A Conversation to have with New Boarders

Albion
Wed, 31 Jul 2013 21:18:12 +0000

2prepMom said it very well–and more succinctly than I did.

Purple Fever: The reason I forgot to mention pregnancy is that even after 14 or so years of teaching I have never had a student approach me with it–at this point, it’s the only issue that hasn’t come up…yet. It’s a point well taken, though, and should be added to the conversation.

Charger: Your description of an institution that sees self-harming kids as a liability and leverages counseling sessions to ban kids from campus doesn’t resemble any school I’ve ever worked at or heard of, so I’m very concerned by your friend’s experience. I have known kids who were initially reluctant to take medical leaves, but none of them were ever prevented from contacting their friends on campus and none of them were barred from returning. We work pretty hard to help kids keep up with their academics (as they are able) and always operate with the understanding that a leave is temporary. Our medical leaves are about healing and not punishment. There are lots of conversations between school counselors, parents, and the student before any final decision is made. Whenever a student in distress comes to me, I am always very clear up front that I am a mandated reporter. I think it’s very important not to take advantage of our kids’ trust, and to be clear at all stages. In the end, schools are nothing more than a collection of individuals. We try to do the best we can for the students in our care.