Detention Doomsday

The phone rang Monday as I was upstairs trying to get the babies all up from their nap, changed and dressed and loaded into the van to head towards that WIC appointment of doom.

Being that I was UPSTAIRS, and the nearest phone was all the way DOWNSTAIRS and in my bathroom, I didn't have the time to try and grab it.

When I got home from the appointment, and finally remembered that the phone had rang, I discovered that the Caller I.D. revealed the caller to be from my son's school.

With much dread, I check my voicemail messages only to find out that my son had been tardy AGAIN.

It's always between his 2nd and 3rd hour classes. We've discussed it before, even.

I've talked to the school about the situation to no avail. Basically, we send our children to school with backpacks and the needed supplies.

However, there are many teachers that make their own rules regarding the use of backpacks and materials meant for other classes.

My son is running into a problem where he must go to his locker in between these two classes regardless of how he plans his day.

Apparently, his 3rd period class teacher REFUSES t0 allow backpacks in her classroom.

She also has mandated that they ONLY bring the materials needed for HER CLASS and leave everything else in their lockers, wherein lies his problem.

His locker is not centrally located to either of these classes. He must make a mad dash across the maze of hallways of the school to get to the locker.

Then, once he gets there, he must wait until the students around and above his locker actually decide to MOVE from in front of his.

Apparently, these students are rude, and refuse to move or rearrange themselves, even when asked.

They just ignore my child's request to MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, which I find unusually rude.

It would appear that the errant student's classes are just around the locker because they hang out in front of his until right before the bell rings many a day, leaving him late for class and with a huge sprint back across the grounds to even get there.

What's a guy to do? These kids actually get worse if you ask them to move, and pushing the issue could result in words, or worse, a fight of some sort.

My son wants neither, but he also would like to get to his class on time with the appropriate materials as mandated by teacher.

Tardiness is the result of all of this. He has many of them, too. I have explained to the school what is going on, and asked that they work with us on finding a solution.

I find the teacher's demanding only her materials and books be brought to class a little unrealistic myself.

Especially since she has banned backpacks from her room for whatever reason.

My child is trying to follow her rules, yet ends up inadvertently having to break others just to accommodate her.

He has worked all year to try and overcome this problem, only to get met with detention this past Monday.

The school doesn't even want to talk to me about it this time, either. He just left a nice message saying he was sending home paperwork regarding the situation that day and to please sign and return it.

That is just ducky. It's not that I mind the consequence, it's that I worry about my child.

He has a concentration and memory problem that is being treated with medication.

However, this problem can often result in his forgetting to stay after school for a function or forgetting that he has a doctor's appointment and riding the bus home instead.

I am extremely worried that he is going to forget his detention (even though we have discussed it at length and made a point to remind him) and that he will end up riding the bus home today.

If this happens, he will get into even MORE trouble, all over something as trivial as a tardy.

What's a Mum to do? I was going to try for IEP and get him classified as whatever it takes to get him that service, but that hope got dashed with the "Dear John" letter from that clinic that was supposed to be treating his ADHD.

Now we have an issue where his ADHD may get him into something that could go on his permanent record.

At least my child is taking it well. Yes he is perturbed about the tardies and the fact that he has worked to no avail for a solution to his problem.

But I did get a good laugh out of him the other evening. He said, "Mom? Can I watch that movie about detention now?"

He meant "The Breakfast Club" of course! I told him that he could, but that he would be in LOADS of trouble if he EVER actually emulated any of the characters from it!

So, here I sit, wondering if he will remember that he has detention today or if he will forget and ride the bus home.

Only time will tell, but until then, I am a nervous wreck!