Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Drake
Before our team went on the trips we were approved by our school district that they would be counted as field trips and we wouldn't have to make them up. After returning from nationals we encountered a problem. Our team is under 4H as a rookie team, not the local career center like the other local team. The head guy of the school district has approved the field trips but the principal and administration at our school is being difficult. We have been fighting this battle for 3 weeks and now at the 11th hour they have given up. All three seniors on our team (including myself) are high honor graduates, (we have GPAs of 4.25 or higher) and one of us is in position to be the valedictorian. All three of us are in danger of not walking on graduation day. I just want to know how the rest of the community feels about this, why can't 4H teams be excused from school but the career center team can? We all went to the same place, and yet only we are being punished.
Thanks,
Samantha
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Oh Boy Samantha! I've been EXTREMELY lucky that our principal didn't mind (although I wasn't taking many classes that were hard) when I went on my "field trips" that were all 4-H related. This year alone, I missed 16 days to 4-H events (National 4-H Conference, FRC Outreach Events, FRC Regionals, & the White House Science Fair). Last year our team was part of our school, and they allowed those days as "field trip" days I believe. This year though, we are a 4-H Team, and we (students from 3 different districts) have to miss school and be "absent" for FRC events. I believe that 4-H teams endure these problems all across the us.
I suggest you guys present to your school board about the things you guys have done while on these "field trips". Although the school board will probably still count them as days gone, like they did for me, they probably will not be as critical that they were days that you were "gone", since you were still learning so much.
I believe that until education catches up, they should allow students x # of days for out of school educational events (such as FRC regionals/champs, or other conferences). Students can learn so much more than they could ever learn in school by attending conferences taught by true professionals or events like FRC that gives hands-on experiences.
I hope this helps you out Samantha! If not, I would see if your leader/county 4-H program coordinator could write a letter to the board in regards to your issue.
-David