E-mail to pre-K teacher:Is this rude? WDYT?

YouAreMyILoveYou

This is an e-mail I am drafting for Isabella's Pre-K teacher. She was out yesterday and her assistant was running the class and Isabella was hurt & had to go to the nurse.

Let me know if I sound like a total basketcase, lol

Mrs. G-

Yesterday when I picked Isabella up from the bus stop she had an ice pack in her hand. I asked her what happened and she said her friend Valerie pushed her down and she hit head and had to go see the nurse.

As I am sure you can imagine I was quite upset by this. Through a series of phone calls today with the nurse and Ms. P (assistant teacher), I was informed that she did fall and hit her head, but that it wasn't anything concerning. I have to say, that for me, it is concerning. The nurse explained that she only calls when the incidents result in a mark left on the skin but that the teachers should be following up with the parents. 

In the future, I would like to be informed in writing when Isabella is sent to the nurse for any reason. I do not appreciate receiving medical information second-hand from my 4 year old when she gets off of the bus.

Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to prevent this from happening again.

Thank you,

Rebecca D  

j-w

It's a little basket-case-ish to me.  They followed their own school policy. 

Mickschick

I don't think that you are a basketcase at all.

I think that while injuries happen here and there they should at least send home an accident report to let you know that she fell and hit her head. I think it could be a little over the top for them to have to write you home a note saying something like, "Isabella was complaining of a runny nose so we sent her to the nurse for some tissues".

But if you're child hit her head and needed an ice back for a bump I think that they should've written up an accident report and sent it home for you.

JOEBunny

I would not send that if this is the first time that something like this has happened.  I would talk to her in person in a casual manner and ask her to let you know when anything happens at all, if that is what you want.    The school that DD goes to is over the top about safety, but they don't tell me every time DD gets knocked about, only if she has an injury.

mattslady

Total basket case.  She hit her head - they sent her to the nurse.  My kids hit their heads about 500 times a day.  RELAX.  (And don't send that letter.)

JenniC1135

Eh, hard to say.  Technically, for a head injury, yes you should have been notified.  When I taught, the nurse was obligated to watch any head injury in her office for 30 min and send home a little check-box report to the parents that day.  But I think asking to know every time she's sent to the nurse is overboard - kids go all the time, for little scrapes, for a headache, etc.  I'd rather have my teacher teaching and my nurse nursing than writing notes about it all day.  And at 4 years old, I would think your DD could give you the important parts of any story involving a trip there.

prism207

I think you are coming off rude/bitchy-especially since the teacher wasn't there yesterday.  A better approach would be to say something to the teacher asking to be told in the future, and leave out the nasty bit at the end.

Ciarrai

Sorry.  I'm with most of the pp.  I do expect the teachers to let me know if the girls get hurt badly, but I can't ask for a report for every bump and bruise.  Kids fall down on the playground.  Generally, the teachers do let me know this when I pick the girls up, but not always.  If their policy is to only let you know in writing when there's a mark on the skin, then they followed their policy.  If anything, I might send a light email to the teacher and/or assistant teacher and say something about how you'd really appreciate it if they let you know if your DD gets hut at school if it really upsets you, but it does seem a bit much.

ETA - If they let me know every time the girls hit their heads, it'd be at least once a week if not once a day.  Poor things take after their mother and routinely walk into walls, tables, etc. (as I still do often enough).  

YouAreMyILoveYou

JenniC1135:

And at 4 years old, I would think your DD could give you the important parts of any story involving a trip there.

Yesterday was her 4th birthday  

I am going to write something, because I want to have a written record about what happened in case something like this happens again, but I will take out the part about letting me know everytime she sees the nurse.

Thanks!

mattslady

And your kid bumping into a friend and hitting her head isn't really, "medical information".  That part was really dramatic too... if you're rewriting and all.

YouAreMyILoveYou

I know I am a little more sensitive to head "injuries" than most (my brother fell down and hit his head on the sidewalk when he was 3, fractured his skull, and now at 19 has seizures from the injury), but I also don't want to be THAT parent, so I will change the wording.

Good thing I waited a day to write it... who knows what I would have sent yesterday!

Amy720

I'm a kindergarten teacher and I don't send a note home every time I send a child to the nurse.  Sometimes they just have a stomach ache or ear ache and the nurse checks them out and calls home if need be.  If a child fell and hit her head, I would write or call the parent and let the parent know what happened.

That being said, the note was a little harsh in my opinion. 

 

SaraSmile

I agree, it's a little over the top.  Kids get hurt all the time.  Accidents happen.  They gave her an ice pack.  I think you have to let this one slide. 

melinaalyson

I wouldn't send it.  It probably felt good to write and vent.  But leave it at that.  I would calmly speak to the teacher and maybe ask the school's policy on head injuries.  At the school I teach at and my daughter's preschool we have to send home a report if it involves the head or neck (no matter how big or small).  Like a lot of people said above we (teachers) can't report every little thing.  I send about 4 kids to the nurse a day.  Children ask to go a lot!  I always err on the side of caution and leave it up to her.   Writing rude emails to the teacher won't help the problem, it will only annoy the teacher (especially when she wasn't even there).  I do appreciate that you are going to her instead of above her head to administration.  That is the worst!  Parents should speak to the teacher first before the principal. 

Mrs.LB705

Errr, yeah, basket case.  If I got an email like this from a parent (I'm a teacher too), it would DEFINITELY be the topic of tomorrow's lunch.

You want to know when she goes to the nurse for ANY reason?  Any???  What if she needs a bandaid for a papercut??

If there had been any reason for concern, they would've notified you.  They actually do care about your kid--AND they want to cover their own a$$es as well!