Does anyone find this odd .... school related

[Becky2005]

My grandfather had the best and quickest prayer:

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

That's funny!!! I like it.

As for the prayer in public school -- Nope. Pretty sure that doesn't happen here, *especially* this year at Kindergarten as they cut out the milk/snack option -- we only have 1/2 day. When my 3 older went there was milk/snack time -- none of them said anything about a prayer (DD had milk/snack every day, by the time my boys went the milk was every day but only snack on Friday). Then this year the note said there will be no milk time for Kindergarteners.

At first I was thinking maybe it's a way to keep them all focused so they all start eating at the same time vs. Johnny starting and finishing in 2 seconds flat while another Suzy is just opening her snack, so then Johnny is causing problems because he wants to play while it's still snacktime. I have no idea as I was never in the room for snack time for Kindergarten. The open shut them, open shut them put them in your lap (ending right there) -- was used in preschool during circle time & before storytime. I also wonder if it ended right there and your DS knew more of it so kept on going since he said "I know that one".

I know they didn't in preschool either and this was based on the school system preschool (as I had one go through the school system way & one the park district way but it was the same preschool). Snack time never consisted of a prayer -- wash hands, had to find their seats (names attached), then the snack person went around asking "would you like X?" and the person had to answer yes or no -- that was the extent of it.

 

[DawnCt1]

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.....

Sometimes children confuse what they did last year with what they are doing this year. He could also have confused the Pledge of Alligience with a prayer. As the other poster suggested, one should take what children say with a grain of salt. As far as "freaking out" if your DD said a prayer in school; (Heaven forbid). I am not sure it does anyone's child any good to "freak out", particularly over the wording of the Pledge or anything else. Children do best when they can be allowed and encouraged to be "flexible" and go with the flow.

 

[solferino]

This is the snack song we do with the preschoolers and kindy class at school- my in-laws liked it so much that they adopted it for the grace they do at meals. (except at those meals we don't sing it like the kids at school do )

For the golden corn
and the apples on the tree.

For the golden butter
and the honey for our tea.

For nuts and fruits and berries
that grow along the way.

For birds and bees and flowers
we thank you every day.


What I like about it is the you can be mother nature, the farmers, g-d of your choosing, etc.

 

[porterbl1]

Down here in Louisiana public schools (At least in my town!), our kids have prayer, pledge, and a school oath every morning.

I can't imagine many people having a problem with it down here. Luckily, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

(Oh yeah, and the principal is the one who leads all of these over the speakers.)

 

[Blueeyes101817]

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."

we do something similar in my classroom "open shut them, open shut them, give a littel clap clap clap..open shut them open shut them, lay them ini you lap lap lap ..when we sit at lunch today, please and thank you we will say---bon appetite, we may eat..

maybe part of it was similar?

 

[beckanoah]

Here in TX in public school, my daughter says a school pledge, the Texas Flag pledge, (complete with one state under GOD) the Pledge of Allegiance, and then they have silent prayer!


I love her school!

 

[monsterkitty]

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?

A school in our district learned the hard way about prayer in school. The Supreme Court has ruled that students can pray in public schools. They have also ruled that these prayers cannot be led by teachers, administrators, or any other school staff. Schools cannot recite or tell kids to say a prayer, but they can call it, "a moment of silence," or "reflection time" or whatever.

Our school is so diverse that any prayer or "silent time" would offend someone, so we tell the kids to do what they feel they need to do.

 

[basas]

Sometimes children confuse what they did last year with what they are doing this year. He could also have confused the Pledge of Alligience with a prayer. As the other poster suggested, one should take what children say with a grain of salt. As far as "freaking out" if your DD said a prayer in school; (Heaven forbid). I am not sure it does anyone's child any good to "freak out", particularly over the wording of the Pledge or anything else. Children do best when they can be allowed and encouraged to be "flexible" and go with the flow.

It's a nice little prayer for kids to say.

Nevertheless, I'm not surprised we have the left-wingers freaking out again.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Well I'm a right-leaner, but I think you should send your child to parochial school if you're in favor of prayers being recited that include reference to God.

 

[java]

Well I was floored when my ds started public school- They said more prayers than they did when he was in Catholic school! And the CHRISTMAS SHOW! Now I am Catholic but even I thought it was odd. I think it depends on the teacher and the location of your school. Nobody ever said anything about it here before. (then I came along........)

 

[basas]

Well I'm a right-leaner, but I think you should send your child to parochial school if you're in favor of prayers being recited that include reference to God.

No-one even knows if a prayer with reference to God was even said. As has been said, it is likely the teacher lead the same prayer without the "God" references (which, obviously, if included, would have been traumatizing to the kids) yet everyone jumps to conclusions and is ‘greatly upset’, ‘offended’ and ‘disturbed’.

BTW OP, I'm not talking about you- you already said you didn't have a problem with it, just thought it was strange.

 

[Daxx]

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

Bon Appetite, now you may eat!"

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

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!)

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.

The above are all poems rather than prayers. I mean, you're not specifically thanking God -- you could be thanking the person who brought in the snack, etc. B/c it doesn't mention God specific, it seems more like a prayer. You can insert whatever diety you worship in there -- God, Allah, Buddah, etc. if you wanted to turn it into a prayer. If it's considered a prayer, it's certainly non-denominational!

This statement, however:

" 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."

mentions God and therefore, makes it a prayer. If you think someone else might have a problem w/this, you might want to bring it to the teacher's attention that it's not correct and that she could get in trouble for it.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

What is the prayer??

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."

No-one even knows if a prayer with reference to God was even said. As has been said, it is likely the teacher lead the same prayer without the "God" references (which, obviously, if included, would have been traumatizing to the kids) yet everyone jumps to conclusions and is ‘greatly upset’, ‘offended’ and ‘disturbed’.

BTW OP, I'm not talking about you- you already said you didn't have a problem with it, just thought it was strange.

The OP said it did include God.

 

[basas]

The OP said it did include God.

She said the prayer at the (non-public) preschool included God. The child may have not noticed the omission of God in the version at the new school.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

She said the prayer at the (non-public) preschool included God. The child may have not noticed the omission of God in the version at the new school.

Ok, then perhaps I misunderstood, because I asked what prayer was being said at this school since that's what I thought we were being asked if we considered to be odd. If it did include God though, then I think it's inappropriate in a public school. You'd have to be in a very sheltered part of America not to expect some parents to come in hot, so I'm just not sure why a school would open themselves up to that. If there are no complaints, then have it I suppose.

 

[Mean Queen]

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

I would be also. The Madeline thanks (the bread and butter one) wouldn't bother me, because it is not religious in nature. But one that mentions a religious figure of any sort (Jesus, God, Allah, Goddess) does not belong in a public school where there are so many people of different beliefs.

 

[maelstrom]

I don't mind the one from Madeline. But all of the other "thanking" ones still imply thanking a heigher being for their snack. Otherwise, who are you thanking? They probably say thank you when the teacher hands them their snack. So, are they thanking Oscar Mayer and Wonder bread for their bologna sandwich? They all imply a higher being, and I think that is wrong in a public school, and I would encourage my child not to take part and also take it up with the powers that be.

 

[Beth76]

She said the prayer at the (non-public) preschool included God. The child may have not noticed the omission of God in the version at the new school.

I'm guessing this is what's going on. I immediately thought of the Open Shut Them song when I opened this thread. I thought the OPs son, just called it a prayer. Makes even more sense if that song was part of a prayer in preschool. I'm pretty sure a public school teacher knows better than to teach her kids "God is great...."

 

[Beth76]

I don't mind the one from Madeline. But all of the other "thanking" ones still imply thanking a heigher being for their snack. Otherwise, who are you thanking? They probably say thank you when the teacher hands them their snack. So, are they thanking Oscar Mayer and Wonder bread for their bologna sandwich? They all imply a higher being, and I think that is wrong in a public school, and I would encourage my child not to take part and also take it up with the powers that be.

I don't really think a six-year-old is going to infer that they're thanking a higher power. I do believe that they could be thanking Oscar Meyer, or their mother or whoever gave them the snack.

 

[Snow_White]

I would have a major problem with my child being forced to make any sort of reference to God or a higher power in a public school. Oh, the fun I have to look forward to (Luckily I don't think they do anything like that where I live!)