Put down the paintbrush

Another parenting issue thrown out to the masses! BTW, we went with option B for the preK. He loves it.

Last year Lenna was accepted into the district's enrichment program. A selected group of students is bused to another school and spend a day doing activities and lessons meant to challenge their little brains that are otherwise bored with school. Why they don't just let them do lessons that challenge them in the regular classroom is a discussion for another post. Anyway, one day each week Lenna will get on a bus with 5 other little second graders and go to a different school, learn something, then return just in time to go home. This should provide her with some extra homework, projects, field trips, etc. I think it will be a good experience for her and am excited for her to start.

However, the day she will be gone is the one day each week her regular will be going to art. The only day they do art. I voiced my concerns with the classroom teacher, the guidance counselor, and the school secretary, asking if it was possible for her to attend art on another day with a different class (they all go on a different day). They all told me that their policy was "too bad if you miss something fun you have to go anyway." The classroom teacher was willing to let her ditch PE one of the days to tag along with another class but couldn't get it approved by the other two. I understand they can't cancel class for every assembly and cupcake bash, but for a student to miss an entire subject for a whole year seems a little extreme. Lenna is the only one with this problem, since the other kids are in a different class and will be missing their PE days.

So, what should I do? Make a fuss about it and insist they let her do both? Do nothing and supplement at home? Sign her up for an art class at the Y or somewhere else?

Here are the district guidelines. I was under the impression that, based on the last paragraph, that she would be able to switch easily and was surprised at the negative reaction I got when I brought it up.

This is a cut-and-paste I pulled from the paper that should be given to all teachers. I left off the part about not introducing new content or giving tests on horizons days, as well as not making them make up missed work. I wonder if our school got it?

Classroom and Gifted Program Cooperation
In order to address the needs of students involved in the Horizons Program, we request that the following guidelines be taken into consideration when planning educational programs for your grade and/or school. Please know that our efforts are successful only because of all that you do!


Special Events - Please try to avoid scheduling special events on Horizons Day. Special events include field trips, guest speakers, authors, assemblies, and performances. If an unanticipated conflict arises, notify the Horizons Program. Families should also be notified and given the option of having their child participate in the special event or in the Horizons Program.

Specials – Since scheduling art, music, and other special classes on Horizons day may be unavoidable, please consider allowing students to attend specials with a different class.


So, what do you think? I am leaning toward making a quiet fuss through the teacher, who I think will be on my side.