Disney School Trip-Sick Child-School Policies ??

[sunb75]

The competition had awards from 9-11pm on Sunday, a crucial part of a competition. Depending if the OP was talking about Sunday or Monday, it was not just spending time with the team. You don't know what I think. Quit assuming and accusing.

If she was talking about Monday, I find it very weird that a school would make a team stay on property till 10pm on a school day when the competition is long over and there is no need to be there.

As I mentioned before, our athletes are released directly after awards. If they held the athletes all day Monday, I would need to know why the coaches had such crazy restrictions.

Monday is the day I'm discussing.

 

[sunb75]

Is it possible since the coach/school official didn't have access to the "check out list", that's why he couldn't let the mom check the child out? I know at least through middle school here (possibly in HS, but I don't remember), at the beginning of the year you provide a list of who is allowed to check the child out of school.

Since this happened on a Sunday, maybe the supervisor couldn't confirm that the mom was actually on the pickup list?

Just a thought.

They are familiar with me. I asked them via text if another team mom could check her out if necessary. They were totally ok with that and I really don't think that's 'legal'.

 

[sam_gordon]

They are familiar with me. I asked them via text if another team mom could check her out if necessary. They were totally ok with that and I really don't think that's 'legal'.

That really doesn't make sense. Another team mom could check out your daughter, but you couldn't? huh? Was that team mom part of the trip (chaperone)?

 

[gotomu212]

Now that you have added more details I think your real post should be “is it normal for teen athletes to be required to room as a team and should they be allowed to room with a parent offsite”. I think being sick is a red herring.
You asked before the trip if she could stay with you- the answer was no.
You were able to take her to your room during the day and could have saved her from sitting in the park, so leaving a sick kid at the park wasn’t the issue.
You have said several times she was forced to share a room, couldn’t have her own bed, etc- so what you were really asking the coach to do was let her spend the night in your room correct?
Every excuse for why you didn’t leave was that she had to eventually be back in her team room.
You’ve said twice that you really didn’t want her in your room because you have work to do- but that’s what you were asking the coaches to let happen.

To answer what I think you’re really asking, yes in high school sports it’s extremely common for the students to be required to stay at the same hotel and room together. No exceptions. If a student is so sick that they cannot be in their team room they would either be with a chaperone or be taken to urgent care (again with a chaperone).

 

[Wendy31]

During other times of the year (i.e. NOT cold & flu season), I may err on the side of "maybe it's just allergies or eating too much sugar," but, during the height of cold & flu season, I do think it's pretty careless & thoughtless to let a child who has vomited (& has not been vomit-free for at least 24 hours) go out.

And I'm not sure why you had to just sit at the park & couldn't go back to your room w/ your sick child. But the details of the story are a little confusing... why would another chaperone be able to sign your child out? Even if you were planning to join the team at 7:00 pm, why did that make you have to sit at the park w/ a sick child until then?

The reason we practically hibernate during cold & flu season is due to people who continue to go out & about even when they're sick. (Or parents who let children, or siblings of children, who are sick go out.)

That said, I also cannot believe that a coach would want a child who has been sick sleeping in a room w/ 3 other girls - especially when other sleeping arrangements are available.

As a parent of one of the 3 other girls, I'd be upset & would question the wisdom & intelligence of my child's coach.

Being with the team whether sick or injured is in support of the team. It's harsh, yet it's how it goes with these type of things and is well known upfront and in advance. The school would be liable if anything were to happen on their watch, including letting a parent take a child out in the middle of a school trip. Not only that, I saw so & so at the park, she was fine earlier, she must not be that sick or just wanted to come only for Disney with her mom. Believe me, they are indeed judging.

We stick to "day only" trips. No overnights. So we can have control as parents and our kids rather be with us. Maybe something to consider in the future. Hope DD feels better.

I'm sorry... if your child is sick, I don't want him/her w/ the team & possibly infecting the other kids on the team.

Attitudes like this are how & why viruses like the flu spread so quickly.

Sorry but I find it unacceptable that you had your sick child spread her virus around Disney. She should of never left her room.

I agree.

I also understand having a child who is a rule-follower & anxious about things like upsetting the coach - I have one of those kids. However, I think, as adults (& parents), it's our job to guide our children & to use wisdom, common sense, & our best judgement when our raising our children.

Instead of having my child text the coach, I would have texted the coach when my child threw up that morning.

I'm extremely annoyed with the new policy. It was written by school district employees who probably don't have a $6500 deductible plan like we do. It would cost me $150 straight out of pocket to take my daughter in to see the doctor for a note. She's not in the office often enough that they would just write a note by phone.

I'm just glad that we only have a little over a year left of the nonsense. In the meantime, I suppose that encourages me to send her to school sick. I won't, but that's what the policy does.

She's currently number one in her class. If they want to fail her in a course because an unexcused illness puts her over the limit, I guess we'll have to have a big ole discussion about it.

This kind of policy upsets me too. We have several schools in our community which require a doctor's note EACH time a student is absent. And, for those of us w/ high deductibles or even those of us w/ high co-pays, it's not cheap to go to the doctor each time your child is sick just for a note. A stomach virus shouldn't require a doctor's note, but, at the same time, a child w/ a stomach virus shouldn't be at school. Most of time, even the flu can be treated at home.

However, because of how much it can cost to go the doctor's office for a note, many parents choose to not to take their child to the doctor's office &, instead, send their child to school to spread germs.

And then we have a flu epidemic.

 

[sunb75]

I’m trying to follow this and I think there are some major details missing and maybe more to the story?

You had a room and your daughter was staying at it for part of the day so you could have gone back to the room but didn’t. Is it because you no longer had the hotel room? Otherwise no one was stopping you from grabbing an uber and putting your daughter in bed.

I had the room, still do. We went to the park in the morning for a short amount of time, then back to the room, back to the park because dd was required to be there at 715pm. The rules for the day were to be with an adult or with a group of 4 kids. When she told the coaches she was still sick, before heading out to meet at the required time, they said try to stay and watch the fireworks.

When you say you wanted to “sign her out of the trip” it makes it sound like you just wanted to grab her and go home- not back to your hotel but home. Is that the case? That makes a difference to me. On all the away trips I was at students were never allowed to leave the trip early unless there was a serious injury or illness. If you didn’t have a rental car how were you going to get her home?

The team was leaving early in the morning, but not dd. I'm staying at Shades. Not easy to get to All Star using Disney transportation or shades. I had planned to sign her out Tuesday morning, coaches already knew and approved. I actually needed Monday evening to myself to finish some work.

You also said your DD was texting her coach about staying with you. Why, if she were that sick was your daughter the one texting? In your shoes I would have called coach and said I have one of your students here, she is vomiting and needs attention. What’s your plan. Coach or chaperone would then have to deal with it and they have plans for what t do in case of illness. If you weren’t there, they would have implemented the plan. I think there’s something off here that they weren’t stepping in to oversee it or telling you to take her.

No plans in place. She wasn't throwing up at the time and she opted to text them. I should have done things differently, yes. My mom was with us for a bit of the day, she's an RN. She's more equipped to take care of my dd then the coaches who have no children, nor a medical degree.

Since you were at a different hotel it sounds like you were not an official chaperone. When we’ve had overnight trips everyone gets a copy of the rules and in our case they’ve stated no one can leave the trip with a non chaperone. In the case of overnight trips, and travel arranged by the team or school, they were liable until you returned home. If indeed you wanted to leave the whole trip that would have been a major problem for us.

Not a chaperone. There weren't any. And no written rules. School was made aware of dd's plans to not return with the team and her absences were excused by the principal.

If you did just want to take her to a hotel room, why didn’t you if they said it was okay? If they had let you sign her out of the trip how were you going to get her to the room then? It just doesn’t add up.

I didn't because I would have had to get back to her room or get myself back to the room. No transportation options that I understood how to use.

 

[sunb75]

Now that you have added more details I think your real post should be “is it normal for teen athletes to be required to room as a team and should they be allowed to room with a parent offsite”. I think being sick is a red herring.
You asked before the trip if she could stay with you- the answer was no.
You were able to take her to your room during the day and could have saved her from sitting in the park, so leaving a sick kid at the park wasn’t the issue.
You have said several times she was forced to share a room, couldn’t have her own bed, etc- so what you were really asking the coach to do was let her spend the night in your room correct?
Every excuse for why you didn’t leave was that she had to eventually be back in her team room.
You’ve said twice that you really didn’t want her in your room because you have work to do- but that’s what you were asking the coaches to let happen.

To answer what I think you’re really asking, yes in high school sports it’s extremely common for the students to be required to stay at the same hotel and room together. No exceptions. If a student is so sick that they cannot be in their team room they would either be with a chaperone or be taken to urgent care (again with a chaperone).

I preferred for her to be with her team on Monday evening, doing teenage things at MK. Then going back to her room and getting a good night's sleep, even in a tiny room while sharing a bed. I have no qualms with that, neither did she. The only reason I didn't think she should be there was because she wasn't feeling well.

In high school sports in my area, it is common and expected to share rooms and it doesn't bother me in the least. Nor did it bother my dd.

There were zero chaperones. And there is zero reason for urgent care in this situation, in my opinion. My mom was with us for almost half the day, she's an RN and able to care for my dd better than a dr who doesn't know her.

 

[sunb75]

That really doesn't make sense. Another team mom could check out your daughter, but you couldn't? huh? Was that team mom part of the trip (chaperone)?

Sorry for not being clear. I was referring to the following morning when I wasn't sure if I could get to the resort in time. The mom was/is staying at the same resort.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

Know what's even more rigid? In my district (for the HS) if you miss 4 unexcused days in one marking period you automatically get a grade of 59 in all of your classes. You can get your grades back by not missing 4 days the next marking period and getting put on attendance probation. My son missed 4 days and forgot to submit his doctors note. He had the note in his book bag and forgot to turn it in. He had to go to his guidance counselor this morning and they accepted it. Last week was the last day of the marking period so report cards came out yesterday and I got the email and phone call around 6 pm yesterday. I was so mad at him for forgetting to turn in the note.

I think my district is trying to crack down on vacations during the year.

The saddest thing is that schools are only cracking down on abscences because of money. They get paid based on how many kids are in attendance daily. The more abscences you have, the less funding they get, and that's all they (the policymakers) care about. Your kid could be #1 in their grade, but if they don't bring in the money, the district will punish you.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

OP, I just wanted to say that you are handling this thread gracefully.

I hope your daughter is feeling better.

 

[neverlandsky]

I'm sorry... if your child is sick, I don't want him/her w/ the team & possibly infecting the other kids on the team.

Attitudes like this are how & why viruses like the flu spread so quickly.

Agreed. Yet school districts and employers have come down hard due to a few bad apples taking advantage of their so-called sick days when they weren't even sick. It's unfair to those that are truly sick. Hence the attitudes, viruses/illness oh well life goes on / you're not that sick. Never said it was right. It's just what happens in general, unfortunately.

 

[sunb75]

OP, I just wanted to say that you are handling this thread gracefully.

I hope your daughter is feeling better.

Thank you. Yes, she is. Enjoyed a little time in the parks today.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So even if a child is really sick you'd boot them from the team. Nice.

No, she said, "under the circumstances presented." Diferent circumstances, differdnt reaction.

 

[kaytieeldr]

This is dd's first year on this team. It was not made known what should happen if a child got sick.

But surely it wasn't the first year of the team's existence? They must have policies in place.

My mom was with us for a bit of the day, she's an RN. She's more equipped to take care of my dd then the coaches who have no children, nor a medical degree.

What did your mom have with her that would have enabled her to medically care for your daughter? Also, just curious how you're aware of the coaches family lives of medical training.

Then going back to her room and getting a good night's sleep, even in a tiny room while sharing a bed.

Sharing rooms at the Value resorts is how teams are able to keep costs affordable, or at least down.

As for transportation, are you the same poster who needed to know how to get from SoG to All Stars, and the recommendation was to use Über/Lyft, instead of transferring several times? The Transportation Forum would have assisted you, or Bell Services at either hotel, or any of the Transportation CMs at the parks.

 

[luvsJack]

But surely it wasn't the first year of the team's existence? They must have policies in place.

What did your mom have with her that would have enabled her to medically care for your daughter? Also, just curious how you're aware of the coaches family lives of medical training.

Sharing rooms at the Value resorts is how teams are able to keep costs affordable, or at least down.

As for transportation, are you the same poster who needed to know how to get from SoG to All Stars, and the recommendation was to use Über/Lyft, instead of transferring several times? The Transportation Forum would have assisted you, or Bell Services at either hotel, or any of the Transportation CMs at the parks.

Having policies in place does not mean it was made known to a parent who was not a chaperone.

How many high school coaches do you know with a medical degree? And I don’t find knowing he/she doesn’t have children as odd at all. We always knew our kids coaches. Small towns, small schools.

She was t saying they should not have stayed at a value. It she is right—small room with small beds.

I would have been upset with the coach too. If the child was visibly sick then maybe he should have taken the time to actually look at the kid. All policies have an exception. And most are made with the thought that the parents are not actually there.

We haven’t done a sports team trip like this but we did do choir. And there were policies. The director did want them together at certain times. But he had enough sense to know when he needed to make an exception or at least I hope he would have. This sounds like one of those times.

If he was basing his decision on the OP and her child being in the park at any time during the day- and it doesn’t sound like they were there long—then he could have talked to the mom and the kid before just saying no.

 

[sunb75]

But surely it wasn't the first year of the team's existence? They must have policies in place.

What did your mom have with her that would have enabled her to medically care for your daughter? Also, just curious how you're aware of the coaches family lives of medical training.

Sharing rooms at the Value resorts is how teams are able to keep costs affordable, or at least down.

As for transportation, are you the same poster who needed to know how to get from SoG to All Stars, and the recommendation was to use Über/Lyft, instead of transferring several times? The Transportation Forum would have assisted you, or Bell Services at either hotel, or any of the Transportation CMs at the parks.

It was the first year they traveled in many years. The first year my daughter has been on the team. When I asked the principal, who has been there since before I was in high school, he replied that he wasn't sure what the policy was for that type of situation. And he's a pretty on top of it administrator.

My mom has experience and knowledge of my daughter and the medical field. What would an APN or dr do if you came in with a stomach bug? In my area, they would laugh at you, and gladly take your money. 'Stomach flu' is diagnosed based on symptoms. I can easily diagnose this way, too. I do not believe in bringing my kids to the dr for every sneeze and sniffle. It doesn't make sense to me to bring someone in whose immune system is already fighting off something and possibly introducing something new. My family is rather healthy compared to many. And that has been done by living as naturally as possible with as little medical intervention as possible. We are a pretty smart bunch and don't need pills or medical advice for this, that, and the other thing. There is a place for medicine, but there is also a place for taking care of your body.

I have no problem with sharing rooms. I have a problem with my daughter not feeling well and not being allowed to leave.

I did ask bell service at SOG and All Star Sports and AS Movies. I was told three different things. I then asked Disney's transportation CMs at the Ticket and Transportation Center. As far as uber/lyft, I'm not totally comfortable with that mode of transportation. As previously mentioned, I live in a rural area. I drive myself where I need to go.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I would have been upset with the coach too. If the child was visibly sick then maybe he should have

Why do you assume the dance coach is male?

How many high school coaches do you know with a medical degree?

None. But then, I don't know any coaches. People change careers. I was simply curious.

As far as uber/lyft, I'm not totally comfortable with that mode of transportation.

The Transportation Board participants can't address issues we don't know exist. Ride-hailing services offer an astounding amount of tracking, as well as requiring drivers to undergo background checks.

 

[luvsJack]

Why do you assume the dance coach is male?

None. But then, I don't know any coaches. People change careers. I was simply curious.

The Transportation Board participants can't address issues we don't know exist. Ride-hailing services offer an astounding amount of tracking, as well as requiring drivers to undergo background checks.

I don’t. I started with he/she and got lazy.

I am sure out there somewhere is someone who changed from medical to coach. But being that the drop in salary would be ridiculous, I highly doubt it happens often.

She isn’t comfortable with Uber. It’s not something she uses. Nothing wrong with that. Where I live, I have no reason for Uber or a taxi or even a city bus, if you aren’t used to it, you may not be comfortable with it. I mean I don’t care about a bus, but getting in the car with a total stranger is a bit intimidating if it’s not something you are used to.

 

[Wendy31]

I guess what's confusing to me about the transportation is that the OP is still there w/ her DD, & I think they're still at SoG.

They were at the parks earlier today. How are they getting back to their resort right now?

She was staying SoG while her DD was staying w/ her team at one of the All Stars resorts. How did the OP get back to SoG the night her DD was sick after they met the team at 7:00 pm?

I've never been in a taxi or Uber or Lyft before in my life. In our area, there is no mass-transit available, & everyone drives personal cars.

However, I'm familiar enough w/ Disney that, I think, if I were there & my daughter were sick & we needed to go back to my resort, I could go to the front of the park & ask for assistance from Customer Relations. And I'm sure a castmember could help me with contacting some kind of taxi service.

 

[sam_gordon]

I am sure out there somewhere is someone who changed from medical to coach. But being that the drop in salary would be ridiculous, I highly doubt it happens often.

You realize not every coach does so full time? Sometimes they have a second (primary) job. One of DS' former coaches is a nurse. Granted that was club, not school, but some school coaches around here work another job and coach after hours.

I think the OP wasn't thinking straight on the day in question (I believe she's admitted as such). It's not out of the realm of possibilities that she misunderstood something the coach told her. I also don't think it's beyond crazy that the school (represented by the coach) wasn't allowed to let one of the students leave the park on their own, that they had to be accompanied by a chaperone. If the OP isn't a chaperone, that can change how much the school can allow.

I'm not saying the OP was in the wrong, and I'm not saying the coach was.