Tuesday, January 27, 2004
The mid-term and the party
An Indian boy in 11th grade was a good student. He was a member of the Student Council, he took all honors and AP courses. He had goals. His mother called to see what else we could do to help her son be a better student. he tried things to improve his resume, but one day he missed one of his mid-term exams.
The rule was that only a doctor's note would excuse a student allowing him or her to make up a mid-term. The boy came in to plead his case to me. He said he didn't go to the doctor because he would not see him. The day the boy said he went called the doctor was not the day he was absent from school. I had to tell him there was nothing I could do for him. While I was speaking to the boy a teacher was trying to get my eye.
After the boy left the office, the teacher told me the truth. The boy had a party the night of his mid-term. He had everyone over because his parents went to India! He was alone. Everyone came in and they began to trash his parent's house. They invited kids from other districts and they began to destroy the house and steal all his CD's. The boy took all day to try to repair the damage to the house. He wanted to then take his exams for Thursday but didn't have an excuse. I felt badly for him but the school rules precluded me from allowing him to take the test.
The rule was that only a doctor's note would excuse a student allowing him or her to make up a mid-term. The boy came in to plead his case to me. He said he didn't go to the doctor because he would not see him. The day the boy said he went called the doctor was not the day he was absent from school. I had to tell him there was nothing I could do for him. While I was speaking to the boy a teacher was trying to get my eye.
After the boy left the office, the teacher told me the truth. The boy had a party the night of his mid-term. He had everyone over because his parents went to India! He was alone. Everyone came in and they began to trash his parent's house. They invited kids from other districts and they began to destroy the house and steal all his CD's. The boy took all day to try to repair the damage to the house. He wanted to then take his exams for Thursday but didn't have an excuse. I felt badly for him but the school rules precluded me from allowing him to take the test.
