School-sponsored matchmaking for 7th graders, as a fundraiser???

[Gina]

Well, now I think I've heard it all. I was reading through my 7th grade son's school newsletter, and it said something about a "Compatibility Fund Raiser coming in February." Puzzled, I asked my son about it.

He said that they took questionnaires at school, asking things like "Do you enjoy being alone, with friends, or in a large group?" and "Do you like being the center of attention, or are you more shy?" They will then be MATCHED UP with other 7th graders of the opposite sex, and they can BUY the results. $2 for one match, $3 for two, etc.

I am flabbergasted. Schools have sunk to junior high eHarmony to raise funds?!? Even better, they don't offer sex ed. So... here's your match, hope you know what not to do!

Am I just taking this the total wrong way? I do know I have new respect for homeschoolers who don't have to put up with this kind of crap....

 

[BabyPiglet]

Actually, this is not uncommon. Even when I was in junior high they did this. It was probably a great way to raise funds because 7th graders aren't known for their frugalness (ability to be frugal? Haha.)

Anyway, they're curious and will blow their money on anything. Plus, it might be an interesting way to make friends.

 

[themilesfamily]

My DH would have a literal heart attack if he knew someone was "matching" our DD up with someone at school.

I would probably be more relaxed about it. I would actually be very interested to see who she got matched up with!!!

Of course, my DD is only 4 years old right now and claims that our cat is her boyfriend. So we're a still a ways off from this kind of thing.

 

[Stacerita]

If they were doing matching up for friends, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Kids can be shy and it may be hard for some to make friends since they are coming into junior high. But I don't like the idea of matching up kids of the opposite sex in this way. I don't think its right.

 

[PlainJane]

It sounds creepy to me

That's coming from a former homeschooler

 

[onelilspark]

We did it when I was in school. It's harmless. Actually quite funny to see who you get "matched" with because ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww not himmmmmmm

 

[SorcererDonald16]

That's completely inappropriate, IMO. We had something like that in college and grad school. Heck no, we didn't have that in middle school. That's insane.

If they were doing matching up for friends, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Kids can be shy and it may be hard for some to make friends since they are coming into junior high. But I don't like the idea of matching up kids of the opposite sex in this way. I don't think its right.

Precisely. If it was about friends of either gender, I wouldn't think twice about it. But the fact that it only matches you with the opposite sex... Middle school should not be used as a dating service. If it were me, I'd call and find out whose bright idea that was, and then contact them to share my concerns.

 

[xCourxCorex]

They did this at my school (jr/high school) . I think I bought the results maybe one time. There was a matching for opposite and same sex, titled like "best match" and "best friend" or something like that.
Maybe you had to buy the friend one seperate, I don't really remember.

We thought it was great, until we got the results and it wasn't anyone good!

 

[FoundMyPrince]

We did this in high school one year for a fundraiser (20 years ago). It was fun - harmless. Yes, a lot of "oh, gross"! We all had a good laugh out of it.

 

[Macca1111]

They've been doing this forever. I don't think anyone takes it seriously, except as pointed out above to say "Eww, not him!" I don't think it's that strange...

 

[MAH4546]

They've been doing this for ages. I remember having this back in middle/high school, where the results were printed on these scantron sheets in that old block type-style.

Everybody loved these. It was always fun to laugh at the results. Totally harmless.

 

[Becky2005]

They did this at our school eons ago (although I think it was High School). It was for the chess club as a fundraiser.

Want to know what I did with my list? I put it in my scrapbook. That was it.

It wasn't meant for you to go out and date your #1 match. It was just a hokey for fun, it's February -- Valentine's day fun thing & quick/easy way for the chess club to fundraise.

I'm surprised any 7th grader would care though. My DD would have thought it was dorky in 7th grade. She's a Freshman and they are doing the same thing this year but I haven't heard if she is going to pay to get the print-out.

 

[disykat]

Wow - I'm amazed. I'm like the OP. I would have been very shocked if my kids came home and talked about this in junior high!

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I feel like there's a little overreaction here. It's nothing, basically they give you a name.... for us we got an entire list, but you don't have to get it. NO ONE acted on it. The only reason why anyone purchased it was out of sheer curiousity, it's not like I would get a name like John Smith with a 91% compatibility and immediately had to ask him out.

7th graders aren't stupid or that naiive.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I've never heard of that, but I do have to wonder what the kids will be thinking when they get these lists, what with the prevalence of commercials for eHarmony or Match.com. I would think that the popularity of these dating services where they "match" you based on a survey would change the tone of how a middle schooler would view something like this.

There are a million other ways to fundraise. My favorite we did in my middle school was duct tape our rather heavy vice principal to a wall. You could buy lengths of duct tape and were given a ticket to get out of class and see if he stuck. They used the purchased duct tape to tape the poor guy to the wall and then pulled the table out from under him to see if it would hold him up. It did! It was a simple fundraiser and we all got quite the kick out of it!

 

[flying_babyb]

We had this too. I loved it, I got matched up with a buncha loosers so my BFF made up a fake slip with this hot older guy on it. Ironically it was worth the money. Led to my first kiss.... To bad the guys in jail

 

[Liann]

We had this too. I loved it, I got matched up with a buncha loosers so my BFF made up a fake slip with this hot older guy on it. Ironically it was worth the money. Led to my first kiss.... To bad the guys in jail

BWAHHHAAAHAHAHA! Ya too bad.

We didn't have this but we did have Lunchtime lockup! Pay a dollar and have 2 ppl locked in a "cell" for 10 minutes during lunch. It was hilarious! Ppl would bribe other ppl to get locked up with so n so. I usually locked up ppl who hated one another ... what

btw I'd freak if my kid's schools did this.

 

[minnie61650]

When I was in High School way back in the late 1960's our HS teamed up with another HS and had a "computer dance." We filled a questionaire and everyone was assigned a number along with 4 or 5 "matches" of the opposite sex. During the dance we were supposed to find one of our matches and dance with them. It was a nice "mixer' and we got to meet other class mates ho shared "common interests.'
"

 

[EthansMom]

When I was in High School way back in the late 1960's our HS teamed up with another HS and had a "computer dance." We filled a questionaire and everyone was assigned a number along with 4 or 5 "matches" of the opposite sex. During the dance we were supposed to find one of our matches and dance with them. It was a nice "mixer' and we got to meet other class mates ho shared "common interests.'
"

I think I remember our Jr. High doing the match thing in conjuction with a dance. During the dance, you found out who your "match" was and and there was one dance that you *could* dance together if you wanted. Since it was Jr. High, the dance was in the afternoon after school and no one ended up dancing together because most of the kids didn't dance with the opposite sex back then.

 

[SydneyBristow]

If they were doing matching up for friends, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Kids can be shy and it may be hard for some to make friends since they are coming into junior high. But I don't like the idea of matching up kids of the opposite sex in this way. I don't think its right.

I agree