July 22nd-23rd
After arriving home from what seemed to be the trip to FL that would never end we slept and slept fast! We had a morning meeting with the principal of the high school we had been trying to get Teen Queen into for months.
Where we live they have this Traditional Program for schools, along with the resides schools as well as your school clusters. It's all enough to make your head spin. When I had to tour schools to determine which kindergarten I wanted my kids to go to, I felt as if I was scouting out colleges!
The Traditional Program dictates that if you go to this Traditional Elementary School, then you will automatically feed into this Traditional Middle School and when the time comes, this Traditional High School. While we have had issues with the elementary school at times in the past, the middle school was a great experience for our daughter and our son is heading there this year. The High School, however I have had doubts about from the beginning. From it's location so far away and it's less than desirable surrounding area, to the sporting facilities, to the overcrowding. Needless to say, the more time I spent at said HS, the less I wanted our kids to attend there.
In 8th grade our daughter was able to play softball up at the HS level. I saw more of what we didn't want for our children. Also, in 8th grade they had to choose their locker buddies. With the ovecrowding, this school has 2-3 kids sharing a locker! I do not know about you, but when I went to HS, I could barely stuff all my junk into my very own locker! SHARE IT??? Are you kidding me?
We had filed an application to the Board of Education to our next choice of High School. One which is closer, has far better academics, sporting facilities and location. We were told to apply for a transfer. OK. Transfer request submitted. We were denied, without reason. We file an appeal...again, denied without reason. At this point we are pissed off and frustrated beyond belief, that the system has failed us. We have resigned ourselves to the fact that our daughter will have to do freshman yr at less than ideal high school, and try for a mid year transfer to our choice high school. Doing this, she would not try out for any team sports. For the fact that should she play ANY time at all playing varsity, and transfer to another school...she would become ineligible to play for the new school for a full year. If by some miracle we did get to transfer her, we wanted her to be able to play her sports at our choice school.
Living at the ballparks as we do and speaking with other parents, they told us to contact this coach, who also happens to be the head coach at our choice high school. Now, we have never been fans of the 'it's all about who you know' way of doing things. But, in all fairness we had followed the proper steps and proceedures and it failed us...and this was for our daughter afterall!
Rambo got in touch with and sent off an email to this coach before we left for FL. While on the road the coach called and wanted to set up a meeting with us, himself and the principal as soon as we got back.
So, there we were, fresh off the road trip, with denial papers and appeal letters. We met with the head softball coach who took us to meet with the principal. He listened to us, was shocked to hear about our denials with no reason given. Even more shocked that he was never even contacted about this. He said it was a pleasure to meet us and that he was going to make a call and we should know by Thursday. We were 2 steps out of his office, when he approached us and welcomed us to his High School for the next 4 years. They were also quick to ask if she has any siblings. We told them to expect Boy Wonder in about 3 yrs. We filled out some papers in counseling for school change and register her for classes. About an hour later, the softball coach calls and says, “Oh yeah, I spoke to the Field Hockey coach and she wants you at tryouts today 4-6.” Talk about moving fast! It is refreshing to see a coach who encourages his players to participate in other sports and be willing to work with it. The field hockey coaches were THRILLED to see Teen Queen. Not only because she is a goalie, but they have seen her in action with her former middle school. Her team had only one loss last year. The tryouts was a 3 day process, we missed Monday. She must have made such an impression on them that they told her they would be ordering new goalie equipment for her for this season.
The principal was apologetic about the fact we followed the proper (legal) steps to have our daughter transferred and it failed us twice. Oh, and he told her that she will have her very own locker. Needless to say this makes for one VERY excited family!
Sometimes, it IS all about who you know!
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