Punishment After Shocks
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about our children and the fact we could not afford to send two kids on the class field trip to Washington D.C. and how the kids, like ours, who remained behind were made to feel as though they were being punished in some way by staying confined to a classroom and doing word searches all day.
Today we find out that because we opted to keep our kids home for a couple of days that week and do something more educational then word searches, our kids are not going to be allowed to participate in the school Field Day on the last day of school.
Field Day is a day where the entire school participates in fun games like sack race, slip-n-slide, balloon toss, tug-o-war, etc.
My husband phoned the principal who stands behind the teachers decision to not have them participate – I phoned the Superintendent where I left a message and waited for him to phone me back. Nothing yet, but I’ll try again tomorrow.
I understand kids being required to attend school so many days a year.
I understand kids being punished for skipping school.
I understand all of this – IF a parent hasn’t discussed the situation with the school letting them know just how terrible kids felt for not being able to afford to go and for the punishment carrying over into the final day of school.
I’m not one to remain quiet in situations like this and will pursue media sources and school board meetings to get my point across. Students who don’t get to attend the class field trip should have something more educational and fun planned then a day filled with word search and Soduku.
I would be furious! We opted out of camp for my 5th grader because her dance competitions cost so much this year. She ended up doing more work in the sub classroom then she does in her normal class. Plus she had 2 big packets of homework. Normally they have 1 little worksheet to do. I was so mad! I wasn’t able to keep her home though because she had missed several days throughout the year for her asthma. It was unfair since they said that the kids that couldn’t go, had fun things to do. That was not true. I’d be beyond furious if I was in your situation!!! Good luck, I’d make sure to speak to the school. If the principal won’t do anything, go to the school board. I’ve had to do that for other issues before. Sometimes it is the only way to get some help.
Have your kids missed a lot of days this year? I am just wondering if the punishment is a school rule for attendance or if it’s because of the field trip.
i’m so sorry about that, Gayla! Good for you for sticking up for your decisions and kids in an absurdly ridiculous situation. Please keep us updated!
@ Karen – no they haven’t missed much school this year. That’s why we didn’t have a problem making the decision we did when the class trip was going on. That and the fact that I’d ran into the sub teacher who verified what the kids had said and she even voiced how she felt like the kids were somehow being punished because they couldn’t afford to go.
I’ll be speaking to the school for sure and am considering private school more then ever for them next year. Our local school is really growing far too political and not so much the small school feel for the small school it is anymore.
With 118 or so in each class, they have no reason to act much bigger then they are.
Geez. That really stinks. I wonder why they’re being like this. Try not to get the sub into trouble. I’d hate for her to lose her job.
That is so unfair. I would take it to the school board – show up at a meeting.
Oh geez. That is just apalling! I would be camped out in the office, with a picket sign, until somebody changed their mind!
Karen, I feel the same way. I’d never point out that a sub even commented to me in the off chance there weren’t that many subs that way. I grew up with the sub and would hate to harm her or her career in any way.
Still no response from the Supers office – tomorrow if I don’t hear anything, I will be keeping the kids home the last day. I won’t be sending them to sit in a classroom while the others participate in field day.
Homeschooling sounds nicer all the time.
I know what you mean. All of the sex, immodest dress, girls sending nude text pics of themselves to boys, sexual harrassment, etc. makes homeschooling sound nicer all the time. I think we’ll try public school through the elementary years and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out, then I’ll homeschool them or put them in private school. My daughter starts kindergarten in the fall. Yikes!
that’s bull. i’ve never heard of such a thing until now.
When school “policy” stands in the way of education, it’s time to change the policy. Seems like that’s what is happening here.
Yay for you for standing by the right choice for your kids. They are learning a valuable lesson about standing up for principles!
For crying out loud! That is obscene, absurd and infuriating!
There is soooooooooooo much wrong with a school system that would punish kids in this way. Talk about creating rage, hopelessness, and defeat!
What a betrayal of the principles of education!
AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Ah, rules and schools. You’re right, of course. It’s silly. I could go on all day about public vs. home school, but in a nut shell: Take what is useful from the system and leave the rest. In this situation, that means going to bat for kids, just as you are, and take the opportunity to let the super know how you wish it had been handled. Then let it go, pull your kids out of school on that day, too, and go a great outdoor activity with them. See if you can get a form for pre-approved absence for educational activities, which would make it count as a school day. Some districts have that. It’s heart-breaking, I’ve totally been there. I hope your super can see past it, but be prepared to hit a wall. Silver lining: your kids will learn a lot from how you handle this. Very best of luck, keep up the good work of mothering.