<p>Ymmv…one of my sons missed nearly an entire year of elementary school due to an illness that nearly killed him. When he was hospitalized and well enough to do some work, they faxed it to us. When he was home, but too weak to be at school, they arranged an at-home tutor (who was a former teacher) – no cost – who arrived twice a week to go through his lessons with him. When he returned to school, they ran him through his standardized tests to check his learning (you can’t make them up, so it did the school no good). He was promoted to the next grade just as if he had been there all along, and is none the worse for it, educationally. Although his cursive is really awful!!</p>
<p>Small schools can and do buttonhole parents to see what the deal is. But to do more than that really is judging people’s parenting and life, and that’s not going to be either helpful or effective.</p>
<p>Like others said, this is a form letter that shoots out to anyone missing a certain number of days… doesn’t matter if the kid has a valid reason and the parents are making sure they keep up with the work or if the the kid is ditching and the parents are clueless.</p>
<p>We pretty much get a truancy letter every year for our middle schoolers past and present. My kids do a lot of professional theatre work. We arrange this with the staff at the school. My kids are top students and usually return AHEAD of the class. When they get sick for an extended period, we get the work. The teachers and staff all know we are on the ball and they encourage our kids to be in the arts and to stay home when sick. However, the DISTRICT sees 15 days missed and shoots out a letter with threats. I never stressed it. If I were to get pulled in I’d bring along their report card and suggest they shorten the school year lol.</p>
<p>All that said, I’d keep an eye out for “attendance recovery days” if your district does them. Our does them a few times a year. They are events at their school or neighboring school that if your child attends, the school gets credit for them and it wipes out an absence. This can help get them off “the list” at the district office.</p>
<p>I think in our state if a kid is missing too many days it affects the state funding the district gets for the student. Every time one of my kids is sick or tardy we get an automated phone call and an email about it along with the message if they aren’t in school they can’t succeed… once you hit 5 days in a semester you get a form letter…</p>
<p>When I was in high school, I averaged 2-3 days missed per month for illnesses and “illnesses,” plus additional days for various activities related my my IEP. I was even a week late for the start of senior year due to the combination of family road trip and massive engine failure.</p>
<p>My mother was far too terrifying for the school administration to even attempt to bring up attendance policies.</p>
<p>I am a middle school nurse an we have a similar policy in place. Although no one has ever told me this, I feel the policy is an attempt to rein in those parents who thoughtlessly keep their children out of school. In other words, the real truants. It happens frequently. I have never seen any punitive action taken against a student with an actual illness. I feel it is a protection for the child.</p>
<p>There are devious people in the world however. One enabling mom I am dealing with right now has figured out that dismissal from the school nurse’s office is an excused absence. The mom and daughter text each other, the student complains of a something, the mom is called, and decides to take her home. So yes, the student is dismissed from my office - but certainly not by me! And not until 11:30 which counts for a full day anyway!! Sheesh!</p>
<p>To the OP, I suggest asking for a 504 for your daughter. Accommodations and interventions can be detailed in the 504 that will eliminate much of this hassle for you.</p>
<p>Our kids missed 1/4-1/2 the school year each year of HS due to health issues We did have to meet regularly with the private HS about this. Despite the MD notes, all their absences were considered “unexcused,” and I didn’t bother to fight it. S still graduated as a NMF but D was asked to leave after JR year because she was unable to handle them giving her multiple exams each day that she was back in school–it was just WAY too much for her. She ended up getting a GED & starting CC early instead, which was much better for her limited stamina than continuing to fight with the HS.</p>
<p>I was told by public school teachers that our kids would have had even more trouble with their prolong absences due to health issues than they did at the private HS because of state laws and regs. It was awful enough. Our MD got to the point she was willing to fax us and the school any notes for absences that we needed; the school continued to ignore them.</p>
<p>My daughter had a severe case of mono freshman year of high school and missed almost a month of the first semester. When she first was diagnosed I emailed all her teachers, guidance counselor, etc. about her illness. Not one mentioned that the district has a homebound/hospital tutor. A friend finally mentioned it to me. </p>
<p>I did all the legwork about researching the policy and figuring out the paperwork. The number of absences to qualify was surprisingly small but the paperwork was a pain. Once I submitted everything to the district office, the district sent a tutor to our house until my daughter caught up on all her work, even after she went back at school. Plus, school erased ALL my daughter’s absences. </p>
<p>If you are having trouble with multiple absences due to illness our injury, I would check to see if your district has a similar policy</p>
<p>Wow. In our district the parent just needs to call and the absence is excused (they don’t need to know a reason). You do get the automated call after the school day is over (about 6 p.m.). Have until the next day to excuse the absence. The child gets two school days after the absence to make up all work missed during the absence and can make up tests before or after school.</p>