17 yr old went back to school last Wednesday, and by Sat. night was dizzy, had nasty headache, fever, chills. He is home today, and will need to see the doc since his fever last night was over 102 on Motrin. WTH?? Today is also picture day.


Other part of this that makes me crazy is the attendance policy at his school is extremely strict. More than 7 days out during the year and you go on no-credit. Doesn't matter why, it's automatic. He fractured a vertabrae 2 yrs ago, and really only missed school when he had medical appts & tests that had to be done during the day, or when he absolutely could not move without painkillers, and they put him on no-credit status, despite all the doctor's notes. It's insane. You can appeal (which we did, and won), but I hate their infringement on MY parenting judgment. So many days these kids are in school sick because the parents feel they have no choice due to the policy.

Okay, off to bleach and Lysol my entire home before the others catch this.

DEFINATELY take him to the doctor!!!! It is TOO EARLY for the flu! This could definately be something else, and something serious at that. It sounds a lot like meningitis. PLEASE be sure to get him to the doctor. As for the school thing, if you have a doctor's note it should DEFINATELY be excused!!!!

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Hope he gets better soon and the rest of you avoid getting it.

I agree that the attendance policy is strict. I can't understand why, with dr's notes, you should have to appeal it. It should just be excused.
Of course, I had a friend a couple of years ago, that was on state health insurance and paid NOTHING for dr's appts. and nothing for any medicines her child needed and she abused the system badly. When her child didn't want to go to school, she ran her to the dr. (she had asthma and would tell the dr. her asthma was bad). The dr. would tell her nothing was wrong but she got the note and the absence was excused.
So while the policy is strict and I don't necessarily agree with it, I can understand why they've had to adopt such strict policies.

My ds is only in 3rd grade but Mono has been going around here. Several kids in 3rd grade have been diagnosed in the past 2 weeks - headaches, fever, achy - all started out thinking they had the flu, or strep , turned out to be Mono.

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There's a stomach bug going around here, headache (that's a new one), stomach problems, some with fever, some not. Those with fever are around 102°.

I agree it's too early for the flu.

Thanks for the concern, but he's okay. I always watch for meningitis. Doc said virus, going around, and should be gone in a day or two.

kmlee--mono has been going around the elementary kids here over the summer. I thought it was unusual in kids that young, but apparently not!

tag1114-I understand the need to keep a lid on absenteeism, but it's ridiculous that we are pressured to send ill children to school because of a few who cannot or will not control their children. To me it is not terribly difficult to see the patterns in who is constantly absent, who is not being parented. Those are the issues to be dealt with.

On top of the absences, the policy also states if you arrive after morning homeroom, it counts against you as a tardy AND you are considered absent. If you have to leave 10 minutes before end of school for a doctor's appt, you lose credit for the day. I've had many interesting conversations with friends of other high schoolers as to how it is possible to be in school for all but 10 minutes of the day, and still be absent!

Obviously this is a real peeve of mine, so I better eat some chocolate and move on!

I am a substitute teacher, and I have worked in our local High School system for seven years. I personally, do understand 100% why they issue a tardy for any students arriving late to homeroom. It is very difficult for the secretaries if they do not know who is in or is not in attendance. At our school the secretaries have to personally call every single parent of an absent child (if the parents do not call the school to let them know the child will be absent) But, I am confused by why they would say that they are tardy and absent. I would think it would be a little difficult to be both tardy and absent??? I also have never heard of a student losing credit for the entire day if they have an early dismissal.
I do think that there should be rules set up, because many schools have a huge problem with tardiness and absanteeism. Finding a happy medium isn't always easy...

Well, I don't know what's going on but I'm feeling flu-ish, started after I went to bed last night

I thought you at least got 1/2 day credit if you came in late or left early, depended on how many hours you were in school.

1st week of school and daughter brought home the lice note(first time I have ever had to worry about that--YUCK)
2nd week she brought home the Strept Throat note(and she was sick with cold)
3rd week son brings home Strept throat note
Any indication of the year ahead?

My daughter has gotten the stomach bug twice now and it is only the 3rd week of school. Ugh!

My 13 yr old daughter has seasonal asthma. If she gets the slightest cold, her asthma is exasperated. Anyway, not more than 10 days into school, and she needs to go see the Dr. to fill her inhaler. Usually we deal with this around February. When we visited our doctor, she was suffering from a bad cold. Probably an indication of how the year will go.

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Stuff always goes around like wildfire when school starts up again. My sons allergies were HORRIBLE and he missed several days of high school. But then (after he was lectured about how wonderful gay marriage is in one class, told evolution was FACT not theory, Spanish teacher told how there shouldn't be a border, etc.) we decided to home school this year so we don't have to worry about crazy attendance rules. I understand the need for the kids that just want to skip school but some people have chronic health problems, etc.. and there needs to be better guidelines about exceptions. We SHOULD NOT have to send kids to school sick, that's how everything gets passed around.