these kinda annoyed me..

[octobermom]

They had the first Tri-mester awards today. Its kindergarden I don't expect much but some of the catagories kinda rubbed me a wee bit wrong.
1) perfect attendance (which Cecilia got) I'm "okay" reconigizing those who came every day I guess but I hate how they made it sound like those that didn't just skipped It was just worded weird like remember boys and girls comes EVERY day. THere in kindergarden they get sick and its the parents who need to get them to school

2) honor roll.. There are no real grades in Kindergarden its on a letter progress scale E = excellent above standards M= meets standard AB approaching basic standards and FB falling below standards.. DD had some degree of all I expect most did these kids are comming in with vastly diffrent back grounds. Still again I don't mind them reconigizing the M and E students but there little "speech" on now students see what happens when you try your hardest and turn in all your work ummm my guess is pretty much all these students are trying there hardest and turning in all there work...

The rest were speciality ones it was simple took like 10 mintues from start to finish DD was excited we came and I'm happy for her but maybe its jsut me but some of those awards just rubbed me wrong.

Deanna

[beka1977]

A perfect attendance award just seems.... odd. So it is rewarding people who never get ill? People who get sick, but come anyway so that they can get others sick?

[octobermom]

Originally Posted by beka1977

A perfect attendance award just seems.... odd. So it is rewarding people who never get ill? People who get sick, but come anyway so that they can get others sick?

Yup exactly having no "unexcused" absentances I'm okay wth but soory if my kids sick I'm keeping her home and I'd hope another parent did the same. Its not fair for them there class mates the teacher staff ect to send a contagious sick child to school.

Deanna

[FondestBianca]

Originally Posted by beka1977

A perfect attendance award just seems.... odd. So it is rewarding people who never get ill? People who get sick, but come anyway so that they can get others sick?

hey now, I got one of those awards my senior year in high school (they gave me a stupid school sweatshirt. when did they think I was gonna wear it, I was graduating?) because I forced myself not to miss a single day or even hour (aside from school sports when I had to leave early for matches) all year..... along with a 4.0 for the entire year

but, in high school it does make more sense to award such a thing as by that time kids miss school for more reasons than just being sick... like being lazy and faking being sick. Maybe they are just trying to make perfect attendance look appealing to children early on so the reward system works later on?? Either way kids who didn't make every day shouldn't be looked down on or pointed out as if they were doing somethign bad. I agree that it's more a reflection of a parent during the first years whether a kid shows up or not.

and I can back up the thought about coming to school sick. I came to school sick as a dog more than once my senior year. I just popped some psudafed and kept going. However, some kids really don't get very sick and could easily achieve perfect attendence if based entirely of severity of illness, it is possible for some. But honestly, some kids are kept home far too often for silly little colds, tummy aches, and such IMO.

As for grades... I can see singling out one or two really exceptional kids but, in kindergarden teachers shouldn't be laying on the guilt trip for less than perfect achievment. Sure, a lazy brat needs a swift kick in the behind (figurative of course) from a teacher and parents but, a kid who just doesn't understand the material as well as other students... theres nothing shameful about that and it doesn't need to be pointed out to the crowd.

I also think every student in kindergarden should recieve some sort of "award" at such a cermony. No one should expereince being left out or discounted by adult athority figures so early in life.

[octobermom]

Originally Posted by FondestBianca

and I can back up the thought about coming to school sick. I came to school sick as a dog more than once my senior year. I just popped some psudafed and kept going. However, some kids really don't get very sick and could easily achieve perfect attendence if based entirely of severity of illness, it is possible for some. But honestly, some kids are kept home far too often for silly little colds, tummy aches, and such IMO.

: Those little sniffles and colds that other could walk around with and function with spread germs and for people with compromised immune systems like mine (week heart) the result was not just missed school but often me landing in the hospital. I really really wish parents would keep kids showing active illiness at home too me if one is needing to take a cold medication they need to say home. Now yes kids get sniffles little aches ect and not EVERY illiness means needing to miss school but its irkes me too know end when kids are encouraged to come to school ill or told they will loose an award or cost the class parties for missing school.
Unexcused I can see illiness no.

Deanna

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by beka1977

A perfect attendance award just seems.... odd. So it is rewarding people who never get ill? People who get sick, but come anyway so that they can get others sick?

There was a girl in my Jr. High School who got a perfect attendance award, but she was out frequently for (whatever- not sure) so was out part of most days, but just happened to get counted for attendence. I spent far more time in school than she did :.

[momtokea]

Perfect attendance in kindergarten? Isn't that an award that should go to the parents. Or not. Sometimes when the mother is sick and can't get everyone out the door everyone stays home. Why penalize the kids?

It's kindergarten and can't be compared to high school. In high school you get yourself to school, you know when you have school, you can tell time and you know how to get there. A kindergarten student is completely dependent on a grown-up to tell him there even is school on a particular day, what time they need to be there, etc.

The only purpose such an award would serve is to make those that don't get it feel bad. What a way to start your school career!!

I would talk to the teachers and principal and let them know my thoughts on such a stupid award. It probably wouldn't make any difference, but I'd still tell them.

[octobermom]

Isn't that an award that should go to the parents

yea seriously I should get an award for making sure shes is up fed in proper uniform homework done in her back pack lunch made notes signed ect all by 7:20 each morning. Those with multiple kids should recieve trophies and cash prizes..

Deanna

[octobermom]

would talk to the teachers and principal and let them know my thoughts on such a stupid award. It probably wouldn't make any difference, but I'd still tell them.

I had it out with the school once. DD came in late because I had a hypo (I'm diabetic) and had to treat that beofore I could drive DD was almost an hour late because of it. WHen we got there she was told remember three tardies meant an absentance and how "imprtant" no abstances is.. Umm shes not tardy because shes wasn't ready because she failed I was sick and I CAN NOT drive during a low its dangerous.

Deanna

[mammastar2]

That does seem weird.

Dd's school gives out awards in assemblies, but it's more of a 'recognition' thing. Once last year dd got a certificate for something like "playing fairly" or "being a good sport". She was thrilled!

[Zach'smom]

My ds's school does the same thing. At the end of each quarter the principal goes to each classroom to hand out the perfect attendance certificates and pencils. She also talks about good handwashing and the importance of coming to school every day. Ds goes to an early childhood school for kindy and first grade. At this age it is my responsibility to get him to school and to decide if he is too sick to go to school. Not his. Kids get sick. It happens. In fact school policy is that children are NOT allowed at school until they are fever free, vomit free and diarrhea free for 24 hours. The school does not want them there when they are sick. I love most things about ds's school, but this is crap. Talk about a mixed message.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by FondestBianca

But honestly, some kids are kept home far too often for silly little colds, tummy aches, and such IMO.

I spent nearly a week in the hospital with DS last week. I am most DEFINTELY going to be keeping him home for "silly little colds" the rest of this winter- I can't take the risk of him getting pneumonia again!

IMO, the "whole child" is more important than his academic performance in 2nd grade.

[octobermom]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I spent nearly a week in the hospital with DS last week. I am most DEFINTELY going to be keeping him home for "silly little colds" the rest of this winter- I can't take the risk of him getting pneumonia again!

IMO, the "whole child" is more important than his academic performance in 2nd grade.

: and I know if I'm nasuseated at all I just can't concentrate sometimes little tummy aches may not lead to huge illiness but it doesn't mean they are fit to be in school trying to listen to lessons and dirrections.

Deanna

[Heavenly]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I spent nearly a week in the hospital with DS last week. I am most DEFINTELY going to be keeping him home for "silly little colds" the rest of this winter- I can't take the risk of him getting pneumonia again!

IMO, the "whole child" is more important than his academic performance in 2nd grade.

I agree! My son has special needs and when he is sick he needs to be kept home so I can keep a close eye on him. He has missed 2 days already this year and I'm sure he'll miss more. It is not up to anyone else to judge a parent's reasons for keeping a child home.

[CarrieMF]

It is not up to anyone else to judge a parent's reasons for keeping a child home.

or for sending kids to school if they have runny noses which very well could be allergies & not some virus that is going to make another child sick.

[LifeIZBeautiful]

I used to teach, and at back-t0-school, we were asked to really push hard on the parents to get kids to school EVERY day. "As long as they don't have a fever, they should be in school." It was really irritating to have to be such a hard nose about them being there. BUT, I do know the main puch was actually due to funding for the school. Yous ee, every single day a child spends in a classroom seat makes money for that school. It's all based on attendance. $ per day attendance per kid...pretty sucky.:

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by beka1977

A perfect attendance award just seems.... odd. So it is rewarding people who never get ill? People who get sick, but come anyway so that they can get others sick?

I agree. It made me think of my mom. She said growing up that her two sets of twin brothers (all 4 boys) never missed a day of school the entire 12 years they were in school. I couldn't believe it. But this thread made me think of that.

[octobermom]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

or for sending kids to school if they have runny noses which very well could be allergies & not some virus that is going to make another child sick.

I do agree with this as well. I'm very against parents that knowingly send obviulsy sick kids in the ones who stand out side bragging how there kid was vomiting all night so they pumped them with motrin and diaptapp and sent them in. Kids get sniffles the schools would cease to exist if every sniffle always stayed home.

Deanna

[wildmonkeys]

HATE the perfect attendance award. One of my kids has chronic health conditions and goes to school feely iffy lots of days. That being said, I keep my other kids home days when they feel okay because I know they WILL get other kids sick.

[bscal]

I hate them too. My DD will do ANYTHING to earn the sparkly pencil that gets handed out with that perfect attendance certificate. So much so that she REFUSED to stay home from school the day after she had 2 teeth extracted. (She had them extracted when school was out for the day.) I did NOT want to send her but I let her go... or she'd have been unlocking the front door and walking down to the bus stop anyways. I did email her teacher and asked that if she felt that DD was not feeling up to school to please have the nurse call and I'd come get her. I was worried and stayed by the phone all day. Oh, and she's in K. I can understand the basic thought behind encouraging children to go to school everyday... but it just seems so manipulative to hold the sparkly pencil up as a reward (the carrot on a stick kind of thing). Oh well, at least it isn't candy! I hate food as rewards even more, her preschool teacher did that (but she was an awesome teacher in every other aspect so I dealt with it).

I do feel bad for kids with health issues. It's just.not.fair.

Beth