Excessive school gym class for absence

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

I am raising two grandaughters and we took them on vacation and they missed 4 days of classes. Everyone knows you have to make up academics but unknown to me they have to make up gym classes too. The 5th grader has had to miss study hall to take 'extra gym class'. OK. BUT the extra gym class consisted of IMO excessive punishment type activity. 18 laps, 90 pushups, 75 jumping jacks, 90 v-sits, 90 leg lifts, 90 burpees, 90 line leaps. Way to go school to turn a kid off physical activity just to put a grade down on paper. And to do this same routine 2 days in a row - the child is also in the school musical amd had play practice late every night plus the play starts tonight for 3 runs.

I of course found NO satisfaction in calling the school, the policy has been in place for years, so what!!! They HAVE to get the grade in, again so what!!! You can't come up with a better way to get in a gym class than by running laps and doing the other 'punishments'. LAZY TEACHING. AZZHATS!!! And, how is this physically beneficial to the child, exactly HOW does this serve her body? And it was to be repeated again today. Oh hell no!

[aNYCdb 310]

I would have considered punishment more of a rope climb, but I suppose everyone is different. I'm kind of two minds about this 1) I don't think that particular routine was meant as a punishment, so much as something the student could do on their own with limited supervision (it's hard to organize a basketball game with 1-2 students). I would also confirm that this isn't the activity that would be going on at this time of the year anyway (I remember when I was a kid these type of things were what we did before it was warm enough to go outside to run on the track). On the other-hand 2) since when do schools get to override parents when it comes to what they don't want their kids doing?

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

90 burpees? Is this Russia? Are they in a super secret spy school? Wow.

[Apple203 1,314]

I don't even know what a burpee is, but the whole thing sounds crazy to me!

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

There were 8 students doing makeup gym. I have zero issue w making up a class, I have a huge issue with the amount of the sets. So 25 burpees, etc. would be fine. And then to expect the same today, no. Plus expect her to sing and dance tonight in the play. It is excessive and a great way to make you hate gym class in the process and serve no purpose physically except to be exhausted.

And what if this was an overweight child, eh? Summer is a gangly, tall geeky girl not known for her athletic prowess - she would like to be athletic but is always picked last for teams.

[Mattymatt 491]

My PE teachers in high school were sadistic. I recently learned that the one who gave me grief died of a heart attack. I wish I could say I felt anything other than satisfaction.

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[TexasMommy80 297]

I was a PE teacher and coach for years. Those amounts are way too high for that age, or a regular PE to begin with.


Age: 37
Height: 5’6
BMI: 37
VSG scheduled for 4/16/18
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[aNYCdb 310]

2 hours ago, Apple203 said:

I don't even know what a burpee is, but the whole thing sounds crazy to me!

They are pretty fun. I really don't quite get the problem here it sounds like they are doing a circuit where they do 2-4 laps around the gym, then 10-20 reps of each exercise and repeat the circuit. Assuming this is a 45 minute class that will include plenty of time for rests and doesn't sound as intensive as people are making this sound.

[Frustr8 7,886]

Yee-ouch my arthritic body is cringing at the illustration. It says Sweet Mamma, tell me we're not doing THAT thing? Please please please? Maybe in Junior High I could do that, but I had the same body type as Summer, yes once upon a time I was that slim, 110 lbs 5ft7in at 12,but the Sun has rose and set many times since then!😣

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

4 hours ago, aNYCdb said:

They are pretty fun.

This is the first time I have seen a person say burpees are fun.

Agree with poster that said she was an actual previous PE teacher. Amounts of these exercises seem excessive.

[Sleeved36 356]

Why would you have to make up gym? PE is an important part of the school routine, but making it up seems nuts.

I have heard about other parents being given a hard time for taking kids put of school for family vacation as well. Schools act like missing a few days for family time is a crime. Is this how we are teaching the next generation not to have work/life balance?

Schools don't have the right to treat families this way until they commit to utilizing every moment of time. That means no more "study hall", no more movies, and lesson plans all relevant and up to date. And maybe they should update the policy they have "had for years" about how to make up gym class.

[jess9395 5,448]

In the future see if logging PE time during the days off will count, it always did for my kids who spent sometime on independent study for various reasons multiple times over the years.

We would make sure and include physical activity—hikes, stand up paddle boarding, etc. and such. As long as we logged it and I signed the log they counted it.

[insta_adventurer 1,046]

Why would you have to make up gym? PE is an important part of the school routine, but making it up seems nuts.
I have heard about other parents being given a hard time for taking kids put of school for family vacation as well. Schools act like missing a few days for family time is a crime. Is this how we are teaching the next generation not to have work/life balance?
Schools don't have the right to treat families this way until they commit to utilizing every moment of time. That means no more "study hall", no more movies, and lesson plans all relevant and up to date. And maybe they should update the policy they have "had for years" about how to make up gym class.

Not to be devils advocate, but kids get plenty of time off from school... I’m not sure why folks do not prioritize school attendance and treat it as optional.