My son was kicked out of national honor society today, not because of his grade point average, but because he did not have enough community service hours. My son had done some community service hours but not the thirty mandatory hours. The problem with some of the volunteering was that he had no clue how to get involved and it seemed that there was no one at the school to help him with this. Again socially he was clueless and of course his school could careless. Yes he could have done some volunteering outside the school, which he did, but my son did have a lot of medical issues this year associated with his Asperger's ( anxiety and depression). He was in no condition to volunteer the first half of the school year, I was so lucky that he did okay in school and that he went.
Got him on the right meds, but the meds make him very tried. I will be calling the main head quarters of National Honor society because I think the school should take in account his disability. My son has had this teacher before she know he is an Aspie. Should I call the school and complain, I just peeved off.
Question ...Do you think his school would tell another student they could no longer belong to the National Honors Society if they had asthma and could not complete all their service hours? Schools don't realize that there is more to Asperger's then just the social thing. It makes me sad how this school treats its students with disabilities.
That is so sad to hear :-(
I think that you should talk to the school and see if something can be done through there. If not, then contact the national honor society and inform them of the situation, and see if something can be done through them. It is terrible that they don't take his condition under account- they should! just like they should in school performance with an IEP!
Awful!!!
By the way, how does one gets to belong to the national honor society? (excuse my ignorence, it's just that as someone who didn't grow up here in the US, I still have some things to learn)
Michal
Quoting micO:
That is so sad to hear :-(
I think that you should talk to the school and see if something can be done through there. If not, then contact the national honor society and inform them of the situation, and see if something can be done through them. It is terrible that they don't take his condition under account- they should! just like they should in school performance with an IEP!
Awful!!!By the way, how does one gets to belong to the national honor society? (excuse my ignorence, it's just that as someone who didn't grow up here in the US, I still have some things to learn)
Michal
I just e-mailed a letter to the teacher this morning. My son on the way to school told me that he was to meet with the teacher during lunch. He was extremely upset thinking that the teacher was going to yell at him for not having enough volunteer hours and I had to calm him down tell him that the opposite was true. I will let you know what happens, if the teacher does not let him back in I will be making a phone call to the national organization and explain the situation.
You need volunteer hours (30) and a grade point average of 3.0 or better. You need two letters of recommendation. One is from a teacher at the school the other is from someone in the community where you have volunteered. You have to be invited to join and than you go through a selection process, the student must be well behaved a role model.
My son has done well academically, but medically it has been a hard year. Last week he won an award for outstanding performance for Algebra 2. The teacher who is in charge of the honor society is the Algebra 1 teacher. My son won the award in front of the whole school, the teacher knows that he is a good student.
Michal,
I just got a responds back from the teacher . The teacher went into along explanation about how the students could get volunteer hours. My son had no clue how to join in on some of the volunteering activities, Like Relay for Life. Just telling an Aspie person about it is not enough sometimes you have to stick their noise in it. The teacher didn't not once take in to consideration my sons disability or his medical issues this year. Just once again how this school system has failed him. :( I should be use to this and not get upset, but the more I think about it the angrier I get!!!!!! I am sick of the way he is treat at this school. The good news is only one more year to go!
My son comes home from school and I asked him did you meet with the Honor Society Teacher. He said he did and that he asked his ESE specialist (disability support staff) to go with him. I asked my son did the ESE specialist help you verbalize your situation, he said no she did not say a word. My husbands wants to e-mail her and thank her for her continuing support.
Then my son tells me that the Honor Society is having a fundraiser to get service hours. For every 10oz of peanut butter to feed the homeless you get one service hour. It is raining and I was just at the supermarket and he wants me to stop and get peanut butter. I told him I will buy peanut butter for the homeless, but I will hand the peanut butter to the homeless person my self with a loaf of bread. Why should I help the schools organization when they don't want to help a child with a disability. Boy I am glad the school year is almost over.
I hate your son school just by hearing the way they treat your son, I can understand how you must feel about it!
It's just awful that they don't pay attention to what you are telling them and that they just don't take the time to learn more about his disability!
If he has an IEP, you can demand that these teachers have Asperger's training, you know!
Can't stand teachers that think they know it all when they are so ignorant. of course he wouldn't know how to get into volunteering- it's a social thing and that's exactly where he is lacking!!!!
They are making your point- in an IEP meeting, you can give it as an example to how he needs more help in the social issues.
I'm angry here because my sons' schools are very much alike and we are fighting both schools on these issues for years now. :-(
It makes me sad and even angrier, seeing more kids getting hurt the same way!
Sorry I can help more :-(
Michal
Quoting micO:
I hate your son school just by hearing the way they treat your son, I can understand how you must feel about it!
It's just awful that they don't pay attention to what you are telling them and that they just don't take the time to learn more about his disability!
If he has an IEP, you can demand that these teachers have Asperger's training, you know!Can't stand teachers that think they know it all when they are so ignorant. of course he wouldn't know how to get into volunteering- it's a social thing and that's exactly where he is lacking!!!!
They are making your point- in an IEP meeting, you can give it as an example to how he needs more help in the social issues.I'm angry here because my sons' schools are very much alike and we are fighting both schools on these issues for years now. :-(
It makes me sad and even angrier, seeing more kids getting hurt the same way!Sorry I can help more :-(
Michal
I have been fighting his school on this issue for years, his school just keeps on getting worst. The more I fight the harder they make it for him. I have become very selective on what battles I want to fight. When he does graduate in another year a lot of letters will be written. It might not help him, but it will make me feel a lot better and maybe some other child will not have to go through this.
My son just got into the honor society this year and I seem to have a more caring advisor. She called to ask how he could be kept up on announcements since he is oblivious to the overhead announcements and bulletins that often go on. I suggested she simply send emails to me and to my son. Written communication is usually great for him, and certainly if I get the communication as well it should be a good way to ensure things are communicated. See if you can have this added to his IEP - "Communication from teachers and honor society teach to parent and student through email" - if you have Edline they may want to use that which also works well.
The advisor was concerned my son couldn't do the tutoring requirement his school has for honor society but he has actually tutored math, even in middle school, so as long as they send us the information hewill be able to do it. Does your school have tutoring requirements as well?
Quoting kasey555:
My son just got into the honor society this year and I seem to have a more caring advisor. She called to ask how he could be kept up on announcements since he is oblivious to the overhead announcements and bulletins that often go on. I suggested she simply send emails to me and to my son. Written communication is usually great for him, and certainly if I get the communication as well it should be a good way to ensure things are communicated. See if you can have this added to his IEP - "Communication from teachers and honor society teach to parent and student through email" - if you have Edline they may want to use that which also works well.
The advisor was concerned my son couldn't do the tutoring requirement his school has for honor society but he has actually tutored math, even in middle school, so as long as they send us the information hewill be able to do it. Does your school have tutoring requirements as well?
My son did tutoring, but it was controlled by a senior student ( my son had problems getting tutoring assignments). Actual my son is good at tutoring, he is always doing peer tutoring in his classes, computer programming, physics. I never once got a phone call from the NHS advisor and if I did communicate it was always me e-mailing and asking question. His school is just not ESE friendly.
First school dance :)
- dewey
on May. 26, 2009 at 5:59 PM