redmansmyman11 - 2015-11-04 2:01 AM
No real but here's the article someone mentioned
http://eventingnation.com/an-open-letter-to-my-daughters-teacher/
I was a kid a lot like your daughter, I took tons of time off school to work
(dad had a lot of surgeries and was unemployed and hospitalized for a while
), run barrels, and compete at the national level in 4-H knowledge competitions as well as public speaking. I graduated in the top ten in my class
(class of 398
), had a 4.2 weighted GPA, started college as a sophomore, have graduated college, am slowly seeking another degree, own my own business, and currently work at a corporate office and successfully maintain their schedule and am extremely efficient in completing my work. I think that that lifestyle has actually helped me become the adult I am today.
There are negatives and positives to being a student and also having a full and busy adult-like life outside the classroom
(what I did and what your daughter is doing
) however I see the positives as outweighing the negatives. School is EXTREMELY important, however being able to manage school, which eventually will turn into a real adult paying job, and keep your priorities in check and your life in balance is a skill that's also important.
She's learning that not only is her school work important, but through your actions to help keep her in school and also participating in other activities, she's learning balance in her life and I'm sure she can see the emphasis you place on education.
As far as I'm concerned, education comes from many places, including the classroom but also the road. I know that if I had been a "normal" kid and gone to school every day, came home, rode my horses etc but didn't compete or work or anything like that I wouldn't be nearly as responsible/mature and definitely wouldn't be as good of a time manager as I am. A low grade isn't the end of the world, missing a barrel race isn't the end of the world, and living in both spectrums from a young age shows you that there's more to life than those things.
ETA: my passions outside of school fueled my passion for education, as well as the other way around. Without my horse and adult life driving me to be successful in school I could have easily seen myself becoming bored and lacking effort. My drive to become a better and more disciplined student in order to participate in outside life made me a better competitor.
These are things that I would try to demonstrate to your daughter's school, if you can prove that she is functioning above and beyond her requirements with entry fees, her personal budget, information about time management etc. I think she'll be able to blow the schools doors off with her maturity and level of responsibility. The more involved she is as an advocate for her own education as well as time outside the classroom, the better this will go I think.
Folks on-line