If school days were so important, why have three 1/2 days this week alone instead of scheduling the parent/teacher conferences before and/or after school hours?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^PP here. If a teacher and principal are going to inflict these draconian consequences on a fifth-grader (who is a good student with a perfect attendance record) for missing a half-day of school the day before winter break, then I will do what I need to do to enable my child to avoid those (absurd) consequences, including if necessary, lying.

one of those with whom we DREAD meeting

b/c you are the type who is ALWAYS right

You children will suffer b/c you're one fucked up role model.

Nope, not really. And in fact, my DH is a teacher and agrees with this approach.

Anonymous wrote:^^^PP here. If a teacher and principal are going to inflict these draconian consequences on a fifth-grader (who is a good student with a perfect attendance record) for missing a half-day of school the day before winter break, then I will do what I need to do to enable my child to avoid those (absurd) consequences, including if necessary, lying.

one of those with whom we DREAD meeting

b/c you are the type who is ALWAYS right

You children will suffer b/c you're one fucked up role model.

Anonymous wrote:^^^PP here. If a teacher and principal are going to inflict these draconian consequences on a fifth-grader (who is a good student with a perfect attendance record) for missing a half-day of school the day before winter break, then I will do what I need to do to enable my child to avoid those (absurd) consequences, including if necessary, lying.

I'm generally a rule-follower but I have to agree here. I don't think it's reasonable to put school ahead of a family's legitimate need to schedule trips, handle emergency absences, etc. If I need to say my kid is sick to excuse the absence, then so be it. FYI, my kids are in high school, so an unexcused absence has serious consequences. Not that I abuse this -- my kids have very good attendance records. Still, if I need to call them in sick the half-day before a vacation, then so be it. I have no guilt about it, and I don't think I'm teaching my kids that lying is usually okay.

Good Lord. Just send a message to the teacher now saying John will not be in school and will be bringing his project the day before. (Don't send it after the due date if you want the teacher to be considerate). She probably will let him do his presentation early. I highly doubt he's the only one affected by this.

Contact the teacher! There is more to the story with the PP who said her kid got a zero for being absent. Probably got a zero for family being a pain in the butt and never turning in the assignment even after given multiple chances.

~Signed, former teacher.

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent and I can't believe that this is a big deal. Why can't you just talk to the teacher? I have never met a teacher that would't make some alternative arrangement for this situation. If this is the one in a million teacher who really is strict about this, then you have to weigh the consequences of your various choices, even if you end up with two bad choices. Just make your choice and move on. This is what grown-ups do.

God forbid that a 21st century mom actually contact a teacher when its so much easier to post the question on a website.

Anonymous wrote:Former 2nd grade teacher here. Honestly, to me this sounds like something fun to do on the day before Thanksgiving. Kids bring in and share their projects, absent kids won't miss any important lessons, they just won't get to share their projects with the class. Also, homework isn't really "graded" since there is no way to know how much of it the child is doing independently. I really think you need to calm down and that you're blowing things way out of proportion. Have you even asked the teacher about it?

I'm betting a big fat NO. Several posters have offered OP sound advice to deal with the situation, but she's clearly here to vent and not for solutions. Which is fine, but means she won't get this "problem" solved. Her kid will be absent, he will be told to lie about it, the teacher will not believe him and probably think pretty poorly of a parent who can't even 'fess up about a family trip or give the teacher the courtesy of a heads up. But that doesn't matter, because her son clearly has a shitty teacher anyway. Enjoy the rest of the school year, OP! It's going to be awesome!

Anonymous wrote:^^^PP here. If a teacher and principal are going to inflict these draconian consequences on a fifth-grader (who is a good student with a perfect attendance record) for missing a half-day of school the day before winter break, then I will do what I need to do to enable my child to avoid those (absurd) consequences, including if necessary, lying.

Or, you could follow the law and have your son attend school on a day school is in session. But I guess lying is just as good.

I am a parent and I can't believe that this is a big deal. Why can't you just talk to the teacher? I have never met a teacher that would't make some alternative arrangement for this situation. If this is the one in a million teacher who really is strict about this, then you have to weigh the consequences of your various choices, even if you end up with two bad choices. Just make your choice and move on. This is what grown-ups do.

Former 2nd grade teacher here. Honestly, to me this sounds like something fun to do on the day before Thanksgiving. Kids bring in and share their projects, absent kids won't miss any important lessons, they just won't get to share their projects with the class. Also, homework isn't really "graded" since there is no way to know how much of it the child is doing independently. I really think you need to calm down and that you're blowing things way out of proportion. Have you even asked the teacher about it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^PP here. If a teacher and principal are going to inflict these draconian consequences on a fifth-grader (who is a good student with a perfect attendance record) for missing a half-day of school the day before winter break, then I will do what I need to do to enable my child to avoid those (absurd) consequences, including if necessary, lying.

Really? "Draconian Consequences"? What is the consequence? We're talking about elementary school!!! It doesn't matter! I assure you as the mom of five...three in college...teaching your child that it's ok to lie will have far greater consequences.

I have four kids, one in college, two in HS, one in middle school. No terrible consequences have ensued, I assure you.

Anonymous wrote:^^^PP here. If a teacher and principal are going to inflict these draconian consequences on a fifth-grader (who is a good student with a perfect attendance record) for missing a half-day of school the day before winter break, then I will do what I need to do to enable my child to avoid those (absurd) consequences, including if necessary, lying.

Really? "Draconian Consequences"? What is the consequence? We're talking about elementary school!!! It doesn't matter! I assure you as the mom of five...three in college...teaching your child that it's ok to lie will have far greater consequences.

See also:

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Blogs/Education-Matters/September-October-2012/The-Big-Lie-Writing-the-School-Absence-Note/

Some things are more important than school, despite what MCPS has to say on the topic.

^^^PP here. If a teacher and principal are going to inflict these draconian consequences on a fifth-grader (who is a good student with a perfect attendance record) for missing a half-day of school the day before winter break, then I will do what I need to do to enable my child to avoid those (absurd) consequences, including if necessary, lying.