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Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/13/2008 2:23:22 PM
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Galilee
Posts: 111
Joined: 4/22/2005
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Regarding last Thursday.
This is what we are meeting about:
My son's teacher asked him to stay after school for a "Homework Club" to make up an assignemt. School gets out around 3:00 but they have a late bus that leaves at 5:00 for things just like this.
My Daughter stayed behind for something else, and she had a ride home, so she told David where to meet her when he was ready to leave. As time went on, they had no idea where he was. They paged him 3 times and got no answer. Deby called asking what she should do. We just assumed he took the late bus and told her to come home with her friend.
Oh, boy.
It turns out that David went and talked to one of the security guards (who is supposed to have the safety of the students as their primary concern, right?), and told her that he needed to go to the 8th grade section to meet his sister for a ride home. She REFUSED to let him go there. So, then he said he needed to take the late bus. She was giving students passes to take the late bus, but REFUSED to give David one. She asked David if he could walk home. David said "Well...yeah". The ONLY reason he would say that would be the logic of thinking "well, I can't spend the night here, so I'll walk if I have to." So, the security guard told him he COULD NOT have a pass for the late bus and instructed him to walk home. When he asked if he could use a phone to call us for a ride, she AGAIN REFUSED him. She even shooed him away with a "go on, bye bye" type of statement. As to why she refused him, the only thing we can think of is that some kids apparently hang around the school afterwards for no real reason and they aren't supposed to be able to take the late bus. But, my son has been in this school for exactly 6 weeks, and has never had to take the late bus before, so he doens't know any of this yet.
Well, the school is 1.9 miles away, and David got lost. He guesses he went about 4 miles. He found the Church we go to, and he has walked home from there many times, so then he started walking home. He got home around 6:20 pm, completely in tears.
I ask, how stupid can people be? Being lost and distraught, David would have been a primary target for abduction, or some other violence. Who is stupid enough to tell a child to walk home, when they have a bus in place for just this type of thing? On a thing where we got a note from the school asking him to stay there, they should have made sure that he got home safely, and not left it up to an 11 year old to find his way home.
Had it happened a month from now, after the time change, it would have been very dark by the time he got home, and there is no telling what would have happened to him.
I want this guard to be fired. There is no way, after that incident, that I can trust her to do right by my child. Or anyone elses. I guarantee you that if I put word out to all the parents of the kids at that school, there would be a massive call for her firing. It will be curious to see how it plays out today.
THe Principal did respond immediately Friday with a follow up e-mail and a phone call setting up the meeting for today. She seems to be on our side, but we shall soon see. For what it's worth, though, my son said that they questioned him Friday, and he heard the response "it's probably just a misunderstanding". I really hope they don't blow this off.
Thoughts?
< Message edited by Galilee -- 10/13/2008 2:48:02 PM >
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The Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of man might become the sons of God. -- Terry Fullam.
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RE: Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/13/2008 2:41:49 PM
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Chrystal-J-007
Posts: 659
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: Detroit
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I would be upset too! That's a terrible situation. I would expect that the adminstration would (at least) suspend her and re-train her.
I hope things work out for you and your family.
_____________________________
Worry looks around, Sorrow looks back, Faith looks up
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The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese...timing is everything!
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RE: Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/13/2008 3:02:36 PM
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ladyingrace1979
Posts: 414
Joined: 3/14/2008
From: Fresno CA
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I agree that the security guard needs to be either fired or reassigned to a high school. Obviously she has no sense of dealing with elementary or middle school children. If something were not done I would go above the principal. This is a safety issue that could have affected an even younger child.
In the future if possible I would send a note with my child stating what transportation arrangements have been made and what I wanted done.
Kim Q
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RE: Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/13/2008 3:30:17 PM
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garsyt
Posts: 2212
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I would be LIVID!
The security guards JOB is to insure that a child has SAFE transportation home - ESPECIALLY in the elementary years! The LEAST she could have done was let him use a phone.
How old is David? What grade?
We don't have security guards at our elementary school but there is one at each middle school and 3 at the high school my eldest attends. Notes are required for all kids through middle school if they are staying after school for ANY reason and this note is to state how that child is getting home. At the high school level for the child to ride a different bus then normal a call must be made to the transportation office. Unfortunately - we don't have a late bus program either.
Blessings and good luck with your meeting.
Garsy
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My Blog: www.moredayslikethisplease.wordpress.com
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RE: Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/13/2008 3:33:10 PM
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Galilee
Posts: 111
Joined: 4/22/2005
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Garsy,
He is 11. He is in 6th grade. He has been in this school for a month and a half.
_____________________________
The Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of man might become the sons of God. -- Terry Fullam.
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RE: Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/13/2008 3:36:41 PM
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csl7037
Posts: 2071
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Did he stay after the same day the teacher asked him to? That's just asking for a mix-up. But if he was told he needed to do the "homework club" on Monday and stayed for it on Tuesday, I'd have sent clear instructions about what he was to do as that was a change in the routine. BUT STILL, that in NO WAY excuses what this woman did and the risk she put your son in. I would want her head on a platter. There is no way she would be employed at the school by end of day tomorrow. To be perfectly honest, if that is not the outcome of your meeting, I think you should write an open letter to the paper(s), call the media and make sure every parent at the school knows exactly what happened. I hate to sound like a huge trouble maker but I am horrified at the thought of what could have happened. Your 11 year old was MISSING for a couple hours, WALKED several miles, LOST to get home because this woman denied him two different viable options he had for absolutely no reason...I don't care what she says, there's no reason or excuse to put a child in this position. This is unbelievable to me. Misunderstanding? It's her JOB, if she's in charge of these children and their safetey to get him where he was supposed to be not to shoo him away. I'll go one step further and say I may take an attorney with me to that meeting - to show you're serious. I'm not one AT ALL t say to call an attorney at the drop of a hat. This situation isn't about you...your son is fine, lucky for them!! It's not like you're a disgruntled parent who irrationally thinks their poor baby was mistreated or graded unfairly . . . your a parent who has every right to be outraged and to demand her termination.
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RE: Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/13/2008 4:50:13 PM
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artemis
Posts: 867
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quote:
told her that he needed to go to the 8th grade section to meet his sister for a ride home. She REFUSED to let him go there.
What is the school's policy for allowing students to go to other campuses or other areas of the school?
quote:
So, then he said he needed to take the late bus. She was giving students passes to take the late bus, but REFUSED to give David one.
What is the school's policy for allowing students on the late bus (ie, do they need a note from a parent? A note from a teacher? Anyone can ride?)
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RE: Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/14/2008 9:41:23 AM
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garsyt
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So how did the meeting go? By your comment in my thread not good?
Garsy
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My Blog: www.moredayslikethisplease.wordpress.com
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RE: Meeting with my son's school at 3:45 today - 10/14/2008 10:18:21 AM
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Galilee
Posts: 111
Joined: 4/22/2005
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I wish I could say it went well.
It didn't go badly, I just don't feel like a whole lot got done.
I did find out a couple of things. Apparently, David himself said that he probably did not ask to use the phone. The Security Officer also said that David told her that he would walk home. My wife and I both said that the only reason he MIGHT have said that was because he knew his sister was waiting for him, and he MIGHT have thought that the 2 of them would walk home together, not knowing that she had arranged for a ride with her friend.
We pointed out that it is right on their School ID that they take a bus, and had she (the guard) looked at that and asked more questions to make SURE he had a way to get home.
Also, I guess the gates are locked soon after school, which is why he couldn't go up to where his sister was.
We also decided that the teacher was at fault as well. She didn't ask any of the homework club students if they needed a pass for the bus or not. The Principal said that especially for the 6th graderes who are new to the school and don't know the proceedures, the homework club teachers should ALWAYS ask if they need bus passes or not.
Although, in this case, David probably would have said he didn't need one because he was going home with his sister, so the same thing might have happened.
Basically, the Principal was very sympathetic, but that was about it. I did ask what would change so that this kind of thing never happens again. Outside of saying that they needed better communication, there wasn't much else said.
So, I'm not sure how I feel. I'm glad we talked, and we got our voices heard, and that some things will change because of what happened. I just don't feel we were done right by. I don't even mean that the Security Officer wasn't fired, I guess I just expected more, although if you asked me what else I would want., I'm not sure I would know how to answer that.
The Principal did say that she would meet with ALL of the Security Guards, and ALL of the 6th grade teachers to advise them to remember that the 6th graders are new, and in a school of 1200 kids instead of the 400 they had the year earlier, and they just don't know what to ask, or who to ask, so the teachers and guards need to be prepared for anything.
We shall see what happens. Again, I don't know.
_____________________________
The Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of man might become the sons of God. -- Terry Fullam.
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