Re: public school

November 18, 2002

My 3 kids are in public school and so have they have been wonderful to them!

2 of them are have Section 504's which accomodates their needs and Dylan

has an IEP cause he also has speech and language issues. Nothing is life is

simple....but if it was we wouldn't appreciate it would we?

Rosemary in New York with 3 children with CF - they are 12, 10, 6...I coined

the phrase " BREATHE DAMMIT " ; and now we have a dog named - are you ready for

this - TOBI after their medication!

November 18, 2002

Hi Angie,

My son Josh goes to public school. I don't think he would have it any other way.

He already feels different because he has CF. I think he wants to be seen as

normal as possible. Last month he went on a 3 day trip with the drama club. His

older brother is one of the officers and he made sure that Josh did all his

treatments. The doctors at the clinic gave him an Acapella (sp) so that he

didn't have to lug that heavy machine around for his vest treatments. He felt a

little self conscious at first, but he got over it.

There is another boy at his highschool that that has CF too. They don't hang

around together, but you can tell that they are aware of each other. They pass

each other at sporting events and just nod their heads at each other.

public school

Can I have some feedback from parents who have sent their CF Children

to public school? I have a 3 year old and do not know what I think

about public school vs. private school vs. homeschool. I would love

to hear from the parents who have decided to send their children to

public school, and some of your experiences. For those of you with

older children, if you had it to do over again, would you still send

your child to public school? I am from a family full of public

school teachers, and finding opposition to anything other than public

school. I just need some advice.

thanks

Angie

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November 18, 2002

Angie,

I think it depends on where you live and what your schools are like.

When my kids were growing up, we lived on a dairy farm, about 15

minutes west of Stillwater, Oklahoma. I seriously thought about

homeschooling but it was only because of my own negative school

experiences when I was a kid (I attended both public and Catholic.)

We didn't have any neighbors with kids, and I knew my kids needed

social contact so I sent them to public school (Stillwater had one

private school at the time but academically, I didn't think it was a

good match for my kids). They both attended a wonderful preschool and

pre-K program, so this helped lessen the trauma when it came time to

send them off to kindergarten. I've never regretted sending them to

public schools in Stillwater, but it was a pretty unique environment.

Stillwater has a population of about 40,000 and is home to Oklahoma

State University. The entire community puts a lot of effort into

education. It has six elementary schools (gr. K-5), one middle school

(gr. 6-7), one junior high (gr. 8-9) and one high school (gr. 10-12).

Both my kids had wonderful teachers (except the middle school music

teacher was really looney; she told me outright she was only teaching

for the money). The only other glitch was the seventh grade science

teacher; besides being a lazy and unmotivated teacher, he

discriminated in favor of girls over boys -- except for . I

thought maybe it had something to do with the cf issue; I never told

that but I think he wondered whether that was the case.

Other than that, their public school education was tremendous --

teachers were awesome, and if ever I had a concern, whether academic

or health-related -- then it was handled immediately.

There was one nurse that covered the six elementary schools, and one

nurse that covered the middle, junior, and high school. That second

nurse was a rock; I admit it probably helped that she knew me. She had

worked at our pediatrician's office before going to work for the

school district -- so she was with us from the beginning of my son's

cf diagnosis at age 4.

Early on we wrote a health plan together and she used it as a model

for other chronic illnesses. Oklahoma is asthma capital of the world,

and it's amazing how many kids are on Ritalin. But she also had a

number of students with diabetes and one with cancer.

A couple years after graduated high school, one of her sons was

involved in a near-fatal car accident. She told me later that as

shocking as it was to see the bandages, braces, and tubes coming out

of him, there was a strange comfort in recognizing the PICC line and

she thought of me and . I started crying when she told me! During

's junior year in high school he'd suddenly developed hemoptysis

and he got his first (and only) PICC line; he went back to school with

the PICC, but in the meantime I'd had to educate the nurse and his

teachers about the PICC and how to recognize complications.

Now I live in Chicago and have recently started the process to teach

here. From what I've seen of Chicago schools, I don't think I'd opt

for private or public! I'd move out of town! Who thought it was a good

idea to build these huge buildings and put kids of all ages in one

place -- grades K through 8? (They must be insane!) Do they lump

grades together like that in all big cities?

Anyway, I don't know that in terms of CF public or private makes a

difference; I think you have to look at the individual school and

what they offer, or don't offer, can do and won't do, are willing to

do, and not willing to do.

Kim

Mom to (23 with cf and asthma) and (20 asthma no cf)

Can I have some feedback from parents who have sent their CF

Children to public school? I have a 3 year old and do not know what I

think about public school vs. private school vs. homeschool. I would

love to hear from the parents who have decided to send their children

to public school, and some of your experiences. For those of you with

older children, if you had it to do over again, would you still send

your child to public school? I am from a family full of public

school teachers, and finding opposition to anything other than

public school. I just need some advice.

thanks

Angie

November 18, 2002

My son is graduating from high school this year from a public high school here

in Ohio and I have had no problem at all. He has always by his own choice

decided to tell people that he has cf and it is not an issue. He asked at an

early age to be allowed to take his enzymes in his lunch and not to be made to

go to the nurse before lunch to have to get them and the school oke'd this and

so all the way thru high school he has been allowed to carry his enzymes on him

and he takes them at his own discretion. He has gone on over night trips as

well as week long trips with school functions and instead of the vest he would

take his flutter and I would make up a daily pack of pills for him to take and

they would be labeled and there was never any problem. I feel with cf there is

always a way to get around things if you look long and hard enough. He will be

going off to Ohio State (GO Buckeyes) next fall and then I guess I will see if

there are more challenges. Well I hope I helped you alittle, Cindy in Ohio