooperative program with the local community college where students can earn high school and college transfer credits.
Perhaps most noteworthy, however, was the prayer that began the program. Yes, I said a prayer, as in invoking the assistance of the Almighty. (I hope some ACLU dupe reads that and shits his pants.)
Have I mentioned lately that I like living in a small town?