We’ve all heard the horror stories about what goes on in schools, schools where we send our children expecting them to be safe, those stories have kept me (and I’m sure many other parents) up at night wondering and worrying. While I consider the school my children attend relatively safe compared to some, I do notice more and more incidents of violence and troubling behavior and I am not alone!
Yesterday my 8 year old daughter came home from school, I asked her how her day was as usual and then she begins to tell me about an incident that happened on the playground, by the time her story was over I was fuming mad and on the phone with the principal. My daughter was playing on the jungle gym at school during recess yesterday, she was following her friends across the bridge when one of the boys (not one of her friends) on the bridge looked at her and said, “No girls only boys!” and then proceeded to kick her in the stomach knocking her backwards. Not being one to be victimized Savanna proceeded across the bridge only to be slapped in the face and on the arm by the same boy. The boy then went on to smack, kick, and slap several other children for no reason. Savanna did go tell one of the teachers on the playground, but the only thing the teacher did was tell the boy to stop…really? Let me get this straight, several children in your care were just attacked by some little bully and instead of doing the right thing and taking him directly to the principals office you told him to stop and went back to your conversation…wow I am at a loss for words! Thankfully the principal at my daughter’s school was quick to get on the issue. I know that things like this happen all of the time, but my point is how safe are our children when they are at school and it is situations like this that make parents really wonder. Or situations like the one below which is even more disturbing!
Last week I was on Facebook when I noticed a status update from my husbands ex-wife about my step-son, as I read it I could not believe what I was reading. My step-son (who is 12) was approached by a 13 year old who handed him marijuana. Apparently the boy went on to brag to his friends that he smokes pot at home WITH his parents. Thankfully my step-son had the good sense to tell his mom and the situation was handled by the school, but it scared me to death! I could not even imagine my children being faced with that kind of situation.
Both of the situations I mentioned above inspired a long talk with my girls about drugs, bullies, and the importance of talking to your parents and not being afraid to tell an adult when you are faced with a situation that you are unsure of. I hope that if nothing else this post will inspire you to talk to your kids about the very real dangers that are ever present around them. I know that we cannot protect our children all of the time, but if we can supply them with the knowledge they need to handle these kinds of situations properly then we are doing our jobs correctly.
Yesterday my 8 year old daughter came home from school, I asked her how her day was as usual and then she begins to tell me about an incident that happened on the playground, by the time her story was over I was fuming mad and on the phone with the principal. My daughter was playing on the jungle gym at school during recess yesterday, she was following her friends across the bridge when one of the boys (not one of her friends) on the bridge looked at her and said, “No girls only boys!” and then proceeded to kick her in the stomach knocking her backwards. Not being one to be victimized Savanna proceeded across the bridge only to be slapped in the face and on the arm by the same boy. The boy then went on to smack, kick, and slap several other children for no reason. Savanna did go tell one of the teachers on the playground, but the only thing the teacher did was tell the boy to stop…really? Let me get this straight, several children in your care were just attacked by some little bully and instead of doing the right thing and taking him directly to the principals office you told him to stop and went back to your conversation…wow I am at a loss for words! Thankfully the principal at my daughter’s school was quick to get on the issue. I know that things like this happen all of the time, but my point is how safe are our children when they are at school and it is situations like this that make parents really wonder. Or situations like the one below which is even more disturbing!
Last week I was on Facebook when I noticed a status update from my husbands ex-wife about my step-son, as I read it I could not believe what I was reading. My step-son (who is 12) was approached by a 13 year old who handed him marijuana. Apparently the boy went on to brag to his friends that he smokes pot at home WITH his parents. Thankfully my step-son had the good sense to tell his mom and the situation was handled by the school, but it scared me to death! I could not even imagine my children being faced with that kind of situation.
Both of the situations I mentioned above inspired a long talk with my girls about drugs, bullies, and the importance of talking to your parents and not being afraid to tell an adult when you are faced with a situation that you are unsure of. I hope that if nothing else this post will inspire you to talk to your kids about the very real dangers that are ever present around them. I know that we cannot protect our children all of the time, but if we can supply them with the knowledge they need to handle these kinds of situations properly then we are doing our jobs correctly.
UGH - I hope your little girl was alright!
ReplyDeleteIt's stuff like this that makes me want to homeschool - kwim? Although I honestly think that my kids might be safer in school because kids + homework + me = smackdown.
I'd be mad too if my kid was assaulted several times and no one did a thing about it! Good for you for talking to the principal.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100%. Between all of the crazy shit that seems to happen more and more frequently anymore and then the whole "you're going to jail if your kids miss school...legitimate or not" it is just all BS. I have thought for years about homeschool, but I am the same way...my kids would NOT like me as their teacher lol.
ReplyDeleteI was talking to another parent about how her child was hit by another one at the Pre-school she attended. The teachers there didn't do anything, and didn't tell the parents about it. Why? Because they didn't actually see it. So her daughter came home hurt, no one even so much as sends a note, because the adults didn't see it happen. My daughter attended the same pre-school when she was younger, and I had to deal with the same issues.
ReplyDeleteWe've had issues with the school because kids will push my son's buttons because they know they can, or they will hit him first, and he gets caught for retaliating. Of course the original kid never gets punished, and when my son has told a teacher, he's been told to "stop tattling." Yeah. This was in K-the beginning of 2nd grade. And the teachers wondered why my son would fight back. It's not like they were sticking up for him. Oh, and the incident where the alternative ed. kids form the high school were out while the 1st graders were having recess, and harassed the 1st graders and took their ball. Yeah, that was nice too. I was never so happy to move. So many schools play lip service to "zero tolerance" and "no bullying" blah blah blah, but when it comes down to it, they don't take action. It's so frustrating as a parent.
ReplyDeleteBoth situations are so horrible. I hate that our kids have to deal with stuff like this at such an early age.
ReplyDeleteI will give our school credit, they are pretty good about addressing kids to bully. But there are so many other issues I'm dealing with right now, that I constantly wonder if it's really safe to send my son.
It's crazy and scary. I went to my sons school the other day, and was a little early. I was watching all the kids playing on the playground when I see two boys beating the crap out of each other, this is elementary school. They were 3rd graders(not my sons class) The teacher was sitting there chatting away with another teacher not even looking at the students. I couldn't get out and do anything because my car had 4 toddlers in it, and I couldn't call the principal because I had no names of students or teachers, but it just irritates me these teachers do nothing, and sit there and chat it up without checking their students. I'm glad your daughter is ok, but I'm sure she will be scared now in school:(
ReplyDeleteAt Parent Teaching Association Meetings it should be brought up that if teachers are on playground duty, that is exactly what you expect, playground duty and not friendly get together chats with other teachers. Those teachers should spread out and keep their eyes on the lookout. They should have cell phones with them to be able to call into the office if they need an office aid to come out and take a child into the principal's office for any inappropriate behavior, whether bullying, cussing, spitting, name-calling, or drugs. They should know the parents expect nothing less.
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