*Rant* My daughter's teacher is going to fail her before school even starts...

[golfgal]

Missing one football game would give her a C. Seeing as for years, there has only been one football before Labor Day, she was willing to miss the game and take a C. This year, there are 2.

Again, why don't you let your DD change HER vacation schedule so she gets an A? I don't understand why you are throwing this at the feet of the band director and principal when you are the one at fault??

 

[StacyMarie]

Sorry, I didn't see your post until after I posted.

I'm surprised your dd is willing to accept even a C. I think you mentioned in your op that she is a very good student, and works hard for her grades, which is very commendable.

She was willing to do so with reluctance, LOL! She is after all a Disney FREAK like her mom!

 

[StacyMarie]

Again, why don't you let your DD change HER vacation schedule so she gets an A? I don't understand why you are throwing this at the feet of the band director and principal when you are the one at fault??

I have extended that offer to her. I will post the outcome when I hear from the principal and when my daughter makes a decision, which should be some time today.

 

[phorsenuf]

Anyone else noticing the quotes are all messed up. The wrong people are being quoted with the wrong posts. Very weird.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

You're on the team/in the band, or you're not. There aren't two lists for the "totally committed" and "casually interested" with two different sets of rules.

So, because the parents are only able to vacation during a certain period of time, that should limit the activities that their daughter wishes to participate in? I'm not seeing how that's fair? The daughter wants to enjoy her time with the band, but also enjoy vacation time with the family. I don't see why they HAVE to be mutually exclusive?

 

[StacyMarie]

Well I would think with school starting later than it would be obvious she could be missing more than one game. If you looked back at last years schedule I bet there were 2 games scheduled for that time frame. School was in session so it probably fell on that week.


Does that make sense? I couldn't figure out how to word it right.

The past 2 years schedule that I can find has only one game before school starts.

 

[mhsjax]

Missing one football game would give her a C. Seeing as for years, there has only been one football before Labor Day, she was willing to miss the game and take a C. This year, there are 2.

I think you are falling on deaf ears, all they see and read is that you are taking your child away from a football game 2 to be exact and they just can't handle that. What I see is that you did or couldn't get the exact schedule, you can only take vacations at certain times and in the past they have only had one game.

What they seem to see is that you are lying and you did get the schedule and you could change your vacation and you should have known that there was 2 games and not 1. Also nothing should come between your DD commitment to the band.

I would agree with the commitment thing except for the fact that you keep stating over and over again that you tried to get the schedule and couldn't and based on past years there was 1 and not 2 games. THis being the case I think I agree with you. If you can't get the info need then you go on about your life. No way would I just sit around and wait for the school to dictate when I could go on vacation, if they can't provide the info, then tuff cookies.

Again, I am basing this on what you have stated,. For anyone else that feels that I am saying that commitments don't matter that could not be further from the truth. If you have the dates then you singed up for the activity or sport, you ned to be there at all costs. but if you didn't get the info, all bets are off.

 

[StacyMarie]

Ok, since I don't know how to post with "multiple quotes" and I am tired of saying the same things over and over, I am done posting now until I am able to speak with the principal and my daughter to find out what she wants to do.

BTW, if somebody wants to briefly explain to me how to post with multiple qutoes, I would REALLY appreciate it. Thanks again for all your opinions

One more thing regarding the post above, why on earth would I lie about when I could get the schedule so I could schedule our vacation accordingly? WHATEVER! I have to take a vacation at the end of August. I used the last 2 years football schedules and any and all information I was given from the BAND and the ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT when I scheduled our vacation because I KNEW she would possibly miss one football game. I am not afforded the luxury to just schedule a vacation on a whim when the school decides it can give me all the information that I need. I have to give my work notice in MARCH to schedule my vacation in AUGUST. At that point, the school was not willing to share the game schedule with me so I took the chance that she would most likely miss 1 football game, which my daughter was WILLING TO DO. This has noting to do with just me being selfish and making my daughter miss a football game. This was HER choice also in March.

I am done defending myself! Have a good day everybody

 

[mhsjax]

Again, why don't you let your DD change HER vacation schedule so she gets an A? I don't understand why you are throwing this at the feet of the band director and principal when you are the one at fault??

HOw is it her fault if there has only been 1 game in the years past and if she wasn't informed that there would be 2?

 

[phorsenuf]

The past 2 years schedule that I can find has only one game before school starts.

But you are going by the old school starts. Lets say last year school started on Aug 29th. There was a game on the 27th and also Sept 1.
So one is before the school start and one is after.

Now, school starts on the 5th. So by looking at last years schedule both those games are now being played before school starts. It's all how the dates fall.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

So, because the parents are only able to vacation during a certain period of time, that should limit the activities that their daughter wishes to participate in? I'm not seeing how that's fair? The daughter wants to enjoy her time with the band, but also enjoy vacation time with the family. I don't see why they HAVE to be mutually exclusive?

What I said was there shouldn't be two sets of rules depending on your level of interest in the activity.

 

[mhsjax]

Anyone else noticing the quotes are all messed up. The wrong people are being quoted with the wrong posts. Very weird.

I see that, is it just mine or everyone else's. I am on a diff computer but I am doing the way I always do but I see the quotes are really messed up.

 

[Wonders10]

Ok, since I don't know how to post with "multiple quotes" and I am tired of saying the same things over and over, I am done posting now until I am able to speak with the principal and my daughter to find out what she wants to do.

BTW, if somebody wants to briefly explain to me how to post with multiple qutoes, I would REALLY appreciate it. Thanks again for all your opinions

To multi-quote, hit the little paper and quote symbol in the lower right hand corner of the post (it should be the middle one). Click on it on every post you want to quote...voila! a multi-quote!

P.S. As a former band geek (yes I am calling myself a band geek), I was in the band beginning in 6th grade, and played all the way through college. Middle school was fun, high school was okay, but it all paid off in college when if you were in the band, you were seen as a celebrity. Fans asked to take our pictures with them on game days. Thousands of people would crowd around to watch us march through campus and play school songs. Even the football team thought it was neat you were in the band. We learned a new 3 song routine every week and practiced daily. Free trips to away gams, college bowl games, and then when basketball season rolled around, free trip to NYC, CT, and many other places. And I didn't even go to some of the really big places. Like when the concert band went to Japan one summer. Band can be an amazing experience for those that really want it. Just a little soap box for those that don't "get" band/marching band.

 

[ICF]

But, they are starting the GAMES before school. They obviously have permission to do this, many school districts already do this so they can fit everything in for Fall sports, and it is part of the commitment. I think the OP would have to have the games stopped by the school board to get out of this.

I have yet to read all 11 pages, so this may have been covered.

Here in IN, football starts Aug 20th and runs every week until the state championship games Nov 26th - 27th (weekend after Tgiving). It is the same scheudle every year.

Most schools in the state will have started, but a few are later in August after that date.

If you are stating after Labor day, you'll be playing your 1st game Sept 10...if you think the games should start until after school is out. They would then be 3 weeks behind us.

My guess would be that the Michigan HS athletics assocaition doesnt want to be playing tournament football around the 17th of December due to weather and other factors and as such starts the season before classes start.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Having caught up...I'd have her stay behind to play in the first game. She will miss 3 or 4 days (didn't look at the calendar). Then arrange for someone to take her to the airport so she can fly down and join you. She can take ME to the poly and go to the front desk and retrieve her key.

This way---she can have her cake and eat it two.

She misses the same game as he other members who have received the exception. She must be treated the same, or I am positive the principal will fix it. She will still get to participate in her last year of band and letter. She will also get 10 or 11 days of family vacation. She will have some eating to catch up on if you got free dining. Or use her credits to facilitate a family meal at a 2 credit restaurant.


It will cost you an airline ticket---but her hard work prepping over the summer will not be wasted and the family won't have her entire non-refundable portion of the tri wasted.

I would just make sure this is all in writing with approval from the principal so the band director--if he does have an issue--doesn't get away with treating her differently for thr exact same scenario--missing a game labor day weekend.

This is assuming that it is confirmed that no practices will be held and that he can't pop a surprise mandatory practice while she is out or state.

Best of luck. My vote is be flexible and have her meet in the
middle to do both.

 

[daughtersrus]

The past 2 years schedule that I can find has only one game before school starts.

Based on your location of Muskegon and the dates of the games that you gave, I may be wrong but it looks like Muskegon Heights is the school that you're talking about. Looking back on their schedule, there was a game 8/28/09 and 9/4/09 and 8/28/08 and 9/5/08. These dates were all before Labor Day. As a parent, I would assume that the schedule for this year would be similar.

 

[Jennasis]

Why are the quotes all wrong?? I can't tell weho has the problem since things are showing up all wonky!!

Anywho, to multi-quote, just click on the middle button on the bottom left hand side of the post that you want to quote. It's next to the light blue button that has a paper and quill that says "QUOTE" (the one you press when you want to quote one person). The mutli-quote is the one with the paper and th " on it.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Not really quite a conclusion, I was responding to the law in Michigan that someone quoted. I think lawmakers know darn well that most kids are going to be involved in something, in fact schools highly encourage it, and then it sates that families should not schedule vacation in August even though school hasn't offically sarted, sounds pretty controlling to me. You don't have to agree with it, but believe me it isn't too far out there and there are a lot of people that also feel this way.

Bottom line...it isn't mandatory. It has been that way for decades. The feelings of the public are irrelevant as to how it might be controlling when it is not mandated. I participated in many activities that dis not require summer involvement.

 

[StacyMarie]

Based on your location of Muskegon and the dates of the games that you gave, I may be wrong but it looks like Muskegon Heights is the school that you're talking about. Looking back on their schedule, there was a game 8/28/09 and 9/4/09 and 8/28/08 and 9/5/08. These dates were all before Labor Day. As a parent, I would assume that the schedule for this year would be similar.

No, definitely NOT MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, LOL! Different class of school, different schedule altogether.

 

[ccgirl]

It requires a committment in August except for the last week. My daughter is a sophomore this school year and last year, her freshman year, we were able to take our vacation the week before Labor Day without it conflicting with her band schedule. I was told last year that the kids are given a break after they get home from band camp, that they are given the week before school starts and that there are no practices. I scheduled our vacation by what I was told last year. We were home in time last year so she did not miss the first home football game.

This really all boils down to there are 2 home football games before school starts this year and because she is missing both of them, she will be given an F. If she were only missing one, she would be given a C, which is what I went by when the vacation was scheduled. She was willing to take the C when I scheduled so I went with it. Mistake on my part, yes!

Thank you for the clarification. You are really in a tough spot. Is there a way to shorten the vacation so she will only miss one game since that is what you were going to do before; even if it meant dropping her grade down 2 grades? Or; can you take a vacation closer to home so she can still participate in the two games and not have it negatively affect her grades? Who knows...maybe the principal will make a special exception for you and you won't have to worry about anything.

BTW, thanks for not taking anything personally. I think this discussion has remained civil, due in large part to that.