Parents School Schedule Issues

[MILgymFAM]

Since we just moved to a new town both DDs started a new school last week. Older DD was assigned to choir as her elective. Today the choir "contract" came home stating when the concerts would be (there are 5) and stating that students who miss a concert would be docked two full letter grades from their final grade per occurrence. Of the five, two fall on a meet weekend (obviously I won't know if they truly conflict until the week before) and two on practice nights. The fifth falls on younger daughters practice night which is three towns away. I emailed the teacher and DDs counselor requesting a different elective for DD- she didn't really want choir in the first place, so she wasn't upset at all about that.

I am torn, though. We have always placed the utmost priority on education. DD was #1 in her grade at her last school, has always had a 4.0, and is a scholarship recipient. I just don't see the importance of this class, but I am not sure if I am sending a good message to DD. At the same time, we committed to the gym and the season, and we pay good money for it, and I don't think school should also dominate our evenings. I am not sure what I will do if the school refuses to switch her, but I can't sign the contract in good conscience.

What do you think? Was I out of line to ask to her her switched? What would you do?

 

[skschlag]

Electives should be done in school. If you want to be in band/orchestra/choir, then you know that you are signing up for after school activities. Practices/concerts and shows.

If she had chosen it, I would say that you have to follow through. I don't like that they assigned an elective and then expect you to be at after school activities. There are many instances where kids cannot do that.

I think it is fine to talk to the school about this. my son deliberately chose not to do choir because of gym.

 

[MILgymFAM]

She had to make a list. Choir was her third choice. At her last school she was in the choir, but the evening concerts were completely optional, so we didn't realize it could even be an issue.

 

[skschlag]

ahh. I get it now. Here they are mandatory but you know that going in. I can see with the move how that would be confusing.

I would chat with them and explain. She has a commitment to gym too.

 

[happychaos]

Education is #1, but I don't think choir is important enough to trump gymnastics. You did the right thing by asking for a switch. It sounds like you received the choir contract AFTER being assigned to choir ...you didn't know.

For my DD, the value of continuing in gymnastics would outweigh the benefit of participating in choir. This might not be the same for everyone, but my DD is developing amazing character traits from gymnastics. It is worth fighting for your DD's ability to participate in the activity that you feel will benefit her the most.

 

[MaryA]

Pick your battles. If being in choir was important to your DD, you'd figure out a way for her to do it. It's not a priority for her, so you shouldn't have to. You're not showing her that education isn't important. You're showing her how to prioritize and to speak up for herself.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Agree w everyone else. Sure education is important but this is an elective, and not one she's super committed to. I would have asked to be switched too.
It's part of why older DD (just started 7th grade and a dancer) never chooses any electives that have evening conflicts attached, she has dance and always chooses that first.
Bottom line is you didn't know up front that there may be conflicts and you wouldn't have chosen this elective if you had known. I doubt a college is going to deny her because she didn't do choir in middle school/high school.

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

Remember choir is an ELECTIVE not academic and therefore electives are not as important as academics. My DD is in middle school and Her electives are band, orchestra(too much MORE practice involved besides gymnastics), PE(already do too much gym), and choir(ahhhh, I can handle the 4-5 concerts, but ours is during the week) I think the electives are a joke. We've tried skipping them altogether, but our system doesn't allow it.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Sorry to sidetrack, but what are electives, and how much timetable space do they consume? We have core subjects ( in our secondary school its English, maths, PE, one humanity, one foreign language and science.). You then fill the remaining timetable slots with optional subjects. Choir, band etc would be considered clubs and would happen after school.

 

[Faolmor]

As far as education goes...surely what she is learning at gym in terms of life skills and lessons trumps what she might get out of choir, especially if she's not particularly interested in it?

(Not saying you don't learn anything in choir, btw. I am a musician, and the former musical director of a successful choral ensemble...just saying that, if gym is her passion, she will be getting far more out of that, from an educational point of view, than she will out of a choir she isn't particularly interested in. And kudos [NOT] to the school for taking a pleasurable activity, such as music, then sucking all the joy out of it by attaching grades to it!!)

 

[my4buffaloes]

You have to look at what is best for the whole child and for the whole family. I just pulled my dd from her foreign language because I could tell that it would be too much for her this year (meant no study hall). She will have the opportunity to take that class next year and really won't be missing much. Your child doesn't even want to do this. All of these outside of school time events is not best for your family. These are electives - you should be able to opt out.

 

[skschlag]

Sorry to sidetrack, but what are electives, and how much timetable space do they consume? We have core subjects ( in our secondary school its English, maths, PE, one humanity, one foreign language and science.). You then fill the remaining timetable slots with optional subjects. Choir, band etc would be considered clubs and would happen after school.

we have core subjects (English, math, science, history) and we have required ones (PE, Health, foreign language, humanities) Then we have electives: Band, choir, orchestra, arts, robotics or additional classes in the core or required subjects. My oldest has 2 programming classes as his electives this semester. Some electives are required as well. Electives, in general, are the ones that the child has the most choice in. It is all very confusing

 

[Aussie_coach]

A lot of people say that education is number 1, but when it really comes down to it for most people its really not and nor should it be.

I am sure there are higher priorities such as your child's health, or your family.

My point is that its not necessary to rank things and say that it should come first just because it is a school thing.

I also disagree with the notion that academics are more important than electives, why is that? Everything that your child is doing including academics, electives, sports and gymnastics are all contributing to the person she is becoming and they are all contributing immensely to her education.

The lessons she is learning at school like how to read, write and do maths are of course very important. But in the adult world she won't just be taking what she learns at school and then applying it to her work. Adult life is about setting goals, working with determination, problem solving and searching for answers. Where does she learn to do all that stuff best? Probably at gymnastics, most kids learn it better from gymnastics because they love it. The lessons of setting a goal they want with all their hearts and then working and never giving up until its achieved are far better learned in an environment where they are doing something they love. Her gymnastics education should be valued just as much as her school education.

Of course you have the right to try and get her changed out of the choir if you now have all the information and have discovered that you will not be able to make the necessary commitment. I think you are doing whats best for the school by letting them know of the problem and seeking a solution now before she ends up in a situation where she won't be able to honour any commitments. If this was the class they shoved her into as her third choice because her first two were not available then she is not shirking any commitment at all.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Ah, clear as mud! Those, apart from art, would be club activities for us. Anything done in school time is examined and graded, so if you opt for music , art etc, you are expected to gain a certificate in that subject at 16 and it is a perminant part of your timetable

 

[MILgymFAM]

Sorry to sidetrack, but what are electives, and how much timetable space do they consume? We have core subjects ( in our secondary school its English, maths, PE, one humanity, one foreign language and science.). You then fill the remaining timetable slots with optional subjects. Choir, band etc would be considered clubs and would happen after school.

In middle school there is typically a core of English, math, science, social science, and PE. Then there is usually one elective. This takes place during normal school hours. Electives take the time of a regular class, about an hour a day. In my DDs case, she asked for Spanish, which is taught the hour before school starts. This left a gap in her day, which they filled with choir.

 

[Midwestmommy]

I may be in the minority here, but in my opinion lack of any music training is a form of illiteracy. I think everyone should have a very entry level basic knowledge of reading music and music theory. To me, the lack of that is a hole in a well-rounded education. Fortunately, that need can be met many different ways in or outside of school such as school choir, church choir, voice lessons, guitar lessons, piano lessons, etc. I am keeping my fingers crossed that choir works for my daughter through the years, but she has been in once-a-week music training outside of school for years, so if it doesn't, we will live with it.
I feel the same way about another language and that need should be met within the school day electives. If that was not possible, I would probably switch my daughter to a different school, because the lack of a language would be a major gaping hole and would make me question the school as being even adequate. My understanding is that some second language study is a given if you want to get into a good college or university.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

So you say the hour before school, what time does she have to be in school then? Your system really does confuse me!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

@Midwestmommy Over here. Foriegn language is part of the core curriculum, as is art, music, re, drama, cookery etc until year 9. At year 9 you opt to carry on with certain subjects and drop others. You must still take one language though

 

[MILgymFAM]

I may be in the minority here, but in my opinion lack of any music training is a form of illiteracy. I think everyone should have a very entry level basic knowledge of reading music and music theory. To me, the lack of that is a hole in a well-rounded education. Fortunately, that need can be met many different ways in or outside of school such as school choir, church choir, voice lessons, guitar lessons, piano lessons, etc. I am keeping my fingers crossed that choir works for my daughter through the years, but she has been in once-a-week music training outside of school for years, so if it doesn't, we will live with it.
I feel the same way about another language and that need should be met within the school day electives. If that was not possible, I would probably switch my daughter to a different school, because the lack of a language would be a major gaping hole and would make me question the school as being even adequate. My understanding is that some second language study is a given if you want to get into a good college or university.

I actually agree with you. She can read music and does play an instrument. Her daddy is a musician and would have it no other way. As for language, I agree there too, but changing schools to one with a language isn't always an option. In our last district none of the schools offered a language until high school, so DD took it upon herself to learn mandarin.

As for DDs schedule, school starts at 8:50, but she has to be there at 7:40 for Spanish. There is only one classroom full of kids worth of Spanish, unfortunately, and she was lucky to get it- they will learn high school 1/2 Spanish this year, finish the last two in high school and move on to Spanish at the community college the last two years. Of course, we are moving again in two years, so who knows.

 

[MILgymFAM]

@Midwestmommy Over here. Foriegn language is part of the core curriculum, as is art, music, re, drama, cookery etc until year 9. At year 9 you opt to carry on with certain subjects and drop others. You must still take one language though

I am quite envious. That is what my schooling looked like as well, but nearly everything save math/science/English/history has been stripped away here.