Re: unexcused abscence hearing-gonna scream

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/9/2003 2:13:03 PM Central Standard Time, djackht@...

writes:

> Sorry to vent. We are having a meeting at 830 am tomorrow, just to find out

> what the heck is going on. I say bring it on. If a kid is in the

> hospital,

> do they still need an excuse? If they go into respiratory arrest at school,

> do they need a signed note from the doctor that it happened? Just curious,

> lol.

>

> Thanks for listening.

> Beth

> Mom to Austin, 6/ds and Dakota, 6

Hi Beth

Boy I am sooooo sorry they are such a stickler for the excuse notes. This is

something we have never gone through, in fact Sara missed 2 weeks of school

after her tonsils and adenoids surgery, a week once for her eye surgery,

Never did I bring in a note from the DR, in fact I am the one who writes

Sara's notes, Ive never had to get one signed by a Dr.

I have kept Sara home when she's had a bad night of sleep ............... I

KNEW we would see ugly behaviors at school and I didn't want to chance it, to

have it documented.

BIG HUGGGGGS, now get the paperwork you need and slap it in front of them.

Kathy mom to Sara 11 ................ like our life isnt full of paperwork

enough

[Guest guest]

HA...I would like MY school to get on me about Mav's absences....since 90% of

them are because there is no AIDE!!!!!

Of all the things we have to fight with.... what a stupid issue!

[Guest guest]

Beth,

When was hospitalized for diabetes, they wouldnt even allow her back

into school without the proper paper work. I had to have all these forms

signed and completed. I was freaking out. Someone from her school had to

bring me the forms from school over to the hospital cause I couldnt leave and

they wouldnt even discharge us without the right forms.

Last week, i had to take her in the am for a fasting blood test. Everyone at

school knew I was taking her, yet they would not accept the absence/lateness

without a note which the dr. faxxed over to the school.

Perhaps, the Drs. can fax some stuff instead of you running all over town?

PS as a teacher, I also cannot excuse without the proper notes. Notes from

parents for a doctor's visit, dont count.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/9/2003 5:52:09 PM Central Standard Time,

linman42@... writes:

>

> PS as a teacher, I also cannot excuse without the proper notes. Notes from

> parents for a doctor's visit, dont count.

>

HI

I think the kids who are out for so many consecutive days (5) have to have a

Drs. note ............ kind of like jobs. Here kids can be excused for

funerals, illnesses of any family member, personal family stuff etc..... we

have a list for excusable absences lol

Hair appointments are not included (though I did try

Kathy mom to Sara 11 ........... glad the South is a bit more laid back lol

or at least here they are

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/9/2003 6:36:11 PM Central Daylight Time,

cindysue@... writes:

> Our schools have an attendence officer -they call if a child is out of

> school and the school doesn't know why. That is the biggest waste of tax

> dollar monies. We purposely don't call....and they leave nasty messages.

Hi ,

While I agree that it's a royal pain in the behind tocall and say that

will not be in school today, the reason around here that schools have become

such sticklers to the policy is about oh, probably close to 10 yrs ago now, 2

elem. age kids were in grandma's garage waiting for the bus, grandma wasn't

home, but her place wascloser to the bus stop, (note: the oldest was probably

around 10, the parents usually left for work 10 min befor the bus was due)

anyway there was some sheet rock leaning against the wall orsomething and

somehow or other the kids knocked it over and it fell on them. and the stuff

was pretty heavy and they were stuck there for awhile because the bus figured

they weren't coming. I don't really recall if the school had a contact

parents requirement at that time, but I'm thinking no, since the whole thing

was actually reported in thepaper. After this all schools in this area asked

to be informed if your child wasn't coming in and if you don't call by about

an hr.after school begins theywill contact you at home or work to make sure

that your child is where YOU expect him to be.

Just thought I'd give you a different reason for them wantingto know if the

child isn't in school, now giving an excuse, that really isn't much of their

business, I'd call and say that won't be in school today. Usually the

prin. would answer and ask if she was sick and I'd just say yeah or that she

has an appointment. that 's all the really need to know. This might be away

to keep trackof illnesses going through theschool tho. :-)

Joy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/9/2003 6:51:05 PM Central Daylight Time,

linman42@... writes:

> PS as a teacher, I also cannot excuse without the proper notes. Notes from

> parents for a doctor's visit, dont count

Oh boy, I'm glad I don't live in a school district that is soooooooooo

uptight. LOL

Joy

[Guest guest]

We must report our children off from school when they are sick with a phone

call. They do it for safety reasons. I'm okay with that. It's a crazy

world out there.

Jackie, Mom to 15ds, 12, and Bradley 9

[Guest guest]

Do you know what its like living in NYC? How many kids could be missing,

abused, neglected? I had a kid, broke my heart, but he was absent every

Monday with lame excuses from home.

I met with the family (well the dad) and he said he didnt like art. This

went on. I was a little suspicious. In June, him and his sister stopped

showing up for school. I was concerned. There was no contact with the home.

Everyone was trying to contact. Finally, it was the last day of school and

the last day for our guidance counselor before she retired, but I insisted

that she do a home visit.

Mom was being abused by dad (hey any wonder I never met with her) and she had

to leave with the kids for a shelter. Soooooo, here in the big apple, we

have to keep very close track of where the kids are at all times. If we

havent heard from the family by the 3rd day of an absence, they get a phone

call, a letter and must have the proper written excuses when they return.

Hey, its not just teaching.... and we are held accountable for the child's

whereabouts.

I do keep my kids home sometimes for trivial reasons, but not when theyve

missed alot of school, etc. Important things, like suarees in WV! LOL

~ Mom to 12 DS and Diabetes Type 1 and 8 NY

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/9/2003 7:51:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

linman42@... writes:

<<

PS as a teacher, I also cannot excuse without the proper notes. Notes from

parents for a doctor's visit, dont count.

>>

Geez Louise! , the NYC Dept of Ed is really gonna hate me next year. I

kept Liam home Monday because they were talking 6 inches of snow. I trust

his bus driver -- just not the other nuts on the road.

Just like Austin, Liam's asthma makes him miss more days than other kids.

Kathy, Liam's mom( 5)

[Guest guest]

Kathy,

School is almost never cancelled in the city. My dh is a school bus driver

and he was not cancelled once this whole year. When was in Pre

school, we had a winter like this one, but very icy. her bus co was

cancelling all the time. Her and I missed so many weather related days that

year!

The notes are really what we call CYA (Cover Your A**). It protects both the

child and family and does not hold the teacher accountable.

Remember the story in NYC a few years back? Teacher was held

accountable for that one.

There is also a 10% absence rate - if the child is missing more than 10% of

school without medical excuses, they are considered " at risk " . So if there

are 180 days in the school year, you are allowed 18 days total. In Austins

case, thus far he's missed 12.5 days of school with at least 2 months to go.

Hes prob already missed 10%, thats why Beth got the letter. As said,

it might be computer generated, or they just want it justified with medical

excuses.

~ Mom to 12 DS and Diabetes Type 1 and 8 NY

[Guest guest]

My oldest missed 3(THREE) days of school and I got a computer letter telling

me they were unexcused. I called each time and told them but hey I am Mom and

I guess I didn't have a good enough excuse for a sick kid.

Jean

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone for venting along, or justifying, whatever, lol.

Every time he is sick, I call at least 1/2 hour before class begins, to tell

them he won't be in. If I have to pick him up at school because they say

he's sick, I make the appointment for the dr. before i pick him up, so they

know he's going. I talk to his aide every night that he isn't at school,

just to keep her up to date. (I know she's not the proper authority, but

she's my buddy, and Austin is like her son during the day, lol) Even when

he's in the hospital, I call school every single day. I write the standard

note with every missed day. Not to mention, every time he goes, he comes

back with a changed medicine schedule that the doctor fills out and signs for

them. Shouldn't that count?

They have doctors excuses for half the days, in his file. They are excused.

But we still have to have this meeting. State law. Ok, whatever. I did

call his pediatrician today, and he called back tonight. He typed up a

letter, with all the dates he was responsible for, and faxed it over.

Excused. There are 3 more days, when he was under the care of his

pulmonologist, that I am waiting on. That will leave those 3 days in his

file unexcused, for the meeting. I will get the letter from the pulm

tomorrow afternoon, I assume. Along with results from the cat scan. I hope.

(he has green snot, again, a week after finishing augmentin, 600 mg, 2X a

day, for 10 days!).

If ya made it this far, thanks. The principal was like, you know this isn't

a big deal...I said, sure it's not, but I will have my duckies in a row

before I come in tomorrow, lol.

Thanks, again.

Beth

[Guest guest]

This is one reason never went to public school, (along with at

least a dozen others). I didn't want anyone to have that control over our

lives. And it seems like it gets worse. If I wanted to keep him home for

any reason I did, and no one complained. I saw enough of that with my

daughter. She was the one with all the colds and sickness, and the kids

would be sent out at recess no matter the weather. She often had coughs that

went on for weeks and cold air would make it worse. And no one made sure

they had their coats buttoned or anything like that. But she had to have a

note every day. She carried her lunch from home so I could be sure what she

ate, and we would make up sheets of " Please keep in today " , and cut

them into strips, and put a bunch in her lunch box. So it was up to her, if

she didn't think she should go out she gave one to the teacher. She had more

sense than whoever made the rules at school. When she was sick and home for

a few days, I don't remember having to have something from the doctor. I

think I just sent a note. Many times she didn't have to go to the doctor and

it's ridiculous, for you too, to have to go just to get an excuse signed. I

guess they don't give mothers credit for having any sense. Anyway, it's your

kid!!!!.

My daughter got in trouble in Houston TX, when her son was in high

school and wasn't going to school. She had no way of knowing as she had to

work. Sometimes they would call her at work and ask where he was, and she

wouldn't know. They even threatened to put her in jail. Finally he quit.

Probably just as well as he didn't go much.

AND THEN: When I was in high school one of the girls in my class

missed a lot of school and would need a " pass " signed by her mother. I don't

know why she missed, never did, but one day she didn't have the thing signed

so several of us tried w riting her mother's name and I was the best forger

(what does that tell you?) so I signed it and did it regularly after that.

Then we decided I should sign her report card as well, so it wouldn't be

noticed. And I did. The sad part about this is that evidently her parents

never noticed anything. I finally told my mother about it a few years ago,

and she said " Shame on you " . I would have been in trouble if she'd known at

the time.

Well, l know this doesn't help, unless you know a good forger.LOL

[Guest guest]

Sometimes there is a good reason for this too, especially with small

children. Like the children trapped in the garage, there have been several

instances in KC where children have fallen asleep on the bus and left there.

the drivers are supposed to check the bus at each end of every route, but

evidently are sometimes remiss. If the parent hasn't called school and the

child doesn't show up it can be checked into.. There are other things that

can happen to kids on the way too and from school-some of them pretty awful.

That makes more sense to me then the doctor's note business.

Jessie

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/9/03 7:30:38 PM Central Daylight Time,

cindysue@... writes:

> Today's kids can't get away with what we did while in high school. I

> skipped all the time and I turned out ok

>

I never skipped at all and I turned out OK too. I think. LOL, Jessie

[Guest guest]

That could have been a computer generated form letter that automatically goes

out. Our schools have an attendence officer -they call if a child is out of

school and the school doesn't know why. That is the biggest waste of tax dollar

monies. We purposely don't call....and they leave nasty messages. We just

laugh..... I'd much rather see that position be for special ed staff.

Today's kids can't get away with what we did while in high school. I skipped

all the time and I turned out ok

Re: unexcused abscence hearing-gonna scream

In a message dated 4/9/2003 2:13:03 PM Central Standard Time, djackht@...

writes:

> Sorry to vent. We are having a meeting at 830 am tomorrow, just to find out

> what the heck is going on. I say bring it on. If a kid is in the

> hospital,

> do they still need an excuse? If they go into respiratory arrest at school,

> do they need a signed note from the doctor that it happened? Just curious,

> lol.

>

> Thanks for listening.

> Beth

> Mom to Austin, 6/ds and Dakota, 6

Hi Beth

Boy I am sooooo sorry they are such a stickler for the excuse notes. This is

something we have never gone through, in fact Sara missed 2 weeks of school

after her tonsils and adenoids surgery, a week once for her eye surgery,

Never did I bring in a note from the DR, in fact I am the one who writes

Sara's notes, Ive never had to get one signed by a Dr.

I have kept Sara home when she's had a bad night of sleep ............... I

KNEW we would see ugly behaviors at school and I didn't want to chance it, to

have it documented.

BIG HUGGGGGS, now get the paperwork you need and slap it in front of them.

Kathy mom to Sara 11 ................ like our life isnt full of paperwork

enough

[Guest guest]

I think it depends on the state--and the district. Here, a parent's note is

sufficient in most cases.

Judi HL

Re: unexcused abscence hearing-gonna scream

In a message dated 4/9/2003 5:52:09 PM Central Standard Time,

linman42@... writes:

>

> PS as a teacher, I also cannot excuse without the proper notes. Notes

from

> parents for a doctor's visit, dont count.

>

HI

I think the kids who are out for so many consecutive days (5) have to have a

Drs. note ............ kind of like jobs. Here kids can be excused for

funerals, illnesses of any family member, personal family stuff etc..... we

have a list for excusable absences lol

Hair appointments are not included (though I did try

Kathy mom to Sara 11 ........... glad the South is a bit more laid back lol

or at least here they are

[Guest guest]

--- My son is in 5th grade- I don't think I've ever written a note

for the purpose of excusing an absence (maybe just to let his

teacher know if I knew ahead of time he would be gone) and I have

never been questioned on anything. I don't think I have even called

every time he's absent- although I admit he doesn't miss much school.

Sometimes I do think I would be comforted to know if they called to

let you know your kid didn't show up- but I'm glad they aren't all

over us- there has to be a happy medium somewhere. In their defense

though- they might have laws they have to follow and then they're

just doing what they have to do. Good luck

In , JTesmer799@a... wrote:

> In a message dated 4/9/2003 6:51:05 PM Central Daylight Time,

> linman42@a... writes:

>

>

> > PS as a teacher, I also cannot excuse without the proper notes.

Notes from

> > parents for a doctor's visit, dont count

>

> Oh boy, I'm glad I don't live in a school district that is

soooooooooo

> uptight. LOL

>

> Joy

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Ditto for me . By my senior year I was a pro at it.

Schulte

> In a message dated 4/9/03 7:30:38 PM Central Daylight Time,

> cindysue@... writes:

> > Today's kids can't get away with what we did while in high school. I

> > skipped all the time and I turned out ok

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/9/2003 9:52:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

linman42@... writes:

<< Remember the story in NYC a few years back? Teacher was held

accountable for that one.

There is also a 10% absence rate - if the child is missing more than 10% of

school without medical excuses, they are considered " at risk " . >>

Who could ever forget that little face? I didn't realize that the teacher

was held accountable. I also didn't realize that kids who are out more

without excuses are more at risk, but it makes sense. It's another side of

the world I don't always think about. In a way it's kind of ironic. He

misses school because he's the little prince and I worry about icey roads,

ozone levels and super cold air hitting his lungs. I always wonder if I'm

being too protective.

We'll be ok though with the rules. Most of Liam's absences are medical and

for three days or more I always have a doctor's note.

Kathy, Liam's mom( 5)

[Guest guest]

In reply I can say I am going along this same route for years, until I

decided to have my doctor write a note to school saying She would be absent

alot as she is ill alot! That helped,, Plus now she gets home bound school

for the days she misses,, A teacher must come out an hour for every day she

is absent.. And she is then not counted as absent anymore as she did have

lessons that day,, Might want to check into this in your area , apply for

home bound and get your doctor to write saying your child will and is ill

alot.. And they will get off your back !!! Goodluck I had to say something

because I know I have been there done that for many years until home bound

instruction after school hours.. Nettie619

[Guest guest]

Anything over ten days (cumlative) here will bring action from sources other

than school. And there are only certain absences that are excused ....

regardless of whether you write a note or not.

I am currently waiting for the principal to decide if Stefanie's attendance at a

conference for persons with DD will be excused or not. If not excused, she gets

zeros for the day.

Under the laws, our kids must follow the same rules and policies as the other

kids in issues such as this.

Cheryl in VA

[Guest guest]

When my son was in 11th grade, he had 4th bell lunch. I would sometimes pick

him up early and just take him out to lunch and home ... why stay in school for

an extra 1 1/2 hours doing nothing. ;-) He could practice his saxaphone at home

or do his homework.

When I signed him out, it was an unexcused absence. If he was going to a

medical appointment or to see a parole officer, that would be excused. But

quality time with mom was not! ;-)

Now we have some new policy they were working on, if a high school kid gets so

many unexcused absences, he loses or can't get his driver's license. Can't

remember all the details but that sure will be an incentive not to skip school

and have those notes from mom ( or mom forgeries like some of my high school

buds used to do!)

Cheryl in VA

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I was a speaker at a convention and wanted to be excused as a professional

day, didnt happen either.

[Guest guest]

I got a letter like this about Corrie once. She had a 5% absentee rate. I

wrote to the principal who had signed the letter and CC'd to the nurse and

classroom teacher. I was not a happy mom! I received no more letters about

anyone's absences. ;-) Here's what I wrote.

" Dear Ms. Fuller,

We received your letter regarding our daughter, Corrie Burghardt's absences.

Thank you for

your interest in our child. We were surprised to get your letter and are

wondering why a child with a 95%

attendance record needs to have a letter sent home?

We're sure you are aware that Corrie has Down syndrome. She also has

gastro-esophageal

reflux, is legally blind without her glasses ( we don't send her to school when

her glasses are broken )

and has a house full of siblings who all share their illnesses with each other.

All of this information is in

the records you already have. Over all, Corrie is probably the healthiest of our

children. But, considering

her circumstances, I think we can expect that Corrie will have more illnesses

than the average six year

old .

Please check your existing records regarding Corrie. If any of the above

information is lacking

we will be happy to provide the documentation from her physicians. Sincerely,

C. Burghardt "

It was a computer generated letter, but I didn't know it at the time. It

doesn't matter though. What a pain!

B CNY

Mom to Heidi 12 DS, Caleb 11 NDA,

Corrie 11 DS and Mae 6 DS ...Now we're Happy Homeschoolers!!

PS I have kept the girls out of school both for bad weather (legal excuse) and

for " an appointment " (and she returned to school with a new hair-do! ;-))

God Bless America !

ONE NATION UNDER GOD !

unexcused abscence hearing-gonna scream

Just got a certified letter from the school. Austin has missed 12.5 days this

semester. Serious consequences including legal action, and/or due process

procedures. Some of this is my fault. Sometimes I forget to the the excuse

from the doctor, as I'm trying to gather all the prescriptions, test orders,

and Austin when we are leaving. But they do have several days worth. I

would guess that if they send him home half way thru the school day, and they

know he's on his way to the doctor, I still need an excuse. They are driving

me nuts. I mean, our doctors will give him an excuse for any day he misses.

It's obvious that he's been sick, with tests, medication, everything.

Sorry to vent. We are having a meeting at 830 am tomorrow, just to find out

what the heck is going on. I say bring it on. If a kid is in the hospital,

do they still need an excuse? If they go into respiratory arrest at school,

do they need a signed note from the doctor that it happened? Just curious,

lol.

Thanks for listening.

Beth

Mom to Austin, 6/ds and Dakota, 6