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Health & Fitness

It's Not Skipping If It Is Pre-approved

A blog on how parents should let their kids participate in unique opportunities and experiences.

From Saturday until Tuesday I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference as a High School delegate among 10,000 other participants from all across the world. I heard many experts, congressmen, and even the president speak about US political relations with Israel. Over time, I have gained a large passion for Politics, and was excited to attend this conference. The opportunity to attend such a conference as a High Schooler is rare, but because Politics is one of the main things I enjoy, I made sure to be there.

Yes, I did miss two days of school. Yes, I did have to stay up late days before to prepare for the work I missed. And yes, I did have to go in at lunch to make up a quiz and a test. But all of these things were worthwhile in exchange for an experience in something I truly enjoy. What I am trying to convey through my student experiences to you is that:

If your son or daughter has something they enjoy, missing class should be no barrier to gaining that experience.

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I bring this up because so often when I attempt to have my friends join me in out of school activities, their parents will not allow them to miss school in fear of their absence being a harm to their education. We students are in school for 13 years; missing isolated days of school to gain real life experience is as equal if not more of value than a few days of instruction. These special opportunities aren't distractions from education, but in fact an education within themselves. Furthermore, in a college sense, if you have done your research, you would learn that your son or daughter should find a small number of things that interest them, and show initiative and dedication within them. These rare opportunities to show initiative and dedication may come up during the school day, and it would behoove your son or daughter to take the opportunity if it correlates to their main interests. Lastly, if your son or daughter is interested in participating in an event, let them have fun and gain the experience! We work so hard, we are entitled to a change of pace once in a while.

To show off my what I learned from AP NSL, I will make a reference to the 1969 Tinker case- Students should not shed their true passion and initiative at the schoolhouse gate.

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Attending conferences in New Orleans, Los Angeles, others in D.C., campaigning before primaries and election day, County Student Government meetings, and campaigning for the student chair on the County's Board of Education are all examples of events I have missed school for. All the while, with hard work and communication, I kept my grades where I wanted and I even gained closer relationships with my teachers. I never regret the way I have done my school career for a second.

All the while, don't let absences get crazy. They should not be missing school every week, even thought that does sound like a fun time. So the next time your son or daughter asks if they can miss school to attend a conference in something they enjoy, let them have the experience. And if they don’t, help them find one, they are missing out.

Keeping it real sine 1994,

Hal Zeitlin

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