to think this is really unfair?

[Stinklebell]

DD's high school takes part in Global Rock (www.rockchallenge.co.uk).

DD also did it in primary school and loved it. She started high school in September, where they take the whole thing really seriously, auditioned and was over the moon to get a small part.

At the beginning they sent out a schedule of rehearsals which we had to sign and return - after school every Thursday until 5:15pm, a couple of full days in half term and 2 full days on the 2 Saturdays before the performance. They are expected to attend all rehearsals and anyone who misses a rehearsal without good reason will be removed from the show. All fine, no problem with dates, all signed and returned. DD has attended all the rehearsals so far

Then, after Christmas they added after school on Mondays to the rehearsals, wasn't a problem until this week when I realised DD had a dentist appointment - I made it back in September and it had slipped my mind (DD also does netball after school and my younger DD also has a couple of after school clubs so at the time Monday nights were the easiest night I could have both DDs in the same place at the same time).

Sent a letter into school for the teacher running Global Rock with DD on Monday apologising that she wouldn't be able to make the rehearsal due to an appointment. DD gave it to her on her way out of school, where I picked her up.

All fine, so I thought.

Except, DD was told yesterday that she was no longer in the show. That we signed up to her attending all rehearsals, if we couldn't attend them all we shouldn't have signed up and as she'd missed one she no longer had a part.

Now, I agree that the kids shouldn't sign up if they're not going to attend the rehearsals, but A) IMO 1 dentist appointment is a good reason, it's not like she just couldn't be arsed to go, and B) the Monday night rehearsals were added recently and not part of what we signed up to at the beginning

DD is gutted, she's worked really hard, attended every other rehearsal and I think it's harsh and unfair that she's been kicked out over 1 rehearsal

Who's the teacher, Columbo?

I know, the reliable intelligence made me laugh. New name for gossip clearly

I don't know if the other girls cut the rehearsal, None of DD's friends were involved as far as she knows, she said everyone she expected to see at the rehearsal was there so I don't know.

DD's just going to keep turning up at the rehearsals and the show, the teacher didn't say anything further to her about it and I would have thought the teacher would have just sent her home.

She's now had proof that DD really was at the dentist and not round a friends house having convinced me to write a fake excuse letter, so it would be a bit petty for her to continue to exclude DD

I'm glad she's back in.

Once they're at secondary schools, the teachers very rarely know the friendship groups of the children in the way they did at primary, so I can understand why the teacher believed that a group were up to no good. But it would have been so easy to get in touch with the parents, and it never seems to occur to them to do so. They're always banging on about education being a partnership between home and school, but sometimes don't seem to be very good at the communication needed.

Sorry but you could have changed the dentist app. I do it all the time because of my dd's clubs and it's never a problem. You've screwed up I'm afraid and I just feel really sorry for you dd.

Sorry didn't read the last bit I was trying to skim. In the future move the dentist (unless it's an emergency) app and then you save yourself a tonne of stress. Hope it all goes well for your daughter.

Glad it's sorted. The teacher was being very unfair at the start but I suppose if some children were being dishonest it's not surprising s/he got fed up. Hope the show goes really well it sounds great!

To be honest, I don't know if any of them did actually cut the rehearsal in the first place.

DD said everyone was at the rehearsal on Thursday, so either the girls did cut and haven't been kicked out, or they didn't cut and the teacher's 'reliable intelligence' was wrong

Redfocus I didn't and wouldn't rearrange the dentist, for all the reasons I've already given.

Schools take Rock Challenge ridiculously seriously. I suspect they are making a point with your dd. Speak to the school and I bet they will let her back in.