No Playing Tag
- on 04.16.08
- General
- Comments Off
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
|
Robyn Hooker, principal of Kent Gardens Elementary School, has told students they may no longer play tag during recess after determining that the game of chasing, dodging and yelling “You’re it!” had gotten out of hand. Hooker explained to parents in a letter this month that tag had become a game “of intense aggression.” |
They also stopped flag football as well while they review their policy.
Many schools have already banned dodge ball. They’ve removed teeter totters and swings. Then they wonder why the boys have so much energy and can’t sit still in class. They then turn to drugging the children. It would be so much easier just to let the children get out their energy during recess instead of putting them on Ritalin.
Here is what some of the parents think about this (see the full article for all the comments):
|
“We are regulating the fun out of normal childhood activity,” said Jan van Tol, father of a Kent Gardens sixth-grader. “In our effort to be so overprotective, we are not letting children be children.” Other parents said that slips and falls are part of growing up and that restricting games is not the right solution. Michael Haaren, a father, said that if some children are being too aggressive, they should be disciplined. Limiting the activity is a “draconian” measure, he said. He is concerned that schools are on a bad trajectory. “Where are we headed here? The elimination of recess altogether? It has happened in other schools. Will we eliminate ‘duck duck goose’ because kids are being touched?” he asked. |
And of course the PTA moms tow the party line and support the school no matter what. One day they will learn the truth about how their school is spending tremendously more than what is neccessary and still not producing the great education as expected.
|
Gerri Swarm, secretary of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association, said she was glad the principal was taking seriously student concerns about being pushed or shoved. “In this day and age, you can’t dismiss this as something not to worry about,” she said. Stephanie Sullenger, president of the Kent Gardens PTA, said she supports the principal. Sullenger said she suspects that children are acting out because of “spring fever,” and that as their behavior improves, tag will be restored. In the meantime, she said, “children are very resilient and creative, and I’m sure have moved on to find wonderful things to do on the playground.” |
School Administrators, please stop drugging the children and let them play some. Let them burn off the energy on the playground so they will be more respectful in the classroom. Use some common sense please.
