Making Up a Final

The week before winter break, I gave finals to the class I covered for the majority of December. 

Finals week is one week students try not to miss. So, I was rather surprised that Miguel didn't show up to virtual class. 

There was one student, Lazarus, who I saw maybe once in the two-and-a-half weeks I covered the class. (Mr. B told me that his attendance had been an issue, and discussions had happened with his family.) 

So, while there were a couple absences, the only one that surprised me was Miguel. 

After logging off for the day, I got an email from Miguel. He apologized for missing the final. The email was about four minutes old, so I replied quickly, hoping to get a chance to talk to him. He logged into the class meet so we could discuss. 

Miguel said that he had had a personal emergency. When I inquired further, he told me that his dogs had run away, and while he had been able to locate one (who was barking in the background), the other was still MIA. 

Now, I'm of two minds about this. I can see how a student might not be able to concentrate on a final. But, it was a final. 

I asked Miguel if he could make it up right then, and he said yes. 

But then, a couple hours later, I got an email from the assistant principal at the school saying Miguel didn't make up the final then because he had an IEP meeting. 

Which. . . I mean, seriously? I asked him if he could do the final then. He said yes. If he had just told me no. . .  

(I wasn't remaining "in class" with him for the make up as I had other things I had to do. So, if then was a bad time, I would have understood.)

So, for two days I'm watching my email, waiting on Miguel to return his final. Then, the last day of class, I found it in Google Classroom, already graded. (He emailed it to Mr. B instead of me. Sigh.)

Ah well. It got done.

(As for Lazarus, he also got an excuse for missing class for his final from the assistant principal. He never did make up his final.)