What's wrong with sending a letter?
@joey_matthews (8354)
November 3, 2010 7:27am CST
Well my son's just returned school after having chicken pox today, he had two weeks off due to this plus two insert days. Oddly though the school decided to change one of the insert days, so that my son should of gone in yesterday. My wife received a text message yesterday asking her to phone their automated service and explain why he didn't go in, as my wife and I both thought that it was insert day we assumed it was another blunder on their side of things. (this wouldn't be the first time) My wife checked the holiday periods we was given on the last day of school and confirmed to the school that we have it as a insert day on the paper work they provided. Today my wife received a phone call from someone about this, they explained that they had handed out two updates on the 9th of September and on the 18th of October. This was pretty funny as my wife explained that our son was on holiday on 9th and that he had chicken pox on the 18th all of which they knew about and time to prepare themselves.
Now I accept mistakes happen but this sort of blunder appears to happen all the time at my sons school.
Over here school's have gotten very strict over attendances and it can lead to us being find or how son being removed from the school because they have to keep their attendance to a certain percent. After explaining why we wasn't aware, we did receive an apology which we've accepted but I really do have to ask why didn't they send us a letter?
It's obvious that they're aware of when pupils are away, I don't believe I'm responsible for making sure the dates they publish are changed. I strongly feel that it's there job to make sure ALL parents are informed of things that they change and for a school which use's high tech gear I really feel they fail when it comes to keeping parents informed of matters which may effect them. It seems common sense to issue letters when pupils aren't there otherwise how the heck do parents know about this? Thankfully they've kindly authorized his absent.
What's wrong with sending a letter?
2 people like this
6 responses
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
3 Nov 10
Hello.. that is what I have been saying for years. I raised my kids in the Catholic School system and this is one area I so appreciated.. They kept us very well informed and they had to many checklists in place that there was just no room for error. However, I have noticed many of the public school systems over here, as my acquaintances have their kids in them, whereas I use to get constant calls that it was half days and or some mis-communication on their behalf really.
It is a shame that school officials do not perform their duties like before, they simply are doing a job and not so caring anymore. When I tell you a frightened upset child sitting at the principals office waiting to be picked up. Ugh.. was very sad and all because the teacher did not make any effort to assure the family was informed.
I hope your child's school gets the message here-forth as how hard really is it to send a 3 line letter, and um us taxpayers pay for their photocopies. Geez would have avoided the back and forth later. You would think.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
3 Nov 10
that was definitely a mistake on their part, the secretary should have sent the letter, and if she was not on top of it. It should have been the teacher or principal to inform her to do so.
1 person likes this
@littlefranciscan (18327)
• United States
5 Nov 10
I agree with you that schools should make sure they inform
parents of any changes being made. I don't know what
an "insert" is. I would imagine.. it has something
with days off or something?
I know sometimes letters can get lost in the post. Is this
a habit of the school of not notifying parents of changes..
Did your son know anything of the changes?
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
4 Nov 10
In my view they should have sent a letter. Schools ought to be literate. Unfortunately, they often seem not to be. What is it they say? If you can't do something, teach it and if you can't teach it become an administrator? Hey, I'm retired, I can say that...smirk.
Say, did you know that the latest theory about chicken pox is that if kids get vaccinations and then don't contract childhood chicken pox they are at great risk to get shingles later in life? I'm really glad I had chicken pox as a kid and glad your son did also!
@gdesjardin (1918)
• United States
4 Nov 10
We have the same problem at our daughter's school. It is a new school, and the teachers are great, the administration is great, however, they need an office manager that is on the ball....which they don't have. They have no business sense at all. It drives me crazy most of the time. They send out updates for our school via email and automated telephone call which is good. However, when it comes to forms and keeping up with them, they are terribly unorganized. My father went to pick up my daughter from school about 4 weeks ago. She had a routine doctor's appointment and my dad offered to pick her up because he was already over at the end of town. They gave him a hard time releasing her to him because they had no form staying who can and can't sign her out for school. I filled out the form at the beginning of school and I personally took the form to the school, so I know it got there. They finally found the form filed under my daughter's first name and not her last name. These are the people that are teaching my child...sad!!!
@saqi78 (1402)
• Malaysia
4 Nov 10
I agree with you, they should send you letter to inform you about changes, this type of problems mostly happens with parents, schools really fails in providing updated information to the parents and put all blame on parents. I think they should have emails of parent and any update they do, just send a small email with updated changes, this do not take time, just one email to all parents is not a big deal...:)
