Would you let a principal know if one of her teachers told the kids...

[ICF]

While it's not his job to tell that to the kids, I think most 10 year olds / 4th graders know the truth. It might be a little different if it were last Nov and the class was told a few weeks before Chistmas.

In this case, the kids would be 5th grade the next time Christmas came around and most would be 11 years old. I dont think many middle schoolers still believe in Santa.

If he were teaching younger grades and broke it to them, I would have to say something but I dont with all the issues of a school year widing down that the principal needs to be bothered with this. If anything, I'd send a note to the teacher and not invovle the principal at this point.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

While it's not his job to tell that to the kids, I think most 10 year olds / 4th graders know the truth. It might be a little different if it were last Nov and the class was told a few weeks before Chistmas.

In this case, the kids would be 5th grade the next time Christmas came around and most would be 11 years old. I dont think many middle schoolers still believe in Santa.

If he were teaching younger grades and broke it to them, I would have to say something but I dont with all the issues of a school year widing down that the principal needs to be bothered with this. If anything, I'd send a note to the teacher and not invovle the principal at this point.

My 10 year old still believes in Santa and he is not the only one in his class who still does. I would NOT like it if his teacher told the class there is not Santa.

Also, our 13 year old who is in 7th grade, has high functioning Aspergers and she still believes in Santa too.

 

[chipscamping buddy]

This is a serious crossing of boundaries. There is no reason that this needs to be addressed in a school. The teacher needs a reprimand from the principal, irregardless of what the kids do/do not know already. This is a simple subject to avoid and should never be addressed by a teacher. My DD is in 4th and still believes. Other kids have said things that make her question, but they are kids and she does not recognize them as authority figures. Teachers have too much authority for these kinds of slips to be accepted.

 

[bgirldeb]

No. I wouldn't. The man didn't lie to the kids. There IS no such thing as Santa. I can't imagine getting a teacher in trouble over the this.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

This is a serious crossing of boundaries. There is no reason that this needs to be addressed in a school. The teacher needs a reprimand from the principal, irregardless of what the kids do/do not know already. This is a simple subject to avoid and should never be addressed by a teacher. My DD is in 4th and still believes. Other kids have said things that make her question, but they are kids and she does not recognize them as authority figures. Teachers have too much authority for these kinds of slips to be accepted.

Exactly!!!

 

[joviroxx]

There are a lot of realities in this world that we don't share with kids of all ages. I think he crossed a line and I would address it.

It was not his place to go over a parents head on an issue that should be the parents to decide and make the determination, true or not.

 

[FoundMyPrince]

that Santa wasn't real? DD10 told me the other day that the music teacher was explaining that Santa wasn't real and we stole an idea from Europe and put our own twist on it. Now DD has been on the edge of the Santa belief so I'm not upset she knows - even though she's bummed. However, I've know this teacher for a while and he is a dense man in his own world. I could totally see him saying this without thinking some kids might still believe. Either way, it's not his job to let anyone know. Of course, this is DD's version of the story only. I'm friends with the principal and I'm not looking for the teacher's head but I'm wondering if I should let her know. I just worry about the teacher saying this to younger kids and think it was irresponsible of him. What would you do?

4th grade? No, I wouldn't say anything to the teacher or principal. Granted, some teachers do "irresponsible" things, but I'm not sure this is one of them.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

4th grade? No, I wouldn't say anything to the teacher or principal. Granted, some teachers do "irresponsible" things, but I'm not sure this is one of them.

I'm the mother of a 10 year old and I am positive it was irresponsible.

 

[LuvLDM]

No, I would not bother a principal with this. They have much much bigger fish to fry.

No kidding, I feel bad for school administrators who have to deal w/ this kind of nonsense.

 

[ginna74]

No the teacher didn't LIE. There is NO reason why you should go to the principle. The teacher has no MORAL or legal obligation to make sure the child still believes in santa claus or even if he does believe in santa claus. And sense the child is 10 I would not expect the teacher to walk on egg shells, making sure the easter bunny, tooth fairy, and like like are all lied about. Now if the teacher talked about how the holocaust didn't happen, or lie about history, or say 2 + 2 is 7 then I would worry. My kids eventually learned there was no santa claus, and I admit I was sad, but there was no reason for me to seek revenge on the kids that told them he wasn't real. Its just a part of life and most all of us went through the same thing with santa.

 

[Scurvy]

I wouldn't say anything to the principal. I might say something to the teacher about it if I was seeing him about something else or if I had his email address. I wouldn't arrange a specific conference about it. It doesn't sound like he was trying to be mean, he just sounds clueless. It might not be a bad idea to remind him that some kids still believe in Santa throughout elementary school. There's a big difference between a child hearing a classmate saying Santa isn't real and hearing a teacher say the same thing. A child who still wants to believe can assume their classmate is wrong. It's harder to doubt the word of a teacher. It would be kinder for teachers not to tell children things like that, so that they can continue to believe as long as they want to (or at least until their parents feel they are ready to hear the truth). He could easily talk about where we got our image of Santa without going into the issue of whether he is real or not.

 

[Erin1700]

Yes, I would say something to the teacher. I emailed the librarian when she told my 9yr old DD that nothing at Disney world is real, just people in costumes. And I posted on here about it and people thought I was crazy!

 

[LuvLDM]

I emailed the librarian when she told my 9yr old DD that nothing at Disney world is real, just people in costumes. And I posted on here about it and people thought I was crazy!

Seriously?

 

[castleview]

No the teacher didn't LIE. There is NO reason why you should go to the principle. The teacher has no MORAL or legal obligation to make sure the child still believes in santa claus or even if he does believe in santa claus. And sense the child is 10 I would not expect the teacher to walk on egg shells, making sure the easter bunny, tooth fairy, and like like are all lied about. Now if the teacher talked about how the holocaust didn't happen, or lie about history, or say 2 + 2 is 7 then I would worry. My kids eventually learned there was no santa claus, and I admit I was sad, but there was no reason for me to seek revenge on the kids that told them he wasn't real. Its just a part of life and most all of us went through the same thing with santa.

I get what you're saying and I'm leaning toward doing nothing, and the teacher certainly shouldn't walk on egg shells. But HE BROUGHT IT UP to the kids. That's just weird. I'm probably biased because I don't particularly care for this teacher (and believe me I'm one of the biggest teacher defenders on this board). Anyway, I expect my kids to learn from other kids about Santa, not from adults.

 

[kaytieeldr]

There are a lot of realities in this world that we don't share with kids of all ages. I think he crossed a line and I would address it.

It was not his place to go over a parents head on an issue that should be the parents to decide and make the determination, true or not.

The only 'line' that was crossed was the separation of church and state.

The proper response to the OP's child would be, "Just because Mr. ___ doesn't think Santa exists doesn't mean Mr. ___ is right." And the proper action the OP should take with the school is - none.

 

[karibritt01]

While it's not his job to tell that to the kids, I think most 10 year olds / 4th graders know the truth.

My DS totally believed in Santa last year in 5th grade, as did most of his close friends and his cousins of similar ages. This year in 6th, he is riding the fence and questioning. When he wants to know the truth, he will ask me or my DH. Until then, if he chooses to still believe, it is not the place of ANY other adult to inform him otherwise.

my dad saying he didn't see the big deal since Santa wasn't real, and she was telling them the truth. My mom said the problem was that it wasn't her place to say this.

 

[Erin1700]

Seriously?

Seriously my kid believed or seriously I emailed the librarian?

I did email her, I just said there are kids who still believe that stuff!
DD is old for her class b/c of her fall bday so there are 8 yr olds in the class who really think that is Cinderella.

 

[FoundMyPrince]

I'm the mother of a 10 year old and I am positive it was irresponsible.

Oh good grief. I'm the mother of a 10 year old fourth grader and I'm positive this wasn't irresponsible. The teacher didn't lie. As one poster said, the teacher didn't say the world is flat, the Holocaust didn't happen, 2 +2 =7, slavery is okay, etc. There are much bigger issues in this world than Santa Clause! Can you imagine being a principal of a school where you have to deal with helicopter parents of 4th graders being upset about this?

 

[happygirl]

I'd be upset with the teacher, I would say something to the teacher. I wouldn't go to the principal

 

[ginna74]

I get what you're saying and I'm leaning toward doing nothing, and the teacher certainly shouldn't walk on egg shells. But HE BROUGHT IT UP to the kids. That's just weird. I'm probably biased because I don't particularly care for this teacher (and believe me I'm one of the biggest teacher defenders on this board). Anyway, I expect my kids to learn from other kids about Santa, not from adults.

I do understand where you are comming from. I would be upset/sad. But I don't think I personally would go to the principle. Well, maybe if the teacher was not on my goodlist lol.