Elementary Princpal Announcement

I would send a email to the principal and copy the school board about this. So not appropriate.....

there is better ways of teaching about pushing and shoving! i totally agree with you! i would be very upset if they did that at my childrens school. there is enough violence in this world why make the children worry about it at school where it is suppose to be a safe place for children ( we know that it isn't always, but those are extreme cases). i would write a letter to the principle, the school board and the superattendant of the school. im sure you are not the only one that has contacted them, the more showing thier disapproval of this the more they will see its not ok.

personally those that don't see the problem with this is the ones who probally let thier 3yr old play the killing games and watch the movies and are the parents of children we are going to have to protect our children from in the "real world". that is only my oppinion.

good luck!
~R.

Wow...I'm sorry, but I have to agree with M. on this one. While I agree that the principal is within her right (and in fact, is obligated) to do what she needs to to keep order and safety in her school, I cannot believe parents would be OK with her announcing that someone was *killed* by pushing and shoving. It may be the "real world," but there are more appropriate ways to teach this lesson to the KINDERGARTENERS that also heard this information, which for many of them might have been out of context. What about those little ones that are new to school and are already dealing with adjustment issues? Now they have to worry about getting KILLED at school? At 5? 6? Yes, we all know it can happen--and has. And the older kids get that. But the point is, if we want our kids to feel safe in the place where they spend most of their waking hours, we need to put things in perspective for them, and a loudspeaker annoucement that cavalierly threatens that misbehavior in school will lead to death is not the way to do it.

I am going to say that I am the mother of a five year old who is in Kindergarten and am also of the very strong opinion that this is NOT appropriate for a principal to announce at school. It is my right as a parent to decide when and how my child is introduced to "the real world" as one of you said. What exactly is the "real world" anyway. In my world (and the one I try and instill in my children) people are generally good and sometimes bad things happen. I do not feel it necessary to tell my youngest child (or my oldest for that matter who is 15) about all of the violent things that happen across the world because THAT is not reality. It is one thing to teach your child how to keep safe and to lead a good and decent life and another to instill fear that every time they turn around they could be abducted, raped or killed. There is a way to teach respect for yourself and others (which some people could use a good dose of) without resorting to examples of violence as this principal did.

I agree you should contact the principal about your concerns. IMO, it was incredibly inappropriate of her to make such an announcement. She needs to learn to be more careful about what she says to children and keep her comments in context with their age and emotional maturity. I would be furious, too. My sensitive 6YO would have freaked out!
We don't have a problem talking to our Kindergartner about events in the "real world", but we do it in a way that is age-appropriate. He knows that bad things happen, but we don't just throw out the information to scare him. We take the time to explain WHY those things happened in a way he can understand without becoming paranoid and terrified to go to school (something we have been dealing with already with something as simple as the bus).
Don't sit on this. I'm not saying you have to castigate her- just let her know that her words upset your child and she needs to choose them more carefully. Chances are, you will not be the only one, but she needs to know that you do not approve. Otherwise, it may happen again.

I would set up an apppointment to meet with the principal. Then, when you go in to talk to her, remember to keep from putting her on the defensive. Start with something positive..."My son has had a great year at school or My son really likes ________ and ________ at school." THis helps put everyone at ease. Then, mention the problem. "However, I was surprised when I heard about the announcement on the intercom." explain why this bothers you and what you want done. Maybe you just want to be heard, or maybe you want to express that it bothered your son or you might want to mention other ways that might have gotten the same message across. ie..teachers talking about it in their classroom, etc.
Also, this is probably when she might explain what she was thinking.

Then, thank her for listening to you and reaffirm something you like about the school. This might be a good time to add that you really enjoy how the school and families work together, etc.

I know this might sound silly, but truly the atmosphere/tone mean a lot when you go approach something at school. If it doesn't turn into a total "blame game" but rather the atmosphere of working together, you are much more likely to have a positive impact.

best of luck

I don't think it really matters if you are a parent that allows your child to watch tv or not. It was not right for the principal to bring up the violence of the "real world" to young children. I think it is terrible that a principal is using fear to teach! I would definately send an email to him that it was not right and I would also bring it up at the next meeting.

Hi M.
I was president of our towns PTO for a few years and this is not something they can deal with. You will need to take it up with the school baord or the principal herself. I am not sure you will get very far because unfortanly their are alot of parent that think this is ok. Good Luck T.

With any issue concerning your kids and school, it is always okay to contact the principal by phone or email. Most educators will probably welcome your comments. They may not agree with you, but when teachers, principals and parents work together it only benefits the kids and lets them know you are a concerned parent. Since you only know your child side of it, it would benefit you to know why the principal made such a harsh announcement. Maybe they saw some kids acting dangerously and felt the need to make such an announcement. Make a call or email. Dont wait until January.

i would write a note to the princpal. let him/her know that your child doesn't watch the news and that you'd appreciate that in the future that for announcements if other examples would be used!!!