Nadine - you have hit the nail on the head. I really agree with you.
I do not take this sort of thing lightly, but on the other hand - I'd rather her be of use to someone (ie-my sister) iykwim? If they are doing nothing at school...

The other issue, is that I really try to keep the respect thing up with the school. I always call to let them know she won't be attending and I expect DD to make sure she gets her homework from a friend if she is absent. It's not a cakewalk around here if you want a day off school. If she miraculously recovers from an illness (as is likely after 11am) she has been put to work doing housework. I know that might sound mean, but she now understands that it's not a day OFF, it's a day to recover from being sick (and let me say, if she is sick, she is sick - I don't make her load the dishwasher in the middle of a fever iykwim?).

The school has this very uncool "it's not ok to be away" program and if the kids are away without the parents notifying, the school sends out this gay-ass brochure banging on about how the parents and school need to be in partnership to better the childs education, blah, blah, blah.
Thing is, if you ever want to talk to the teacher about missed homework, or want to clarify something I never get a call back. I have a few times called to speak to her teachers to check she doesn't fall behind (only when she has been away for more than 2-3 days, I'm not a psycho), or to further enquire about the Student Exchange program, or even RETURN a teachers phone call. I get SQUAT.

That turned inot a rant didn't? I suppose I'm saying how can the school expect respect and partnership when it doesn't give it?? rant, rant