An email to school

I was going to type a post about school today but instead I pasted an email that I just sent to her school.




I can describe how I feel right now using lots of words, none of them good. I decided not to come into the office today because I am so furious I can't trust myself to speak.

Emily got up at 5:30 am today so that she could be ready for school. Getting ready involves taking several different medications, catheterizing, washing and dressing while waiting for the pain medication to kick in. She had to force food down which is difficult for her so early but it has to be done to save her stomach from the harsh effects of the many drugs that she takes just to function. She was so excited to see everyone that she could hardly contain herself as I wheeled her into her classroom.

No welcome back anything! Her belongings still in bags in an unknown place despite my specific request that her locker be returned to her and her books be back in her desk so that she wouldn't feel alienated. Immediately on entering several children said, "Wow Emily, we thought you were gone for good, no one told us you were coming back" My urge to cry at this point was so strong that It took all that I had to stop myself because if the kids didn't know that she was coming back then no banner was made, no card, no discussion with the class about her foot, nothing. I asked Ms ****** if they had control over Emily's day today and she looked at me like she was confused. She didn't have a clue what I was talking about. She quickly said "No PE right and she's in band" (we discussed no band and modified PE yesterday yet today they are clueless) I asked the plan for next week and requested that any notes get sent home if any activities are planned for next week. I was told that they had a skating party next Tuesday evening (a skating party when you have 2 disabled kids in class, great choice!) and that "oh, by the way we did awards already, that was the other night". The awards were done with no thought of Emily. She was registered at your school, you knew she was coming back and yet she wasn't included. No one thought to tell us. The look on Emily's face as I left will stay with me all day. I really feel like returning to your school and snatching her out because you don't deserve to have her there.

Did you even go and talk to the teachers? When I left Emily today she hadn't got a place to sit. She had none of her school stuff. The awards had been done, no modification had been done to her timetable. Nothing on her desk that said "welcome back", no desk! Now, her teacher was not present in the class when I took Emily in so I hope to God that I am wrong. However judging by the kids and Ms ****** reaction I know that this unlikely to be the case.

I don't expect the world to stop. I don't expect much from anyone anymore. But what I did expect was that my requests had been listened to and that Emily would feel welcomed back today.

As you know Emily is currently in the nurses office. I just spoke with her on the phone and she told me how disappointed she feels that no one seems to care that she's back in her classroom. I asked what they did to welcome her back and as I suspected the answer was nothing. What a terrible shame ...



Despite my urge to drive to the school now and remove my daughter I'm going to leeave her there. I don't want to push my thoughts onto her for any reason so I'm going to pick her up as planned at 2:00 pm. I am however going to get Tom first and we're going to see Shrek. I'm going to give them a "congratulations on returning to school" treat. Now excuse me while I go and take something for my stomach acid, I swear this is going to give me an ulcer.