Be true to your school.
Sep. 4th, 2008 07:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beatriceeagleDon't read this entry if you're not in the mood for and upset rant. I'm typing this from homeroom.
So. My school has a volunteer hour requirement. Whatever. That's not unreasonable; plenty of schools do that. In fact, FC only requires six hours, which is pretty ridiculously low, for that sort of thing. In everything I've ever read (school handbook, course guide, etc. I actually read these things, unlike every other student I've talked to.) volunteer work is presented as a graduation requirement.
On the second day of school (August 26) during senior assembly, they told us that volunteer hour forms were due on September 5, and that we could get them in Mr. W's room. So the next day, before homeroom, I went up to Mr. W's room. He told me that the forms were still at the printer, and that they'd probably have them on Tuesday, since Monday was Labor Day. This was pretty damn inconvenient, considering that I only ever see any of the people who could fill out the form on Sundays, but Mr. W said he might extend the due date, since the forms were taking so long.
Well, I got to Mr. W's room on Tuesday. No forms. So I came in today, and lo and behold: the forms have arrived! I asked him whether they were still due tomorrow. He said yes. I explained that there's, you know, no way I can turn it in by tomorrow. Monday, though.
He smiles. Says, "I understand." Pause. "But it's still due tomorrow."
Silence on my part. He says, "It's a junior year requirement. We have to put a date on it. But go ahead. Turn it in Monday. It's better to turn it in late than not to do it."
Well, first of all, yes. I already figured that last part out, Mr. W. Second, no one, in all of my time here, and no printed document, in all of my time reading, has presented volunteer work as a junior year requirement. The course guidebook says that it is a "requirement for graduation," and groups it with the career portfolio and senior project, both of which are usually completed during senior year. Moreover, I completed my hours before senior year, and if you, Mr. W, and the school had been competent, I would have absolutely no trouble turning in my form on time.
And third, Mr. W. This is my graduation, my volunteer form, and my future. Stop smiling at me like I was lazy to leave it so long. I've volunteered every weekend for the past two months. Instead of going to the local hospital and pushing people around in wheelchairs, I went to the needle exchange and handed out clean needles to stop the spread of hepatitis C. Every weekend. The reason I left volunteering until so late? Because I wanted to volunteer somewhere where I'd actually feel like I was helping, and it took about three months to work out whether I could legally work there at the age of sixteen.
No, I didn't say this. I smiled and said okay. And then had the tiniest of panic attacks in the hallway. I want. freaking. out.
Well, fine. They'll take it on Monday, because there are a lot of people turning in forms on Monday. It's not going to stop me from graduating. It's just, you know. Irritating. And. I don't even know.
So. My school has a volunteer hour requirement. Whatever. That's not unreasonable; plenty of schools do that. In fact, FC only requires six hours, which is pretty ridiculously low, for that sort of thing. In everything I've ever read (school handbook, course guide, etc. I actually read these things, unlike every other student I've talked to.) volunteer work is presented as a graduation requirement.
On the second day of school (August 26) during senior assembly, they told us that volunteer hour forms were due on September 5, and that we could get them in Mr. W's room. So the next day, before homeroom, I went up to Mr. W's room. He told me that the forms were still at the printer, and that they'd probably have them on Tuesday, since Monday was Labor Day. This was pretty damn inconvenient, considering that I only ever see any of the people who could fill out the form on Sundays, but Mr. W said he might extend the due date, since the forms were taking so long.
Well, I got to Mr. W's room on Tuesday. No forms. So I came in today, and lo and behold: the forms have arrived! I asked him whether they were still due tomorrow. He said yes. I explained that there's, you know, no way I can turn it in by tomorrow. Monday, though.
He smiles. Says, "I understand." Pause. "But it's still due tomorrow."
Silence on my part. He says, "It's a junior year requirement. We have to put a date on it. But go ahead. Turn it in Monday. It's better to turn it in late than not to do it."
Well, first of all, yes. I already figured that last part out, Mr. W. Second, no one, in all of my time here, and no printed document, in all of my time reading, has presented volunteer work as a junior year requirement. The course guidebook says that it is a "requirement for graduation," and groups it with the career portfolio and senior project, both of which are usually completed during senior year. Moreover, I completed my hours before senior year, and if you, Mr. W, and the school had been competent, I would have absolutely no trouble turning in my form on time.
And third, Mr. W. This is my graduation, my volunteer form, and my future. Stop smiling at me like I was lazy to leave it so long. I've volunteered every weekend for the past two months. Instead of going to the local hospital and pushing people around in wheelchairs, I went to the needle exchange and handed out clean needles to stop the spread of hepatitis C. Every weekend. The reason I left volunteering until so late? Because I wanted to volunteer somewhere where I'd actually feel like I was helping, and it took about three months to work out whether I could legally work there at the age of sixteen.
No, I didn't say this. I smiled and said okay. And then had the tiniest of panic attacks in the hallway. I want. freaking. out.
Well, fine. They'll take it on Monday, because there are a lot of people turning in forms on Monday. It's not going to stop me from graduating. It's just, you know. Irritating. And. I don't even know.
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-04 12:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-04 01:03 pm (UTC)That is all.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-04 01:09 pm (UTC)they let kyle graduate even though he failed 5 classes.
ugh, i hate that school.
and why do they make it your issues when they didn't get the freaking forms out?
it's like "draw a picture, it's due 2 days from now, but you can't get a pencil until tomorrow evening"
fhhjadfhladjhf i hate FC.
it's like how they lost danielle's lock and they wanted her to pay for it.
grrrr that place is so fucking stupid!
no subject
Date: 2008-09-04 01:31 pm (UTC)Also, it makes them look bad if you don't graduate so they should be able to hold on for a few days to fill out so random paperwork. (I don't know if they do this here, but in Texas if you left before taking the exit exam or took them at the wrong time, the school didn't get to use your scores so they tried to hold on to you until senior year if they thought they wanted your standardize test results.)
no subject
Date: 2008-09-04 03:04 pm (UTC)*Hugs* You, of all people, did it right.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-04 05:16 pm (UTC)Don't let them stress you out. You did what you were supposed to do, they were the ones who screwed up.