Summer School CANCELLED!!

[mamajoan]

Whoa nelly!!!

 

[Michelle]

ENOUGH already, people.

Feel free to discuss the issue but please do NOT feel free to attack each other.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Honestly...I just don't get the hostility here. Disneychrista, I'm assuming, is the one who took those trips?? We go to WDW every year and spend money in other "frivilous" ways, and there are other things we can't, or choose not to, spend our money on because of it. DC planned on the summer school program...now it's canceled, requiring a large, unexpected financial outlay. She came here for a little support and empathy because, through no fault of her own, she found herself in this situation. If I planned my whole life around "what ifs", I'd never had gone to WDW in the first place. She didn't come here outraged and ranting and raving that the school had no right to do this to her...just that "this happened...now what?"

Geez...

 

[kejoda]

Well said Mare!

 

[Regina]

Good for you MaryAnn, you put into words exactly what I was thinking.

Heck, my car needed $2500.00 worth of unexpected repairs. Does that mean that I was wrong to go to WDW?

It's no different. Life throws you curves, and sometimes it helps to vent a bit and to see if others are dealing with the same situation.

It's a shame that your district did away with this program. I hope that you're able to find reasonable childcare for your DD's.

 

[suzannen]

And it's because life throws you those curves that you need something like WDW to make it all worthwhile.

 

[Mskanga]

I don't know what most people do but I have always worked out a plan B with the kids and school , I cannot rely on school being there , if they get sick in school , they will send them home. If there's an early dismissal , they will be coming home. In my case I stay home during the week because to begin with I still have a kindergartener at home who only goes half a day , but I still have my plan B in place that fortunately I do not have to use often.
But with all due respect , with all the school program cuts, with all the teachers loosing their jobs because of school cuts ( ask any teachers in Massachussets now ) , how can we expect and rely on free summer school programs?
I believe most schools are facing cuts of some kind and something has to give.
Christa , I feel for you but on the flip side if my school offered a program like this , I would not be happy. I pay school taxes for the children to be instructed through the regular school year , not in the summer for childcare purposes.

 

[aprincessmom]

Wow! I'd kill for a program that cost only $1000 for the summer. That's cheap compared to the places around here.

You should do as the other posters have mentioned, checking the Y, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and your town rec departments. The Y typically has a sliding payment scale based on income and some towns do the same. I don't know about the Boys and Girls clubs.

The Girl scout camps around here are very inexpensive compared to many other camp/daycare options and provide full day (well -- 9:30 to 2:00) with transportation and I think I remember reading in the brochure about sliding scale payments based on proven financial need.

To get into those sliding scale situations you may have to provide some financial information but, if you are as strapped as you say, you should probably make the income limits easily.

 

[gepetto]

Originally posted by suzannen
And it's because life throws you those curves that you need something like WDW to make it all worthwhile.

That's all well and good, except WDW is expensive. When you are having financial problems or are living paycheck-to-paycheck with no money in the bank for emergencies (or that little curve ball) , frequent Disney trips may not be the best decision.

I don't know what most people do but I have always worked out a plan B with the kids and school , I cannot rely on school being there

Everyone should have a plan B.

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by gepetto
That's all well and good, except WDW is expensive. When you are having financial problems or are living paycheck-to-paycheck with no money in the bank for emergencies (or that little curve ball) , frequent Disney trips may not be the best decision.
B]

Financial problems due to my hours being cut about 9 months ago. I saved for 3+ years to take that trip to WDW, the trip to DL is being paid for by the money that wasn't spend during the trip to WDW.

And as for having money in the bank for emergencies, well a lot of what I did have was spent on other little unexpecteds like, having to buy DD12 two new wardrobes when she grew from a size 14 kids to size a 16 to a size 5 jr's since the beginning of the school year. Or the numereous dr's visits and prescriptions we had over the past few months due to DD continual throat infections. Or having to have the breaks replaced on my car. Guess what the money is running out. And with my hours cut, there is no money going into this fund.

I planned on needing 3- 4 weeks of fulltime care this summer, now I have 11. I planned on only needing about $400 in child care expenses now I have at least $1000. That is an extra $600 that I simply DO NOT HAVE!!

I want to thank those who are being helpfull and seeing that I only came here for support and idea. I did not come here complaining that the school owes me this summer school program. I was thankfull that they did have it. And I understand the need to cut it, just as other vital school programs have been cut. I do have a feeling though, if I came here saying that my "special needs" DD summer program was being cut, not one person would be telling me too bad for you, welcome to the real world.

 

[becka]

disneycrista - You shoud not have to explain where your money goes to ANYONE!

The bottom line is that you did have plans for your kids this summer and now suddenly that has changed and you are forced to come up with extra funds and a change in plans on relatively short notice. I feel for anyone in that position regardless of what the original plan was and if I agreed with it or not.

 

[aprincessmom]

If your DD is 12, she should be able to get a job as a jr. counselor at a camp which would give her a reduced rate or even free attendance. I was a camp counselor at age 12 for a special needs camp in my town. It ran from 9-5:30 and I got paid for working, too!

Or perhaps she can be a mother's helper for the summer. Again, she'd get paid for her work and she'd have a place to be.

Then you'd only have to worry about your other child.

 

[gepetto]

My last post was not directed at you, disneychrista. It was in response to the person that I quoted.

 

[suzannen]

Well, Gepetto then you must be referring to me. Life is ALWAYS throwing you unexpected expenses and you never know when they are going to happen. Disneychrista was being criticized by another poster for going on a family vacation BEFORE this latest curve was thrown at her. I was not being flippant. Most folks I know work hard for their money and whether they earn a little or a lot, part of what makes their work and all of life's curveballs more bearable are the special times spent with family, therefore family vacation is often a major priority. In my office of 20 employees, 12 of all salaried levels went to WDW last year and quite a few couldn't really afford it. But, they scrimped and saved the whole year for it and recognized that money may be tight for a while, so for them, it was worth it. That does not mean you actively plan trips when you are in financial crisis, which Disneychrista didn't do. But, for anyone on this board, of all boards, to point a finger because someone went on vacation to WDW when they were just asking for a little sympathy and support because of a financial curveball was, I believe, unwarranted.

 

[gemmie214]

Originally posted by disneychrista
I do have a feeling though, if I came here saying that my "special needs" DD summer program was being cut, not one person would be telling me too bad for you, welcome to the real world.

You are right. I would not be saying "to bad for you." Extended year programs are usually written into a child's IEP because of serious need. To not have that program would be breaking a binding contract and have serious legal repercussions. The 2 instances are in no way similar at all.

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by gemmie214
You are right. I would not be saying "to bad for you." Extended year programs are usually written into a child's IEP because of serious need. To not have that program would be breaking a binding contract and have serious legal repercussions. The 2 instances are in no way similar at all.

Then I guess many families are going to be sueing because the ONLY summer program that is going to be running of Migrant Ed, for those children who do not speak english. So even Suzy who is dislexic or Tommy who is a "slow learner" will not be getting that extra help this year, or likely anytime in the near future.

 

[gemmie214]

If the child has an extended school year as part of his IEP then the service has to be provided. It does not have to be provided within the PS setting. It may be more cost effective for the public school to pay a private to run a summer program. It is done this way in MA quite a bit

 

[vickyBaby]

Originally posted by disneychrista
Financial problems due to my hours being cut about 9 months ago. I saved for 3+ years to take that trip to WDW, the trip to DL is being paid for by the money that wasn't spend during the trip to WDW.

Let's do the math. Your hours were cut 9 months ago, prior to your trip to WDW. You had the opportunity to reduce your trip from 16 days (lucky you, few people have that luxury). You had $$ left over that could have been tucked away. Instead, you have chosen to spend it on a trip to DL. Sometimes, deposits will have to be forfeited. It still costs more in the long run, to stay longer on vacation. Instead, you keep justifying your actions.

When you make a statement like this:

Originally posted by disneychrista
I am a single mother who is barely making ends meet as it is.

You will be called on it when your postings prove the opposite.

 

[Regina]

Isn't it delightful how you innocently post something only to find out that people resent your life's choices and are waiting for an opportunity to tell you so?

Please don't feel obligated to justify or explain how you choose to live your life. It's absolutely no one's business. It's apparent that there's an underlying issue that's never going to get resolved so why waste your time?

As I've said before, life has a way of bringing the unexpected into our lives, and we're rarely as prepared as we'd like to be.

I hope that you're able to find an affordable solution.

 

[RitaZ.]

As I've said before, life has a way of bringing the unexpected into our lives, and we're rarely as prepared as we'd like to be.

Very well said, Regina. I'll add to your quote, if I may , that we're rarely as prepared as we THINK we are.