Letter from principal - excessive absences (FCPS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Well what ARE you doing about her academics?
The school is raising valid concerns here.

Exactly. Fair chance they will insist she be held back.

[Anonymous]

I once got a call on my son's fourth day out for a severe sinus infection which was causing him to vomit daily (yes, he was on antibiotics). I told them I'd be glad to send him but not to call me when he pukes on his desk.

Never got another letter like it again.

Had you told them earlier that he was sick? Calling you is just part of the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dd (in 3rd grade) was sick in the Fall for 2 weeks with a virus (many others in her class were as well). Then starting around mid-January, she has had one case of strep after the other, and had four cases of strep total. Her absences have been 22. In each strep case, she experienced symptoms, fever, headache, etc., and her strep was diagnosed at the dr or urgent care.

We received a letter from the principal expressing concern over her excessive absences, and it said that he was concerned about the impact on her education.

The letter did not ask for a response, but it seems like I should respond? What would you do? I could send evidence of her strep tests to document why she has been absent?

We have an ENT appointment scheduled, and we are considering removing her tonsils. It seems like that might help, but that is not going to help with the past absences.

I once got a call on my son's fourth day out for a severe sinus infection which was causing him to vomit daily (yes, he was on antibiotics). I told them I'd be glad to send him but not to call me when he pukes on his desk.

Never got another letter like it again.

Short answer - legitimate illnesses result in absences. Doctor's note will shut them up. If it doesn't, ask them if they would like to discuss it with your lawyer.

Ha! Love it!!!

[Anonymous]

Stunned that people think the school is calling just to harass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well what ARE you doing about her academics?
The school is raising valid concerns here.

Exactly. Fair chance they will insist she be held back.

http://www.fcps.edu/it/studentreporting/documents/rets14.pdf

Are you really that dumb???? The retention rate for third grade in the 2013-2014 school year was 0.05%. I really, really, really don't think op needs to worry about that. Must be a pretty extreme case for them to hold back a third grader. Please get a grip and a reality check. Until then, get some self control over posting your hysterics on anonymous message boards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP, of course, I am concerned about her education. What do you mean, what am I doing? I am taking her to the dr and trying to get her well. I am going to schedule surgery for goodness sake. We spend weekends doing homework. What else can I do pray tell?

This happened to me. I wrote the principal back a nice letter. They were saying that my DS ought to do some of his homework while he was ill. I said that he was much too ill to do homework while running a fever of 102-103 for weeks on end. The teachers and principal were very nice about it and it took us months to catch up. they were very helpful to us, best of luck.

[Anonymous]

OP- Don't worry. The school is just covering the backsides.

I missed a ton of school before I had my tonsils taken out during the summer before 5th grade. The final straw for my family and the school was being out for a month due to a serious case of the chicken pox. I remember my mom calling the school with weekly updates and getting my homework sent home. The school was mystified that the chicken pox could be so problematic. So she took a picture of me with my eyes sealed shut with pox and my fingers sealed together, my toes ... I think you get the picture.

Anyway, I remember having to finish some school work well into the summer, as I should have but in the end the school back down on the attendance issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- Don't worry. The school is just covering the backsides.

I missed a ton of school before I had my tonsils taken out during the summer before 5th grade. The final straw for my family and the school was being out for a month due to a serious case of the chicken pox. I remember my mom calling the school with weekly updates and getting my homework sent home. The school was mystified that the chicken pox could be so problematic. So she took a picture of me with my eyes sealed shut with pox and my fingers sealed together, my toes ... I think you get the picture.

Anyway, I remember having to finish some school work well into the summer, as I should have but in the end the school back down on the attendance issue.

In VA, more than 10 absenses is a red flag for educational neglect.
I looked into the rules (via CPS) when a student was out twice a week and then weeks at a time with vague excuses.

Kids do get sick all the time and it sounds like you did the right thing (100%). Some years are just like that.

Sometimes when kids miss a lot of instruction, they need extra academic help to stay on track.
It may make sense to call the teacher and see if your child is academically on target.

I know students who knew they'd be out for several weeks and the school had an obligation to send a teacher to the home to keep them up to speed for when they returned.
As a teachers, I had to prepare assignments for this kiddo and was happy to do it.

Sometimes a kid says they are sick and they are really hiding a learning issue or have deep depression, and the school should help with that if they know about it.
I know that is not the case here, but I'm offering the other point of view.

That's why letters like this matter. Also, sometimes 1 parent knows what is up and the other doesn't.

I hope your kiddo has a healthy spring and I am sorry you had a tough start to the school year.