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Post by minnesotapaintlady on Mar 1, 2023 16:36:02 GMT -5
They're starting the alphabetical swatting again so I'm assuming our district will be hit before the end of day. LPS_MSG: FYI: Schools in Alamosa, Boulder, and Brighton 27J districts are currently experiencing swatting incidents today. LPS is NOT impacted currently. LPS will continue to communicate. WTH is alphabetical swatting?
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Mar 1, 2023 18:28:02 GMT -5
They're starting the alphabetical swatting again so I'm assuming our district will be hit before the end of day. LPS_MSG: FYI: Schools in Alamosa, Boulder, and Brighton 27J districts are currently experiencing swatting incidents today. LPS is NOT impacted currently. LPS will continue to communicate. WTH is alphabetical swatting? Swatting is calling in fake threats. The alphabetical thing is just how the threats are being called in to differentdistrictsacross the state. It didn't hit our district this time.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Mar 6, 2023 18:53:27 GMT -5
Hello everyone! I'm having annual kids birthday party planning stress. Kiddos are turning 7 and 5 this year. Their birthdays are 3 days apart. Every year we try to come up with an economic solution to include as many people as possible, which basically involves a lot of feet dragging until we run out of time and half @** it. We are living somewhere new this year, I'm bringing all my baggage and mom guilt and just want to throw money at it and let someone else plan it. DH is not as on board. What is normal to spend on a children's birthday party?
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Mar 6, 2023 20:30:16 GMT -5
Rec center birthday parties I've found to be the best for cost when not doing a home party. $150-200 usually for a 2-3 hour party, decent size guest list. Rec center Gymnastics here is a little cheaper than pool parties and was a huge hit at that age.
All the party places get really expensive imo for pretty limited bday support. We've done them but for bigger groups I don't think it's worth the money.
Dc BFF birthday party was always at home, Sunday morning 9-11. They got donuts instead of cake, would do art and/or party games and those were the party favors too. Always a hit, and one I'd totally steal if dc birthday wasn't just a couple weeks after BFF.
Winter is harder for @home parties imo, but we did an arts and crafts party for dc for 4 or 5. Guests ranged in ages from 4-9 painting, and some little paper craft I found. Seemed to go over well and with a 50% off canvases at Michael's (and using 8x10 canvases) that was fun and cheap.
If weather is good already in your area then @home with some nerf guns or water guns has gone over well with ds for multiple years.
Movie theater rental is pretty popular it seems too. Probably depends on how many snacks you're providing for how much that costs. But when you rent the full theater it's ok for the kids to run around.
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Post by minnesotapaintlady on Mar 6, 2023 20:38:14 GMT -5
I've never spent much on kid's birthdays and have never thrown a "kid party" at all. Both of my sons have summer birthdays and I would just throw family/neighbors barbecues that were really just excuses to get together. I'd grill all the meat and provide drinks and grandparents and aunts brought dishes to pass. Sometimes a few friends were invited, but for the most part it was just cousins and adult family members and friends. I have a lot of family in the area though, so I get not everyone can do that.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Mar 6, 2023 21:57:10 GMT -5
My kids just invite friends to meet up at the local trampoline place, and then we drive back home for pizza, cake and ice cream. Their friends have invited them to various venues over the years: go cart/mini golf/arcade place, roller rink, church gym that they turned into a giant candy land game, local park for nerf gun battles. My friend has done a camping theme party in her backyard when her kids were little.
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Mar 6, 2023 22:43:13 GMT -5
I think I'm throwing money at birthdays this year. We have done playground pavillions and rec centers, but for the price of rental and then all the food and stress of getting it ready, I don't think it's worth it.
I'm just going to rent the skating rink or swimming pool or something, bring cupcakes and call it a day for my kids and their friends.
Then we can have family over for dinner. Let's the kids focus on each group separately.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Mar 7, 2023 11:58:51 GMT -5
Thanks for the added perspectives. We've settled on separate birthdays, so throwing money at one party and not the other. DD would like classmates and an activity, DS would like classmates and an activity, but would really prefer to do it at home so settled on a family party for his bday since we cant fit his whole class in our house. Rec centers were all booked unfortunately. We actually are doing art parties! That was another hiccup as most venues don't welcome paint. I wish there was a way to get a head count before planning the whole dang thing. Having to plan for 10-40 kids is just impossible. And March birthdays are such a crapshoot with weather. Last year we were in AZ and it was in the 90s, now we are in Oregon and it could rain or snow.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Mar 8, 2023 9:18:32 GMT -5
I'm the awful parent today who sent Gwen to school with a stomach ache. The thing is she is pulling the same stuff my brother did/does and DH also has had a bad habit of it. It gets to where we start getting letters for her attendance. So I put my foot down if she isn't puking, pooping or have a fever for the time being she is going to school. I said unfortunately that is how the world works kiddo you can't stay home with a tummy ache every day if you want to function in society. The level of theatrics this morning over it. I did check and ask if anything else was going on and she blew up up at me saying just because I was bullied doesn't mean everyone is. I am proud of myself for not clocking her over that one. I do get it I don't think middle school should be starting at 7:30 am that is way too early for that age group and science backs me up. But "budget cuts" and "bus schedules" so here we are.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Mar 8, 2023 9:28:04 GMT -5
I was one of the stomach ache every morning kids. I only got sent home one time.
You did good, Drama.
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azucena
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Post by azucena on Mar 8, 2023 10:27:09 GMT -5
FWIW, stomach ache and headache can be anxiety.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Mar 8, 2023 10:36:40 GMT -5
Dsis had a stomach ache everyday, but it sucks and maybe it's a able-ist, but I think it is a good skill to learn how to power through some of those things (and theres balance - too much powering through isnt good either). I know my mom tried to help dsis, hind sight I'd say they probably should have tried therapy and home schooling for a while, but neither were that common or as easy to navigate 40 years ago.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Mar 8, 2023 10:41:35 GMT -5
FWIW, stomach ache and headache can be anxiety. Possibly. She also didn't eat dinner last night because she didn't like it. She was doing what my brother used to do and wandering around saying 'I am sick I think I may throw up" but she apparently did not inherit his gift of being able to actually induce vomit. But that does prompt me that I need to set an appointment with her pediatrician to talk about anxiety with her.
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Post by minnesotapaintlady on Mar 8, 2023 11:14:14 GMT -5
I really wish schools still had nurses like they did when I was in grade school. You got sick you went to the nurses office, and unless you were running a fever or puking they would keep you in there until the end of the day if your parent wasn't coming. It's amazing how often I decided I felt better after 30 minutes of laying on a bed staring at a dropped ceiling as the only alternative. Now it's just an automatic go home. I would get so annoyed when I'd take vacation at work to haul a kid home to have them running around acting perfectly normal the rest of the day.
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azucena
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Post by azucena on Mar 8, 2023 11:20:25 GMT -5
It's so hard to know.
DD10 stayed home today. She says she's had a sore throat and some ringing in her ears. Last night she was holding it in paid and couldn't sleep until I propped her up. We met with the principal on Thurs with two other girls/moms about the chaos we're hearing in their classroom. Principal was receptive. Meeting yesterday included their teacher (went around her at first bc the disruptions are in every class with multiple teachers). Mtg yesterday was so-so. Felt like teacher was trying to justify and downplay too much. Kicking myself for not speaking up sooner but I'm juggling a lot and didn't have intel from other girls to know it wasn't just DD10 anxiety.
Now second guessing myself for sending her Mon/Tues if she was really sick. Parenting is hard.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Mar 8, 2023 11:28:04 GMT -5
I'm the awful parent today who sent Gwen to school with a stomach ache. The thing is she is pulling the same stuff my brother did/does and DH also has had a bad habit of it. It gets to where we start getting letters for her attendance. So I put my foot down if she isn't puking, pooping or have a fever for the time being she is going to school. I said unfortunately that is how the world works kiddo you can't stay home with a tummy ache every day if you want to function in society. The level of theatrics this morning over it. I did check and ask if anything else was going on and she blew up up at me saying just because I was bullied doesn't mean everyone is. I am proud of myself for not clocking her over that one. I do get it I don't think middle school should be starting at 7:30 am that is way too early for that age group and science backs me up. But "budget cuts" and "bus schedules" so here we are. I agree about the school start time, felt the same way when my kids were in school. My DD legit had Migraines and knee/ankle issues but I think she used both issues to get out of going to school sometimes. First thing they told her with the migraines was eliminate caffeine. She never really did that until she was an adult on her own. Now she tells me she figured out that caffeine triggers her migraines. If your dd has issues and you think you will have issues with attendance, every time you take her to the doctor, get a dr's excuse and send it back to school with her-then the time is "excused" and doesn't count in the days absent, or at least that was how it worked when dd was in school.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Mar 8, 2023 11:59:38 GMT -5
It's so hard to know. DD10 stayed home today. She says she's had a sore throat and some ringing in her ears. Last night she was holding it in paid and couldn't sleep until I propped her up. We met with the principal on Thurs with two other girls/moms about the chaos we're hearing in their classroom. Principal was receptive. Meeting yesterday included their teacher (went around her at first bc the disruptions are in every class with multiple teachers). Mtg yesterday was so-so. Felt like teacher was trying to justify and downplay too much. Kicking myself for not speaking up sooner but I'm juggling a lot and didn't have intel from other girls to know it wasn't just DD10 anxiety. Now second guessing myself for sending her Mon/Tues if she was really sick. Parenting is hard. So f-ing hard.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Mar 8, 2023 12:09:12 GMT -5
I really wish schools still had nurses like they did when I was in grade school. You got sick you went to the nurses office, and unless you were running a fever or puking they would keep you in there until the end of the day if your parent wasn't coming. It's amazing how often I decided I felt better after 30 minutes of laying on a bed staring at a dropped ceiling as the only alternative. That cot would definitely cure you if you were not very sick.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Mar 8, 2023 12:41:44 GMT -5
I'm the awful parent today who sent Gwen to school with a stomach ache. The thing is she is pulling the same stuff my brother did/does and DH also has had a bad habit of it. It gets to where we start getting letters for her attendance. So I put my foot down if she isn't puking, pooping or have a fever for the time being she is going to school. I said unfortunately that is how the world works kiddo you can't stay home with a tummy ache every day if you want to function in society. The level of theatrics this morning over it. I did check and ask if anything else was going on and she blew up up at me saying just because I was bullied doesn't mean everyone is. I am proud of myself for not clocking her over that one. I do get it I don't think middle school should be starting at 7:30 am that is way too early for that age group and science backs me up. But "budget cuts" and "bus schedules" so here we are. My all-time bad parenting moment. DS2 was 5 yo and complained about a tummy ache. No fever, no vomiting, nothing so off to school he went. This school was build in a u-shape and after I dropped off DS2 (I had told his teacher) I walked out and teacher opened the window of the classroom. If I could please come back in, DS2 had just projectile vomited all over the bathroom. Here we are 36 years later and I still feel guilty whenever I think about that incident...
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Mar 8, 2023 16:46:43 GMT -5
I really wish schools still had nurses like they did when I was in grade school. You got sick you went to the nurses office, and unless you were running a fever or puking they would keep you in there until the end of the day if your parent wasn't coming. It's amazing how often I decided I felt better after 30 minutes of laying on a bed staring at a dropped ceiling as the only alternative. Now it's just an automatic go home. I would get so annoyed when I'd take vacation at work to haul a kid home to have them running around acting perfectly normal the rest of the day. My mom did something similar when she babysat. If you were sick enough to stay home the kids would stay on the couch and it would be quiet. They could watch TV but no running around and stuff because after all they are sick. She made it as boring as humanly possible. Gwen started deciding she was fine enough to go to school. I got an appointment set with Gwen's pediatrician for next week to discuss her anxiety. DH is going to take her. I said you'll have to talk if Gwen refuses to. That level of theatrics this morning was uncalled for and since I can't know what is going on in her head she's getting checked out. I figure either we'll get her on the path she needs to for anxiety or she will think twice about whether or not it's worth all that drama.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Mar 8, 2023 18:54:31 GMT -5
Not allowing screens on sick days means I can barely keep my kids home even when they are sick.
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geenamercile
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Post by geenamercile on Mar 10, 2023 8:43:05 GMT -5
I really wish schools still had nurses like they did when I was in grade school. You got sick you went to the nurses office, and unless you were running a fever or puking they would keep you in there until the end of the day if your parent wasn't coming. It's amazing how often I decided I felt better after 30 minutes of laying on a bed staring at a dropped ceiling as the only alternative. Now it's just an automatic go home. I would get so annoyed when I'd take vacation at work to haul a kid home to have them running around acting perfectly normal the rest of the day. My mom did something similar when she babysat. If you were sick enough to stay home the kids would stay on the couch and it would be quiet. They could watch TV but no running around and stuff because after all they are sick. She made it as boring as humanly possible. Gwen started deciding she was fine enough to go to school. I got an appointment set with Gwen's pediatrician for next week to discuss her anxiety. DH is going to take her. I said you'll have to talk if Gwen refuses to. That level of theatrics this morning was uncalled for and since I can't know what is going on in her head she's getting checked out. I figure either we'll get her on the path she needs to for anxiety or she will think twice about whether or not it's worth all that drama. Oldest is 16, but starting a few years ago her doctor would have me leave the room so she could do a screening with her on depression/anxiety and I would have my own survey to fill out. At least with her there are certainly some questions she will answer without me in the room. The doctor will summarize the results afterwards with both of us. But there is a confidentiality aspect to it too with her. Same thing when she was in therapy, I got an over all summary on how she was doing but not exact answers to questions.
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tcu2003
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Post by tcu2003 on Mar 11, 2023 14:06:07 GMT -5
I really wish schools still had nurses like they did when I was in grade school. You got sick you went to the nurses office, and unless you were running a fever or puking they would keep you in there until the end of the day if your parent wasn't coming. It's amazing how often I decided I felt better after 30 minutes of laying on a bed staring at a dropped ceiling as the only alternative. Now it's just an automatic go home. I would get so annoyed when I'd take vacation at work to haul a kid home to have them running around acting perfectly normal the rest of the day. Do most schools not have school nurses now? Our elementary does, so I’m assuming the middle and high schools do. It’s been handy the multiple times the kids have gotten bloody noses, lost a tooth, had a headache (she can and will dispense acetaminophen or ibuprofen with parent permission), etc. And when C broke his arm last year, we had to give her the paperwork with what he could/could not do in gym class, plus she could give him pain meds as needed.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Mar 11, 2023 16:25:50 GMT -5
We have a health aid in each school and a supervising nurse that covers 4-5 schools.
Ds likes the health aid but not the nurse at the middle school. Hoping she doesn't cover the high school he's moving to.
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Post by minnesotapaintlady on Mar 11, 2023 18:45:31 GMT -5
I really wish schools still had nurses like they did when I was in grade school. You got sick you went to the nurses office, and unless you were running a fever or puking they would keep you in there until the end of the day if your parent wasn't coming. It's amazing how often I decided I felt better after 30 minutes of laying on a bed staring at a dropped ceiling as the only alternative. Now it's just an automatic go home. I would get so annoyed when I'd take vacation at work to haul a kid home to have them running around acting perfectly normal the rest of the day. Do most schools not have school nurses now? Our elementary does, so I’m assuming the middle and high schools do. It’s been handy the multiple times the kids have gotten bloody noses, lost a tooth, had a headache (she can and will dispense acetaminophen or ibuprofen with parent permission), etc. And when C broke his arm last year, we had to give her the paperwork with what he could/could not do in gym class, plus she could give him pain meds as needed. We have nothing in the private school. The charter Montessori my kids were at for K-8 used to have one that was there like 2 days a week but she retired and I don't think she was ever replaced. When Carrot got sick he had to sit in the office until I came to get him. The public schools have 2 fulltime nurses for 6 schools (3 elementary, Middle School and the High School). I imagine they are at different schools on different days. There is a health secretary at each of these schools, but they aren't RNs or even LPNs.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Mar 11, 2023 20:07:00 GMT -5
Any employee in Iowa school districts who are not essential (teachers, bus drivers, paras, etc.) are losing jobs as the schools lose funding.
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MarionTh230
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Post by MarionTh230 on Mar 11, 2023 21:03:08 GMT -5
All the schools in our district (public not private) have at least one school nurse. But, and this is a very large but, it is only due to COVID funding. Three rounds of funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA funding). There is a lot of work being done at the district level to fund those positions permanently but we don't know if it will happen. We very well may lose the majority of our school nurses and be back to one nurse for 3 - 5 schools.
When Kiddo was in kindergarten last year I think the nurse had to call me 5 different times? Kiddo ate a crayon. It was nontoxic and she seemed fine so back to class. Kiddo jumped up and down in her chair and hit her wrist funny. No swelling, no pain, no loss of movement. Ice pack and sent her back to class. Stuff like that the nurse dealt with. Only one time she legitimately popped fever at like 1pm and they called and I picked her up. And I have a completely averagely average kid with no preexisting health conditions. School nurses provide an absolutely valuable service to our students and it is a shame that funding issues make it so difficult to get and keep nurses in schools.
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tcu2003
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Post by tcu2003 on Mar 11, 2023 22:06:57 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing the different nurse staffing situations in your areas. We had a school nurse at our local elementary school pre-Covid and still have one. I also know when she’s out (sick or personal day), they bring in a substitute nurse. We’re in a pretty large district for our state, so guessing that substitute nurses can stay pretty busy if they want, and still only work when they want to.
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tcu2003
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Post by tcu2003 on Mar 12, 2023 21:47:31 GMT -5
I know there are a few people here in the general Midwest/plains states area. If you or your kiddos are interested in space, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS (basically middle of nowhere - about an hour from Wichita) is really cool. We took the kids today, and I was impressed. I’m pretty sure I went once in high school, and DH had also been in high school, but neither of us had been since, and the kids hadn’t been. It’s been seriously upgraded since then. They have the Apollo 13 command module Odyssey, Liberty Bell 7 Mercury spacecraft, Gemini Titan Rocket, an SR-71 Blackbird, and so much more.
The only downside was DH is the typ of museum-goer that likes to read **every** single placard and sign, so the kids were more than done by the time he was ready, lol.
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Post by minnesotapaintlady on Mar 13, 2023 13:11:56 GMT -5
The only downside was DH is the typ of museum-goer that likes to read **every** single placard and sign, so the kids were more than done by the time he was ready, lol. This is my older son. I love that he does that though.
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