This morning shortly after 10:00 am, I get a call from the school. Actually, it was from difficult child but using a school line. He had lost his cell phone while outside in a wooded area on a class assignment and could I come help him find it? So, I left work to help him.
I get to the area and THEN ask, "The school is really letting you take time away from school to look for this cell phone?" "No, they would have said 'no' so I just did this on my own." "I am sure you will get an unexcused absence for this." "I don't care, the phone is expensive."
We spent about 15 minutes looking for it. Camoflauged put on vibrate so as not to disturb a class and lots of leaves on the ground to wade through. I was just in a conversation with husband to ask him what we should do since there is NO way we will find it!!! when difficult child did find it. Whewwww......
On the way into school, we passed our vehicle. difficult child asked if I had paper to write a note. I told him I was not going to write a note but I was going to sign him back into school and talk to someone about what happened starting with the explanation that I was unaware that difficult child had not asked permission to go back out to look for the phone.
What had happened was the teacher had sent the class out to identify trees but did not go out with them. They were instructed to return by a certain time. difficult child was using his cell phone as a clock. He pulled his phone out to look at it and as he was putting it away, another kid started chasing him with a stick (just in fun, not to be mean) so apparantly the phone did not get into the pocket and because he was being chased, difficult child didn't pay close attention to where he was going or where he had been. He called me from the nurse's office and I have not asked him what was said to get permission to use the phone.
So, we go to the High School office to sign back in. I didn't know what to expect and was wondering if we should talk to the counselor to explain what had happened. difficult child was wrong to leave the building without checking out even though he had called me and in the spur of the moment, I assumed the school had known what he was doing because the call came from the school number. I told difficult child that even if this is unexcused, the reason should be documented just for the record.
I explained it to the lady we check in with. When we got to the part of the stick, she tensed up - she was sure difficult child was harmed. I told her no, that was all in kid's play with no harm intended but needed to be told to explain why the phone was dropped.
She answered, "OH, you need a pass to get back into class!" "Yes, but is this unexcused?" "No, it is o.k. Did your phone get damaged? I am glad the person with the stick didn't hurt you." "How long were you gone?" I think because I had come and difficult child signed back into the school in the proper channels that this will be o.k. this time. If he would have walked passed the office and straight into class, then it would have been unexcused for sure. I will wait to see if it does show up as unexcused but I won't fight it anyway - he was wrong in leaving the school without going through the proper channels.
I was back to work before 11:00 - gone for 45 minutes. Good thing I had one hour of time to use up this week. I was going to leave work early today (at 11:30) but stayed until 12:30 to get my 3 hours in.
I get to the area and THEN ask, "The school is really letting you take time away from school to look for this cell phone?" "No, they would have said 'no' so I just did this on my own." "I am sure you will get an unexcused absence for this." "I don't care, the phone is expensive."
We spent about 15 minutes looking for it. Camoflauged put on vibrate so as not to disturb a class and lots of leaves on the ground to wade through. I was just in a conversation with husband to ask him what we should do since there is NO way we will find it!!! when difficult child did find it. Whewwww......
On the way into school, we passed our vehicle. difficult child asked if I had paper to write a note. I told him I was not going to write a note but I was going to sign him back into school and talk to someone about what happened starting with the explanation that I was unaware that difficult child had not asked permission to go back out to look for the phone.
What had happened was the teacher had sent the class out to identify trees but did not go out with them. They were instructed to return by a certain time. difficult child was using his cell phone as a clock. He pulled his phone out to look at it and as he was putting it away, another kid started chasing him with a stick (just in fun, not to be mean) so apparantly the phone did not get into the pocket and because he was being chased, difficult child didn't pay close attention to where he was going or where he had been. He called me from the nurse's office and I have not asked him what was said to get permission to use the phone.
So, we go to the High School office to sign back in. I didn't know what to expect and was wondering if we should talk to the counselor to explain what had happened. difficult child was wrong to leave the building without checking out even though he had called me and in the spur of the moment, I assumed the school had known what he was doing because the call came from the school number. I told difficult child that even if this is unexcused, the reason should be documented just for the record.
I explained it to the lady we check in with. When we got to the part of the stick, she tensed up - she was sure difficult child was harmed. I told her no, that was all in kid's play with no harm intended but needed to be told to explain why the phone was dropped.
She answered, "OH, you need a pass to get back into class!" "Yes, but is this unexcused?" "No, it is o.k. Did your phone get damaged? I am glad the person with the stick didn't hurt you." "How long were you gone?" I think because I had come and difficult child signed back into the school in the proper channels that this will be o.k. this time. If he would have walked passed the office and straight into class, then it would have been unexcused for sure. I will wait to see if it does show up as unexcused but I won't fight it anyway - he was wrong in leaving the school without going through the proper channels.
I was back to work before 11:00 - gone for 45 minutes. Good thing I had one hour of time to use up this week. I was going to leave work early today (at 11:30) but stayed until 12:30 to get my 3 hours in.
