Where is that darn permission slip for field trips? I know I saw it somewhere and now I can't find it. I believe it gave prevention tips... I searched with no luck...anyone? Thanks
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
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[ 01. June 2006, 01:51 AM: Message edited by: imanurse ]
Posted by Just Julie (Member # 1119) on :
quote:Originally posted by imanurse: My daughter, 10, contracted Lyme disease because of a school field trip this May.
Two weeks ago they were going to a state park for an education day. I REFUSED to allow her to go. I asked for the learning objectives so that I could make sure she learned the material. They would not send them and she ended up helping the librarian with filing!!!!
I have had so many problems with her school this year relating to her Lyme issues that I am now searching for an attorney.
Let us know if you find the permission slip.
I've had much experience in this particular subject, having 2 kids who have been kept home from "outdoor education" type trips that their respective private schools have taken through out the years.
First off, when I began keeping my sons from attending these outdoor education type trips, I did NOT send them to school that day, or that week, that the trip(s) were taking place. I kept them home.
I did not feel the need to send them to school,when the rest of the kids were on these trips for a few reasons---first, my sons were old enough to feel excluded, not only by the other kids (why aren't you going? what's wrong with you???) but also, by a few of their teachers, who were idiots in making remarks as to why my son(s) were not attending the trip(s). I called the one teacher at home, who announced to the class that my son was not going on the outdoor education trip (a week long trip in the mountains)because "he has Lyme disease" in a snide type manner. Called her at home and got pretty worked up about her announcing to this class room full of kids that my son has a medical condition (which is no ones business and should be kept confidential). She acted ignorant, and rightly so, she is and was.
In any case, my kids already felt ostracized by not going on these idiotic trips, so having them spend those days at school, doing trash picking up, or WHATEVER the school felt they should do, made me angry. The school is uneducated, and refuses to be made educated on this disease, so I took my own course of action, and that was to make their staying at home FUN.
Yup, we go on our own trips, or we stay home and relax. Has nothing to do with being mad at the school for their ignorant attitude, but everything to do with my kids feeling left out and excluded. We used to be outdoor/nature people, but that's what got us this @#$% disease, so now that we're not outdoor people anymore, at least they can feel not punished for not going on these damn school trips.
I wouldn't stand for my kid being made to do "work" of any sort at a school that refuses to acknowledge the possibility that they're responsible (by making the kids go on these idiot trips) and not giving the parent(s) the option to opt out of having their child go on the trip.
Of course there are some parents who do not see the forest for the trees, and refuse to be educated on the liklihood that their son or daughter may contract Lyme by going on these educational type trips, and for them, I say, just wait, your day is coming.
My day did not come, simply because I refused to be bowled over by a bunch of dim-witted academic staff who have their heads up their wa-hoo's and think that these trips are the end-all, be-all's for the kids and do nothing to educate the kids and the parents on the possible dangers of encountering ticks on these trips. What dummy's.
I personally would not sue a school over this issue. You will get yourself all stressed out, and you will not win. How can you? You would be fighting an uphill battle from day one, and you would be the one who is out the money, the time, and the emotional stress over this. Better to gerd yourself up with knowledge, and not let them get the better of you, stand your ground (it's not easy to do, but I have been doing this with my sons schools for the past 5 years now).
I now keep my mouth shut, and give out as little information as possible. Just enough to get the schools to shut up, and leave me alone when I make it known that my son(s) will once again, NOT be attending the outdoor education trip du jour.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
Oh I hear you loud and clear Julie. I was not happy when my daughter told me what they actually had her do that day. They had initially told me they would have lessons planned - what a bunch of ####.
My daughter will be absent from all outdoor related field trips in the future and will be staying home with me too!!
As for seeking legal action, the school is punishing my daughter for not being able to get her work done on time, and is not willing to do accommodations. I requested an evaluation for IEP or 504 and they have refused to do the evaluation - Until I threatened with an attorney and quoted the law.
The teacher has been rude to my daughter accusing her of inattention on purpose and the principal went so far as to call organizations asking about Lyme and he thinks that he now knows more about it that I do and that I am harming her by putting her on antibiotics for an extended time. I have so much anger I am a Category 5!!!!
Posted by Just Julie (Member # 1119) on :
quote:Originally posted by imanurse: Oh I hear you loud and clear Julie. I was not happy when my daughter told me what they actually had her do that day. They had initially told me they would have lessons planned - what a bunch of ####.
My daughter will be absent from all outdoor related field trips in the future and will be staying home with me too!!
As for seeking legal action, the school is punishing my daughter for not being able to get her work done on time, and is not willing to do accommodations. I requested an evaluation for IEP or 504 and they have refused to do the evaluation - Until I threatened with an attorney and quoted the law.
The teacher has been rude to my daughter accusing her of inattention on purpose and the principal went so far as to call organizations asking about Lyme and he thinks that he now knows more about it that I do and that I am harming her by putting her on antibiotics for an extended time. I have so much anger I am a Category 5!!!!
I'm sorry, I think I thought you were seeking an attorney because the school would not provide the related learning materials that your daughter missed by not going on the educational field trip. Now that I see exactly why you are going the legal route, I am in complete agreement with you----every school, no matter private or public, has to adhere to the IEP's or 504 plans. I learned that myself when my son was not being given the most basic of accomodations for his auditory processing learning disability, and I was butting heads with a teacher on this issue for him.
And the teacher and principal of your daughters school sound like they need a good talking to. By the legal system, of course
I'm a nurse too, but haven't worked in 13 yrs due to becoming my husband's office person when he started his own business (13 yrs ago). But, I've kept my license current, and my medical knowledge up to date, so feel I can still call myself a nurse even though I'm not working as one. . .
YOU GO MOM!!! And much luck to you. Prayers if you're a believer, and the thoughts of most of us moms here who have kids with Lyme. It's such a heartbreak.
Posted by DJP (Member # 5893) on :
I'm sorry that you and your children have to go through this! It breaks my heart.
My daughter is in pre-school and the trip is to an apple orchard so I asked to be one of the parent chaperones.
I want to be there to take the precautions...tuck socks in, bug spray, tick check....
Anyhow, I just typed up this letter and attached the brochures from the LDA.
Should I bother sending it in?
Dear xxx: As you are aware, xxx has Lyme disease. I also have Lyme disease and my younger child, xxx, has it and most likely got it from my breast milk. xxx and I were probably bit by a tick in our backyard over a year ago.
Lyme disease is referred to as ``the hidden epidemic''. It is the fastest growing vector-borne (transmitted by rodents or pests) disease worldwide and you can get it from a tick in your own back yard. Many towns are reporting a major increase in the number of Lyme disease cases being reported this year.
Lyme disease can be very serious and it's a complex and controversial disease that is often undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or under treated.
Also, there is much debate within the medical community concerning, diagnosing, testing and treating the disease.
I've enclosed a packet of information from the Lyme Disease Association that discusses the effects of Lyme disease on children, protection tips, proper tick removal and tick identification.
Please consider distributing this information to parents prior to the trip to the apple orchard. It will allow parents to choose to take steps to prevent their child from being bit by a tick at the orchard.
I realize you have probably taken this trip many times without incident, however, the chance of one child being bit is one too many, especially when there are minimal precautions that can be taken to avoid it.
I will provide you with as many copies as necessary.
Sincerely,
xxx
Posted by Just Julie (Member # 1119) on :
DJP, to answer "should I even bother sending this in?"
I would have to say, yes and no.
You are the ONLY person who will be able to judge whether the trip your child is going on, is putting your child at risk for a tick bite. The only one.
You cannot rely on any other person, adult chaperone, or teacher, to guard your child in this matter. Now, or in the later years, when your child is at a school that has these outdoor education functions. I say that, because I had a few parents who told me that if I went along on whatever xyz field trip it was, that I would "feel better" and "know" if my son was safe or not.
Phooey. I know enough (by being the complete outdoor person I USED to be) to know that the variables of any hike, or walk, in the outdoor areas where ticks are likely to be about, well, varies.
Doesn't matter if you are told by whoever is in charge (sometimes schools have parents who run these trips, OMG, what a nightmare that can be) that this trip or that trip is "safe" when they are made aware of your concerns about tick bites.
Doesnt' matter, because it will not be their child who will be doing the suffering in years to come. Most likely, you will not be in contact with that person in years to come, when it is YOUR child that is undiagnosed, or untreated. Because people move, pull their kids out of schools for whatever reasons, and send them to another school, etc.
After 5 years of living the issues, the nightmare, I've come to the conclusion that when a school is made aware of the concern, as your letter so clearly related it (the issue), either the school takes a fear stance (I can't let that parent see that I am now very scared/concerned and change OUR WHOLE CURRICULUM based on this "lyme thing") or sees you (the parent) as some hysterical/over-reacting person who thinks that there is a tick behind every blade of grass, and well, that parent (you) just better get over it, because this is the big wide world, and your kid has got to live in it, gosh darn it!.
So, fear based, or ignorant based, I think most if not every school, will refuse to let it's outdoor education schedule be changed by a parent who brings to their attention, the very real and likely possibility that this trip they're mandatorily authorizing every child to go on, could cause that child to come down with Lyme disease.
It's also probably a legal issue, because if a school decided to issue warnings on this, and the parent signed the waiver/warning letter and the child got bit, could prove that lyme was contracted from the tick that bit the kid, while the kid was on the trip, then the school would become liable for the treatment, and then, geez, every school would go bankrupt, wouldn't it?
Because then you get into the medical arena where there are practically no doctors who will come out and voluntarily acknowledge the disease, treat it out in the open, and take insurance.
It's a big merry go round, and I don't see it coming to a stop and letting us get off anytime soon.
But, you might feel better if you did go on the trip to the apple orchard, and could decide in person what the risk is/was, and either stay in the car while the class took the hike, or go along, depending on what you saw there.
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)