Those are good choices for school notes. One time I wrote a note to excuse my son from school for a week's vacation that was basically a family reunion planned a year and a half in advance... I mailed it in to the school a month before we left, and a reminder one the week before he left. A month after we got home we got a note in the mail that he had a week of unexcused absences. I went storming into the school with a copy of both letters and started to rant when they told me that "vacation" is not an acceptable excuse for not being in school. I told them that as a parent, "unexcused" is when your child is skipping school and is otherwise not doing what he/she is supposed to. In order for him to not lose credit in his courses for that semester, I had to write a note lying to the school about why he was absent for that week, saying he was "sick". I still can't believe that instead of teaching and honoring honesty the school system taught us to lie. Pathetic!
Lorelei, I feel your pain. Every now and then (not often at all, maybe once or twice a year), I'll keep one of the girls home from school for an "all mom all the time" day. We go out, have lunch, hang out and do girl stuff all day.
I always remind them that if they are asked, they were "sick." They don't like lying, but know it's the only way we get to have the occasional girls day out. Weekends are just too busy most of the time. You're right though, excused absences should be up to the parents, not the school's definition of excused absence.
2 comments:
Those are good choices for school notes. One time I wrote a note to excuse my son from school for a week's vacation that was basically a family reunion planned a year and a half in advance... I mailed it in to the school a month before we left, and a reminder one the week before he left. A month after we got home we got a note in the mail that he had a week of unexcused absences. I went storming into the school with a copy of both letters and started to rant when they told me that "vacation" is not an acceptable excuse for not being in school. I told them that as a parent, "unexcused" is when your child is skipping school and is otherwise not doing what he/she is supposed to. In order for him to not lose credit in his courses for that semester, I had to write a note lying to the school about why he was absent for that week, saying he was "sick". I still can't believe that instead of teaching and honoring honesty the school system taught us to lie. Pathetic!
It feels good to get that off my chest. :D
I vote for note number 2!
Lorelei, I feel your pain. Every now and then (not often at all, maybe once or twice a year), I'll keep one of the girls home from school for an "all mom all the time" day. We go out, have lunch, hang out and do girl stuff all day.
I always remind them that if they are asked, they were "sick." They don't like lying, but know it's the only way we get to have the occasional girls day out. Weekends are just too busy most of the time. You're right though, excused absences should be up to the parents, not the school's definition of excused absence.
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