Banning Rubik's Cube at School?

[marciemi]

Does this make sense? On our last trip to WDW, nearly 2 years ago, my youngest DS, then 9, got into the Rubik's cube. He carried one around with him nearly the entire visit, along with the hint booklet, and worked on it in lines, etc. By the end of the trip he'd taught himself how to do it. That spring he even won a public speaking contest that he did on the Cube while solving it (after allowing the audience to mix it up) while giving his speech.

We moved this summer and he's got into speedcubing (cubing for time!) online. So as he's gotten good (he can usually solve it in about 30 seconds), he brought it into school to show kids. Many other kids got into it, and he taught many how to solve it, including his older brothers.

Well, now the school has banned them completely - even during lunch and on the busses (which he rides about 40 minutes in each direction). I'm sorry, but I just can't understand this. Obviously during class time it shouldn't be allowed - I can even understand it being distracting during study hall (which they have as mandatory) and lunch itself. But they have a mandatory lunch recess each day (about 20 min). How can he NOT be allowed to use it at lunch or on the bus?

I mean if kids can bring Ipods and Cell Phones (both of which are allowed on the bus - I doubt lunch) and Gameboys, how can this be worse? It's actually educational, cheap (just in case they get stolen), portable, no small pieces! I just can't understand the thinking - maybe if the kids are throwing them at each other, but this is a 5-6th grade school, not preschool or something!

The school also banned soda pop recently (even in lunches you bring from home or if parents bring them from McD or something) which I thought was a bit over the line, but at least understood and since my kids would never bring it wasn't a big deal, but this I just don't get! Any thoughts?

 

[Hedy]

Just a guess, but is it possible that kids are speedcubing for $$? Not your son, but is it a possibility?

 

[noodleknitter]

Well, that is just plain stupid. I'd complain...or at least give a call and find out the reasoning.

 

[jrmasm]

is it possible that kids are speedcubing for $$?

Ok, that made me laugh.

 

[disney junky]

I'll give you my thoughts. These types of bans are a result of someone seeing something that he or she perceived to be counter productive, so a ban is put into place, and it affects your son. The reason becomes, if everyone did this....and you know the rest. Do I agree with the ban? Not in the case of your son, but I understand why. A few years ago, kids were bringing playing cards to school and playing in study hall. Then it spilled over into classrooms.....my work is done, so why can't we play. I wonder...do they have a club period or something like that? Maybe there is a teacher who would supervise that...some who, like your son, is really into cubing.

 

[holycow]

On a lighter note. I think the administration is just jealous THEY CAN"T solve the cube and so they banned it. That way their ignorance won't show!



I'd call the administration and just ask what is up? During the BUS? what can doing the cube do on a bus ride? Sounds ridiculous to me.


Holycow

 

[noodleknitter]

You see, though, what would be the issue with everyone playing with a rubiks cube (worse case scenario?) What if everyone were listening to their ipods, or playing their GBAs (worse case scenario?) It sounds like a stupid rule someone made up when they were irritated, and not thinking about the big picture.

Of course, there might me a totally logical reasoning also, and i am way off!

 

[castleview]

I remember them being banned in my school when the cube first came out...way back obviously!!! Basically, the cube was getting out of hand. They would be lost, fought over, used at inappropriate times. I totally see why the school didn't want to waste time dealing with the cube. I'm not sure why your son's school has done this, but I suspect it's gotten to be a pain in the neck distraction for them.

The soda ban is a whole other argument. In my state, the legislature decided to ban soda products from the school. It's part of the healthy initiative which I hate. I'm all for being healthy, but I don't think the government or a school monitoring what kids eat is the way to go about it. This is just another nanny state thing to me. And all the teachers who I have talked to think it's stupid also. C'mon...mozzarella sticks are an entre at DD's school, but they don't allow soda?

ETA: My kids don't drink soda so it doesn't matter to me whether it's allowed. However, I think it's ridiculous to ban it. Maybe the recovering junk food addict in me realized the "forbidden fruit" syndrome doesn't work. Sorry to go wandering off topic...it's one of those days.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

On a lighter note. I think the administration is just jealous THEY CAN"T solve the cube and so they banned it. That way their ignorance won't show!



I'd call the administration and just ask what is up? During the BUS? what can doing the cube do on a bus ride? Sounds ridiculous to me.


Holycow

 

[DawnCt1]

i find it interesting that cellphones and ipods are aloud BUT THE ONE THING that requires some thought and reason is banned. that is just stupid. what would they do if hangman became all the rage??? BAN PENCILS??!!

 

[marciemi]

Just a guess, but is it possible that kids are speedcubing for $$? Not your son, but is it a possibility?

I can't imagine enough kids being good enough at it for this to be the case. It just takes so long to learn that with many kids he was just concentrating on trying to teach them how to do one side (which incidentally he tried to teach me with no success so maybe jealous teachers MAY have something to do with it! ) However, it's probably more likely him than anyone else since this is the kid who came home from his first summer camp (a mini 3 day one when he was 6) with TONS of cash (mostly change) because he SOLD everything in the care packages I'd sent along with him! However, I just can't see anyone being stupid enough to bet him when he's giving them tips like the best lubricant to use inside your cube after you disassemble it and adjust the internal tension!

They don't have a club period. I'm sure if we wanted to, we could volunteer to start a club after school, but I really think it's just a fad (for 99 percent of the kids) that would have gone away on its own after a couple weeks. Yes, my son is crazy about it but most people would either give up or accomplish it and then give up.

Incidentally, DS is REALLY bummed that he missed the world championship at Pop Century in Nov 2005. It was less than a year after our last trip and there was just no way we could swing it, but if it ever happens again we'll definitely try. For now I'm just looking for any competitions even in the Chicago area (about 4 hours for us). He's branching out now and can solve the 2x2, 4x4, and 5x5 as well, along with solving the 3x3 using only one hand and using only his feet (WITHOUT shoes since I actually had someone ask this when I told them!) He's also gotten a bunch of the weird kinds (Rubik's world, Megaminx, 2x2x5), etc. and has built others.

Thanks for the support and assurance that I'm not crazy in not understanding this! We have conferences Thursday and I'll definitely ask then! It's not a big, life-threatening deal, just a wacky one!

 

[Frantasmic]

My theory, based on my own mother, who was a school teacher and couldn't stand any type of repetitive noise, is that the noise of solving those things, especially in speed relays has irritated one too many teachers and/or bus drivers.

 

[marciemi]

i find it interesting that cellphones and ipods are aloud BUT THE ONE THING that requires some thought and reason is banned. that is just stupid. what would they do if hangman became all the rage??? BAN PENCILS??!!

Good idea! The other thing my son was into this summer was origami and he has shelves in his room full of the things he made (including an entire chess set). He ordered special origami paper, but if we were out somewhere made do with a sheet of scrap paper, a section of newspaper or a page out of a magazine. Maybe I'll have him start introducing that at school - that would make a tough one to ban!

I think it may just be schools going overboard. We went through this when my oldest was in first grade (different school/different state). They first banned Pokemon cards which made all kinds of sense since kids were losing them or having them stolen, making trades which were unfair (some kids obviously knew more about the good cards than others), and playing with them during class. This just made it easier for me not to allow my son to bring his to school and worry about what would happen to them.

But then they banned EVERYTHING Pokemon. Not only cards and game boy games (which were also causing problems), but the entire Logo. No folders, no pencils, no t-shirts, nothing. I'm sorry, but this was just overkill! DH & I made a point of wearing our Pokemon shirts every time we were at the school (I actually had a "PokeMOM" shirt!) Didn't understand how my son's Pokemon notebook could be a huge problem. (Unless there was some undercurrent that I didn't understand - a cult thing or something? ) Anyways, this was short lived - it happened in May, school was out shortly and we had a new principal in the fall and it went back to the old "toys in the classroom that cause problems are appropriated by the teacher" policy. And my kids got to wear their Pokemon shirts!

Anyways - I can't see it being a noise thing because I can't hear them at all. I'm sure in a silent classroom you could possibly hear it, but not on a bus over the noise of normal kids or outdoors at lunch time. It really doesn't make a clicking noise (well, maybe that's because of all the lubricant!) or anything!

As far as the pop ban, probably to me the stupidest thing about it is that it's only at his school. His district is really wacky in that all the schools seem to function on their own without district-wide policies. My 3 boys (at 3 different schools within the district) had their school photos taken by 3 different companies. Spent a fortune to just end up with the same size photos of all of them since the packages were so different between companies. My middle and high schoolers can have pop, but suddenly the intermediate (5/6 grade) school can't. Same with the Rubik's cube. I agree with the forbidden fruit concept. My son, who has never brought pop to school in his life, was immediately challenged by how he could now get away with bringing it. Suggestions: Empty a water bottle and fill it with Sprite, empty a fruit punch bottle and fill it with Mountain Dew Code Red, a Gatorade bottle with Mountain Dew, etc! Now he's more interested in bringing it to school than ever before!

Back to the Rubik's cube - I've got it! We always get these letters about not allowing gang clothing at school. (You know Northeast Wisconsin is just a hotbed for gang activity - that was sarcasm in case anyone isn't familiar with our rural area - I wouldn't know what "gang clothing" was if I was wearing it). Apparently it has to do with colors. Maybe since the Rubik's Cube has so many colors, it's a gang thing! Yeah, that's it!

Oh - and I know the Ipod/radios, etc. are allowed (at least on the bus and outside at recess) because my son just won one FROM THE SCHOOL (cheap radio with headset - not an Ipod!) for selling magazines (don't get me started on fundraisers!) and has been using that instead of the cube on his bus rides now!

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Damn rebel kids. Thank heavens for the fun suckers.

 

[cakesnkids]

I would imagine that they were told to stop using them in class, and when they didn't, they were entirely banned...it's the ongoing thing where a few make life miserable for everyone..
or..perhaps they were being stolen or lost, and after a few complained, it was easier to just ban them than to deal with the issues at hand.
Our school does not allow ANY toy, nor do they allow cell phones, ipods, gameboys ect....

 

[Maleficent13]

I don't have an answer for you, but wanted to say your son makes me feel really, really dumb.

 

[marciemi]

I don't have an answer for you, but wanted to say your son makes me feel really, really dumb.

Welcome to my world! He's taking an honors 10th grade math class at the high school and is competing on the high school math team (even though in our district he's not even in middle school yet, yet alone high school). At their first competition, a lot of the kids were really impressed with what he knew. Oldest DS (who's in high school and also on the team) told me that someone asked my youngest son "Wow, how did you get so smart? Are both your parents super smart?" and he just replied "No, not really!" Always nice when your kids think you're stupid (and they're not even teenagers yet!)

 

[MushyMushy]

Let me guess. This is a middle school right? AKA = prison.

I'm not a big fan of middle school right now. Not because of the kids either.

 

[disykat]

Our school does not allow ANY toy, nor do they allow cell phones, ipods, gameboys ect....

Same here. Kids crying over lost, stolen, broken, etc. toys is not something the staff should have to spend their time on. We never took toys to school when I was young - it wouldn't have been allowed. Now you have the added problem of PARENTS expecting the staff to take care of their kid's "illegal" items.

 

[Captain Brain]

My school just banned soda of any kind and cell phones. The soda was banned because in Missouri, the legislature took all soda out of schools, and we can't even bring it anymore at all. The cell phones were banned because, people were using them, I don't see how, we don't even get service in the building! (Yes, I live in rural southeast Missouri)

To the Rubix Cube, I think that it's absolutely insane that they would ban something that is educational, and can teach problem solving techniqures...