Parents How much school do your kids miss for meets?

[srsjbs]

I got some flack from DD's teacher today because she will be missing half of Thursday and Friday. She's only missed 2 other days because of meets. I don't know I guess it just annoyed me. She (obviously) knows we live in an extremley rural area and we have to travel long distances. Unfortunately this meet DD competes Friday and then our last meet (state) she also competes Friday. There's nothing I can do about it. At least the my other kids' teachers were very nice and agreed to have their makeup work ready for them. It will give them something to do during our long 8 hour drive. She's in 1st grade for goodness sake and does not struggle in school even a little. It's not like she's missing the SAT's for goodness sake.

Grrr, just needed to vent.

 

[DND]

I find it changes year to year depending on the teacher. Even with principal approval I have had teachers who make it extremely difficult and others whom go out of their way to help and be supportive.

Just think year is half way over and maybe next year you will have one that jumps on board!

 

[srsjbs]

^^^ True! And I sure hope so!

 

[Bajanswife]

My DD just turned 10 and is still in primary school, a private one, and it hasn't been a problem at all. It helps that she doesn't do very many meets, because each meet she misses anywhere from 2 to 5 days, depending where we are going. It also helps that none of the meets have been during exams.

 

[bookworm]

My kids have always gone to a small private school so missing days have never been a problem but if I ever got the vibe that I thought it would for a situation as you describe, I would just call them in sick....it's 1 or 2 days and she's in 1st grade for God's sake. I know there are people out there that will say "I don't want to teach my kid to lie etc" but to that I would say "and there are unreasonable people out there and you need to figure out a way around that too" ...

 

[skschlag]

We have been fortunate. D misses about 3-4 days a year, and his teachers thus far have all been very supportive. He has to miss this Friday for a meet, missed another Friday for a meet, and will miss 1-2 days for regionals. Last year, he missed during state testing, and they were very easy about it, rescheduling his test for when he got back. (Of course, we found out after that abotu 10 of his classmates were all out with strep, so it ended up being no big deal at all.)

I think it is the cards you are dealt with the teacher. We try to talk to the teacher up front and let them know about the schedule. But sometimes, you will run into unreasonable teachers and/or systems that you do have to find a way to work around.

 

[GymBee97]

We usually miss 2 - 4 days a year. I usually let the teachers know in Sept that there will be dates usually around Jan-Feb that she may need to miss for meets. As soon as I have the schedule I give the teachers the heads up on the dates I know she will need to miss. Heck we missed a day of Midterms in Jan and the teachers were very helpful and allowed her to take them on a different day. I would do like bookworm said if I had a teacher that had issues with it and just call her in sick but so far never had issues with any of her teachers and she is in High School now.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Thankfully never had issues and she's missed a LOT of days some years (like 10 or more). Two years ago we even got an official letter from the district on her "excessive" absences--I called about it and it's apparently a form letter they are required by law to send out after 10 missed days.

Bummer your daughter's teacher is giving you flack about it, but she's in FIRST grade. I think the experience of competing is invaluable for her!

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Our district allows 10 "unexcused" absenses. Up till now, DD has only missed 3-4 each year. This year, she may exceed the 10 (missing 4 days this week), but as long as her work is made up, the teachers don't mind. It really depends on the teacher. DD is in 7th grade.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

my dd is 9, any days missed were put down as "outside learning" - a phrase they use for educational trips, the head decided that it suited the ativity and helped his absence figures

 

[lhmom]

DD is at a private school and it's helped that the principal's daughter is also a gymnast. This is DD's 3rd year and she ended up missing 2 days of school. It would've been 3 but that one day where the meet was on a Friday, school had closed because of snow. Honestly, it bothers my husband alot more than it does the school. Hope that your daughter has a teacher next year who will be more understanding.

 

[sglemon]

1 to 2 days a year

 

[shelovestoflip]

First grade and the teacher has an issue?! Oh my!! I mean, what could she really be missing and what could she possibly have to make up?! That is ridiculous! I guess if I knew the teacher had an issue, I would just bypass her and go to the principal.

My daughter's school is fine with it.....she's in 8th grade and the teachers were great a few weeks ago when she was missing a Friday and a test...the teacher just let her take it the day before!

Some people need to get a life (the teacher!!)

 

[UnoMas]

It depends but I would say 2-3 days a year. We try to miss as few days as possible, and always ask in advance to make up work.

 

[Empowered]

My daughter misses so much school. We've been commuting her quite a ways for nearly 4 years now so initially she would have to leave early quite a bit or miss days because our travel was so much longer than everyone else's. Her old school though was extremely sympathetic and accommodated her very nicely because she is a good student and is never in trouble.

This year though has been a disaster. The number of hours she started training last year has taken a serious toll on her physically. She has lost a ton of weight, well 6 pounds, but when you've grown 2 inches and only weighed 75 to begin with, 6 pounds is a lot. She has been sick a bunch and keeping her healthy has been very hard. She had to change schools mid-year to a new and highly competitive one and they've just been positively nasty about her absences even though they haven't been meet related at all.

 

[LoriLou]

We've been pretty lucky so far. DD will miss school tomorrow so we can go to Houston National. She competes at noon. We've only missed a 1/2 day previously. Her teacher and principal have been completely supportive. It is NOT an excused absence because it is not a school sanctioned sport, but she IS allowed to make up any work or tests she misses. I'm not concerned about excused vs. unexcused. As long as she makes it up I'm cool with it. I wish your DD's teacher was a little more supportive. My DD's teacher has pictures behind her desk of DD with all her medals and trophies. Shes SUPER supportive of all her students. I hope we are as lucky next school year.