WAG Getting out of gym or other classes

[thefellowsmom]

Wow, we are very lucky! My DD is in 6th grade and leaves school about 2.5 hours early each day, she misses her "elective" courses, none of which need to be made up (PE, health, music, etc..), all of her required classes she gets in the AM, she then goes to lunch and gets out of school right after lunch. All we had to do was meet with her middle school principal last year to discuss her getting early release. We had no issues at all and so far not a lot of homework either.

This is exactly what we do. She also has to complete seven weeks of health class that is normally part of pe. So she is enrolled in pe, but only has to attend those seven weeks. They schedule it as zero period so it doesn't the effect her schedule otherwise.

She also completed a full year of Spanish in an online summer intensive through laurel springs this summer and will do that again next summer. We had to get this approved through the district and the schools coordinate the whole thing. She is also completing an online photography class right now just for fun. We consider it an elective and then she really hasn't missed anything, we just went about it a little differently.

I agree with PP that you should check what the laws actually are. Homeschoolers are a great resource.

I think technically we are considered partial homeschoolers with the district. This changes the rules a bit I think. I think they classified us this way to make it work for us even though she isn't missing anything that she needs to make up or anything. The Spanish and photography were things we did on our own so she would stay ahead of the game and take advantage of banking high school credits while we can to take the pressure off later.

Our district has always been great. She has been leaving early since fourth grade and we have never even been balked at. Totally thankful to be in such an amazing school district. We are only one example of how great they can be.

 

[LGnyc]

This is why I've been told that region six is a little weaker than the other regions. There are less accommodations made for sports and more focus on academics. I don't know the accuracy of this, this is what I have been told.

That's fascinating. I never heard that before. But it's certainly the case in our school - AND we are private.

 

[sewgood]

Ditto! We have the same situation. Some years she might have PE for one term, or two terms or no terms! She likes it, so we don't get her out of it. She likes showing everyone up in the physical fitness testing.

Ha! Same for both of my daughters.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

My DD is just considered a part time student. She isn't required to make up any of the classes that she is missing, thankfully.

This is exactly what we do. She also has to complete seven weeks of health class that is normally part of pe. So she is enrolled in pe, but only has to attend those seven weeks. They schedule it as zero period so it doesn't the effect her schedule otherwise.

She also completed a full year of Spanish in an online summer intensive through laurel springs this summer and will do that again next summer. We had to get this approved through the district and the schools coordinate the whole thing. She is also completing an online photography class right now just for fun. We consider it an elective and then she really hasn't missed anything, we just went about it a little differently.

I agree with PP that you should check what the laws actually are. Homeschoolers are a great resource.

I think technically we are considered partial homeschoolers with the district. This changes the rules a bit I think. I think they classified us this way to make it work for us even though she isn't missing anything that she needs to make up or anything. The Spanish and photography were things we did on our own so she would stay ahead of the game and take advantage of banking high school credits while we can to take the pressure off later.

Our district has always been great. She has been leaving early since fourth grade and we have never even been balked at. Totally thankful to be in such an amazing school district. We are only one example of how great they can be.

 

[jenjean70]

For those kids who are not homeschooled, do your schools make accommodations for their hours? We just went through a huge battle with ours. She's 21 hours a week and homework is a mad scramble. I had hoped that she could have study instead of gym but no go. Apparently it's state mandated that kids PK-8 NEED to do 3x a week of PE. Can get out starting in 9th. Ugh. Just curious how it works in other schools and states. Or if your kids don't need the time.

My son is doing off campus PE in 6th grade. Our district and state allows it starting in 6th grade.

 

[jenjean70]

Wow, we are very lucky! My DD is in 6th grade and leaves school about 2.5 hours early each day, she misses her "elective" courses, none of which need to be made up (PE, health, music, etc..), all of her required classes she gets in the AM, she then goes to lunch and gets out of school right after lunch. All we had to do was meet with her middle school principal last year to discuss her getting early release. We had no issues at all and so far not a lot of homework either.

Next year, 7th grade, my son will have to go all day because our district requires health one semester. Ugh!

 

[bookworm]

I suggest that you get a note from her doctor saying that due to the amount of physical stress on her body, she may not participate in PE at school. Or something to that effect. They can't argue with that! FWIW, my DD does not do PE, and her school has no problem with it. That said she is in a private school so it is a little different.

Um no....I can't fathom that a medical professional would write a note for an athlete not to participate in PE in school because they do a lot of hours at the gym, at least it wouldn't happen in our office....and I had 2 gymnasts who did a lot of hours in the gym, and did the required PE in school. FWIW, most of the medical people I encounter are loathe to excuse a kid from school class unless it's a legit medical reason, like a concussion....

I will add that we had no issue with my girls' schools accommodating their schedules for gym but like rjb123, they were in private school so maybe that helped.

 

[rjb123]

Um no....I can't fathom that a medical professional would write a note for an athlete not to participate in PE in school because they do a lot of hours at the gym, at least it wouldn't happen in our office....and I had 2 gymnasts who did a lot of hours in the gym, and did the required PE in school. FWIW, most of the medical people I encounter are loathe to excuse a kid from school class unless it's a legit medical reason, like a concussion....

I will add that we had no issue with my girls' schools accommodating their schedules for gym but like rjb123, they were in private school so maybe that helped.

We had no issues with our DD's school letting her skip PE- in fact, this year when I touched base with the middle school principal he was like "no problem- don't even worry about it- it is PE for goodness sake!" That said, DD's ortho told me several years ago when she was rehabbing from an injury that he felt gymnasts were more at risk in a PE class than at gym. Around here PE class is like chaos- way too many kids packed into a small space and let to run wild for 45 minutes (at least this was our experience in the public school- before we moved our kids out). He actually gave her a note saying she was not to participate in PE. No end date. He told me he has more broke bones requiring surgery from kids in PE class than gymnastics (and he does a lot of work from gymnasts!)

 

[CuriousCate]

Um no....I can't fathom that a medical professional would write a note for an athlete not to participate in PE in school because they do a lot of hours at the gym, at least it wouldn't happen in our office.

Yup, this. I'd never write a note stating that PE might physically tax a child who was already doing that many hours a week at gym. I'd be more inclined to tell the parents that if PE is taxing, perhaps she needs less gym. All that said, I do actually feel that the physical part of PE is unnecessary for kids in sports that practice at that level, but that is a state/district issue, not a medical one.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

My DDs school has been very accommodating. She leaves school one hour early every day. She does not do PE, and she misses out on her electives (last year it was art and something, this year I don't know what she is "missing". Her guidance counselor simply scheduled her electives at the end of the day and then "erased" them, leaving that hour blank. I am very grateful for them working with us on this!!

 

[bookworm]

Yup, this. I'd never write a note stating that PE might physically tax a child who was already doing that many hours a week at gym. I'd be more inclined to tell the parents that if PE is taxing, perhaps she needs less gym. All that said, I do actually feel that the physical part of PE is unnecessary for kids in sports that practice at that level, but that is a state/district issue, not a medical one.

We used to have football players contact our office for notes to "dismiss them on game days early so they could go home and take a nap before their games"....we politely told them that there was no medical reason to dismiss them so no notes were ever going to be written to that effect....

 

[B&M's mom]

Not all schools will accomodate. My pediatrician did write a note to get my oldest DD out of high school PE because she was doing year round high intensity training. It was the only way to get her out of PE as it was a state mandate. Ironically, if you were on a high school team, you would be automatically excused from PE for the term that the team was competing. Knowing this and trying to keep my DD as healthy as possible, the doctor had no issue writing the note. I did not ask for a note for my younger daughter who was doing much less intensive training.

 

[sce]

Um no....I can't fathom that a medical professional would write a note for an athlete not to participate in PE in school because they do a lot of hours at the gym, at least it wouldn't happen in our office....and I had 2 gymnasts who did a lot of hours in the gym, and did the required PE in school. FWIW, most of the medical people I encounter are loathe to excuse a kid from school class unless it's a legit medical reason, like a concussion....

I will add that we had no issue with my girls' schools accommodating their schedules for gym but like rjb123, they were in private school so maybe that helped.

But I know of multiple sports doctors that do exactly that. Write a note stating the athlete should be let out of PE. Their body's already face so much pounding that the activities in PE can just compound that. My ds' teammate had a note that enabled to opt out of certain PE activities (he has some overuse pain that flared up with certain activities) and was to do stretched and alternative stuff instead. For high school, he has a doctor note getting him out of PE. It allows him a study hall period.

 

[CuriousCate]

But I know of multiple sports doctors that do exactly that. Write a note stating the athlete should be let out of PE. Their body's already face so much pounding that the activities in PE can just compound that. My ds' teammate had a note that enabled to opt out of certain PE activities (he has some overuse pain that flared up with certain activities) and was to do stretched and alternative stuff instead. For high school, he has a doctor note getting him out of PE. It allows him a study hall period.

I'm a sports surgeon. I would *absolutely* write a note to prevent an athlete from doing activities that flare up overuse injuries, etc, but not a global note saying, "hey, I know that this kid is capable of training 20 hrs/week at the gym, but he/she cannot participate in PE because it would really put her over the edge." ie, I have written notes to prevent activities that involve repetitive jumping on black top or hard gym floors bc of tendinitis of the knee, ankle, etc. But the kid usually doesn't get "out of PE" altogether. They sit out that portion, or have to do something else while still in PE class.

Even in a district that gives kids on school teams an out from PE, I'd expect the coach or parent to be able to appeal to the district about giving the gymnast the same courtesy. But it is still not a medical issue and I still wouldn't write a doctor's note for it.

 

[B&M's mom]

Yeah, I appealed to the district but got nowhere, you either had the doctor's note or you did PE. In our district, if they weren't in the gym for PE, they got to do a paper a week on a sport. Not the best use of time. I'm not anti-PE and had my younger DD do it even though she was also a gymnast but not training the same number of hours. But my oldest was doing intensive training and we worried about the impact of the additional 5 hours a week of PE on her body that was already more stressed than we realized. She had had a series of overuse injuries that we thought were healed but her doctor agreed that based on the number of hours she trained there was no need for additional PE. So she got out of PE and took a different class.

She's now left the sport because of injuries that developed over time and despite not having PE is the most active one of the entire family.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Even in a district that gives kids on school teams an out from PE, I'd expect the coach or parent to be able to appeal to the district about giving the gymnast the same courtesy. But it is still not a medical issue and I still wouldn't write a doctor's note for it.

If a district gives the school teams an out they would likely give the gymmie the same out. Because that would not be treating athletes the same. And that gets ugly.

Again, in NYS there is no out, school team or otherwise. Kids must do x amount of hours of gym to graduate. Both my sister (class of 1980) and stepson (class of 2012) tested this theory. Both ended up in gym senior year for multiple periods, 5 days a week for their senior year................ Medical will get you out of it. Sports will not.

 

[sce]

If a district gives the school teams an out they would likely give the gymmie the same out. Because that would not be treating athletes the same. And that gets ugly.

Again, in NYS there is no out, school team or otherwise. Kids must do x amount of hours of gym to graduate. Both my sister (class of 1980) and stepson (class of 2012) tested this theory. Both ended up in gym senior year for multiple periods, 5 days a week for their senior year................ Medical will get you out of it. Sports will not.

Well, at my local HS you get out of PE if you do a school sport but not due outside sports. Only high level athlete with a doctor's not can get out of PE for non-school sports.

 

[skschlag]

If a district gives the school teams an out they would likely give the gymmie the same out. Because that would not be treating athletes the same. And that gets ugly.
.

Nope. Last year in our district was the first year they took away the credit for club sports. I fought it all the way to the school board to no avail. They only allow the high school sports to get credit for 1 semester of PE, because they say "we know what they are doing and can prove it meets PE standards." I offered to do an independent study, home school PE only, etc. The only option we got was PE at school or PE online in the summer. Since he needs off periods to get home work done and next year to get to practice on time, we are paying outrageous fees to do summer school.

 

[sce]

Nope. Last year in our district was the first year they took away the credit for club sports. I fought it all the way to the school board to no avail. They only allow the high school sports to get credit for 1 semester of PE, because they say "we know what they are doing and can prove it meets PE standards." I offered to do an independent study, home school PE only, etc. The only option we got was PE at school or PE online in the summer. Since he needs off periods to get home work done and next year to get to practice on time, we are paying outrageous fees to do summer school.

Were you given a choice for the online option. I know some cost more than others.

 

[skschlag]

Were you given a choice for the online option. I know some cost more than others.

Our district offers it so we just went through them.