Mental health days off in HS?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
Yeah, I mean…school isn’t work. When I take off from work, either my coworkers handle a time sensitive project or I continue my work when I get back. School doesn’t work like that and they are supposed to be there learning. Do not feel guilty about taking off when your kids are at school. |
Anonymous
|
Showing up for school, unless one is sick or has a pressing issue that prevents one from attending school, is an important life lesson. Showing up on time and ready are attitudes and values that are instilled and reinforced by parents who want their kids to succeed in college and in their careers. As a professor for 25 years, I empathize with the previous PP who is also a professor and sees lots of students who just don't show up the week before break. My college takes off the entire Thanksgiving week, and students will still leave before break officially begins. Students who come to class uniformly earn higher grades than students who don't. People like to point out that one kid who never shows up all semester and then aces the final; but this is a true outlier. Also, the way in which we are asked to grade students now encourages multiple lower stake graded assignments throughout the semester over one final exam at the end. This pedagogical model naturally translates into higher grades for kids who show up for class.
OP, you do your kids a disservice by not taking attendance seriously. I consider mental health to be part of health overall, but taking off a day before official breaks and teaching your kid that that counts as taking care of mental health is a farce. |
Anonymous
| she should go to school. It's one thing if this is really a one time occurrence - but shouldn't be before every single holiday just because. you don't want her to grow up to be *that* coworker. But also, it's a slippery slope and can be hard to catch up in high school. |
Anonymous
|
As a high school math teacher...
1) I am doing things the day before a break. I have to, or I won't get through the curriculum. I told kids if they were missing the day, it was their responsibility to print the missing work off the online portal and get it turned in the day they came back. If they come to class, they'll have no work over break. If they skip class, they'll have work to make up over break. 2) Mental health days frequently make it worse for my students, because they feel further behind when they return. Use these sparingly, please. Figure out how else they can help their mental health besides adding more makeup work to their plate. |
Anonymous
| I would allow the occasional mental health day if my kids felt like they needed it and it would help--though these would likely be in the spring during a long stretch of no days off--but neither of my kids likes missing school and feels like it is harder to make up the work from the missed day than just going to school. Also, I am 100% sure if my kids suspected extra credit would be offered on the last day before a break, they would most definitely want to be there for that. |
Anonymous
|
Mental health days were for just that -- not getting a jump on vacation for the convenience of the family. Sometimes the mental health day/a day off from school was a strategic decision, allowing them extra study time for a big test. It was never about vacation.
Let the student decide. |
Anonymous
|
You’re using it as vacay days.
Hope she making up those missed assignments |
Anonymous
|
Our kid goes to school every single day -- unless extremely sick (examples: actual vomiting; medically contagious per an MD; so bad they are bedridden).
Kids who are more diligent should get more rewards. Train your kid now. Build good habits. |
Anonymous
If mine did that, they would be in school on time. No fever means unlikely to be genuinely ill. |
Anonymous
| Depends on the high school, and how your kid is doing in it maybe? In our DCPS high school, with a kid who gets straight A’s, I let her manage her own schedule and take off whatever days when she feels like she needs a break or feels like the time would be better spent doing college applications or studying for exams rather than sitting in classes which sometimes do nothing, as long as she does not run up against the policy that sends her to child protective services. |
Anonymous
|
No way would I let my kids miss a “gimme” especially if it wasn’t a firm travel plan. Those points can make a difference so why miss them.
I work for myself now but remember certain days around the holidays in the office as being the best to be there and never worth a vacation day. |
Anonymous
It’s funny, I read it and knew exactly what you meant! Agree, it’s crazy how the 5 week is rare, and we haven’t even reached winter weather. |
Anonymous
| We give mental health days but on an as needed basis. My kids are both straight A’s/all honors so I trust them to know when they need it. But my kids base it on how they are feeling, not the calendar. They usually like to attend the days before break because teachers don’t do much and they can socialize with their friends. |
Anonymous
|
I think for a kid who is really motivated, a leader, involved in a lot of things, has a challenging workload, has strong grades, is generally happy- the *occasional* mental health day is fine, and a student like this really doesn't want to miss school anyway.
I think they put a tremendous amount of pressure on these kids. The teachers, the admins, the coaches, the directors- and treat them like they are doing nothing else but their own thing which is asinine. They expect more out of kids than they do adults. So, as the parent, I am fine with saying- no you're just staying in your family home today, resting your body and your mind- and that's that. |
Anonymous
Exactly. I allow mental health days but this day is easy! Just go. |