> I do not want my child to be taught that public ****ity
> and group showers are OK just because some liberal
> school administrator thinks this is a great idea
I don't think it hurts students to get used to showering in a group
shower. From my perspective, I think that public schools are the right
place for students to be exposed (no pun intended) to the real world.
School is a place to learn and "get over" certain afflictions. Super
shy kids I am sure are somewhat tramatized by school. Should they get
individual "learning cubicals"? No... nor, do I think should our kids
NEED to have individual showers after PE.
> I am a Christian Mom of a 9 year old daugher. Last week she
> started the fourth grade in which the elementary school
> begins requiring showers. This is much too young!
Younger Children are actually more easily introduce into school showers
than are older children.
Often, with kids this age, the problem is 'getting them out of the
shower' rather than 'getting them in the shower'. Furthermore, there
are usually much less difficulties instituting showers at the middle
school and intermediate levels (where puberty and peer pressure often
make the transition to group showers more challenging for students) if
children have already been accustomed to communal showers at an earlier
age.
8-10 year olds are ready to take showers and should not be denied this
im****tant health teaching experience.
> Amazon.com Book about Concerned Parent's fight
> against Jr. High PE teacher is a book about one parent's courageous
example.
> Conservative Christian parents (and other religions, like Muslims)
are going to start fighting back.
> (
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1410735990/qid=1102148682/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-8484231-8764935?v=glance&s=books
)
This is a true-life story of a shy 12-year old boy Sam, and the rural
town in which his family moved. The town's Jr. High which Sam attends
requires PE and showers. Sam's family are odds with his gym teacher
over the lack of privacy in the showers, but Sam does shower as school
policy requires.
One day, Sam snaps a towel at another student in the showers which
violates the strict no horseplay in the locker room policy. Sam's is
given the standard punishment for this...20 push-ups, but is not
allowed to get dressed first. The rest of the book details the ensuing
battle between Sam's parents and the school over these forced ****
push-ups.
For my $.02 worth, I don't think Sam's rights were grossly violated by
his PE teacher. Sam violated the rules and was punished. School showers
really need more adult teacher supervision. Sam's punishment was
unfortunately embarrassing, but for goodness sake, if you try and
remove every single potential source out there for hurt feelings for
kids, you will stop our schools and teachers from helping children
learn.
> Conservative Christian parents (and other religions, like Muslims)
are going to start fighting back.
>
Yes, as is these Religous parent's right. However, these parents are
finding the Courts are sup****ting schools and teachers in their PE and
shower policies. In the case above, the Courts ruled in favorof Sam's
teacher and school:
http://www.sesc.k12.in.us/minutes21803.html
"that the litigation involving Scott Mannering and Jacob Herron (a.ka.
Sam) had been resolved as the court dismissed the case on summary
judgement in favor of the school.
In the court's opinon, Sam's being required to perform **** PUSH-UPS in
front of others WAS WITHIN Sam's teacher's and SCHOOL's AUTHORITY and
the case was summarialy dismissed. All subsequent appeals by Sam's
parents similarly failed.
> The voters who voted to encourage these forced shower policies
> are helping to violate the privacy of our precious
> innocent children.
NEARLY ALL these PARENTS who took part in that poll (
http://www.misterpoll.com/1335548515.html
) agreed that comunal showers
ARE a good idea, and that a child should be "forced" to bath ****, and
NOT be allowed to wear a bathing suit. UNLESS a doctor provided a note
with a valid reason why.
The poll is COMPRISED OF PARENTS only, who obviously must love their
own children.
> The voters of this poll should have
> more respect for individual and religious rights
> as guaranteed in our country's constitution!
The US Supreme Court (and lower courts) have all held all public
schools students have "a reduced expectation of personal privacy" and
that public school districts may require communal undress and showering
of children as part of their compulsory pulbic education. References
and excerpts below:
clca.cqpress.com/rights/VeronicaActon.htm
www.studentdrugtesting.org/
Trinidad%20SD%20v%20Lopez%20CO%20Supr%20Ct.PDF
The School District exercises substantial authority over student
conduct in furtherance of its recognized custodial and tutelary role.
Conduct in the school environment is highly regulated. All students
are subject to a comprehensive Code of Conduct governing their
behavior. Some student athletes are also subject to more stringent
regulations as team members. All students also have a reduced
expectation of personal privacy, not just student athletes. All
students participate in "communal undress" in the required physical
education cl*****.
School s****ts are not for the bashful. They require "suiting up" before
each practice or event, and showering and changing afterwards. Public
school locker rooms, the usual sites for these activities, are not
notable for the privacy they afford. The locker rooms in Vernonia are
typical: no individual dressing rooms are provided; shower heads are
lined up along a wall, unseparated by any sort of partition or curtain;
"the record sup****ts the trial court's finding that, as a practical
matter, students in physical education cl***** undress and shower
together on a daily basis."
> The peer pressue of the other students and the teacher is too
> much for a young 9 year old child and my daughter has
> already asked me if she can just shower unclothed
> like the other kids so she can fit in.
I know and respect your religous beliefs and know you object to the
communal ****ity your child's school requires. However, your only real
choice is to find a private school for her...or accept the public
school's policy.
Private school are expensive and I personally believe your daughter
will benefit from the secular nature of public schools. Group showers,
*** education, evolution, and other topics are all areas many religous
parents often sincerely disagree with the approach of public schools.
However, the Christian Bible also states:
Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. (Romans
13:1)
And I believe you're daughter can attend public schools, and with good
parenting you can instill a respect for YOUR family's values and
religous beliefs and as well as provide her a first-rate public
education that will prepare her for the modern world.
|
