Sad commentary
Bill Johnson’s column of Oct. 26, “When did kids being kids become a criminal act?” is a sad statement on the way society has changed for the worse.
The school used poor judgment — the choice of punishment was more inappropriate than the game the children were playing.
The education system teaches children intolerance and injustice. If the child is found innocent of these charges, then using the standard the school has established for first-time mistakes, the teacher and the principal should be charged criminally for filing a false report.
The police should never have been called, and this child should not be in the criminal system.
As Dorothy Law Nolte said so beautifully in her poem Children Learn What They Live, “If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.”
Al and Sandy Hauer, Arvada
So what was the event that the said child was involved in?
Posted by on November 13, 2007 12:50 PMSince when is hitting boys in their private parts and hitting girls on their rear ends, child's play?
This is totally innappropiate.
You say Children Learn What They Live?
What do the learn when this kind of behavior is okay?
They learn they are allowed to innappropiately touch other people's privates and invade a persons personal space.
They are taught there are no bounderies when it comes to innappropiate touching.
They learn to disrespect another persons personal space.
They learn that parents are there to stand up and say this behavior is okay.
They learn anything goes,Mom and Dad will make up an excuse for you.
They learn there are no consequences to their actions.
They learn the old , Monkey see, Monkey Do.
They learn if other people do it ,it must be okay,where is the moral compass .
They do not learn right and wrong.
I read the story and I say to the parents and students involved what part of this innappropiate behavior do you not understand?
This" silly game" as the ignorant parents and students want to call it ,is not silly,it is not child's play,it is so off the okay scale I can't believe the parents are complaining. They should be trying to stop this so called " game" and hope their child learns some respect for himself,some respect for girls,and respect that there are some things still left in this world that is not right.
There is no excuse for this and the parents should use this as a teaching moment,not a everyone else is wrong moment.
Children learn modesty and respect for their bodies,from their parents.
Children learn right and wrong from their parents.
Children learn consequences for their actions from their parents.
Too bad these children don't have parents.
Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on November 13, 2007 01:16 PMThe question is whether bringing criminal charges against this elementary school student was the proper course. While the school officials said the practice had been going on for some time, there was nothing said about this particular student having been involved in the practice before. We sometimes want to make an example of someone in order to stop like behavior. I doubt that should apply to filing criminal charges against an elementary school student for doing something other students had done with impunity.
About the mother that Amen so readily criticizes. From the Johnson article"
"She does not, however, hold her son blameless in this. She and Terry have pulled him from the Park Hill Falcons, a Police Protective League team on which he plays. She said coaches have called, asking he be allowed to return.
They have held firm.
"At the same time, these are children we are talking about here," Molley Warren said.
"It was a stupid game, which is what children do. It just seems every single silly thing our kids do now they want to make criminal. And now, my child is in the system, facing criminal charges when the only thing he should be worrying about is how he will do in high school."
The highly self-rightious Amen could learn something from this mother. But she's not into learning something, only in being self-rightious.
Truth , I am going to skip your commentary today.
I thought of you while going through and organizing school papers.I found this website that you may or may not have. It might help you and your granddaughter.
Everyday Mathematics Center Website
http://everydaymath.uchicago,edu
My child's teacher sent this home if parents needed help.We don't need it ,but I saved it for you.I hope your granddaughter is doing better in math this year.Good Luck.
Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on November 14, 2007 12:35 PMThanks, Amen. I have that website and have written to them but have so far not gotten a response. My main inquiry is whether they suggest that their books not be accessible to parents as the school system administration has claimed. My granddaughter is doing much, much better in math since I prevailed upon the school system to provide me with the books she is using, and since I have been spending a lot more most enjoyable time, for both of us, helping her. The school system indicated that as the result of my efforts and appearance before the school board it would look into making those books generally available to parents, but apparently it was a glance rather than a look. It may not be Tammany Hall but it bears a close resemblance.
Posted by Truth on November 14, 2007 01:50 PMMy child's teacher provides us with copies of the section she is working on. She has the work sheet and we have the answers and information on how to do the particular math subject she is working on.It's the same as having the book.Also her school held a Math Night and provided us with a whole packet of information on what they are working on for the year.that seems to work for us.My husband is a Math genius and my daughter's teacher has accelerated her math into Algebra.
I'm glad your granddaughter is doing better.Math comes easy for some and some kids have to work at it.Keep up the great work with her.Math is very important.
Also ask if there is a M.E.S.A, Science Club at her school and try to get her in.It is usually for 4th and 5th graders and is a wonderful way to challenge her in Math and Science.
My 2nd grader has been invited to join this year because she is at 4th and 5th grade level.They love it. You should look into it.
Your granddaughter is fortunate to have someone helping her with her education.She'll go far.
Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on November 14, 2007 05:28 PM