WWYD? School and movie situation

[richmond282]

I would ask the principal if there is a policy about what can be shown in class. Our school have very strict guidelines about what movies students can watch and we must have our principal approve it first.

 

[allison443]

I think a permission slip should have been sent home especially due to the subject matter and the the PG-13 rating.
I know my own dd is 12, she has read a few books about the Holocaust, not sure whether she could handle the movie. We didn't go see it-may rent it in the future.
That said, I think that at least the movie is related to social studies! It also relates somewhat to the Sound of Music which the OP's dd is watching in another class. Maybe the teacher is planning a discussion after the movie. I think this is a movie that most people wouldn't rent for a Friday night at home, and it might be well-suited to a classroom discussion.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I don't think it is a big deal. You didn't want your child to see it so you kept her home. I wouldn't say anything.

 

[sbell111]

I don't think it is a big deal. You didn't want your child to see it so you kept her home. I wouldn't say anything.

I completely agree.

The OP was notified of the movie on teh front end and chose to not have her daughter see it.

I've looked hard, but cannot find any issue here.

 

[cruisnfamily]

The movie is rated PG-13. Don't they have to send home a permission slip?

agnes!

The permission slip was just for the science teacher/Sahara.

I would also email the teacher for future reference to questionable movies. Parents could go either way with that one.

I agree. It was probably an oversight that a permission slip wasn't sent for that movie. I would most likely start an e-mail or conversation on that premise.

As a current teacher/former school library media specialist, this burns me, first, because of copyright issues. I know, I know, "everyone does it", but these movies have NOT been bought through an educational service for big $$ so they can be shown legally to kids, they've been brought from home, I'm sure. Second, every school district has in place media viewing guidelines, that every staff member should know and follow. (Usually requiring use of a parent permission slip for certain ratings, and at least a suggestion that the movie should "fit the curriculum".)

As a parent, I would do as others have suggested, drop the teacher an email stating that you've chosen not to have your daughter watch this film, and that you'd appreciate her consider using a permission form in the future. If you wanted to, you could ask the administration (discretely, without using the staff member's name) if there is a viewing policy in place and, if so, if you can have a copy of it. Asking for it alone may be enough to "nudge" them into reminding the staff as a whole to follow it.

Terri
(Who is NOT showing any movies this last ten days of school!)

Well that is different. In my dd's school a permission slip is required for anything that is not G and this includes high school.

So I would say your school's policies are in question here. Does your district have a movie policy?

I would ask the principal if there is a policy about what can be shown in class. Our school have very strict guidelines about what movies students can watch and we must have our principal approve it first.

In our schools they can view G and PG without permission slips. Once it hits PG13 or above a permission slip must be sent home.

I would allow my child to watch that movie in the context of a social studies classroom.

DS13 was shown a few really stupid, no educational value PG13 movies at school this year and there was not a permission slip sent home. These are not necessarily horrible movies but they are ones he would not have watched otherwise and really didn't need see and I objected that they were shown in school.... I raised a fuss and the teacher was told that the movies should not and cannot be shown without a permission slip in the future and the problem was solved.

 

[Camicar]

I honestly do not recall ever getting a permission slip for ANY movie ever in the two school districts my dd has attended. I also think that way too many movies are shown, which admittedly frosts my buns when these same teachers complain about mandated curricula and limited time. Off the top of my head, dd has seen this year:

The Birds (English class)
The Laramie Project (English class)
All Quiet on the Western Front (History class)
Super Size Me (Health)
A bunch of films in French (I'd say she sees approximately one full-length film per every three weeks)
Glory (History)

plus about 10 others I cannot recall. No perm slips for any of them.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I remember watching The Lottery in school. Talk about trauma. I can still see the woman trying to run from the stoners. We read the book and then watched the movie. It was part of the lesson.

 

[maymom96]

We just watched the movie the other night. I watched it with my 12 year old. I didn't think the movie was something he shouldn't see. There was no blood, guts or weapons. It's about an event in our history that I think is important for my son to understand.
With that said, I wouldn't contact the teacher.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

As a current teacher/former school library media specialist, this burns me, first, because of copyright issues. I know, I know, "everyone does it", but these movies have NOT been bought through an educational service for big $$ so they can be shown legally to kids, they've been brought from home, I'm sure. Second, every school district has in place media viewing guidelines, that every staff member should know and follow. (Usually requiring use of a parent permission slip for certain ratings, and at least a suggestion that the movie should "fit the curriculum".)

As a parent, I would do as others have suggested, drop the teacher an email stating that you've chosen not to have your daughter watch this film, and that you'd appreciate her consider using a permission form in the future. If you wanted to, you could ask the administration (discretely, without using the staff member's name) if there is a viewing policy in place and, if so, if you can have a copy of it. Asking for it alone may be enough to "nudge" them into reminding the staff as a whole to follow it.

Terri
(Who is NOT showing any movies this last ten days of school!)

I was always under the assumption that the only time this becomes a copyright issue is if someone tries to make money from the showing.

BTW, I don't have a problem with anything that directly relates to the curriculm, but I once helped a friend, who was an art teacher, pick a movie for her art class (high school). I jokingly mentioned Ferris Bueller's Day Off since they show them at a museum looking at art. She went with it.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think if they got slips for the other movies, they should have gotten one for this too. And I respect your right to have your child not see it.

I watched the previews for it the other night and it is on my To See list with my two 11 1/2 year olds. I agree, The Sound of Music has similar undertones, which I explain to my kids when we watch it. We've seen It's A Beautiful Life together. And Schindler's List is also on my To See list with them. To me, it's history. I do prefer they watch it with me so we can discuss it in the way I know they can handle it and learn from it. I think it helps make them more informed and compassionate young people.

Right now in school, they've been watching a lot of Disney movies. I was in there the other day and heard The Bare Necessities.

 

[Handbag Lady]

As someone who works in the movie industry, I'd prefer they adhere to the rules (like getting permission for exhibition, parental slips for PG-13, etc.).

But, my love of movies came from watching and learning about them in grade school and Junior High.

My schools were lucky in that they were partnered with some of the studios. We'd read the books movies were based on, have lessons in that context, then we'd watch the movies and learn compare and contrasting techniques.

Heck, we even had a program where we made films with the help of a producer and we had a film festival that was viewed by Orson Wells! (Yeah, I'd old but this was during the "sell no wine" period of his life).

So I guess I'm saying that although on the surface, watching movies may seem wasteful when they could be learning, but in the right hands of the right teacher, they can inspire a lot.

I'm on the fence about showing Big Bang Theory. Wouldn't that show kids that if they got interested in science, they'd end up mate-less in a two-bedroom apartment with geeky roommates and a poor social life?


But, I totally think the mom in the OP is handling things correctly. She has every right to monitor what her child views. She knows her child and knows what they can and can't handle. I would also encourage her to send an email asking that in the future, permission slips be handed out due to the rating and the subject matter.

 

[Kath2003]

I teach and am very careful about what I show. I'm showing a movie over a couple of lunchtimes as a reward to a bunch of 7th graders and I won't show anything that is PG-13 even though they are 13 - it's got to be a universally acceptable movie - so probably Finding Nemo

I think if you trust your child to these adults all day every day, there needs to be a level of trust but equally the teaching staff should be careful so as not to upset parents.

 

[rgf207]

Drop It

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

We went through a similar situation last year. The reading teacher decided to show I Am Legend to the 6th graders. I personally had decided as a parent that I would screen this movie before my DSthen11 would watch it, but had yet to see the movie myself. About 1/2 the class had asked her to turn it off but would not. I found out about the movie and the request from students after the second day of viewing. I did talk to the principal about it and I was not the only parent to complain. She was told to not show the movie and told the kids they couldn't watch it because the parents were acting like babies (yes she said those exact words, I was there).

Anyway long story short, yes the school should send permission slips home for movies.

 

[rie'smom]

These days it seems like they'd send permission slips if only to avoid lawsuits of some kind.

As a parent, I can see the point of keeping your child home if you're not comfortable with the movie. I will say that it is powerful and an excellent movie. 12 years old is, I believe, a wonderful age to view the movie. Kids at this age are easily influenced and what better influence than learning what hatred can do?

 

[C.Ann]

I would say something to school/teacher
Do you have the teachers email?
I would send a pleasant email stating how she may want to consider sending a permission slip home for future movies, because you don't want your DD to see this movie because she's not ready to see it.
If she didn't think about doing the permission slip, she may appreciate your input.
Sometimes we don't think of things, or things just slip our minds, and this may be the situation with her.
I also agree with you on not sending her to see that movie - Good for you!!

---------------------------
I agree.. May have been an oversight.. I also agree with you not sending her if you are uncomfortable with the movie being shown..

 

[powellrj]

Thanks for all of your responses. DD sees lots of movies and when this came out, we talked about going to see it together. We decided that it was a movie I wanted to watch with her and I wanted to watch it at home on DVD. We have been to the Holocaust exhibit at the children's museum and she has read the Diary of Anne Frank, so she knows the subject. Her brother is a disabled Iraqi war vet, so she knows what war is.

I just feel like parents should have been given a heads up. They weren't informed before the movie was shown. The only way I knew about it was she came home and told me about it.

I checked and we have no movie policy in the hand book, so I guess anything is fair game.

Like I said earlier, the only permission slip we received was for Sahara. She is also watching Super Size Me which had no permission slip. She had seen it before at home and we watched it together.

I guess thats my big gripe, give me a choice. We watch lots of things together so we can talk about them and this is one movie I would have liked to have watched with her so we could have stopped it and talked about it. Today, the boy was beaten and she knew it was coming because I had her read the spoilers, but it was still upsetting.

Since its the end of the school year I am just going to let it drop. Thanks again for all of your input.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

OT but FYI

I watched the movie with my two 11 1/2 year olds last night.

We all enjoyed it.

They were sad about what they saw, but I asked them if they wished they hadn't seen it or if they were glad they understood the reality and they said they were glad they understood the reality.

I am glad we watched it together (as opposed to them seeing it at school) so we could talk about it in our own way.

 

[flying_babyb]

I know in middle school I wished they had sent home premission slips before showing "Twister". I have awalys been a fearful person. THis movie scared the tarmack out of my little sixth grade self. I am still terrified of tornados. This was the same teacher that showed the raven by egar allen poe (and not the bugs bunny version). Our art teacher used to let us pick a movie every holiday to watch during class as a reward for working hard but we had to work and watch. He also let us watch claymations almost once a month. We loved it and we learned. In fact, the nightmare before christmas has inspired my love of claymations!

 

[yoopermom]

Just a small point, but, just because it's not in the student handbook, doesn't mean that there's not policy in place about it. Most schools have a huge five-jillion page "board policies" type binder with all the rules and regs in it. It should be available for public viewing, if you ask. When I was a school library media specialist, I had one copy in the library that parents often stopped in and looked at, and I know there were copies in all the offices, as well. Pretty dry reading but there if you know to ask for it.

Terri