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#31
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
"Vicki" wrote in message ...
Today we received a warning letter for truancy for our 2nd grader. The principal said she was concerned about dd's absences. I am not concerned about dd's absences--she is bright, she knows the material [she's missed five days this month, but received 100 on her test for materials covered.] I don't think the teacher is concerned. But the principal said dd is only allowed 5 excused absences per semester. I'm not happy about the possibility of legal sanctions for keeping dd home (she was sick this month, but I wouldn't hesitate to take her out of school for other things we feel are important.) Can they prosecute us for truancy when dd is top of her class? I don't see the harm to anyone in dd not going. And she *will* miss more school at Thanksgiving (important family time.) We had planned to talk at school conferences about keeping dd home one day per week, or bi-weekly, to enhance her education. But from what I've read about truancy laws tonight, this doesn't seem to be allowable. Has anyone done this or know if it is doable? dd does not want to homeschool full-time--she likes seeing her friends at school and we think this is good for her. We have discussed getting appropriate challenge in her classroom--the teacher has been helpful, but there is only so much she can do. We chose not to skip dd to the next grade as she is already the youngest in her class. Have others faced this truancy problem? How do you approach it? If this is a law (5 days/semester,) does the principal have much leeway in enforcing it? If not, then who do we talk with? The DA? Is it possible to homeschool part-time (the days dd misses) and avoid a truancy enforcement? Could we test out of second grade and attendance be optional? dh is calling the principal next week, and we will meet with dd's teacher in three weeks. I'd like to have a sense of our options before we go so we do what's right by dd and cause the least distress to her teacher and principal (who are quite nice.) Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Vicki I have faced truancy problems with my 7 year old, but due to medical problems. In our district the children are allowed 20 days per 180 year of school. Anything over that requires a doctors note. Just because your dd is so much smarter than all the rest of the kids and you have financial influences in the school, they still can't bend the rules. It is a fact that her teacher will have to spend extra time and effort with your child to get the missed work done, which will take time away from the children that need her guidance. Since you think school is such a waste of time for her then you should just home-school, and let her socialize after school hours. Brandy |
#32
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
"Brandy Kurtz" wrote in I have faced truancy problems with my 7 year old, but due to medical problems. In our district the children are allowed 20 days per 180 year of school. Anything over that requires a doctors note. Just because your dd is so much smarter than all the rest of the kids and you have financial influences in the school, they still can't bend the rules. It is a fact that her teacher will have to spend extra time and effort with your child to get the missed work done, which will take time away from the children that need her guidance. Since you think school is such a waste of time for her then you should just home-school, and let her socialize after school hours. Brandy wow... talk about putting words in someone else's mouth. I must have missed the post where the OP said all that. -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
#33
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
"H Schinske" wrote in message ... Sue ) wrote: Well imo, you are essentially telling your daughter that rules don't matter, school doesn't matter and that she can stay home at any whim. What is she going to do in the real adult world when she has a job? Stay home because she feels like it. And what are you telling your child when you say that school is important to stay in even when you are not learning anything? I think that is a message that is being put across to way too many bright kids, and one reason why so many people don't have the guts to leave dead-end jobs or work to make their lives more interesting. The point is, she's in school and the school has rules. If she doesn't want to follow those rules, she finds another school or homeschools or something where the rules suit her. But, as long as she attends that school, she needs to follow their rules. If she were in a dead-end job, she could quit her job and find another more satisfying job, but as long as she keeps her job (her choice), she needs to follow the rules. |
#34
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
In article ,
"Denise" wrote: "Brandy Kurtz" wrote in I have faced truancy problems with my 7 year old, but due to medical problems. In our district the children are allowed 20 days per 180 year of school. Anything over that requires a doctors note. Just because your dd is so much smarter than all the rest of the kids and you have financial influences in the school, they still can't bend the rules. It is a fact that her teacher will have to spend extra time and effort with your child to get the missed work done, which will take time away from the children that need her guidance. Since you think school is such a waste of time for her then you should just home-school, and let her socialize after school hours. Brandy wow... talk about putting words in someone else's mouth. I must have missed the post where the OP said all that. While I might not have phrased it exactly the way Brandy did, I certainly wondered why the OP felt it necessary to point out her family's financial contributions. I did understand why she was pointing out that her daughter wasn't suffering academically -- that is, imo, relevant to the concerns about missed classes. The fact that the family funded things in the community didn't seem to be relevant. meh -- Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care |
#35
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
H Schinske wrote in message
And what are you telling your child when you say that school is important to stay in even when you are not learning anything? I think that is a message that is being put across to way too many bright kids, and one reason why so many people don't have the guts to leave dead-end jobs or work to make their live more interesting. Then she needs to homeschool full time, if she is not happy. My kids are learning in school and I am essentially happy with the education they have had thus far. Like I said, if she is not happy then she should change. She is sending the wrong message to her child by letting her go some of the time, but taking her out for part of the time. NOT everyone thinks poorly of public school and what they are getting. -- Sue (mom to three girls) I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World... |
#36
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
"Vicki" wrote in message news Today we received a warning letter for truancy for our 2nd grader. The principal said she was concerned about dd's absences. I am not concerned about dd's absences--she is bright, she knows the material [she's missed five days this month, but received 100 on her test for materials covered.] I don't think the teacher is concerned. But the principal said dd is only allowed 5 excused absences per semester. I'm not happy about the possibility of legal sanctions for keeping dd home (she was sick this month, but I wouldn't hesitate to take her out of school for other things we feel are important.) You are teaching your daughter that it is OK to skip out on things that she *has* to do in order to do things she (or you ) *wants* to do. Can they prosecute us for truancy when dd is top of her class? I don't see the harm to anyone in dd not going. And she *will* miss more school at Thanksgiving (important family time.) There might be repercussions from other kids who think that your DD is getting "special treatment" in being allowed to miss days of school to go to museums, trips, etc., something that not everyone else gets to do. We had planned to talk at school conferences about keeping dd home one day per week, or bi-weekly, to enhance her education. But from what I've read about truancy laws tonight, this doesn't seem to be allowable. Has anyone done this or know if it is doable? dd does not want to homeschool full-time--she likes seeing her friends at school and we think this is good for her. We have discussed getting appropriate challenge in her classroom--the teacher has been helpful, but there is only so much she can do. We chose not to skip dd to the next grade as she is already the youngest in her class. There there schools that still skip children? I though this was pretty much abandoned by now. I skipped first grade (parents strongly pushed for it) , and while there were benefits, there were also significant drawbacks for me throughout my school career. Have others faced this truancy problem? How do you approach it? If this is a law (5 days/semester,) does the principal have much leeway in enforcing it? If not, then who do we talk with? The DA? Is it possible to homeschool part-time (the days dd misses) and avoid a truancy enforcement? Could we test out of second grade and attendance be optional? dh is calling the principal next week, and we will meet with dd's teacher in three weeks. I'd like to have a sense of our options before we go so we do what's right by dd and cause the least distress to her teacher and principal (who are quite nice.) I bet they cringe when they see YOU coming! Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Vicki |
#37
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
I should have read your post before I answered, Sue. That is exactly what I
wanted to say, and you said it very well. "Sue" wrote in message ... Well imo, you are essentially telling your daughter that rules don't matter, school doesn't matter and that she can stay home at any whim. What is she going to do in the real adult world when she has a job? Stay home because she feels like it. What about college? She will need to be there all the time in order to have all the information she needs to pass the class. If she is sick that's one thing, but to stay home at any given time because you think it is important doesn't fly well with school. You are also setting your daughter up for negative attention from the other kids at school. They will see her staying home, getting extra attention from the teacher because lessons will have to be repeated to her and possibly getting out of essential tests and assignments. If she is missing so much, it ruins the dynamics of the class. I don't mean the classroom persay, but things will be discussed in class and your daughter will have no clue as to what went on the previous day. If you want to homeschool, then you need to do it full time and not worry what your daughter wants because obviously you think what education she is getting is inadequate. Just because you think she is smart doesn't mean in reality that she is. She may be a little ahead in some areas and perhaps feel bored with some assignments, but she also may be feeling left out when she misses so many days. If you want to supplement her school work, then perhaps you need to do it on the weekends and take away some of her extracurricular activies that she has going. -- Sue (mom to three girls) I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World... Vicki wrote in message news Today we received a warning letter for truancy for our 2nd grader. The principal said she was concerned about dd's absences. I am not concerned about dd's absences--she is bright, she knows the material [she's missed five days this month, but received 100 on her test for materials covered.] I don't think the teacher is concerned. But the principal said dd is only allowed 5 excused absences per semester. I'm not happy about the possibility of legal sanctions for keeping dd home (she was sick this month, but I wouldn't hesitate to take her out of school for other things we feel are important.) Can they prosecute us for truancy when dd is top of her class? I don't see the harm to anyone in dd not going. And she *will* miss more school at Thanksgiving (important family time.) We had planned to talk at school conferences about keeping dd home one day per week, or bi-weekly, to enhance her education. But from what I've read about truancy laws tonight, this doesn't seem to be allowable. Has anyone done this or know if it is doable? dd does not want to homeschool full-time--she likes seeing her friends at school and we think this is good for her. We have discussed getting appropriate challenge in her classroom--the teacher has been helpful, but there is only so much she can do. We chose not to skip dd to the next grade as she is already the youngest in her class. Have others faced this truancy problem? How do you approach it? If this is a law (5 days/semester,) does the principal have much leeway in enforcing it? If not, then who do we talk with? The DA? Is it possible to homeschool part-time (the days dd misses) and avoid a truancy enforcement? Could we test out of second grade and attendance be optional? dh is calling the principal next week, and we will meet with dd's teacher in three weeks. I'd like to have a sense of our options before we go so we do what's right by dd and cause the least distress to her teacher and principal (who are quite nice.) Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Vicki |
#38
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
dejablues wrote in message
... I should have read your post before I answered, Sue. That is exactly what I wanted to say, and you said it very well. Well, thank you. ) -- Sue (mom to three girls) I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World... |
#39
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
"dragonlady" wrote in message ... In article , "Donna Metler" wrote: The problem isn't the child who has a long-term absense-children on homebound are considered to be in attendance under the law. But a child who misses a day here, a day there, whether due to illness, parents pulling them out for trips, or cutting to hang out at the mall is a big problem, both for funding (Average Daily Attendance) and for truancy statisitics. If your child has a medical condition which may require frequent short absenses, a homebound plan can be put into effect, where the child is considered to be homebound, but attends school when able-this is part of a 504 plan or an IEP (for Other Health Issues). With St. Jude's hospital in my district, we have had quite a few children at my school who are in treatment for Cancer, and attend school when they're feeling good, but stay home when they're reacting badly to chemotherapy, or when their resistance is down. Part of the problem is that, unless you really know what you are doing or hook up with someone who does, the school can make it hard for you to get the support to which you are legally entitled. Several years ago, my daughter became severely ill with hepatitis. Obviously, she was going to miss a lot of school. What I wanted was support for homebound teachers for her classes, and, since we lived across the street from the school, I wanted her to be able to return to classes part time when she was strong enough first for Chemistry and when she could handle two classes a day for Spanish -- the two classes where actually being there mattered most. I spent several weeks getting a run around from the school (the principal wanted me to withdraw her from school all together and put her in independent study until she was strong enough to come back full time). Then i got the expected call from the county health department that does the contact tracing for Hep. B. She asked if there was anything I needed. I described the situation with the school, and she said she'd take care of it. Within less than five hours, I had a call from the school giving us exactly what I'd been asking for! I am not an uneducated person, and I knew that what I was asking for was legal and appropriate -- I just hadn't had the clout to pull the right strings. Frankly, that makes me very angry on behalf of the kids whose parents don't know their legal entitlements and never hook up with someone who can help them. The children's hospitals here are very good at working with the schools-and it may be that with Le Bonheur and St. Jude's here, we've had to become more flexible. In general, the larger the system, the more flexible they seem to be able to be. What frustrated me was a few years back. I was, at the time, on half-time status following HELLP syndrome, after 8 weeks maternity leave. Meanwhile, the same week I went back half-time, a teen mother (who had delivered her son prematurely at the same gestational age I'd delivered mine). She had been absent two weeks-and was being told by the school that if she didn't come back, she'd fail for the year. Now, if she had been an employee, she would not have been ALLOWED to go back to work for 6 weeks (or until she had medical clearance). If she had given birth to a living baby, she would have been allowed to enter a teen parenting program, which would have provided extra supports and a modified schedule, both while recuperating from delivery, and until graduation. I mean, she may have been all of 16, but she had just gone through a difficult delivery and one of the worst emotional situations you can go through-with little emotional support, because most people really wanted to forget that the whole pregnancy had even happened! It took three phone calls to get a 504 plan set up, which allowed her a modified schedule for the rest of the year. meh -- Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care |
#40
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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?
H Schinske wrote:
Ericka ) wrote: I hear what you're trying to accomplish, but I would be very surprised if you could get where you're trying to go. I think you're going to find that homeschooling is an all or nothing thing. Actually this too depends on the district. There are a number of partial homeschoolers where I live (though admittedly most are doing essentially all the academic work at home, and coming in for things like band and gym). Yes, I have heard of that--but wouldn't the kids then be *required* to attend all of the pieces they signed up for regularly? A child who is missing elementary school for a day here and there, even if it's a planned particular day, is almost certainly going to be missing bits and pieces of any particular academic subject. One a theoretical level, one might have better luck asking to homeschool a particular subject or subjects and having the child attend school for other subjects, but if the child is attending school for some academic subjects I would think that would be extremely difficult to work around logistically. Best wishes, Ericka |
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