<p>My D is a semi-finalist, but unfortunately has just received a 2nd suspension this quarter. The school has a "zero tolerance" policy. She was defending a friend who was being taunted by bullies, and punched a boy in the nose, for which she received a 7 day suspension. Ok, that's bad, but the Dean assured me it wouldn't go on her record. The friend had been thrown into a brick wall by someone she didn't know or even get a good look at earlier in the term and she felt protective.
This 2nd suspension seems draconian. There's a boy who has been ordered not to talk to my D and her friend who heard her say something he didn't like. He began badgering her argumentatively and although after the last episode we told her to walk away if she feels she's losing control, her impulse apparently overwhelmed her reason. She hit him on the head with her plastic pencil case (not exactly a dangerous weapon). The school suspended her for 2 weeks and is mulling kicking her out. Out to where, I'm wondering?
I think my D probably has Aspergers syndrome or is at least borderline, although she's never been labeled as such. I wonder if it would help her or hurt her to have the label.
So from what I've heard, she can kiss the NM scholarship goodbye, is that right? She had just sent the NMS app to the guidance counselor on Monday.
Some schools ask about disciplinary actions on their applications- does this mean she shouldn't bother with those schools? She was going to apply to Georgia Tech and UF.</p>
<p>Much will depend on what is on your D’s record and what the GCs write. The schools and NMCorp won’t know what the school doesn’t tell them.</p>
<p>*She was going to apply to Georgia Tech and UF. *</p>
<p>she can apply to these schools and see what happens. If she’s OOS, I don’t think she’ll get much for being NMF though.</p>
<p>OOS- out of school suspension?</p>
<p>Out of state.</p>
<p>I’d better pin down the administration about what is going in her record.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Yes, if the school isn’t going to mention the suspensions that could change things dramatically at least for NMF status.</p>
<p>However, for school apps, that’s another story. If the school isn’t going to mention the suspensions, then it becomes an ethical issue as to what to put down on apps. On one hand it’s odd to mention suspensions if the school is not going to mention them, but on the other hand it’s lying to indicate that there haven’t been any suspensions.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t like suspensions unless they are for serious matters and then if that serious, the student should be expelled. No wonder some families home-school…the power for schools to essentially ruin a kid’s college chances can be scary. Let’s face it, I doubt any homeschooling NMSF doesn’t make NMF because of GPA or discipline issues. lol</p>
<p>Thanks for your empathy! I didn’t kick about the first suspension, although it was a little heavy-handed. I thought she could address it fairly easily and let the chips fall where they may. I mean really, her counselor even remarked that things are sure different than when he went to school (basically “big whoop”). They could have easily just asked for a parent conference and some service work. But the 2nd one is draconian; they felt it should be for a longer time than the 1st, even though the “crime” was so minor. I’m at a loss about how we’re going to explain it. Her teachers like her, she’s very polite and soft-spoken. Doesn’t drink, smoke, run around, not defiant. Arghhh!</p>