tracylaud83's Blog

The system bites and we all know it! It's kinda like that story I was told when I was little -- "The Boy Who Cryed Wolf"

Yes I know.
But now my wife and I have to decide if we send the 4 kids to school on Friday, or keep them home.
If we keep them home, Is it an Excused absence ??

If it was a danger to me, I wouldn't worry about it as much.
But this is to the kids, It's different..

If you want to keep your kids home from school because you want them to have a holiday, then that's a good enough reason. I wouldn't give in to pranksters who want attention or probably just a day off from school. I'm sure the local police will have added security on campus to adequately handle any problems. Probably will be the quietest, safest, day of the school year. As far as book bags, I think they should be banned all year long period. Experience has shown that it is only a tool to conceal things you don't want seen. If contraband is brought to school, 90% of the time it's in a bookbag.

My kids are homescholed and my ESE daughter attends an elementary school here so she can have the therapy she needs since the army won't pay for it for their gulf war syndrome children past age 5. I got the note, called the school and it was due to "bomb threats among other things"... but as soon as I saw the notice she brought home about NO purses, bookbags, sachels, etc.. I put 2 & 2 together, thought "bomb threat" & already made my mind up not to send her. The other three don't even go inside a classroom,,, and ppl wonder why,, haha..Yup,, I think that after this year, I'll have to come up w/ the money to pay for her therapy on my own for she'll be like my other three and be homescholed. I'm sick of thinking I'm sending my baby into the jungle every time she steps foot on her little school bus, and be panicking all day till I see her step off the bus in the afternoons.

I have a 1st grader in Marion County. It would have been nice if the school district or school would have given parents more details other than this is a precationary measure. What type of threat and which schools were targeted?

Our school told me if they have the right phone number on file I'd get a recording from Yancey this evening. Gee, how reassuring. They can't protect my son from bullies on the school bus; I'm going to trust them to protect him from a nutcase(s)?

I don't care if it is excused or not. Eventhough he has alot of time out sick this year, he's staying home. I rather be safe and see him grow up than be brave and cry myself to sleep at night if something did happen.

Hey Treehuggermama4, talk to me about home schooling. Much support from the District and your local school? What about socialization with peers? I'm working on putting him in a private school but would much rather home school.

I think this is horrible, while yes this could be a prank or the boy who cried wolf. But unfortunatly it may not be, some sick people out there may be wanting to beat the record at Virginia Tech. My children will not be going to school today. If we were to send them we would be so worried all day, just imagine how scared the kids would be just thinking that there could be a bomb in their school. Since a few people we are friends with that work at the schools were told they didn't have to come in to work at the school if they didn't want to, this should definetly be an excussed absence and the kids that don't go to school today should be able to make up ALL their work and get full credit.What I really think tey should have done is gave the kids the day off and then use a hurricane day to make it up. Steps really need to be taken to make our schools much safer. I really wish public schools and home school programs weren't so expensive or my kids would be out of public schools in a heartbeat.

I think maybe you should allow your children to take a day off today. The idea of sending my kids somewhere quasi safe just doesn't fly with me.

I hope you kept your children home from school. You can never be too safe. As far as it being and excused absence, don't let the school bully you on the issue of what is best for you kids. It they have half a brain, they will excuse the absence. The next question is, what about Monday? and the next day? and the next...

Fox did report the story.
It was about as informative and as short as this post.