School vent: Why the stinkin' note?

[FredinFL]

Alright, so, if my child is absent I need to call or email the school nurse, report them absent and tell them why. THEN, the day they go back, I'm supposed to send in a note to explain their absence.

Really? Why? Did I not JUST call you to explain that? I find this redundant and extremely irritating for some reason.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I think it's to help insure that kids are not cutting...anyone can send an email but it's a little harder to forge a whole note.

 

[FredinFL]

Yeah, but what about a phone call? I think anyone could also just forge a note and the school wouldn't even blink.

PS: This is elementary school, so I'm thinking there isn't a lot of cutting.

 

[mom2boys]

The school needs a written record of the absence.

 

[ms.yt]

Because that's their policy. Is it really that hard to write a note?

 

[lghaus]

if someone is going to lie, at any age, then the trick to catching them is to make them lie about the one thing over and over until you catch them in the lie. by having layers of notification, if they are lying then they will slip up on at least one of the layers.
it may be a pain for some parents but for those with problem kids it is necessary, and you have to treat everyone the same.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

The call the day of the absence is likely to make sure the child is accounted for, and not lost somewhere between home and school.

The written note is for the record; as a PP said, the school needs something in writing to file away.

 

[golfgal]

I agree, it is redundant. Our high school only accepts phone calls, no notes or emails. Notes are easily forged. They also require a phone number to they can verify that the child is absent. They don't call everyone but the suspicious ones do get a call.

 

[snykymom]

I think it's also to give the child some responsibility for his/her absence. All the other communication is done by the parent. The note must be turned in by the child, who then must look some adult in the eye.

This is an important part of the child's education - take some responsibility for your own behavior, even if it's a permitted behavior. It has little to do with the parent.

 

[Goofyluver]

My son's school does the same thing. In fact, the note is their "ticket" back to class. Without a note, they don't get to go back to class.

I took him out for 2 days for a short vacation. He kept telling me he needed a note...which I found ridiculous.

I wrote:

"To Whom It May Concern:

G-Luv's boy had a great time out of town. Now please let him back in class and back to the real world.

Ms. G-Luv"




I think it's stupid. I wonder what they do without the note.

ETA: This is high school and they have to take the note to every class during the day.

 

[luvmy3]

I think it's also to give the child some responsibility for his/her absence. All the other communication is done by the parent. The note must be turned in by the child, who then must look some adult in the eye.

This is an important part of the child's education - take some responsibility for your own behavior, even if it's a permitted behavior. It has little to do with the parent.

That really has nothing to do with it at all.

The school keeps a written record that can be used to document truancy problems. Since its the law that kids are required to attend school, they do monitor why children are not in school, and if there is an allowed pattern of truancy, parents can be punished. So, yes it is about the parents.

 

[Jedana]

I am supposed to send in notes for my DS, in the folder that his teacher is supposed to check DAILY for notes, homework, etc. The first day he missed this year, the note sat in there for 3 weeks.
They didn't mark him unexcused either. So, I quit sending notes. I've received one phone call over it, since the beginning of the school year (he's missed about 12 days altogether).

Makes me wonder what they are doing at the school. Well, not really, I've seen how the school is run. That's why we are moving over the summer to a different county.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Notes are required in our area in case the school is audited for state aid. The aid is based on the number of students in school and if they were to misrepresent they would be in trouble.

I love DS's school though, they won't take a doctors note, only a parent. All I can think of is some high school boys taking the back to school pad from a parents office (many of the students parents are physicians) and selling them for kids to take the day off!

 

[spacemountainmom]

In our school system, a phone call is required. You do not need to send a note. If you are requesting early release (for appointments) or requesting time off for vacation, you must send a note ahead of time.

If a child is absent for more than 12 days, a doctor's note is required to get the child back into school. I believe you can petition for an exception if some of the 12 days were for vacation.

 

[rkandmjsmommy]

SO funny you wrote this

My dd was out last month, the school called, I called them back and left a message that she was home, thought that was enough, until this past week she got called down to the office for an unexcused abscence...so I had to sign a note

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

To cover the school's liability they need to have written evidence, just like they need a written persmission slip for field trips etc . . .

Writing a note isn't that hard to do. I guess I don't understand the big deal.

 

[powellrj]

My DMIL died when my DD was in 4th grade and my DS was in HS. For my DS in HS, I just called the school and explained the situation and they said no problem.

For my DD, I was told I would need a signed note from the funeral home on their letter head. I told them she was in the 4th grade, hadn't missed a day of school in several years and I would be more than happy to send in a copy of the obit with a note from me, only to be told NO, I needed the note on the letter head.

While I don't make it a habit to call the superintendents office, I did call this time to complain that I had too much to deal with than to remember to get a note from the funeral home to verify my DMILs death. The obit was in the local paper because the funeral was in the next town over if they wanted to verify that my 4th grader was where I said she was. I was told not to worry about it, my phone call was enough.

 

[RitaZ.]

We're also in FL and our district only requires a call to the school the day of the absence. We just call the school's absentee line and leave a message with the required information. I think you can also send in a note with the child, but I've never done that. I've followed the same procedure for elementary through high school.

 

[marcyinPA]

I agree, it is redundant. Our high school only accepts phone calls, no notes or emails. Notes are easily forged. They also require a phone number to they can verify that the child is absent. They don't call everyone but the suspicious ones do get a call.

I had to pick my DS16 up early right before Christmas for a funeral of a friend. The note I sent into school stated the reason why I was picking him up early. I included my cell phone number. Shortly after he arrived at school, I got a call from the 10th grade office asking if I was picking him up at the time noted.

He's a good kid, and rarely absent and never in trouble, so I guess this is just their policy on early dismissals.

ETA: It just dawned on me that they probably call to verify since in HS, parents don't go into the office to pick up their kids. The kid just leaves and meets the parents somewhere outside.

 

[Poohforyou]

I'd just ask the office why the note is required. I never had to do that when DD was in elementary school but the nurse knew me so maybe that was why.