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Moral Dilemma - School !

Moral Dilemma - School !

Old Jan 30th 2013, 3:34 pm
  #31  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by Sally Redux
In our district, they do lose funding when a child is absent. That puts a lot of pressure on attendance.
Oh that would put pressure on them.

One thing I am not happy about at our school, is that they say that family visits are not a good enough reason to be absent. Generally I would agree, but I think that weighting changes when it is an immigrant child. I feel I could make a case based on research, including those development assets that I referenced earlier and other authors; but not all immigrant are in a position to have the confidence that they can go toe to toe with the school management.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 4:00 pm
  #32  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by NatashaB
I would pull him out of school - no questions. If I felt inclined to be awkward, I'd send a letter in saying that I didn't expect his 100% attendance award to be penalized because of the school changing their schedule). My stepdaughter's school has their half days on Monday afternoons, once every 6 weeks or so. Parents are incensed about it (the half days used to be Friday afternoon which was much more convenient for long weekends visiting family etc) and some don't even bother sending their child in, to the point that the school no longer bothers doing anything academic and uses the short days for special assemblies/school dances/ other pointless stuff.
Natasha has a point. If you want to suck up, maybe you should ask what extra activities your child could do to make up the 3 1/2 hours of school, and suggest something like a story about the tower of london, or the crown jewels to make up for the lost time.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 4:14 pm
  #33  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

The reverse situation happened to me way back when - the school district brought forward the start of the next school year at short notice. We'd already booked our tickets to England and were pissed. Called the school district and explained the situation and got agreement that our children would start 2 (I think) days late. It was unfortunate and annoying, but hardly something to get one's knickers in a twist about.

As for these 100% attendance record things... pfft.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 4:33 pm
  #34  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Its the last day of school, which of course is a useless day of school, not like any teaching is done and no learning is done. I dont see an issue with missing it since the plans were already planned to leave based on what the school provided.

Other then the school, does anyone else really care if a kid misses a day of class? Even in high school, missing a day here and there isn't gonna hurt anything.

Last edited by scrubbedexpat091; Jan 30th 2013 at 4:37 pm.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 5:39 pm
  #35  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by Bob
How old are we talking?

Does 3.5 hours really matter that much? No. They'll just be tossing about watching movies anyway.

Sod it, go on holiday.
There are people on this and other forums who might claim they've been mostly attentive in the US school system - and they CLEARLY need to ask for their money back & compensation because they are utterly uneducated...

(Did I just say all that out loud?!)
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 5:55 pm
  #36  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

I don't think there's any reason to worry about 'missing out' on that last day, but in light of:

Originally Posted by dlake02
Son (11) is very "results" driven as is the way round here - for him, 100% attendance means a prize, going on stage, and all the ra-ra associated.
If your son is genuinely distressed at the idea of losing his 100% attendance (seriously, what madness is this??), perhaps penguinsix's idea might work to everybody's benefit:

Originally Posted by penguinsix
Can you just change his ticket and have him fly as unaccompanied minor?
He gets to take responsibility for keeping his perfect record, he gets to do something as 'grown-up' as fly on his own, and, most importantly, he gets to learn the lesson of how you go through all these contortions in life for things that are usually a complete let-down/waste of time
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 7:10 pm
  #37  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

And I thought I was a worry guts.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 7:18 pm
  #38  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

So, we've made our decision. And we're in total agreement with the vast majority of BE.

For $700 on the last day of term, for 3 1/2 hours lost non-school, we are barking. When we write to the school asking for forgiveness for him missing the last day, we will explain the reason, and let them join-the-dots.

Now, what shall I spend the $700 (that I don't actually have....) on ?

Answers on a postcard.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 8:00 pm
  #39  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Is it Lionheart?
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 8:14 pm
  #40  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by Dirty Dog
I'd suggest paying the extra $700 flight change fee. It would be money well spent as it would send the right signal to your son.
I think the signal in this case would be that it's ok for other people's last minute planning and random decision-making to massively inconvenience you and cost you large sums of money, and you should just roll over and take it.

I'm all for supporting the importance of education and working towards a sensible compromise - posters have made good suggestions about seeing if the boy can get extra credit somehow for his attendance record; nice idea if it's important to him - but to trade off a movie and party games against $700 and a shortened family visit seems taking it a bit far. The school issued a calendar, you worked with it, and now it's changed - complete absolution on your part, I reckon.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 8:25 pm
  #41  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by Dirty Dog
This is just my opinion but teaching children how to adapt to changing circumstances is an important lesson in life, one you can't put a price tag on.

And you finish what you start
But <dons armchair philosopher's hat> you could equally argue that the OP has made a commitment to the airline company with his booking, and should finish what he started there?

And you'll probably find you could put a price tag on it - I imagine if you offered to pay the school $700 to keep to Plan A, rather than the airline company to change to Plan B, the school would find many, many ways for the OP's son to earn his extra credit.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 8:54 pm
  #42  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by Dirty Dog
This is just my opinion but teaching children how to adapt to changing circumstances is an important lesson in life, one you can't put a price tag on.

And you finish what you start
I'd say a more important lesson is that you need to think for yourself and not just follow along with what you are told, like a sheep. Missing the last half day of school is not important, being smart enough to figure that out and act on it is an important life lesson.

As for the 100% attendance reward - won't they present these sometime in the last week? I'm guessing it will have been handed out before the last day and missing the last morning won't matter anyhow.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 8:59 pm
  #43  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by Sally Redux
Is it Lionheart?
Oh got it now. Thanks JG.
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 9:09 pm
  #44  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by Philgr
I'd say a more important lesson is that you need to think for yourself and not just follow along with what you are told, like a sheep. Missing the last half day of school is not important, being smart enough to figure that out and act on it is an important life lesson.

As for the 100% attendance reward - won't they present these sometime in the last week? I'm guessing it will have been handed out before the last day and missing the last morning won't matter anyhow.
Yes - the beautiful irony. Prizes for attendance records, grades, honour-roll, etc, are scheduled for the week before the end of school due to the high number of children that are absent for all or part of the last week !!!

You just can't make this stuff up, can you ?
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Old Jan 30th 2013, 9:22 pm
  #45  
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Default Re: Moral Dilemma - School !

Originally Posted by Sally Redux
Oh got it now. Thanks JG.
ok I'll bite
"Lionheart" is..........?
Apologies: this doesn't belong in THIS thread - but as SR knows - other one with JGs comment is deleted - so whats an "inquiring mind" to do?
"Lionheart"?
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