Having to finish all classwork while out sick

[limabean]

My DS has a bad cold (cough/fever/chills/body aches) that isn't getting better -- I'm taking him tomorrow to have him evaluated for pneumonia. He had a school holiday on Monday, and he's been out all week since (so he'll be missing 4 days total, assuming he's well enough to go next Monday). 

His teacher has sent home ALL of his classwork for this week for us to complete, but ... he's sick!! He's lying on the couch all day every day, barely wanting to get up to eat every once in a while. We've managed to get through a little more than half of the classwork packet from Tuesday, but that's it. This feels insurmountable! What would you guys do? 

[Emmeline II]

In K and 1st ds had a weekly homework packet; that's probably all I'd do unless he really needed to work on a particular skill--and I'd wait until he was virtually well enough to go back to school.

[Linda on the move]

What is the official policy on makeup work? Most schools put this in the school handbook.

 Kids usually get one day of health per day they were off sick to catch up on work. Sometimes they end up going back to school and taking quizes or tests on material they missed, which is kinda crappy.

It helps to not be overly concerned with grades.

[HollyBearsMom]

Homework is something I routinely give my son a pass on. He does it when and if he wants. Most day he chooses to do it right when he gets home but if he is really tired after hockey or feeling punky from a cold, etc he might skip it all together.  I let him make the decision.

If your son is happy/wants to get it done in between naps on the couch, etc let him.  If he is too sick let him be.  If he is up to it over the weekend same thing.

Either way just give the teacher a heads up so she knows. My sons teacher knows our philosophy on homework but since he mostly does his home work I make a point to let her know when/why he didn't. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that its not pneumonia!!

[JollyGG]

Email the teacher and find out what she will actually be grading. Everything else just do enough to learn the concepts and show mastery. Also ask the teacher about her expectations.

The last two years my son had teachers who sent reams home when he was sick. This year his teachers don't. He misses a recess so she can go over what he missed quick. He may do a coupe of questions per sheet for a bunch of worksheets just to show he understood and then he's caught up.

But most of it can wait until he is well.

[amma_mama]

Your DS is not in school doing his work because he is sick-it is presumptuous to assume that he is able to work when he is sick. I would not even touch the work until he is ready to go back, unless he feels up to it. And then I would sift through any work that he has already mastered or is redundant and help him catch up on the rest once he is well. If there are no new concepts then I would be inclined to skip it altogether. Either way, I would send a note with whatever you decided to do or not to do.

I hope that your DS is soon on his way to recovery...

[elus0814]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

Homework is something I routinely give my son a pass on. He does it when and if he wants. Most day he chooses to do it right when he gets home but if he is really tired after hockey or feeling punky from a cold, etc he might skip it all together.  I let him make the decision.

Homework only IF and WHEN a child wants?!?! It's ok to spend time on sports but schoolwork is only if they're not too tired after?!?!

I think a child should try to do work but if they're too sick then they're too sick. Talk to the teacher and explain how he's really sick and not just having some 'sick' days. 

[CarrieMF]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

Homework is something I routinely give my son a pass on. He does it when and if he wants. Most day he chooses to do it right when he gets home but if he is really tired after hockey or feeling punky from a cold, etc he might skip it all together.  I let him make the decision.

If your son is happy/wants to get it done in between naps on the couch, etc let him.  If he is too sick let him be.  If he is up to it over the weekend same thing.

Either way just give the teacher a heads up so she knows. My sons teacher knows our philosophy on homework but since he mostly does his home work I make a point to let her know when/why he didn't. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that its not pneumonia!!

This isn't Homework though, this is class work that just happens to be done at home because the kid isn't in class to do it.

OP - your son is still sick enough to not be able to do the work.  I'd let it go for another day or so until he is feeling better.  Get as much done as he can do before he goes back on Monday & then work on it little by little.

[sublimeliving]

It's up to you and your son, whether you do it or not. I would look through the information that the teacher sent home, and if he already knows it, I wouldn't have him do it. If it's new information, then I would have him do it when he is feeling better. The teacher is just sending home what the class is doing. That way, your son won't be overwhelmed when he goes back.

I homeschool, so if my dd is sick, we wait to move on. Unfortunately, your son will have to move on even though he missed a week. 

[jen in co]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move 

 Kids usually get one day of health per day they were off sick to catch up on work.

This is the policy at our school.  Our teachers have tended to only send home a subset of the work that was done in class and then we have one extra day for each day we were home sick to get it done.   My DD often gets it done while lying around on the couch, but if not, I don't worry about it...
 

[mattemma04]

I would contact the teacher and get the work bumped to the next weekend when your child is well.My kids have been home all week.Ds with pneumonia,and my dd with the flu.My dd has homework but I will be darned if a child with a 105 temp is going to be responsible for ANY school work. I told her that I will send a note in with the teacher,and if my dd gets punished in anyway I will be in there raising cain.

I understand teachers wanting kids to have their work,but if they are home sick they shoud not be required to do it.As a parent we should have the right to request due dates be postponed. I am not suprised with this stuff though considering the schools don't even validate a sick day unless you prove it is true via a doctors note!

Speedy healings and watch out for pneumonia after that flu!

[mar123]

One reason that a teacher sends home work to be completed when a child is sick is because what is taught is often consecutive. If a child has no idea what was done while absent, he or she will be confused and possibly fall behind when returning. Now, much of that depends on the grade level of course. Even if a child cannot do all of the written work, at least looking over everything and being familiar with the work that was done can be helpful and prevent problems for the child. At my school, we give a child 3 days to make up work missed from an absence. At least that is the school rule; if a child is out longer due to a serious illness or death in the family, I will adjust that time on a case by case basis.

[Alyantavid]

Our teacher doesn't require the kids catch up on work they've missed.  Mostly because he's explaining it in class so the kid usually has no clue.  He'll help them catch up when they go back.

I might email the teacher and let her know that he's too sick to do the work now but you'll work with him on it when he feels better (or whatever you're planning to do).

[limabean]

Originally Posted by mar123 

One reason that a teacher sends home work to be completed when a child is sick is because what is taught is often consecutive. If a child has no idea what was done while absent, he or she will be confused and possibly fall behind when returning.

(OP here.) Thanks -- it helps to view it from this perspective rather than feeling like we're being punished for keeping him home from school. I do want him to know all the concepts, but I'm feeling pressured to return every piece of paper completed -- in our school handbook, it says that students have 1 extra day per day of absence to complete classwork. So since he was out 4 days I guess that'd mean all this would be due next Thursday (assuming weekends don't count)? Which I guess sounds like a lot of time, but this is a LOT of work -- it's definitely all of his usual classwork and not just a sampling. It took us a total of about 3 hours to get through all the work from just one day (actually we still have 2 papers from that day to finish), and we have 3 more packets to complete. And next week, assuming he's in school, he'll have his regular homework to complete (which we have been keeping up on this week), so spending an extra hour or two per night would really be a lot of work. 

Ugh, I'm just frustrated with the whole thing. Last semester, DS was out sick 3 times (legitimately sick, having either thrown up the night before or with a fever, which the handbook says are the only 2 valid reasons to keep them home) and we got an admonishing letter sent home! I realize that the school loses money when he's not there, and many families probably do lie about absences, but it's really frustrating to play by the rules and still be treated like we're being "bad." And I guess this whole classwork thing sort of feels like that, like they think he must really be well enough to sit there and do hours of work every day, when he's really lying there glassy eyed and dizzy, not even interested in having a piece of the cake I made. 

[whatsnextmom]

Like above, the kids have always had as many days healthy as they have had sick to make-up work. I do encourage them to do some when they feel up to it. However, they've always had ample time to get the work done when they returned to school.

Talk to the teacher and find out the policy. She may be sending the work home but I doubt she really expects it's all done the day he comes back.

[Annie Mac]

Originally Posted by limabean 

(OP here.) Thanks -- it helps to view it from this perspective rather than feeling like we're being punished for keeping him home from school. I do want him to know all the concepts, but I'm feeling pressured to return every piece of paper completed -- in our school handbook, it says that students have 1 extra day per day of absence to complete classwork. So since he was out 4 days I guess that'd mean all this would be due next Thursday (assuming weekends don't count)? Which I guess sounds like a lot of time, but this is a LOT of work -- it's definitely all of his usual classwork and not just a sampling. It took us a total of about 3 hours to get through all the work from just one day (actually we still have 2 papers from that day to finish), and we have 3 more packets to complete. And next week, assuming he's in school, he'll have his regular homework to complete (which we have been keeping up on this week), so spending an extra hour or two per night would really be a lot of work. 

Ugh, I'm just frustrated with the whole thing. Last semester, DS was out sick 3 times (legitimately sick, having either thrown up the night before or with a fever, which the handbook says are the only 2 valid reasons to keep them home) and we got an admonishing letter sent home! I realize that the school loses money when he's not there, and many families probably do lie about absences, but it's really frustrating to play by the rules and still be treated like we're being "bad." And I guess this whole classwork thing sort of feels like that, like they think he must really be well enough to sit there and do hours of work every day, when he's really lying there glassy eyed and dizzy, not even interested in having a piece of the cake I made. 

OP, I know this is off-topic, but I'm so curious...what type of school does your son attend where you only pay if he shows up? I'm assuming private school of some sort, given the fact you're paying at all, but I remember even in daycare I didn't get a pass on paying if my daughter didn't show up. 

As to the homework, I can remember being sick and bored to tears as a child! I remember asking for homework. I was too sick to go to school & make myself sicker (not to mention get other people sick) but well enough to be bored. It could be the teacher is thinking she's doing him a favour. Since he's seriously ill though, all bets are off. His main goal is to get better, and I can see from your sig he's young still, not in high school preparing for big exams or anything. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Annie Mac 

OP, I know this is off-topic, but I'm so curious...what type of school does your son attend where you only pay if he shows up? I'm assuming private school of some sort, given the fact you're paying at all, but I remember even in daycare I didn't get a pass on paying if my daughter didn't show up.

I don't think the OP is paying any money. A lot of public school systems get their funding apportioned based on student man-hours. So they can get tetchy about a kid missing X hours of time in school. And the districts don't pay any attention to if a child is at home doing the work or anything.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Annie Mac 

OP, I know this is off-topic, but I'm so curious...what type of school does your son attend where you only pay if he shows up? I'm assuming private school of some sort, given the fact you're paying at all, but I remember even in daycare I didn't get a pass on paying if my daughter didn't show up. 

Public schools receive funds based on attendance.  If children are out then they don't get the $$ for those kids from those days.

-Angela

[HollyBearsMom]

We are talking pick up pond hockey in our neighborhood.  He does play organized sports but that is one night a week and one weekend day. He has no other organized commitments.

In our family good physical exercises and PLAY is just as important as school. He is at school from 8 am until 3:15.  That is plenty of schoolwork. I feel no need prioritize homework over downtime, family time, spending time outdoors, playing with friends, etc. 

If the work interests him then he can choose to do it, which he often does. He recently completed a series on archeology and was pumped to come home and learn more. I have to admit that he didn't do the standardized worksheets the teacher sent home but instead created an in-depth collage/report that outlined a typical dig. It was awesome!  Honestly- I find most of the work sent home is because parents expect homework and its just busy work.

Originally Posted by elus0814 

Homework only IF and WHEN a child wants?!?! It's ok to spend time on sports but schoolwork is only if they're not too tired after?!?!

I think a child should try to do work but if they're too sick then they're too sick. Talk to the teacher and explain how he's really sick and not just having some 'sick' days. 

[HollyBearsMom]

You are right. Sorry about that!

However I hold to do it only if the child is well enough.  What is he going to learn if he so sick he can't get up off the couch?  Missing 4 days of his school at his age should have no long term impact.
 

Originally Posted by CarrieMF 

This isn't Homework though, this is class work that just happens to be done at home because the kid isn't in class to do it.

OP - your son is still sick enough to not be able to do the work.  I'd let it go for another day or so until he is feeling better.  Get as much done as he can do before he goes back on Monday & then work on it little by little.