WAG Taking an "F" for middle school PE

[2G1B]

We do know one kid who decided for 6tg grade to not do pe (it was her last period, she was picked up early and did get homework during that hour). Her parents were told up front that she would get an For and they decided to just deal with it. For 7tg grade or is the middle of the day, so wasn't an option.

As for the amount of sleep. I'll be honest, my 13 year olds can easily sleep 12 hours when they get the chance. They do ok though as long as they are averaging 9 hours per night. I think some kids need more sleep. On the flip side, I tend to be anemic and will say my only symptom that I have noticed is needing more sleep. And I sometimes get pretty severely anemic. The test is a simple finger prick, so it is something easy to check for if you want to just double check.

Edited to add : if the school wasn't upfront about the First when they offered the option of skipping or I'd go back and talk to them. They should have been upfront about that .

 

[Mamabear123]

Wait... So is your DD missing first period because she wants more sleep in the morning? Or because she has gymnastics in the morning? Sorry if I'm confused.

 

[txgymfan]

According to above, sleep.

 

[Daphne Banks]

Correct. She misses first period pe to sleep in. Gets home from gym around 9:15 pm. Sleeps from 9:45-8:45. Goes to school for second period at 9:20. Shangri la. Except for the F.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Again with your bonkers schooling, Year 6 for us primary (elementary) school, although ours are 10-11, PE is something we do for fun and fitness. The only thing assessed at year 6 is English, Maths and science and that is in an exam at the end of the year.

 

[sce]

Again with your bonkers schooling, Year 6 for us primary (elementary) school, although ours are 10-11, PE is something we do for fun and fitness. The only thing assessed at year 6 is English, Maths and science and that is in an exam at the end of the year.

Yes, Bonkers is the best description of our schooling

 

[meganliz77]

Hi everyone!

I am newish here and this is my first post. My DD was a level 7 gymnast last year. She trains around 20 hours/week. She is in 6th grade. She skips PE with the understanding of school administrators even though she was not given "formal" permission to do so.

She just got her report card and it listed "F" for PE. I asked the admins about it and they said "yes, if she doesn't go to class she gets an F. They also said it won't keep her from moving to 7th grade and that grades for Middle School don't really matter".

I'm just wondering if anyone can think of if/why I should be concerned? We plan to stay in the local public school system through 12th grade. She has an A in every other class. Given her huge sleep needs and her commute/gym schedule, going to PE isn't even really an option but I'm wondering if I'm forgetting something I should be concerned about...

Thanks!

So I have re-read this thread a few times, and have hesitated posting because I don't want this being misconstrued as snarky... because really, I am not trying to be. You are wondering if there is anything you should be concerned about with your DD missing a class in school and taking an "F" for a grade. What continues to come to my mind, is that you are ultimately allowing her to place gymnastics above her academics. That's a strong a message. I mean one option might have been working with her gym to leave practice a bit earlier, so that she didn't have to miss class in the morning?! My kid LOVES sleep. Hard sleeper. Very difficult to wake-up and in fact, wore a pull up at night until she was like 4 because she sleeps so deeply. We live an hour away from our gym and school. Last year she was practicing in the evenings until 8:30 (9 yrs old, 4th grade, level 7). We made it work. It certainly wasn't ideal, and she was tired and crabby some days, but she was forced to learn to balance gym and school. Our coach was also great at letting us modify some nights - so she would be able to jump in with a lower training groups a night or two during the week so she could get done a bit earlier. I mean, it's only going to get more difficult to juggle the older these kiddos get.

We have made it clear to DD that school comes first, then gymnastics (even if it is 'just a PE class") and that if she is not maintaining her performance at school, she won't be going to gym. This holds true for all of our children and their various sports. School always comes first.

 

[NutterButter]

We have made it clear to DD that school comes first, then gymnastics (even if it is 'just a PE class") and that if she is not maintaining her performance at school, she won't be going to gym. This holds true for all of our children and their various sports. School always comes first.

I used to hold this opinion in the context that you describe but not anymore. Life isn't always black & white...most of us live in the gray area figuring out along the way what works best. It is entirely possible to have the attitude of "school first" AND have your kid get no credit or an F in gym. With the decision she has made for her DD, you can just as easily argue that she IS prioritizing academics by ensuring she has a well-rested DD. It's OK to de-prioritize one part so that the whole is stronger. The reality is that middle school gym can be sacrificed for OP's DD. Fortunately, it's just middle school.

Gymnastics is a nutty sport. I'm sure we all have stories about friends and family who just don't understand how we let our kids train the hours they train. Many public schools are nutty too - in terms of rules for not taking classes and especially the homework load, reading logs and amount of testing kids have these days. You really can't fault any gym family looking at ways to ease their burden. Our gymmies have schedules that most adults don't have. There is nothing wrong with doing what we can to help our kids (and families) find some balance...there isn't much room for that in their lives with gymnastics.

Anyways, I just wanted to point out that you can easily make the argument that OP is "school-first" even though she is doing it a little differently than you would.

 

[meganliz77]

I used to hold this opinion in the context that you describe but not anymore. Life isn't always black & white...most of us live in the gray area figuring out along the way what works best. It is entirely possible to have the attitude of "school first" AND have your kid get no credit or an F in gym. With the decision she has made for her DD, you can just as easily argue that she IS prioritizing academics by ensuring she has a well-rested DD. It's OK to de-prioritize one part so that the whole is stronger. The reality is that middle school gym can be sacrificed for OP's DD. Fortunately, it's just middle school.

Gymnastics is a nutty sport. I'm sure we all have stories about friends and family who just don't understand how we let our kids train the hours they train. Many public schools are nutty too - in terms of rules for not taking classes and especially the homework load, reading logs and amount of testing kids have these days. You really can't fault any gym family looking at ways to ease their burden. Our gymmies have schedules that most adults don't have. There is nothing wrong with doing what we can to help our kids (and families) find some balance...there isn't much room for that in their lives with gymnastics.

Anyways, I just wanted to point out that you can easily make the argument that OP is "school-first" even though she is doing it a little differently than you would.

I don't disagree completely but would suggest that between gymnastics and school, (qualify with 'my opinion') the sacrifice should likely be made by gymnastics and not by school. Again, yes it's my opinion -- which we are all entitled to. OP has been given a lot of great feedback to her original question, and I simply offered my take on it. I submit there are different circumstances for everyone and what works for them -- and also considering what path a gymnast is on. My DD is not going to be an elite gymnast. Balance (in all aspects of her life including gym) is important and we all sacrifice a lot for her to be in this sport. I just dont think it's unreasonable to consider working with a coach to establish a modified schedule. Just an idea!

 

[raenndrops]

If she requires the extra sleep, could you get a doctors excuse for PE class? With the excuse, technically they can't give her an F. The worst they can do is give her an incomplete. She may or may not be able to make it up in summer school... Or an online format over the summer.

 

[profmom]

For those of you with middle schoolers, just be aware that beloved youngest, who is in 9th grade, was up until 2 AM last night finishing his World History homework. We are early in the year, and I hope he won't make this mistake again, but he did drag himself out of bed in time to put on the finishing touches and drink a cup of coffee before getting on the bus. Could I have begged his teacher to give him a break because he was in services for Yom Kippur Friday night and all day Saturday, and at a gymnastics clinic three hours away on Sunday? Sure, but the rule in my house is that if you screwed up, you fix it, and you don't get to be a jerk to the rest of the family because you're overtired. He should have anticipated the weekend crunch and dealt with it more proactively, or discussed it with his teacher himself.

Part of maturing is learning how to manage these things on their own, without parents intervening to make special accommodations. It's best if they learn this while still in elementary/secondary school, because I can tell you that I personally could not possibly care less about hearing all the "special" details of a college student's poor planning that has led her/him to turn in an assignment late. (Illness or sudden emergency is different, but all too often that's not the case and they want to tell me all about how they had soooo many things due this week.)

 

[sevenatenine2]

So I have re-read this thread a few times, and have hesitated posting because I don't want this being misconstrued as snarky... because really, I am not trying to be. You are wondering if there is anything you should be concerned about with your DD missing a class in school and taking an "F" for a grade. What continues to come to my mind, is that you are ultimately allowing her to place gymnastics above her academics. That's a strong a message. I mean one option might have been working with her gym to leave practice a bit earlier, so that she didn't have to miss class in the morning?! My kid LOVES sleep. Hard sleeper. Very difficult to wake-up and in fact, wore a pull up at night until she was like 4 because she sleeps so deeply. We live an hour away from our gym and school. Last year she was practicing in the evenings until 8:30 (9 yrs old, 4th grade, level 7). We made it work. It certainly wasn't ideal, and she was tired and crabby some days, but she was forced to learn to balance gym and school. Our coach was also great at letting us modify some nights - so she would be able to jump in with a lower training groups a night or two during the week so she could get done a bit earlier. I mean, it's only going to get more difficult to juggle the older these kiddos get.

We have made it clear to DD that school comes first, then gymnastics (even if it is 'just a PE class") and that if she is not maintaining her performance at school, she won't be going to gym. This holds true for all of our children and their various sports. School always comes first.

I don't think you're being snarky, but really, she doesn't need the PE class. I'd hold the same opinion if it were English, or math, science, or social studies, but it would be silly to think that the one hour PE class first thing in the morning would be more physically advantageous for this child than staying for the last hour of gymnastics.

 

[twinmomma]

I don't think you're being snarky, but really, she doesn't need the PE class. I'd hold the same opinion if it were English, or math, science, or social studies, but it would be silly to think that the one hour PE class first thing in the morning would be more physically advantageous for this child than staying for the last hour of gymnastics.

I don't disagree. And I tried to have this conversation with my daughter's sixth grade PE teacher who tried to tell me my daughter is not getting the full "breadth" of physical education in the gym, as if he has any idea what my Level 7/8 T&Ter does. Most places it's ridiculously difficult to get them out of PE. If I could I'd take it in a heartbeat.

 

[rjb123]

I totally agree with this. IMHO for my DD (L9) PE is a waste. Quite frankly it is a joke for most kids. The states mandate it thinking that it helps prevent obesity, but then they turn around and sell them chips, ice cream, sodas etc for lunch! I send my children to school to be educated- not to run the mile. That is extra curricular IMO. And fwiw, at my DD's first school (the public one) they didn't even do that! They did "games" where they ran around the gym floor in SOCKS! This is a wooden slick floor! IN SOCKS! With around 75 kids crammed in a small space and one teacher hanging out in the corner. Sorry, there is NO way you can convince me THAT is necessary or effective.

I don't think you're being snarky, but really, she doesn't need the PE class. I'd hold the same opinion if it were English, or math, science, or social studies, but it would be silly to think that the one hour PE class first thing in the morning would be more physically advantageous for this child than staying for the last hour of gymnastics.

 

[VanessaJV]

I totally agree with this. IMHO for my DD (L9) PE is a waste. Quite frankly it is a joke for most kids. The states mandate it thinking that it helps prevent obesity, but then they turn around and sell them chips, ice cream, sodas etc for lunch! I send my children to school to be educated- not to run the mile. That is extra curricular IMO. And fwiw, at my DD's first school (the public one) they didn't even do that! They did "games" where they ran around the gym floor in SOCKS! This is a wooden slick floor! IN SOCKS! With around 75 kids crammed in a small space and one teacher hanging out in the corner. Sorry, there is NO way you can convince me THAT is necessary or effective.

I will raise your sock games gym class one and say my DD had a whole unit in gym on cup stacking

 

[2G1B]

I will raise your sock games gym class one and say my DD had a whole unit in gym on cup stacking

In Elementary my kids all had "gymnastics" units in PE. They were not allowed to do a cartwheel. Floor beams were brought out and DD got in trouble for doing a handstand on one. I'm not sure what gymnastics was done, I just know that the whole thing was a real let down to my kids.

 

[John]

I will raise your sock games gym class one and say my DD had a whole unit in gym on cup stacking

Bahahahahahahaha

 

[duyetanh]

I totally agree with this. IMHO for my DD (L9) PE is a waste. Quite frankly it is a joke for most kids. The states mandate it thinking that it helps prevent obesity, but then they turn around and sell them chips, ice cream, sodas etc for lunch! I send my children to school to be educated- not to run the mile. That is extra curricular IMO. And fwiw, at my DD's first school (the public one) they didn't even do that! They did "games" where they ran around the gym floor in SOCKS! This is a wooden slick floor! IN SOCKS! With around 75 kids crammed in a small space and one teacher hanging out in the corner. Sorry, there is NO way you can convince me THAT is necessary or effective.

What is ironic is that many of the p.e. teachers out there are overweight themselves. I find that a true oxymoron.

 

[duyetanh]

I will raise your sock games gym class one and say my DD had a whole unit in gym on cup stacking

Hey, at least there are competitions with that! Bahaha! At a school I worked at the kids had that unit, and I found it ridiculous....but apparently some of the kids lived for it. How bizarre, how bizarre....

 

[John]

P.E. DD had juggle unit once. She had to make juggle socks. Fill old dress socks with rice and make appropriate sized balls out of them. She still breaks them out occasionally, but I don't see juggling as exercise. If P.E. is going to teach and increase health in our youth then activities need to increase and sustain heart rate. If the activities do not do this then P.E. is nothing but organized recess.