Open mouth, insert foot...

[racingjason]

The purpose of formal schooling is to supplement one's education in the world (as your daughter is proving very well). If the education is not applied in some meaningful way, what is its purpose? I applaud your restraint in dealing with that meddling couple, I may have been rather blunt in my response. My father often used to pull me out of school to go drag racing (on the surface an even less academic endevour). I would load the truck up with my books and off we would go. I learned more on those trips than I ever did board out of my mind in a classroom. That informal education has eventually led to an undergraduate and then a Masters degree in Engineering from a couple of very good schools. So in summary, even a bit of hooky can be a good thing! (Though I hear the attendance rules at Arizona schools can be a bit draconian).

 

[LACamper]

Good Job!

And here I am thinking your daughter said something embarrasing. LIke mine did a few years back...
I found a bunch of old burned CD's that I had backed up. My daughter at about age 5 had never paid any attention to what I had on the radio on the way to school. I came across 'March of Cambreath' by Heather Alexander (if you don't know it you're missing something important- go pull it up on Youtube now!).
Anyway, we pulled up in front of school, she hopped out and started singing out loud 'Kill the basterds! Kill the Basterds!' in front of half the faculty...
NOW that was embarrasing!

 

[nwoods]

At El Malpais NM, the rangers put on their hats, brought everyone outside the visitor center to the sign out front, and at made a big deal out of her earning her badge and giving her the Jr Ranger Oath.

.

What an awesome photo!

 

[Airmonger]

I wonder why people cant just stuff a sock in it. I blame the internet. Anyway sounds like a cool program and way to go on the badges.

 

[jay3253]

Way to go but I wonder what they would have said if you had told them you home schooled. They probably would have exploded.

 

[Riptide]

My kid loves the Jr Ranger program. We seek them out whenever we can; the rangers we've encountered have really made it alot of fun for her. My kid takes the oath pretty seriously, and we really trump it up so she feels a sense of accomplishment. We have her badges and pins in a prominent place in the camper; she's always pointing them out to people, and rattles off the stuff she learned in the process. It impresses the heck out of me what she's retained...

I want her to have sense of ownership in the Park system, and this country in general. So far, it's working pretty well.

 

[xpdishn]

Great thread. It's very enjoyable to read about responsible parents. Very cool.

 

[Honu]

very cool did not know about the junior ranger thing

 

[camit34]

Awesome...!!!

 

[Nullifier]

Great job but I would not have been able to contain myself. 2 weeks ago my mother and sister in law took our daughter up to Georgia. We started getting text messages from my wifes cousins lecturing us on why we need to have out 16 month old face forward in her car seat. Finally I got on the phone, texted and said don't ever call or text us with parenting advise. We will make the safety decisions for our children that we see fit. If you want your kids forward facing great go for it, other wise but out.

Now if was letting my 16 month old play in the street, or you had you had yours at a casino for the day learning to deal cards, sure. But who are these people that think they can but into your kids safety educational experience. Fact is the kid probably learned more that day then in "school". Sorry, I have issues end of rant.

 

[SChandler]

I can think of two or three times during school that my parents took my sister and I on adventures that kept us out of school for a week or more. One was a trip from Oregon to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, back through the lava fields in Montana, then home. We missed the first week of class the year I entered 5th grade and my sister entered 3rd. My parents arranged ahead of time for our teachers to give us homework for that week and we were required to keep a journal of what we saw and did each day. When we got back home, we gave a report to our respective classes regarding our trip. A learning experience for all involved and no harm done to our education. Another trip was done over Spring Break and the following week. Again, parents arranged for homework so that we wouldn't be behind when we got back and my love of engineering was given a big boost. That trip involved the London Bridge, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, and Bryce Canyon. We loved those trips, did our homework every night by lantern, and had amazing places to tell our classmates about.

Missing school doesn't mean the learning stops.

 

[chirigringo]

A few years ago when my son was about 2 we drove Wheeler Lake trail in our old 4Runner (with a group). At the top there was an older couple who had hiked up. When they saw our son and a couple other kids in the group, the wife turned to my wife and said "I would disown my daughter-in-law if I found out she was taking my grandchild on a trail like this." We were so stunned all we could do was pretend to ignore her. It was one of those "I should have said ______" moments.
Yellowstone also has a great Junior Ranger program that the rangers really get into. They made an announcement in the ranger station when they awarded my son's badge. He got a little embarrassed but it's good for him.
-Michael

 

[61rover]

I took my son out of school for the Land Rover National Rally last month. We had a blast and he learned 1,000 more than he missed in class.

 

[BajaBus]

I'm a little late to the party but you should feel proud for the restraint you showed. My middle fingers would have been creeping up I'm afraid.

Our kids have been home-schooled for the last three years. When my oldest daughter was twelve she had a 14 yr old boy in class who every single day sexually harassed her until she finally told us and our eyes were opened to just how bad things are in Calif. public schools. The teacher and principals both told us to get over it. So we did. She never went back.

We always hear the "But what about social interaction with other kids?" Our response is "They get more quality social interaction than any other kids we know." We basically can't go out in public without being told that our kids are the happiest, most well-behaved and well-adjusted kids around. How many kids do you know who do their schoolwork from beaches in Baja or the Yucatan or the Caribbean?

Keep doing a great job with your little gal, James and take care of her! She's a jewel! :sombrero: