Celebrity President Obama Writes Absence Note for Fifth Grader Tyler Sullivan got a pass for skipping school from the leader of the free world By People Staff Published on June 4, 2012 03:45 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Fifth grader Tyler Sullivan went straight to the top to get his absence from school excused: He got a note President Barack Obama. Sullivan, 11, skipped school on Friday in order to go with his dad, Ryan Sullivan, to see the president speak at the Honeywell factory near Minneapolis where his father works. While the tween was there, he got a chance to shake hands with Obama, who volunteered to write a note to Sullivan’s teacher explaining the boy’s absence from school. “Mr. Ackerman –” reads the note, which is written on presidential stationery. “Please excuse Tyler … he was with me!” No word from Mr. Ackerman, but odds are he accepted young Sullivan’s excuse. The president spoke about creating jobs while at Honeywell, which has made it a priority to hire veterans, the Associated Press reports.