It might be the oldest trick in the school book beside "The dog ate my homework." A 7-year-old Texas student wrote a note excusing her from attending an after school program—but the teachers actually bought it.
A second-grader at Houston's Shelton Elementary wrote May 2, "I want Rosabella to go too dus (sic) 131 today!" in reference to the bus she should take home. Besides containing spelling errors, the penmanship suggested a writer far younger than any parent and was torn from a notebook. Still, when the girl presented the piece of paper to the after school program staff, they sent her to the bus.
She arrived home by herself, but neighbors saw her wandering in her front yard and called her father, Charlie Dahu.
He told ABC News, "Obviously they didn’t have proper procedures in place. This is clearly the school's fault. How a seven-year-old can trick you, it boggles my mind."
Shelton said in a statement, "We are reviewing our training procedures to ensure that our after-school grant program staff is properly trained in dismissal procedures." But Dahu didn't want to wait around and see the results of their review process. He moved Rosabella to a new school. "I don’t have any faith in [Shelton]," Dahu said.
As for any punishment his daughter faces for underhandedly exempting herself from after school care, Dahu said, "Appropriate action was taken, and she knows it was wrong. I don't condone it."
That's one crafty little girl.
Shelton Elementary did not immediately return Complex's request for comment.
