Does anyone else think this should not be done in Middle School? (long)

[luvflorida]

Disney's Deluxe Princess- I feel I should clarify. The roses that my daughter will be receiving will NOT be given to her at school. I'm not against flowers, but against the way it is being done and the fact that it is being done in middle school. And it is not just about my daughter. It is about every single student in middle school.

C.Ann- Very well stated! Why GO OUT OF THE WAY to do something that might embarrass or humiliate someone, especially in front of their peers.

Sharbear- I know exactly what you're saying. Every day when I wait in the car for my daughter to come out of school, I get tense wondering what kind of day she had. I can tell the second she gets in the car if it was a good day at middle school or a bad day. It's tough on the kids, but it's tough on the parents as well! Middle school is brutal. It is all about friends or the lack of. I'm sure this is true at all ages, but it is especially true when kids are between the ages of 11-14, going through that puberty phase.

 

[Gupsmom]

How about Popularity contests disguised as school elections?

OR

Popularity contests disquised school dances?

OR

The popularity contest disguised as letting a child pick a helper to pass out napkins at snack time?

OR

The popularity contest disguised as picking teams at gym?

etc...


I do see what you are saying. I'm just not sure it can be prevented. I'm also not sure it has to be prevented. I'm not trying to be cold. I don't want to see a child hurt (and I was that child too) but it's going to happen. I'm saying the focus should be on teaching a child to deal with these feeling AND teaching a child not to behaves this way in the first place. I'd sure talk to my DD before I let her hand out a valentines to only a select few kids. Maybe we're attaking the wrong end of the problem?that actually reminds me of my son last year. He aws in Kindergarten and a child was picking on him. The teacher was concerned that my son wasn't standing up for himself (an issue that I did deal with). I thought it was kind of funny, though, because I thought the teacher should be more concerned about the bully and figuring out why he was being so mean. Sounded to me like the bully was the one with the real problem.

Jess

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by gina2000
Giving flowers can become an exclusionary exercise at a time when children are the most vulnerable. Early teenage years are fraught with insecurities and cruelty. Why put kids in the position of feeling unpopular in such a public way?

We don't do this at our middle school. Never even heard of it. I'm not in favor of public popularity contests disguised as fund raisers and I'd vote to end it if it were in my school district.

Exactly!

 

[suzannen]

I think this type of fundraiser is a terrible idea. Yes, there have been times when we all have had to deal with being picked last or not being asked to a prom...and maybe we grew from it, but why actively encourage this situation when it's really not necessary. It adds another reason for a student to not want to be in school during a painful day.

DD's school has the elementary kids exchange Valentine's cards with ALL their classmates while the middle and high school have a Valentine's Fundraising Bake Sale. They all eat cupcakes and cookies, raise money, enjoy the day AND no one gets hurt.

If it's that important for someone to get or receive flowers, they certainly have the right to do it after school on their own time.