Well, I wrote in an earlier post about my DS7 going to the ER yesterday and having yet ANOTHER illness. This time it's a combination of things. Influenza screen and strep were both positive. Anyway, the doc called today wanting to see him in the morning as he's concerned about the petechia rash on his face and chest. During the ER trip everyone had us scared to death about meningitis, but they scratched that after the strep came back. He was iced to bring down his fever, IV antibiotics and a 30 day course at home and Zofran so he'll stop vomiting. So I looked up petechia with the strep and found rheumatic fever. By itself if it goes away if the strep is treated (untreated strep leads to rheumatic fever), than there's no problem. But if it continues, rheumatic fever can cause heart damage etc...SO being a MOM, I called back to talk to Pam, his nurse, she's making a visit here tonight anyway, she said she COULDN'T SAY what the doc was concerned about...OK...irritated, because I HATE when they pull that..."we can't say right now" bull! Here's the thing, because of his own battle with his lungs etc...and steroids, his immune system is shot. So after about 16 admits and the last leading to Scarlet Fever simply because someone else on the childrens ward had it, we try not to admit. We avoid it at all costs. He only winds up getting sicker in a germy hospital. However, we may be admitting anyway if we get to the point where he needs the constant care to kick this. BIGGER irritant, so I called the PS and asked about his days absence, he's at 16 days. 18 days CAN cause them to be held back (Over my dead body, he get's straight A's. Never missed one darn thing on his spelling tests, math etc..). So the secretary said it would be up to the board since they are required so many hours of instruction by a certified teacher....yadayadayada...BUT he's got doc notes for all of them. His teacher is actually very sweet and just adores him. She promised he wouldn't be held back, but that was back when he'd only missed 10 days. Now I'm getting nervous. I told the secretary on the phone, I can't help that he's ill (or that the janitor only cleans the FLOOR!) They knew from the get go how sick he was. When DS12 was in that grade, they remember me always being at Rainbow Babies with DS7, who was smaller then. I think we lived there for three years. It was insanity. I'm doing the BEST that I possibly can. My house is spotless, I'm big on organic gardening, no processed junk etc....I'm just out of ideas. But I know that when he's NOT at the PS, he's NOT sick. I'm just livid that he can be held back based on hours and not ability. Totally crazy! However, I'm going with "Go right ahead, cuz I'll HS him and put him in the grade he belongs!" Sorry, I'm just having a really lousy week and as much as I pray for him, sometimes I wonder if he's listening. I know that's a horrible thing to say, but I just don't see the plan here. We were already told to say 'goodbye' to him once, he was almost 2. I'll never forget that as long as live. My husband and I kept passing him back and forth, both wanting to be the one holding him. That awful grunting sound. I thought he was crying, but the nurse said "sorry honey, he's gasping for breath". Then out of the blue at around 1am through all the tears, the meds just kicked in! Worst night of my life, became the best. So if he was meant to grow up and be healthy, why is he always fighting something???? It's constant. This year, the most we've had is two weeks at a time where he could run and not get winded or pick up another new bug! So sometimes I just wonder, who's listening? I know it could be worse, believe me I know. It's just getting tiresome. And now he may be held back???? For being sick??? I'm at a loss. He would be miserable if he had to repeat simply for HOURS???? really??? I thought the point of school was to LEARN...not rack up HOURS?!?!?!?
Sorry to disillusion you! The hours are all-important in the school realm. For example when a district has too many snow days, one way to "make up" the time is to add an extra five minutes on each class in the high school. Tha gives them enough "hours" to make up the extra day. HELLO? You're going to accomplish THAT MUCH MORE with an extra 5 minutes? It sounds as if you've been through so much with him!!! Poor baby!!!
OhioMom, I don't presume to know your business OR God's, but I think He knew He had a sick kid who would need special parents, and He - in His infinite wisdom - picked YOU to take care of him until it's his time to go Home (hopefully, when he's like 97!). In somebody else's family, he might have died already! But God has a plan. He just hasn't chosen to tell you what it is yet, but know that He has one! Y'all have been through so much. I don't know and couldn't presume to tell you what the blessings are in your situation with your child, but I know God has some for you! All I can say is that hopefully, your family will look back on this time someday, and say, "Oh, look! That was a butterfly! And another! And another!" Keep looking for the butterflies. As far as schools go, I don't know about your state, but here, kids who have chronic or recurring illnesses and are absent irregularly get a "bye" [those who KNOW they will be out at least 6 weeks consecutively can have Homebound Instruction, which means a certified teacher carries their assignments to and from school and monitors their test-taking at home] as long as they have doctors' notes for them. Kids can miss like 15 days a year unexcused, but I don't think there's a maximum here for legitimate excused absences with doctor's notes. They might threaten, just to be sure the kid (or the parent) isn't taking advantage of the policy, but as long as the student is making passing grades and passes the end-year state test, I think our schools here will pass them. They also threaten students not to miss the state test, but there are make-up dates for taking it, and I've even known teachers to go to the student's house to proctor for taking it at home (under certain conditions). Yes, they are all about the "counting minutes" thing - after Hurricane Rita, our schools did the "add 5 minutes" thing until they'd made up three weeks of clock time. Yeah, THAT was really beneficial! >rolling eyes< Oh, and BRING HIM HOME to school!
I can say that during my Jr High School days.. there was a time each yr.. I think from February to March.. that I missed just about everyday due to illness. I was having reactions to the mold in the school which was blooming during those months. I'd have horrible migraines which lead the Dr. to believe I had a tumor. My mother had to have a meeting each time with the school board... She even had my Dr. come to the meeting (he was very good to us) and tell them that my illness was there fault for not removing the mold from the school! I was excused but it was a pain. Just stick to your guns. I WOULD BRING HIM HOME AND KEEP HIM HOME. My girls would catch everything when in private school.. now that we don't ... they are never sick. I hope he gets better with out having to be admitted.
Yeah, the hours thing is just plain dumb! It makes no sense. A child doesn't learn by 'hours'. I never could understand that. Also I was thinking that since DS12 has started HS, his day is much less stressful due to the 'shortness', when we're done we're done! DS7 (Tommy), might benefit from that. Right now, he's up at 7am and not home till 4:30pm. That's quite a long day for a 7yr old anyway. Since the doc wants to see him in the morning, I may just ask him for a letter keeping him 'out' the rest of the year. There's only a couple months left anyway. Plus if he's requested out by his doc, they can just send his work home and I don't have to hurry and get a curriculum for him. Then I should have the whole summer to plan for SECOND grade...there will be no 'hold backs' in this house over 'hours'. Meanwhile it's hugs and kisses. He's been very 'huggy' today. I tend to baby him although I try not to. But he's smaller than most kids his age. He weighed 4 lbs at birth and I guess he decided right then and there, that 'tiny' suited him! LOL I have to work on the babying thing, he's trying very hard to grow up and have mature conversations, but sometimes in the mist of his 'grown-up' speak, I can't help but want to just hug him. I'm a work in progress!
the hours deal comes from the money they receive from the state. they are required by law to be in school for so many hours and they get money based on said hours. the same goes for how many children show up each day on campus. (one of the reasons why they fight you (or scare you) so hard to keep your child when you say you're going to homeschool.) and there is your government at work. :eyeroll:
Just wanted to tell you I have said a prayer on your behalf. I can't imagine how tired you must be. He is there and he is listening. Hold on.
My step-brother was held back twice in elementary school, despite being a straight A student. He had cancer! Hours count. Every one of them. So he didn't graduate until he was three weeks from being 20.
My dh, a public school teacher, says that if they miss too many days, excused or unexcused you flunk. Plain and simple. And a teacher CAN'T do anything about it. Or at least that's how it works in Ohio!
When I was growing up - my brother's lung collapsed in high school. The SCHOOL did everything they could to help him move forward. I remember tutors coming into the hospital for him and to the house while he was recovering. Being that it's elementary school, maybe they wouldn't try so hard but still - I would ask the school board what they can help with if you have to pull him these last couple months. I'm completely with pulling him out - but as we learned with DS (9th grade) we had to start over and he is COMPLETELY bummed with this as he wants the normal schedule everyone else has and he knows he will have to work over the summer (pull at 1/2 year nothing he did counts as credit). My heart goes out to you! I hope your little one feels better soon!
tHAT'S JUST NUTS! I can't understand that. It's illogical. If I pick up a problem quickly, I should be done with that lesson. Just sitting in the class while the rest of them catch up simply for 'hours' would do nothing but feed my frustration. I would learn to hate school. I was also wondering about the future. According to that logic, since he's always going to be this way, they'd have to keep him in 1st grade forever. I'll never understand government policy when it come to PS. Some of the sheer stupidity makes you wonder how they even feel they're qualified to teach. I just don't get their reasoning. Then there's the whole GED thing. You can get a GED simply by passing one test. Yet a diploma requires 'hours', however, they both mean the same thing. That you have the brains to pass high school. Sanity doesn't seem to be a strong point with these people. I liked my life better when I was living in the clouds. Since I started researching our educational system and I'm currently living with my own nightmare, I live in frustration. DS7 is confused because he overheard my phone conversation about the possible hold-back. He asked what happens to the stuff he already learned? Why does he have to do it again? From the mouths of children there can be great wisdom.
If there is a health problem where the child will be gone consistently, the school is suppose to provide a home instructor. I taught children with orthopedic/health handicaps in Ohio, and this fell under our area. I had a student that was on dyalisis (sp?) every other week, and he'd be out three days each time. He did have a home instructor. Another option for the OP might be Cyber School....
OhioMom, In Ohio you can get something called a 503 waiver (I think that's what it's called) from the school. My sister's youngest got it because he is a TERRIBLE asthmatic and misses all the time. The waiver is meant to suspend counting "seat time". The only thing the child is judged on is grade. My sister got it through the school psychologist/psychiatrist and it has been in place for over 4 years. All she has to do is show proof of office or ER visit or admission to the hospital and his absences are not counted against him. Check with your local school psych and see if they can help you get one of these waivers. Hope this helps! :love: Marty
When we went to school to see their preschool special Ed program for Paddy (A-W-E-F-U-L), I told them that we were homeschooling right now, and I just wanted him to have OT and Speech trhough the school. They said No (even though I'm entitled) and had the gazongas to tell me that they had my child's future to think about while they were at home with me. What WHAT?! Ugh, he would have been in school all day, too just to get the hours he would have missed in the regular classroom while he was with specialists. Hours. Pffffft.
My oldest daughter is always sick with something, too, but she's homeschooled. I always say it's a good thing she's not in ps cuz she'd never be there. She has allergies and asthma, and gets alot of colds that linger during winter. She was in the ER in Nov for a breathing treatment, then sick with a cold that would NOT go away that lasted 6 weeks in Jan/Feb. Ugh....
