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Parent question

Catz Part Deux

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My son came home from school on Friday. All students were required to watch an audiovisual presentation about 9/11, that included the planes flying into the buildings, the buildings collapsing, and people jumping to their deaths.

He's not a particularly sensitive kid, but he was very upset by it. He clearly understands the difference between movie violence and REAL, HORRIFYING violence.

Would you contact the school, if you were me?
 
My son came home from school on Friday. All students were required to watch an audiovisual presentation about 9/11, that included the planes flying into the buildings, the buildings collapsing, and people jumping to their deaths.

He's not a particularly sensitive kid, but he was very upset by it. He clearly understands the difference between movie violence and REAL, HORRIFYING violence.

Would you contact the school, if you were me?
How old is he?
 
My son came home from school on Friday. All students were required to watch an audiovisual presentation about 9/11, that included the planes flying into the buildings, the buildings collapsing, and people jumping to their deaths.

He's not a particularly sensitive kid, but he was very upset by it. He clearly understands the difference between movie violence and REAL, HORRIFYING violence.

Would you contact the school, if you were me?

of course i would. should have been a permission slip sent home, so even if he was going to view it, you could prepare him. wtf were they thinking?
 
My son came home from school on Friday. All students were required to watch an audiovisual presentation about 9/11, that included the planes flying into the buildings, the buildings collapsing, and people jumping to their deaths.

He's not a particularly sensitive kid, but he was very upset by it. He clearly understands the difference between movie violence and REAL, HORRIFYING violence.

Would you contact the school, if you were me?

If you thought he wasn't mature enough to watch it, then he shouldn't have watched it. You're in control. Not your son's school. If you make a big deal out of it, that'd be the first thing I'd say to you.

I think it always helps to give schools input. But the ultimate responsibility was yours.
 
If you thought he wasn't mature enough to watch it, then he shouldn't have watched it. You're in control. Not your son's school. If you make a big deal out of it, that'd be the first thing I'd say to you.

I think it always helps to give schools input. But the ultimate responsibility was yours.

If she didn't know the school was making him watch it, wasn't asked permission, then how is it her responsibility?
 
If she didn't know the school was making him watch it, wasn't asked permission, then how is it her responsibility?

Good point. I'd add, though, that 9/11 stuff was allll over the TV on Saturday. This is so tied to age-appropriate that, without knowing the child's age, it's pretty tough to comment on. We don't know she wasn't aware of it. We don't know if she knew he was watching it. He was undoubtedly very young when it originally happened; so he got a sample of what others felt on that horrific day...age appropriate or not. Just doesn't seem like a big deal to me. It's so easy to criticize teachers, imo.
 
of course i would. should have been a permission slip sent home, so even if he was going to view it, you could prepare him. wtf were they thinking?

holy crap, I actually agree with liblady on this one. For something as controversial as this, of course a permission slip should have been sent home in advance. and alternative planning should have been made for those whose parents did not want their kids viewing this material.
 
I'm trying to think of parallels here -- seems like they showed us film from the liberation of the concentration camps in one of my high school classes and no note was sent.

How graphic was the material? I mean are we talking body parts lying around?
 
My son came home from school on Friday. All students were required to watch an audiovisual presentation about 9/11, that included the planes flying into the buildings, the buildings collapsing, and people jumping to their deaths.

He's not a particularly sensitive kid, but he was very upset by it. He clearly understands the difference between movie violence and REAL, HORRIFYING violence.

Would you contact the school, if you were me?

I would, regardless of anything anyone says YOU are concerned and you have a right as a parent to speak your mind. It may not make a bit of difference in the great grand scheme of things, but parents are responsible for their own children.

I think any time a school wishes to do a little social engineering they need to contact the parents first.
 
I would, regardless of anything anyone says YOU are concerned and you have a right as a parent to speak your mind. It may not make a bit of difference in the great grand scheme of things, but parents are responsible for their own children.

I think any time a school wishes to do a little social engineering they need to contact the parents first.

I completely agree that if she thinks it's a concern, ultimately, that's all that matters. But what on earth does watching what happened on 9/11 have to do with social engineering?

Wait a minute. Re-reading Catz' post, I think he watched it at school on Friday. Hmmmm. In that case, I guess it could be social engineering. Ha! Age has soooo much to do with this; but, in the end, Vance's reasoning is right on target. If it bothers mom, that's all that counts.
 
If you thought he wasn't mature enough to watch it, then he shouldn't have watched it. You're in control. Not your son's school. If you make a big deal out of it, that'd be the first thing I'd say to you.

I think it always helps to give schools input. But the ultimate responsibility was yours.

It is her responsibility - but if she wasn't informed prior to ... then it most definitely IS the schools responsibility to let the parents know.

If it was my son or daughter and the school failed to inform ME that what was going to occur... you bet your ass I'd be in their chimney about it.

Sorry, but as a parent I need to KNOW about these sorts of things in order to FULFILL my responsibility. I can't do anything about it if I am unaware or uninformed.
 
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holy crap, I actually agree with liblady on this one. For something as controversial as this, of course a permission slip should have been sent home in advance. and alternative planning should have been made for those whose parents did not want their kids viewing this material.

Exactly.

*ten characters*
 
I completely agree that if she thinks it's a concern, ultimately, that's all that matters. But what on earth does watching what happened on 9/11 have to do with social engineering?

Wait a minute. Re-reading Catz' post, I think he watched it at school on Friday. Hmmmm. In that case, I guess it could be social engineering. Ha! Age has soooo much to do with this; but, in the end, Vance's reasoning is right on target. If it bothers mom, that's all that counts.

why does it have to be social engineering? can't it just be a bad decision?
 
My son came home from school on Friday. All students were required to watch an audiovisual presentation about 9/11, that included the planes flying into the buildings, the buildings collapsing, and people jumping to their deaths.

He's not a particularly sensitive kid, but he was very upset by it. He clearly understands the difference between movie violence and REAL, HORRIFYING violence.

Would you contact the school, if you were me?

Footage of them jumping to their deaths? :/
I'd talk to the school.

Whenever any type of commemoration happens here where graphic images/clips will be shown (Holocaust and 7/7 in particular) a note is sent round to give parents enough time to prepare their children. The school should have done the same.
 
He's 12, and no, we were not notified in advance that the teacher planned to air the actual coverage. Sorry, I did a crappy job of explaining in the OP. The footage was aired in civics class, we were not notified, he came home upset on Friday afternoon, I had no idea that they planned to do this. I sent the teacher an e-mail asking her to send me a copy of the video clip they watched so I could discuss it with him in a meaningful way.

But, part of me is very annoyed, because they can't even show pg-13 movies without notifying parents, and my child saw people jumping to their deaths from a burning building? seriously, WTF?
 
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Why pick on me? Vance said it without a Ha!

not picking on you....post was meant for both of you. anyway, it was just a question. sometimes there aren't ulterior motives behind every corner.
 
He's 12, and no, we were not notified in advance that the teacher planned to air the actual coverage. Sorry, I did a crappy job of explaining in the OP. The footage was aired in civics class, we were not notified, he came home upset on Friday afternoon, I had no idea that they planned to do this. I sent the teacher an e-mail asking her to send me a copy of the video clip they watched so I could discuss it with him in a meaningful way.

But, part of me is very annoyed, because they can't even show pg-13 movies without notifying parents, and my child saw people jumping to their deaths from a burning building? seriously, WTF?
So it wasn't as much graphic as it was unnerving. I think twelve is a bit young for that sort of thing, even in the proper context.

I think I would want to have a sit-down with the teacher and have her explain to you why she thought it was appropriate.

FWIW, I'm a little early on in this process, but I'm noticing that it helps your kid out if the teacher is a little afraid of you. :D
 
So it wasn't as much graphic as it was unnerving. I think twelve is a bit young for that sort of thing, even in the proper context.

I think I would want to have a sit-down with the teacher and have her explain to you why she thought it was appropriate.

FWIW, I'm a little early on in this process, but I'm noticing that it helps your kid out if the teacher is a little afraid of you. :D

I can vouch for this. If they know you don't put up with any BS, they tend to really be aware of what they're doing. :)

I would be pretty po'd if this had happened with either of my kids at that age. Like you say... they can't even watch a PG13 movie in school, but they can actual footage of people falling/jumping to their deaths?

That is a little more than ****ed up.
 
Now that I think about it, I remember watching the Challenger explode on live television when I was in first grade and I turned out fine. :fly:
 
I can vouch for this. If they know you don't put up with any BS, they tend to really be aware of what they're doing. :)
Yeah, I'm trying to be that parent. The teacher doesn't have to like me, but they better do their dead-level best to teach my kid the best that they can. Otherwise ... it could get ugly.
 
I completely agree that if she thinks it's a concern, ultimately, that's all that matters. But what on earth does watching what happened on 9/11 have to do with social engineering?

Wait a minute. Re-reading Catz' post, I think he watched it at school on Friday. Hmmmm. In that case, I guess it could be social engineering. Ha! Age has soooo much to do with this; but, in the end, Vance's reasoning is right on target. If it bothers mom, that's all that counts.

Sorry I got ya jumped!

Re the social engineering thing...while I suppose there ARE times when the schools do what they do without a social engineering aspect, their motivation is far too often suspect in my book. recently one of the school boards in Massachussets told parents that found out and were upset about their agenda to shut up and color and not only didnt they notify parents, they would not and had no obligation to notify them and wouldnt allow parents to opt their kids out even if they wanted to. Without taking us down ugly dark roads I think it is sufficient to say that there are adequate examples of schools behaviors to at least justify concern.
 
Now that I think about it, I remember watching the Challenger explode on live television when I was in first grade and I turned out fine. :fly:

I remember that as well... I was an 8th grader in junior high. It was live TV though and didn't see much of anything except a big ball of flame.
 
Yeah, I'm trying to be that parent. The teacher doesn't have to like me, but they better do their dead-level best to teach my kid the best that they can. Otherwise ... it could get ugly.

I think I am the kind of parent that when they see me in the school, they all get together and say, "Oh ****.. what is SHE doing here!?" lol

I am on my kids' rears to do what they are supposed to... I sure as hell want their teachers to be doing what they are supposed to be doing as well. :)
 
I agree with liblady. The school should have warned parents and required permission slips. I would go to the school board about this.
 
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