Is this appropriate for an elementary school?

[snowy76]

Aidensmom -- That sounded so weird, I had to look at BAB website to see if they do anything with schools. I DID find something about a program in Florida where the kids make care packages for soldiers. Somehow BAB is involved. I'm wondering if these folks came in to talk about some kinds of fundraising -- but you know kids, they hear BAB and they want to know about making some cool bears!

I also thought of one of my old co-workers, who actually took her kindergarteners to BAB at the end of the school year -- it was a reward for the work they did all year (although this is November...)

Because there HAS to be some explanation for this. If not,

 

[daisyduck123]

If it wasn't related to some sort of program or fundraiser, than yes, it does sound inappropriate for an elementary school....but if it were me, I wouldn't give it much more than a passing thought.

 

[Aidensmom]

Aidensmom -- That sounded so weird, I had to look at BAB website to see if they do anything with schools. I DID find something about a program in Florida where the kids make care packages for soldiers. Somehow BAB is involved. I'm wondering if these folks came in to talk about some kinds of fundraising -- but you know kids, they hear BAB and they want to know about making some cool bears!

I also thought of one of my old co-workers, who actually took her kindergarteners to BAB at the end of the school year -- it was a reward for the work they did all year (although this is November...)

Because there HAS to be some explanation for this. If not,

I would think if it was about care packages, we would have gotten literature on that.

I still walk him to his class everyday so I will ask the teacher about it.

 

[SoonerGirl]

At my kids school the PTA sets up a Build a Bear booth during open houses to help raise money, but it is not something that is directly marketed to the kids during class time. Hopefully the presentation to your child's class is fundraiser related. If not, I agree that it is totally inappropriate.

 

[nhrenee]

when you get older and get a job, they replace build a bear with united way

 

[snowy76]

AHHHHH!

I actually Googled "BAB field trip" and got this from their site:

Bearrific® lessons:
When the scout makes a wish on the heart and places it inside their new furry friend, a bond is formed forever; a lesson in friendship and loyalty.
At Fluff Me, they brush their friend's fur; a lesson in caring for others.
They create a personalized birth certificate and enter their friend into our Find-A-Bear® ID program; a lesson in safety.
Scouts then recite The Bear Promise®; a lesson in loyalty.


Class Trips!
A class field trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop® is stuffed with furry fun as well as educational! For as little as $10 per Guest, the students will have the experience of making their own stuffed animal, from stuff to finish! The price of the animal includes all of the bear-making fun!

So this may be a field trip?! Sounds like they charge the way they do for b'day parties. The friend I mentioned in my last post took her K class and did this, I didn't realize it was marketed to schools though. Wow.

Editing to add: check this out! Learn the history of teddy bears? http://www.buildabear.com/aboutUs/teachme/

 

[Aidensmom]

AHHHHH!

I actually Googled "BAB field trip" and got this from their site:

Bearrific® lessons:
When the scout makes a wish on the heart and places it inside their new furry friend, a bond is formed forever; a lesson in friendship and loyalty.
At Fluff Me, they brush their friend's fur; a lesson in caring for others.
They create a personalized birth certificate and enter their friend into our Find-A-Bear® ID program; a lesson in safety.
Scouts then recite The Bear Promise®; a lesson in loyalty.


Class Trips!
A class field trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop® is stuffed with furry fun as well as educational! For as little as $10 per Guest, the students will have the experience of making their own stuffed animal, from stuff to finish! The price of the animal includes all of the bear-making fun!

So this may be a field trip?! Sounds like they charge the way they do for b'day parties. The friend I mentioned in my last post took her K class and did this, I didn't realize it was marketed to schools though. Wow.

Editing to add: check this out! Learn the history of teddy bears? http://www.buildabear.com/aboutUs/teachme/

Hmmm, I wonder if it is a field trip thing. The Build-a-Bear is less than a mile from the school. DH and I joke about how every Monday there is something in DS's backpack that is going to cost us something, so I would not be surprised!

 

[XYSRUS]

when you get older and get a job, they replace build a bear with united way

My husband and I were just "commenting" on this tonight"
You should start to worry when BAB electronically monitors how much of your paycheck you give to BAB!

 

[DISUNC]

Commercials in Kindergarten???? Hawking a product in schools to 5 year olds, even if it is for charity, is just not right!

 

[AKLRULZ]

Totally not acceptable in my opinion - if that was PTA sponsored the National PTA would have a huge problem with it.

 

[poohandwendy]

yeah, I think that is inappropriate.

 

[disneylizzy]

Completely inappropriate and you should most definitely place a phone call to the principal.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

BAB came to our elem school last year. They had the BAB mascot with them and each classroom made a class bear. The kids brought home a little plastic bag with coupons, a sticker and a little fuzzy picture frame. I thought that was very odd to say the least.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I bet the teacher's kid at home is enjoying the free bear in return for the classroom time.

 

[golfgal]

I wonder if it is a fundraiser of some kind. Even if they don't have it on the corporate website the local store might do something. Call the school and just see what is up with this promotion.

 

[Cindy B]

Marketing to the elementary set is nothing new.

I remember the ruckus in the 80's about the cable show Channel One. Most schools (at least in my rural area) didn't have the technology for TVs-I remember one VCR in the entire school! (K-8)

So Channel One was introduced to get more TVs. Channel One was a kid friendly tv news program which actually had some commercials in the beginning for only a minute or two. If your district decided to go with the Channel ONe programming you could not FF the commercials or such.. the students were captive audiences.

That was the 80's.

On a smaller realm, doesn't the dentist come to visit the kids? A dentist comes to the elementary school here, and he hands out toothbrushes with his practice name on it. How is that different?

Last year at one school I was subbing at had an animal safety presentation. It really was a K9 trainer-for household pets, not military or police dogs. He handed out pamphlets to the kids as well. This was an elementary presentation.

School menus do have advertisements on the back/side in our district as well. There is also some current movie posters hung up in some cafeterias-this is mostly in the middle school.

I also think of the military recruiters at the high school. Of course they are in full dress uniform, handing out stickers, key chains, and even some Army DVD s to the students. At least the recruiters stay at the table and wait for the students to come to them. The Marines always have goodies to give out as well. If these recruiters aren't advertisers, I don't know what is.

I'm in schools all the time. I can be in an elementary, middle or high school. There are advertisements all the time in all shapes and forms. That Build a Bear presentation is only the beginning.

 

[slo]

Yeah - this would really bother me too!!!

I would call the office and get some more info on why they were there. Maybe there's more to it, than what your son said (this happened with my DD - she only hears what she wants to hear (she's 8) ). If they were there just for solicitation I would voice your concern.

Kids go to school to learn how to do things for the rest of their life - and building a stuffed animals isn't one of them

 

[noodleknitter]

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

Handing out dental hygiene products, as opposed to toy ads...big difference.

 

[Cindy B]

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

Handing out dental hygiene products, as opposed to toy ads...big difference.

I'm still saying that it is advertising. The kids are exposed to advertising in so many ways.. the dentist, the lunch ads, the assembelies and for the older kids the recruiters.

The assembly for Build a Bear wouldn't fly in our district because the principal in my daughters elementary school is pretty strict about anyone coming in. There may have been more to the presentation, such as the Schlastic tie in.

If you truly think about it, the Scholastic book orders are advertisements as well. What are some of the predominate books in those orders--current TV shows/themes. Take a look in a book order sometime, that is all that you will see. Yes, the book industry is marketing "high interest" books for kids but they are still ads for the Cheetah Girls, Zoey 101, Suite Life, Hannah Montana, novelizations of movies such as Flushed Away and Santa Clause 3.

I'm all for my kids reading. I love them to read, and I know with the influence of Internet, it is harder to get them to read. However, I dont' allow my daughter to get "fluff" books because they are advertisements, and are pretty shallow in content/pages.

 

[golfgal]

Do you know how much Coke/Pepsi pays schools to sell their products in the lunch room/vending machines. IT is a HUGE money maker for the schools, over $100,000/year plus proceeds from the machines in some larger districts.