Attendance Rewards

[Guest guest]

I was a " perfect attendance " award recipient from kindergarten

through 4th grade (I think). It was important to me at the time (many

years ago!), but now I see it very differently.

My children's public schools have an a pizza coupon (or a Chick-Fil-A

coupon) which is given each quarter with a letter. It goes home to

the parents and does not get announced in the school. It is based on

attendance, but it is not perfect attendance, which is, in my

opinion, a bad idea (rewarding parents and kids for coming to school

to spread germs, viruses, and many other nasties). I think it is up

to the teacher to determine who receives it.

I was lucky and very healthy as a kid. I was one of those

over-achievers who cried if my mom suggested I stay home til I felt

better. I saw a doctor maybe once a year and in those days they often

made house calls.

I don't have a problem with schools having incentive programs and

trying to get kids to see the importance of coming every day and on

time, etc. BUT I really have an issue with the flaunt-it-in-your face

stuff like holding parties and such during school time for those

children who were lucky enough not to be born with a health condition

they have no control over.

I'm not just talking about the kids with cf, wither. If a child is

vomiting all night at home, or has a fever at 7 am, he/she should not

be pressured into attending school that day for his/her own safety

AND THAT OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL!

We need to change the way these schools think.

What ideas do we have? Write to me directly and I'll compile suggestions.

-Lenora

lenora@...

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