Only second day of PS and so far I am not impressed.

[Word Nerd]

My experience in the PS was the main reason we decided our own children would never set foot in a PS.

 

The first time I ever considered homeschooling my children was during my student teaching experience ... and I didn't even have kids yet!

[dangermom]

Yeah, as the mom of a nut-allergic child, I can't get too worked up about the peanut ban. PB smears, it sticks, it gets all over. A couple of years ago a young friend of ours told about how a boy in his class would, every day, try to shove his PB&J into the peanut-allergic kid's face. I'm sure he thought it was a very funny joke.

 

Otherwise, you all are making me very grateful to homeschool! The sheer hassle involved in PS makes teaching my two kids look easy by comparison. (And even though we just started, we're taking Monday afternoon and Tuesday off so we can care for a niece while her dad's in the hospital for surgery. I don't even need a note!)

[LibrarianMom]

The questions on your health form are common questions used for special education screening.

[amy g.]

Okay, this is the worst story from when I was student teaching. There was a boy in my 3rd grade class who was preforming several years above grade level. He had not made below a 100 on any spelling test all year.

 

He had an older brother that had been in an institution all of the students life. The day that the brother moved home, the student did not write his spelling words 3 times each for homework. I'm guessing the family had other priorities that night.

 

The teacher sent a note home for the parents to sign about the missing homework. I begged her to cut the family a tiny bit of slack. I asked her what the note was intended to accomplish. She just said "Rules are rules."

 

Lucky for me I had enough self-restraint not to punch her.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Ha!! Get a load of this health questionnaire included in the paperwork for OUR local school district. It goes on for no fewer than 4 pages. I came thisclose to putting my son into K next year just to give me a breather, but there is no way in Dante's last circle that I am going to touch this thing with a ten foot pole.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

:iagree: (Deleted the obsurdity for brevity's sake)

[LibrarianMom]

Comments below

 

I have already made a seperate post about the cost involved and further elaborated on the associated fees today: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forum...=1#post1137820

 

Yesterday, I received a packet of "homework" which I need to fill out and return today or my child would be assigned homework today. :glare:

 

The packet contained all of the paperwork that I had already filled out and turned into the office. Some of it had to have already have been filled out in order for my child to actually be in the classroom to get said packet to bring it home.

 

I was informed in the parent handbook that any child that accumulates more than 3 absenses will receive a letter outlining state compulsory attendance laws and subsequently be closely monitored. More than 5 absences violates said law and will result in a truancy petition being submitted to the Attendence Department of the Williamson County Juvenile Court.

 

This most likely refers to unexcused absences. In our state more than 10 unexcused absences in a semester is cause for failure.

 

A seperate letter by the State of Tennessee Department of Health states that ALL children who develop a fever of over 100 degrees or any signs of the flu should be kept home for at least 7 calendar days or until fully recovered for at least 24 hours. A doctor's test or note is not required.

 

My guess is this is a new ruling due to swine flu. In our state students must not attend if they have thrown up, had diarrhea, or have a fever or 100 in the last 24 hours.

These appear to be mutually exclusive laws. :confused:

 

The dress code seems excessive and the appropriateness of student dress is at the discretion of the principal.

 

Could you expand on what excessive is? At our school, children can't wear sandals or flip flops for playground safety, no clothes with holes between the waist and knees, and no spaghetti straps. I think there are a few other minor things as well, but nothing excessive.

 

Tennessee State Laws requires the Pledge of Allegience be said each day. Exemptions are allowed if the parent states in writing that they object on religious, philosophical or other grounds.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much the way it is in every state.

 

Tennesse State Law also requires a minute of silence each day. (It does not specifically say so but I don't believe that you can obstain from this on any grounds.:D)

 

Yeah, our state tried this until a bunch of parents sued. It was not supposed to be prayer but to allow students a time to collect their thoughts or some such garbage. I think our school had more of 30 seconds.:001_smile:

 

There handbook makes it seem as if immunizations are mandatory and that only physician excemptions are allowed. This is not in accordance with state laws which allow a religious exemption.

 

I sent my dd's lunch today. I packed a healthy lunch of a sandwich, fruit, juice, yogurt, a bottle of water and as a surprise a small snack size candy bar. This was sent home with a note stating that only healthy snacks are allowed. Excuse me but when did it become the schools job to make dietary decisions for my children! :cursing:

 

Lunch time shouldn't matter but at our school this year we're not supposed to send cooking, candy, etc. for class snacks. Apparently schools that receive federal lunch funds have to adopt healthy guidelines to combat childhood obesity.

 

Should they have a need for additional supplies that will be requested later.

 

When you run out of supplies don't you go buy new ones too?

 

There are one whole page in the handbook for appropriate car rider procedures.

 

I would imagine they need to remind parents that if you car pool or have a guest they need a car seat or seat belt according to state law.

 

My older dd is in her second year of middle school in the same district and I have no had to deal with any of this nonsense from her school at all. On the other hand, we did have some scheduling difficulties. When we received her schedule this year I noticed that her related arts rotation was the exact same classes as last year. When I asked about it at the office, I was told that was because last year when she was supposed to have art and music they had to place her in the 7th grade rotation because there was too many 6th grade students. They couldn't place her in the 6th grade rotation this year because they have even more 6th graders this year. As a matter of a fact, they had to place fifty 6th graders in the 7th grade hall. So she will not get art or music at all in middle school. She is supposed to have home ec. in her life skills portion of the rotation but that did not happen last year nor will it happen this year because they don't have a teacher. The have a brand new state of the art home ec. class with stove, microwave, fridge, washer and dryer but no teacher. My dd informed me that they broke that room into two classrooms and got rid of the appliances.

 

It sounds like they are dealing with a larger than expected enrollment and are dealing the best they can.

 

After all of this, in 5th period of the first day, she was called to the office and her entire schedule was changed so that she is not actually in any of the classes that she had attended so far. They have a two hour language arts class and hers is broken into two different unconnected periods. :001_huh:

 

At the middle school level, reading/literature class and writing/grammar class are two separate subjects and do not need to be connected. I wouldn't be surprised if the two classes are taught by different teachers as well.

 

 

:banghead: OMG! Why did I agree to this mess and how in the world am I going to make it through the rest of the year?

[Barb_]

The questions on your health form are common questions used for special education screening.

 

Good to know, except that there is no reason to screen for special ed. Did you notice this quote, "Your answers to the following questions will assist us in obtaining an accurate and complete medical history of your child and help direct our attention to your concerns when we discuss your child's health?" Honestly, even my preteen was independently appalled at the invasion of privacy when she glanced at the forms lying on the table.

 

Barb

[Vida Winter]

Any chance of pulling them back out of the system? It sounds horrible.

 

 

My dd and I were at the local grocery store last night and ran into the principal of her (former) ps. We wished each other well and that was that. We're all nice to each other since we live in a town of ~1000. But I would never -- and I mean never-- send her back to PS unless it were a last resort (me being deathly ill or some such situation). I just don't have the patience to put up with all of the "stuff". Sorry you're having to endure it.

 

:grouphug:

[Joanne]

Hm. I've worked in 4 or more public schools in the last 6 years. I have been aghast and digusted at some of the interactions, rules and policies. Issues governing interaction, walking in hallways, pottying, lunch, food...I have seen disrespectful and or stupid rules. I have seen absolute craziness in the name of order and efficiency.

 

I never posted about it because the board tone had changed re: being critical of public school.

 

One of my bonus homeschool students is here due to "truancy" issues. This from a child whose disease is such that a cold equals hosptitalization @ MD Anderson.

 

Another one of my students was put quite literally in a closet to work. This is one of the most highly regarded schools in a highly regarded district.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Ha!! Get a load of this health questionnaire included in the paperwork for OUR local school district. It goes on for no fewer than 4 pages. ___

 

If this is the level of information that most parents have to cough up to school administrations with no assurance about how it will be handled once collected, then no wonder that so many Americans think homeschoolers are under-regulated.

 

I mean, if I were filling out folders of background information, signing that I understood student handbooks and having lunches inspected and some one told me that the family down the street was doing their own school without a professional to tell them what to do and when to do it (not to mention inspecting what comes out of the kitchen), then I would probably be appalled. Knowing that I wasn't going to get out of the paperwork morass anytime soon, I'd probably want to inflict some on them too.

[Reesegirl]

The attendance rules really gets me! My DD just graduated from high school at the end of May. She had a 4.0 all 4 years and was valedictorian of her class. But a week before graduation we got a letter from the school stating that she had to sit in afterschool detention for a couple of hours because she had missed too many days! Being homeschooled from k-8 all 3 of my dds have had a problem with catching every cold that seemed to come along. I guess they just didn't have a chance to build up their system. I know they would not want my dd there sick, making everyone else sick! Plus she had several days where she was out for dr. appointmens for RSD. Anyway, she went into detention without any complaint and really thought it was kind of funny. I am really glad to be done with the public school.

[KidsHappen]

The reason the middle schooler is in school is long and complicated but I have time and energy so strap in. She is bi-polar as am I. This was not condusive to her learning environment so in consultation with her pdoc (who is very pro-homeschool, by the way), her father and I decided that she would probably do better in school. This was planned a full year before she started going.

 

Last year was her first full year of PS. She started in the 6th grade which is the first year of middle school here. It was a very positive experience. Her teachers were excellent and the administration was great. She blossomed both socially and academically. She made honors every semester and did exceedingly well on the TCAP. She is in all advanced level classes this year.

 

Her school was the one with the scheduling issues which I absolutely understand. We living in a growing area and our population is growing faster than the school can accomadate. I am less than pleased about the fact that she won't get art or music but I can cover this at home. I was also a little ticked about the last minute scheduling change but even that would not have been such an issue if her full LA class was together as it was last year as it seems that they will lose some time with period changes and such. All in all though, I am pretty happy with the middle school.

 

Based on that experience, I knew that I would give the youngest the option to go to PS when she reached middle school as she has been bugging me for two years now. All of her friends go to school and she feels left out and well, I am old and tired and I just caved. She is a very sensitive child and I know it will take her awhile to adjust to the social scene in PS. I figured that it would be easier in elementary so that she will already have a social base when she gets to middle school. Since it is the same school system (right next door to the middle school) I was expecting everything to be about the same. Unfortunately, it seems to have gotten off to a rocky start but I will see how it goes. I think the school might find that this old girl still has a bit of fight in her.

[KidsHappen]

This would make me FURIOUS! What still passes for a school lunch these days isn't healthy by my standards so go figure that irony! (Really, faux wheat bread and jello desserts anyone? I think a bite-size candy bar to top off a healthy lunch is perfectly reasonable and it's offensive that they would try to override my dietary authority over my own child.

 

Yeah, this part really got my goat. I understand the peanut ban as we have allergies in my household as well. We don't have nut allergies but I am aware of the issue and have been "nut" free at public gatherings long before the public was even aware of the issue. But the thought that an institution that serves what the public school calls lunch would try to tell me what consitutes healthy absolutely amazes me. You can bet your butt that child will have a candy bar in her lunch come Monday morning, along with a note informing the teacher I will decide what my child may eat, thank you very much. My brother suggested I send a very kind note suggesting that since they were so helpful in telling me exactly what school supplies to send for her then perhaps they would also like to make a list letting me know exactly what constitutes a healthy lunch. What can I say, sarcasm runs in the family. :D

[KidsHappen]

My nephew only eats a few foods (really, really picky) and he is forced to eat his peanut butter (he dislikes jelly/jam/honey) sandwich at an isolated table everyday. The school said that they couldn't "punish" those with allergies by isolating them (I understand the reasoning behind this), so they make those who bring the "wrong things" for lunch sit alone. He's in third grade. (We're in TN, too.)

 

Everything you wrote is ridiculous. My dss cannot accompany us to Chicago for his great-grandmother's 90th birthday over Labor Day weekend because he would miss a day of school (Friday). He has very bad asthma and missed so many days last year that his Mother will go to jail if he misses too many this year. They have to "save" his days for medical emergency only.

 

Yes, my children are missing a trip to Atlanta next weekend for my grandson's 1st birthday and a trip to the zoo because they can afford to miss school on Friday. It was very difficult to schedule his birth last year just so my dd wouldn't miss school. :D

[KidsHappen]

You'll either let yourself get numb to it as they hope, or you'll spend your years in public school constantly trying to fight the system.

 

From one frustrated public school parent to another, good luck! Come on over to the afterschooling board and vent. We feel your pain.

 

I have never been very good at conforming so I have a feeling that they will get to know me very well.

[KidsHappen]

The letter about absences should say UNEXCUSED if TN is anything like Alabama. (check into this b/c it can make a huge difference.... dont ask the school... call your juvenile court office or look up your state truancy law). Here....if you go to the doctor, he needs to send a note back. If you keep them home sick... it may or may not be considered "excused" and would be at the discretion of the principal. No note... strike 1.

 

I was a truancy officer... this is supposed to just find families who don't care & are neglecting their child's education & usually more. I hated having to call in good parents who forgot the note at the dentist... the school should clear those things up ... but some liek to act tough. Get a school or a politician with an agenda... it can be abused or manipulated to be a pain in the rear... not the intent of those laws.

 

When you give your child to the state... they belong to the state for the time on the school grounds. You (if like it is here) will even have to get permission to contact them or see them. You are not truly in charge until they leave that property. You even have to ask them if your child can go somewhere with the family ... heaven forbid a death of GREAT aunt Sue is in another state.... she is probably not immediate family & doesn't count. Kid can't go!

 

They have been policing food for some time now. They police backpacks, hair styles, jewelry, supplies, brand names, shoe styles, hem lengths.... scary stuff.

 

The intimidate with the immunization stuff. The make it sound mandatory & it is a manipulation or bully tactic.

 

Homework... most is busy work & you will see it as very unnecessary... OR it is the stuff that should have been covered in class & wasn't!

 

And why are you putting kiddos in PS? Was it the only option? IT is never for academic excellence (IMnsHO)... so I assume it is a family issue or social issue (some kids really want to go & be with friends). I am very sorry.

 

I won't blow bubbles & say sweet things..... it will only get worse! Just wait until you have an issue with a teacher or a staff member.... just wait until some perv kid says something inappropriate.... just wait until a conflict erupts & everyone is guilty...

 

Yes, I have lived in TN for six years now and I was always confused when a dr. or dentist asked me if I wanted a note that my child had an appointment that day. A note? What in the world for? Now I know. Unfortunately, I do not take my children to the dr. unless they are very ill indeed as usually there is nothing they can do but apparently give you a note.

 

Last year there was a bank robbery across the street from where I live. They shut down the schools and parents were not permitted access to their child until the lockdown was lifted. If 911 or a school shooting happened today you could not pick your children up from school. Very scary.

 

And I can see where they are trying to use intimidation to force compliance but I am afraid I know the laws and they will find that it won't work with me.

[KidsHappen]

I'm stressed out just reading the OP and some of the other comments! :confused: :001_huh:

 

I think I would be a bad public school parent after being a homeschooler, as I wouldn't be able to jump through all the hoops and tolerate the stupidity and keep my mouth shut.

 

Yeah, I'm not much of a hoop jumper either and I have experience rebelling against school authority since way back when I was in school. ;)

[KidsHappen]

Ha!! Get a load of this health questionnaire included in the paperwork for OUR local school district. It goes on for no fewer than 4 pages. I came thisclose to putting my son into K next year just to give me a breather, but there is no way in Dante's last circle that I am going to touch this thing with a ten foot pole.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Your answers to the following questions will assist us in obtaining an accurate and complete medical

history of your child and help direct our attention to your concerns when we discuss your child's health

with you.

Child's Name __________________________________ ___ DOB ___________ Sex _____

Parent/Guardian Phone ____________

Address ___________________________ _______________ State _ ___ Zip ____________

Approximately when was your child's last routine check-up? ___________________________

Which doctor or clinic has been taking care of your child? ___________________________

Which doctor or clinic will take care of your child in the future? ___________________________

If seen at Avondale Clinic, what is your child's clinic number? ___________________________

PLEASE CIRCLE THE CORRECT ANSWER: (If uncertain, please answer with a question mark.)

While the mother was pregnant with this child, did she have any difficulties? .... YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Did she go to a physician or clinic regularly during her pregnancy? ..................... YES NO

Was the baby born 2 weeks before or after the expected time? ..............................YES NO

If yes, please explain:

How much did the baby weigh at birth?

Were there any complications during the labor or delivery? ................................. YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Were there any complications with the baby at birth? ......................................... YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Did the baby have any complications in the newborn nursery? .......................... YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Did the baby remain in the hospital after the mother was discharged? .............. YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Has the child:

Ever been admitted in a hospital? .................................................................... YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Had his/her tonsils and/or adenoids removed? .............................................. YES NO

If yes, please explain

Ever had a severe head injury or been knocked out? ....................................... YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Broken any bones? ............................................................................................ YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Ever been seriously burned? ..............................................................................YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Taken any medicines or poisons accidentally? ................................................. YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Had any other serious illnesses, accidents or injuries? .................................... YES NO

If yes, please explain:

CHECK ANY OF THE FOLLOWING DISEASES THAT THE CHILD HAS HAD:

[ ] 10 day or Red Measles [ ] Mumps [ ] Pneumonia

[ ] 3 day or German Measles [ ] Chicken Pox [ ] Tuberculosis

[ ] Scarlet Fever [ ] Rheumatic Fever [ ] Whooping Cough

[ ] Valley Fever [ ] Mononucleosis [ ] Croup

[ ] Strep Throat [ ] Hepatitis

CHECK ANY OF THE FOLLOWING DISEASES THAT THE CHILD'S PARENTS, SISTERS,

BROTHERS, GRANDPARENTS, AUNTS, UNCLES OR COUSINS HAVE HAD:

[ ] Diabetes [ ] Birth Defects [ ] Asthma [ ] Hemophilia

[ ] Rheumatic Fever [ ] Convulsions [ ] Anemia [ ] Hay Fever

[ ] Heart Disease [ ] Mental Retardation [ ] Cancer [ ] Skin Allergies

Is the child's father in good health? ....................................................................... YES NO

Is the child's mother in good health? ..................................................................... YES NO

Do the CHILD and BOTH parents live together? .................................................... YES NO

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ABOUT ALL YOUR CHILDREN:

Name Age Sex State of Health Lives at Home

1st Born

2nd Born

3rd Born

4th Born

5th Born

Has your child grown too slowly? ........................................................................... YES NO

Does your child have an unusual appetite? .......................................................... YES NO

Do you think your child is: [ ] Overweight? [ ] Underweight? [ ] Normal?

Is your child allergic to any foods? ......................................................................... YES NO

........... to any medicines? ......................................................................... YES NO

Is your child taking medication on a daily basis? ................................................. YES NO

If yes, what kind?

Has your child ever had asthma or wheezing? ...................................................... YES NO

Has your child had trouble with hay fever? ........................................................... YES NO

Does your child tend to have a stuffy nose or "constant cold"? ........................... YES NO

Does your child have any hearing difficulties? ...................................................... YES NO

Had an ear infection more than three times? ............................................ YES NO

Ever had a draining or running ear? ......................................................... YES NO

Ever had tubes in the ear? ........................................................................ YES NO

Does your child have any vision difficulties? ........................................................ YES NO

Do your child's eyes ever cross? .............................................................. YES NO

Is your child wearing or supposed to be wearing glasses? ........................ YES NO

Does your child have trouble with his teeth? ........................................................ YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Does your child have a heart murmur or anything wrong with his heart? .......... YES NO

If yes, please explain:

Does your child have a rupture or a hernia of the groin or navel? ....................... YES NO

Does your child often wet the bed? ........................................................................ YES NO

Does your child have daytime accidents? (wetting or messing pants?) ................ YES NO

Does your child have trouble with his feet or legs? ............................................... YES NO

Does your child have low blood or anemia? .......................................................... YES NO

CHECK ANY OF THE FOLLOWING THAT HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH YOUR CHILD:

[ ] Won't mind [ ] Trouble sleeping [ ] Cries too much [ ] Lying

[ ] Clumsiness [ ] Nightmares [ ] Fights too much [ ] Stealing

[ ] Too active [ ] Nail biting [ ] Clings to mother [ ] Starting fires

[ ] Easily upset [ ] Thumb sucking [ ] Clings to friends [ ] Too shy

[ ] Bad temper [ ] Stuttering [ ] Breath holding [ ] Jealousy

[ ] Drooling [ ] Falls a lot [ ] Does not talk well

[ ] Can't sit still [ ] Does not understand speech

[ ] Can't stick to one thing long enough [ ] Convulsions, fits or spells

[ ] Difficult to toilet train [ ] Breaks things on purpose

[ ] High strung or nervous

Is your child usually unhappy? ............................................................................. YES NO

Does your child have trouble getting along with other children? ............. YES NO

Does your child seem different from other children? ................................. YES NO

Did your child sit up by himself at 9 months? ....................................................... YES NO

Did your child walk by himself at 15 months? ...................................................... YES NO

Did your child ride a tricycle by age 3? ................................................................... YES NO

Could your child dress himself by age 4? ............................................................... YES NO

Could your child say understandable words (other than Mama or Dada)

by age 18 months? ................................ YES NO

Could your child put words together in sentences by 3 years? ............................. YES NO

Is your child coordinated with his hands? ............................................................ YES NO

Which hand does your child use to eat with? [ ] Right [ ] Left [ ] Both

.............. to draw with? [ ] Right [ ] Left [ ] Both

.............. to throw a ball? [ ] Right [ ] Left [ ] Both

Does your child understand what people say to him? .......................................... YES NO

Does your child like to be read to? ......................................................................... YES NO

Does your child like to watch TV? .......................................................................... YES NO

Do you think your child's play and thinking is as good as most children his age? YES NO

At this time, your child can do things as well as a year old.

Date _______________ Signature of Parent or Guardian ______________________________

 

I would have seriously sent that back with a big NOYB written across the entire page. I don't have much patience with a DOCTOR asking those questions. Fortunately I have a great dr. and we have an understanding that he mentions anything he is required to mention and I say yes, I understand, next?

[KidsHappen]

WT?.... I mean seriously my own mother doesn't need to know all of that information about my child. :001_huh::001_huh::001_huh::001_huh::001_huh:

 

What's next? Showing up at their birth and installing a device to track their every movement?

 

Yes, I believe it is called RFID and they have already started it with volunteers. :001_huh: What kind of crazy person bar codes their child? :confused:

[KidsHappen]

The questions on your health form are common questions used for special education screening.

 

They may be common but that doesn't make them legal or mandatory.

[keptwoman]

The questions on your health form are common questions used for special education screening.

 

Yes we had to answer them when our DS was being assessed for learning issues. It's rather invasive to ask everyone to answer them though isn't it. Surely getting them answered should the need arise would be a better approach.

 

I have never been very good at conforming so I have a feeling that they will get to know me very well.

I was one of those parents too. I'm sure they had a big cake in the staff room the day they got rid of me :lol: But seriously if we don't advocate for our children who will? Go you!!

[Audrey]

They're still obnoxious questions, and saying it is for "special ed screening" doesn't make it more appealing. If anything, it makes them MORE suspect, IMO. Schools get extra money for every kid they can tag with a "special ed" label.

 

In our town school, I am told there are only 30 boys in the lower grades (k-4) and that all but 4 or 5 of them have been labelled. Now, I know that it's local practice to wade in the shallow end of the gene pool, but even THAT doesn't account for such high numbers. The school just wants the money, no matter what.

Edited August 15, 2009 by Audrey

[KidsHappen]

Comments below

 

Ok, I don't know how to reply to quotes inside quotes so I copied and pasted.

 

This most likely refers to unexcused absences. In our state more than 10 unexcused absences in a semester is cause for failure.

 

Yes, but without a dr. note the school decides if the absence is excused or not.

 

My guess is this is a new ruling due to swine flu. In our state students must not attend if they have thrown up, had diarrhea, or have a fever or 100 in the last 24 hours.

 

Yes, I believe it is but it will make it difficult to comply with the regular attendance laws.

 

Could you expand on what excessive is? At our school, children can't wear sandals or flip flops for playground safety, no clothes with holes between the waist and knees, and no spaghetti straps. I think there are a few other minor things as well, but nothing excessive.

 

I am not actually looking at it right now but it covered things like piercings other than a single ear hole, hair and nail colors and/or styles. It also states nothing that maybe distracting. Who is going to decide what is distracting?

 

Yeah, that's pretty much the way it is in every state.

 

I am new to this school thing so this is news to me but I am not happy about the requirement that the parent must obstain in writing.

 

Yeah, our state tried this until a bunch of parents sued. It was not supposed to be prayer but to allow students a time to collect their thoughts or some such garbage. I think our school had more of 30 seconds.

 

We live in the Bible belt so not much chance of that happening here. I don't have a problem with a moment of silence (maybe I can institute this at home. :D) but more the fact that it is mandated by law.

 

Lunch time shouldn't matter but at our school this year we're not supposed to send cooking, candy, etc. for class snacks. Apparently schools that receive federal lunch funds have to adopt healthy guidelines to combat childhood obesity.

 

Well, the government can mandate what the government serves for lunch but it has no business telling me what I can serve.

 

When you run out of supplies don't you go buy new ones too?

 

Did you see the supply list I posted in another thread? Of course, I buy new ones when I need them but I can't imagine that they will run out based on what they ask for in the first place. I took this to mean that the teacher may ask for additional (different) supplies.

 

At the middle school level, reading/literature class and writing/grammar class are two separate subjects and do not need to be connected. I wouldn't be surprised if the two classes are taught by different teachers as well.

 

At this school it is taught as a single unit usually in a two hour segment, as it was last year. In other words, it is an integrated program only now it is broken up into two different segments. They do not even neccessarily have the same students in each segment so I have no idea how the teacher is going to keep track of who is doing what when.

 

I hope this formatting worked. If not please forgive.

[CherylG]

They're still obnoxious questions, and saying it is for "special ed screening" doesn't make it more appealing. If anything, it makes them MORE suspect, IMO. Schools get extra money for every kid they can tag with a "special ed" label.

 

In our town school, I am told there are only 30 boys in the lower grades (k-4) and that all but 4 or 5 of them have been labelled. Now, I know that it's local practice to wade in the shallow end of the gene pool, but even THAT doesn't account for such high numbers. The school just wants the money, no matter what.

:iagree:

[DawnL]

I think the peanut thing is way over the top. My son is allergic to wheat, corn, milk, eggs, peanuts, apples, oranges, grapes, tomatoes, and potatoes. Can you imagine the school trying to ban all that? I think I'd have outraged parents show up on my front lawn!! (We will be testing him again soon, to see how these things truly affect him. None appear life threatening, and most he's been able to eat without problem.) If the staff were educated on how to handle life threatening allergies, and they made sure that safe food handling practices were followed by all, including thorough hand washing, there isn't any reason to not have allergens at school.

 

All those ridiculous rules and schedule conflicts would have me wiggin' out!

[gingersmom]

Our middle school (grades 6, 7, 8) has 400+ kids per grade.

 

They barely have enough time to eat lunch (my daughtger had to eat hers standing in line waiting to pay one day).

 

I can't imagine them having time to inspect each lunch bag.

 

Our school allowed a company to install soda/snapple machines and the school gets a cut of the profits.

 

Plus we have snack machines filled with junk.

 

Why did you send your kids to public school (or back)???

[lgm]

Gee, no advance warning of the penalties for being late? The whole elementary school procedure biz makes me think it's good training for the DMV...

 

Our experience has been that no one that actually needs the info on the paperwork you fill out will get it, except for the nurse and the bus driver who each have their own forms.

[Mom0012]

Yep. I knew a family in a homeschooling group who had a child with a serious peanut allergy. We met at the park and one day for lunch I brought a Chick-fil-a lunch for my kids. The little girl took one look at the bags and literally ran away screaming at the top of her lungs. Apparently the chicken is cooked in peanut oil. It was one of the many things her mom told her to avoid at all costs. I was politely asked to not have anything peanut related at get-togethers.

 

I can kind of understand a peanut butter ban at school since there are so many kids all together with just a few adults supervising, but, really, I can't imagine asking another adult not to eat something that was fried in peanut oil because my child has an allergy. And my son does have allergies! He's allergic to peanuts and has allergies to other foods that are just as serious. It also seems funny to me that the only allergen that seems important for people to avoid is the peanut allergy, when many children are just as allergic to dairy, tree nuts, eggs, fish, etc.

 

This is getting off-topic, but I belong to a field trip group where a few of the kids are severely allergic to peanuts, a few are severely allergic to dairy and then there is my son who is severely allergic to a number of other things as well. Every time we get together, we are asked not to bring anything with peanuts in it. It always seems kind of insensitive to me that this allergy takes precedence over all others. If there was going to be a ban, it should be on all foods that the kids are allergic to. I, personally, prefer no ban, but I have a hard time understanding the focus on peanuts all the time.

 

Lisa

[chiguirre]

At this school it is taught as a single unit usually in a two hour segment, as it was last year. In other words, it is an integrated program only now it is broken up into two different segments. They do not even neccessarily have the same students in each segment so I have no idea how the teacher is going to keep track of who is doing what when.

 

I really think this is the hill you need to take a stand on. If they can't provide your dd with a LA class that conforms to their own standards, you'll have to go in to the office and express your concern. There are limited spots and the students with the most persistent parents will get them. If you can't get a satisfactory solution by just going in to discuss the schedule, you can use your dd's sn status to your advantage. Ask for an IEP review where you can specify that she has to have a continuous LA class. If nothing else, the prospect of more paperwork should give you extra leverage to get your dd the best schedule possible.

 

Good luck!

[Orthodox6]

Did the school's questionnaire also include the required HIPPA paperwork? [note the sarcasm of my enquiry]

 

I would not answer most of these questions. . . so happily would accept my child's "eviction" from government school.

 

Off the bat, I'm generally comfortable with restrictions on foods sent to school. We have no food allergies in our family, but we know families who must deal with this sometimes difficult scenario. Peanuts are the allergen best known to the general public. Do any of the other food allergies cause death from miniscule exposure as can be the case with peanuts?

 

At my son's private school, no desserts (of the "usual" kind -- cookies, candy, cake) are permitted in lunches. This, though, is because some of the parents subscribe to the belief that sugar triggers behavioural problems. (This is a school for special needs students.)

 

My "big mouth" character component sure would enjoy drafting a sweetly-worded reply to a public school which issued requirements for the home-prepared lunches. I would specify, in detail, what foods and beverages absolutely must not be sold in the school cafeteria, or in school vending machines.

 

 

 

 

Ha!! Get a load of this health questionnaire included in the paperwork for OUR local school district. It goes on for no fewer than 4 pages. I came thisclose to putting my son into K next year just to give me a breather, but there is no way in Dante's last circle that I am going to touch this thing with a ten foot pole.

 

__

Edited August 15, 2009 by Orthodox6

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Holly IN]

Maybe you're just not used to the public school culture...our kids went from K-1st grade. It really is like a mini-internment camp. We're conditioning our kids to be prisoners. I went up to the lunchroom one day and NO KIDDING there was this woman up on stage with a microphone who was telling the children EXACTLY when to take bites out of their food and then put their food down on their plates. It was absolutely mind-boggling (it was like a brain-washing center). We were really used to the school micromanaging exact details of our lives...down to the brand of scissors the kids put in their pencil boxes. :confused:

 

.

 

Reading this, it sounds like this is coming out of the book 1984. shudder!! Wow!!

Holly

[the4Rs]

Just adding that the local elementary school here also does not allow talking during the lunch period ever. This has been 2 years and counting and parents don't care. Boggles my mind. How can you expect 1st-3rd graders to not talk hardly at all ALL day.

 

Shari- I was just going to post that about inhaling peanut dust too. Had a child at the school I student taught in who had the same kind of severe allergy.

[amy g.]

My oldest went to half of a year of public school 1st grade. I took my younger kids, often to eat lunch with her.

 

NONE of my children have EVER wanted to go to school. When I asked my son about it, he said, "I just remember that lady screaming to be quiet during lunch".

[AmeliaJade]

Just adding that the local elementary school here also does not allow talking during the lunch period ever. This has been 2 years and counting and parents don't care. Boggles my mind. How can you expect 1st-3rd graders to not talk hardly at all ALL day.

 

 

 

Yet we're to believe our children would be better off in PS so they can socialize with other kids. :glare:

[chaik76]

Good to know, except that there is no reason to screen for special ed. Did you notice this quote, "Your answers to the following questions will assist us in obtaining an accurate and complete medical history of your child and help direct our attention to your concerns when we discuss your child's health?" Honestly, even my preteen was independently appalled at the invasion of privacy when she glanced at the forms lying on the table.

 

Barb

I actually wrote huge notes all over the pages like this saying it wasn't required by law (the parts that weren't) and only submitting the parts that were required by law, with as little info as was legally necessary. I also took in statements saying they weren't allowed to test for special ed., not allowed to have counseling sessions without a parent present, etc., etc.

I was very lucky...the school my son was enrolled in last year was nice about it. But not every school is.

[babysparkler]

I'm so sorry... :grouphug:

 

These are some of the reasons we pulled our dd out of school this year to homeschool.

 

btw... the 3 absence may include only "unexcused" absences but not "excused" absences with a parental note.

[babysparkler]

Your lunch note story reminded me of when my ds who was doing multiplication/division as a 5 year old was in kinder... I sent him a pretty challenging logic puzzle in his lunch box to complete when he was finished with his lunch because he just LOVES that sort of thing and was terribly bored with kinder (he would cry each day for me not to send him). I promised him I would send him some real work in his lunch box and he so looked forward to that lunchtime challenge, but when the monitor saw it she took it away and told him not to bring his "homework" to the cafeteria.:001_huh:

[Lilymax]

Just adding that the local elementary school here also does not allow talking during the lunch period ever. This has been 2 years and counting and parents don't care. Boggles my mind. How can you expect 1st-3rd graders to not talk hardly at all ALL day.

 

 

My 7 y.o. is an absolute motor-mouth who would die in that kind of environment! :lol: Or constantly be in trouble for talking. And I also think it's ironic that we're told to send our kids to school so they can socialize...when they're not allowed to talk. :001_huh:

[Tree House Academy]

Dah dah dah dah....welcome to public school! LOL We suffered these same things (in TN, no less) for the 4 years my son was in the public school system. Praise God, we are not there anymore.

[MomLovesClassics]

This is a true story. A relative had a child with a Native American. Her daughter was enrolled, and had been going to this school for quite a while. One day the teacher decides that her daughter looks nothing like her, and believes she saw this child on some missing child post somewhere. So my female relative, had to deal with this. She had to prove this was her child! The school called the police and everything. What a nightmare.

[BabyBre]

Being homeschooled from k-8 all 3 of my dds have had a problem with catching every cold that seemed to come along. I guess they just didn't have a chance to build up their system.

 

 

We've found the same thing. All of my dc get hit like a ton of bricks every year with colds. My younger two have each missed about 10 days of school each of the last two years. I keep waiting for someone to say something to me about it, but so far so good.

[BabyBre]

I have never been very good at conforming so I have a feeling that they will get to know me very well.

 

 

Atta girl! ;)

[OHGrandma]

Wow. I couldn't believe your post. Gee whiz -- that definitely makes me realize that the grass is not greener on the p.s. grounds! LOL

 

A note about the peanut free schools, though. My 11yo niece has a severe peanut allergy. She attends p.s. in East Tennessee, and her mom and dad are constantly fighting with the school to make sure that she is not inadvertently exposed during school time. Her allergy is so severe that even inhaling peanut dust can trigger a reaction requiring hospitalization. Ditto for being touched by someone with peanut residue on their hands. She carries an Epi-Pen (sp?) everywhere.

 

I know it is a pain in the you-know-where for the parents whose kids *don't* have a problem, but for some families it is truly a life and death situation whether or not your kid has a PBJ sandwich in his lunchbox. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

Our daughter was in school when the schools started with the zero tolerance stuff for drugs. Their policy, among other things, did not allow children to carry an inhaler, the nurse would keep the inhaler in her office. Excuse me, but a bus ride close to an hour left her terribly exposed to an asthma attack. They finally changed their rules on some critical items like inhalers and epipens.

Btw, our school does not ban nuts, but they have a sign that says "No guns, no latex" on the door. Every time I see that I think, "what's a kid under 10 doing with condoms anyway?" :lol:

[elegantlion]

My 7 y.o. is an absolute motor-mouth who would die in that kind of environment! :lol: Or constantly be in trouble for talking. And I also think it's ironic that we're told to send our kids to school so they can socialize...when they're not allowed to talk. :001_huh:

 

 

My ds too. He was in private school for prek and K and he did get in trouble a lot for talking.

 

I read the thread the other day about doing school in the library and I laughed, we would get kicked out for being loud.

[mommaduck]

This is a true story. A relative had a child with a Native American. Her daughter was enrolled, and had been going to this school for quite a while. One day the teacher decides that her daughter looks nothing like her, and believes she saw this child on some missing child post somewhere. So my female relative, had to deal with this. She had to prove this was her child! The school called the police and everything. What a nightmare.

 

 

:( I can only imagine. How awful!

[HRAAB]

My initial reaction from reading over this thread is, "no way, this stuff can't possibly be true." Obviously I need to crawl out from my comfortable homeschooling cave in which I live. I've had one experience with public school when my oldest dd attended kindergarten. That was 15 years ago, and I don't recall so many intrusions into my parenting. There were many other things I didn't' like, though.

 

I don't think we would last more than one day!

 

Janet

[Supertechmom]

Okay I just have to add my funny.

 

The neighbors approached ME - the die hard all public schools should be banned and illegal crusader - about WWID with this policy

 

paraphrased the best I can remember

 

"State law states that teachers do not have to allow students bathroom access during class instruction.'" IT was plastered across the syllabus from every teacher, the student handbook, and some handouts from the year.

 

Then when kids went to the bathroom during class, they were required to stay in during lunch for 10 minutes to receive instruction of what they had missed. not one single student in this large middle school -apparently parents had been talking and talking and talking- had ever had a teacher give them instruction but instead dentition. It came to me when good straight a advance students were going in school suspension and 2 students were facing out of school suspension for having too many "dentition notes" . All of them were for using the bathroom.

 

I was shocked. And then I laughed.:D They were concerned (probably by this point had 10 neighbors gathered around my driveway waiting on my reaction) Then I realized they WERE SERIOUS! They didn't know what to do!! SO they were asking the die hard homeschooler how to fix this policy!!!!

 

I sent everyone home to bring back the various papers that stated this as well as emails from the school regarding this and then called the state ed legal dept. He literally choked on his drink. I faxed him every little piece of paper and he assured me to tell the parents they would see a new policy tomorrow, if not by tonight in emails, and any one who had a child who served dentition and was punished to send him their names and he would take care of it. He said this came from a teacher trainer session that summer that had mentioned that you didn't have to stop teaching mid sentence to send a kid to the bathroom but you could wait until you were through to let them go to the bathroom. He said he knew then when the question was answered somebody was going to do something stupid with it.

 

Sometimes it pays to call your state's legal dept and make sure that the "laws" are really laws. It may just be an interruption of something else.

[Caraway]

I would have seriously sent that back with a big NOYB written across the entire page. I don't have much patience with a DOCTOR asking those questions. Fortunately I have a great dr. and we have an understanding that he mentions anything he is required to mention and I say yes, I understand, next?

 

I think that I would have sent it back with a copy of my birth plan, detailed accounts of the labor progression, and some very specific photos. :tongue_smilie:

[phathui5]

Yeesh. Why are your kids in school there?