Does anyone find this odd .... school related

[Tinkerbell2002]

My oldest ds just started kindergarten today. He was telling me all about his first day and told me that they say the same prayer before snack time as his preschool did last year. He goes to a public school this year. I don't have a problem with it, I just found it odd to have a prayer in school still, especially when there was the talk about omitting the pledge allegience since they say under God (not sure what ever happened with that and if they kids say it) What are everyone's thoughts on this. Just curious?

 

[SwedishMeatball]

They all recite a prayer together?? That does seem odd in a public school.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

Yes, that's strange!

 

[mickeyboat]

Sounds odd. I am wondering if your child got confused when he was telling you about his first day, and was relaying what he remembers from last year.

Were there other similarities?

Denae

 

[Tinkerbell2002]

No, he just said they say the same prayer as last year and he told his teacher that he already knew that prayer.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

What is the prayer??

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

At my daughter's pre-school, they had a "prayer", but it wasn't related to God. I think it was mostly to focus them all. (Or not. I could completely be making that up.)

"We love our bread,
We love our butter,
But most of all,
We love each other.

Bon Appetite, now you may eat!"

I'll have to ask her if they say one at public school -- she's attending tuition-based pre-school at the local elementary school. You got me thinking! ...

 

[golfgal]

Just a little friendly advise, take what your child says with a grain of salt. Kindergartners can be especially creative. Perhaps the teacher said 'If you want to say a prayer you can now" and your child said the one from last year. It is best to get both sides of the story before you jump to conclusions. I could tell numerous stories our child told us about pre-school, kindergarten, first grade, most of which are made up.

 

[Tinkerbell2002]

The prayer is: " open shut them, open shut them give a little clap, open shut them, open shut them, lay them in your lap, God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food Amen."

 

[Tinkerbell2002]

Just a little friendly advise, take what your child says with a grain of salt. Kindergartners can be especially creative. Perhaps the teacher said 'If you want to say a prayer you can now" and your child said the one from last year. It is best to get both sides of the story before you jump to conclusions. I could tell numerous stories our child told us about pre-school, kindergarten, first grade, most of which are made up.

I don't mind that they say prayer. Sometimes we say it at home, sometimes we don't. If they say it at school, it is fine with me, I won't complain. I just didn't expect him to tell me that they said it. And you are right about stories. My ds has a great imagination and tells some real stories.

 

[Southern4sure]

My grandfather had the best and quickest prayer:

"Lord, help me be able to eat all the food on the table, Amen"

 

[Freyja]

Very strange and if true I would be very bothered with this.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

The prayer is: " open shut them, open shut them give a little clap, open shut them, open shut them, lay them in your lap, God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food Amen."

It sounds like a cheer

When my kids were in day care, their "prayer" was

Hands on our laps, softly say, thank you for our food today.

 

[Liberty Belle]

The prayer is: " open shut them, open shut them give a little clap, open shut them, open shut them, lay them in your lap, God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food Amen."

Maybe they just did the "open them, shut them" part. I've never heard of pairing that up with a prayer.

 

[aprilgail2]

The prayer is: " open shut them, open shut them give a little clap, open shut them, open shut them, lay them in your lap, God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food Amen."

Sorry but I would be freaking out if they were having my daughter say that in school! We do not believe in that and in a public school they have no business having them say any type of prayer like that! We also say the pledge the way it was written, one nation, indivisible, with libery and justcie for all.....

 

[princesspiglet]

Being that I am not a Christian and DD's school is filled with Muslims and Jewish, I would be disturbed. Thankfully I have never heard her mentioning them saying anything about God. Her "grace" at school goes like this:

Way up high in the apple tree,
Two young apples smiled at me,
I reached up to grab one as high as I could,
Yum, that apple sure is good!
You may eat, drink and be married!! (it's really merry, but they all say married!)

 

[PrincessPatty]

Ive also heard the "open and shut them" in daycare, but never with the God at the end

My personal favorite is Hands up high, hands down low, just so (holding hands now). Thank you for the food we eat, thank you for the world so sweet, thank you for the birds that sing, thank you for everything.

 

[Minnie_me]

"We love our bread,
We love our butter,
But most of all,
We love each other.

Bon Appetite, now you may eat!"

That's from Madeline - - LOL!

 

[Minnie_me]

They should not be saying a "prayer" in a public school. It goes against the separation of church and state. If I were a non-Christian parent, I would be greatly upset by this. Now that I think of it, I'd be upset as a Christian parent as well, because other children were being affected.

I wonder if the principal/superintendent/BOE knows what's going on in that classroom?

 

[lovetoscrap]

"Open Shut them" has been adapted into a prayer but that is not it's original form. I bet that the K teacher actually did the original version but your child didn't realize she left out the "prayer" part. Lots of young classes use it before snack.

The version I would sing was Open, shut them, Open, shut them, give your hands a clap. Open, shut them, Open, shut them lay them in your lap. Creep them, creep them, creep them creep them, right up to your chin. Open up your little mouth, but do not let them in.

I am guessing that he was overconfident when the teacher was introducing the song since he assumed he already knew it, and didn't really pay attention to the fact that the words were a little different at the end.