not thrilled yet with my son's school

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP. We're new to private school and the parents are friendly, but not really interested in being friends, yet. Perhaps it will change over time or not, either way is fine with me. My DC is enjoying school more than she ever did in public and has made friends - that's all that matters to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone I assure you. However, people are so in love with the concept of private school they don't want to admit that it isn't always grand.

You're right: private school isn't always grand---it's always several grand! For that kind of money, does sticking it out make sense?

[Anonymous]

We like it OK - -one of the big three -- and our DC seems to like it, though he's very easy going. One thing that bothers us, which we'd never see at DC public (and I doubt we'd see at a school with some religious affiliation), is the overt and trying-too-hard gay-friendliness -- e.g., the recent giant posters announcing "National Coming Out Week" along with books about gay teenagers in the library. The designated gay-friendly "safe-places." The assemblies with facilitators "having a conversation with the students" about diversity and acceptance of gay/lesbians. It's just so inappropriate, in my opinion, to have such things in the presence of young children. I'm not homophobic - -I just don't want my 3rd grader to encounter such things yet, but the school forces it on them -- on all kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We like it OK - -one of the big three -- and our DC seems to like it, though he's very easy going. One thing that bothers us, which we'd never see at DC public (and I doubt we'd see at a school with some religious affiliation), is the overt and trying-too-hard gay-friendliness -- e.g., the recent giant posters announcing "National Coming Out Week" along with books about gay teenagers in the library. The designated gay-friendly "safe-places." The assemblies with facilitators "having a conversation with the students" about diversity and acceptance of gay/lesbians. It's just so inappropriate, in my opinion, to have such things in the presence of young children. I'm not homophobic - -I just don't want my 3rd grader to encounter such things yet, but the school forces it on them -- on all kids.

I don't know--you just may not realize how hurtful the environment can be in the absence of overt sensitivity training. I recently heard some really egregious comments from some 6th and 7th grade boys on the sidelines of a soccer game about a kids' "two-moms"--Two of the boys were shouting heinous things at one kid who was playing in the game. I could NOT believe how bad it was and I called out one of the kids doing it, and he stopped right in his tracks. Other kids joined in with e in chastising the kid. This was at a public middle school where "respectfulness about gay lifestyles" is not taught AT ALL. If nothing else, it was definitely a teachable moment for all kids present (including mine, though they were kind of mortified that I, as their Mom, was disciplining other kids in public.) I don't care--gay-bashing is just NOT ok with me, ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We like it OK - -one of the big three -- and our DC seems to like it, though he's very easy going. One thing that bothers us, which we'd never see at DC public (and I doubt we'd see at a school with some religious affiliation), is the overt and trying-too-hard gay-friendliness -- e.g., the recent giant posters announcing "National Coming Out Week" along with books about gay teenagers in the library. The designated gay-friendly "safe-places." The assemblies with facilitators "having a conversation with the students" about diversity and acceptance of gay/lesbians. It's just so inappropriate, in my opinion, to have such things in the presence of young children. I'm not homophobic - -I just don't want my 3rd grader to encounter such things yet, but the school forces it on them -- on all kids.

You must be at a Quaker school.

[Anonymous]

Not necessarily -- the description certainly matches GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We like it OK - -one of the big three -- and our DC seems to like it, though he's very easy going. One thing that bothers us, which we'd never see at DC public (and I doubt we'd see at a school with some religious affiliation), is the overt and trying-too-hard gay-friendliness -- e.g., the recent giant posters announcing "National Coming Out Week" along with books about gay teenagers in the library. The designated gay-friendly "safe-places." The assemblies with facilitators "having a conversation with the students" about diversity and acceptance of gay/lesbians. It's just so inappropriate, in my opinion, to have such things in the presence of young children. I'm not homophobic - -I just don't want my 3rd grader to encounter such things yet, but the school forces it on them -- on all kids.

I'm curious. Why do you think it's inappropriate for 3rd graders to learn about acceptance of gays and lesbians? My 6-year-old has known for a couple years about the two-mommy and two-daddy parents in our neighborhood, and she's no worse the wear for it. I assume most kids in this area have encountered such families. It seems to me a pretty positive message for a school to be saying to kids that age that it's OK if some boys like boys. What's the problem with it?

I assume they're not putting on demonstrations with bananas and condoms and toasters ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We like it OK - -one of the big three -- and our DC seems to like it, though he's very easy going. One thing that bothers us, which we'd never see at DC public (and I doubt we'd see at a school with some religious affiliation), is the overt and trying-too-hard gay-friendliness -- e.g., the recent giant posters announcing "National Coming Out Week" along with books about gay teenagers in the library. The designated gay-friendly "safe-places." The assemblies with facilitators "having a conversation with the students" about diversity and acceptance of gay/lesbians. It's just so inappropriate, in my opinion, to have such things in the presence of young children. I'm not homophobic - -I just don't want my 3rd grader to encounter such things yet, but the school forces it on them -- on all kids.

You know that you are a bigot, right? You don't want your 3rd grader to "encounter such things"? Seriously? Were you born in 1927? Loving families in the DC area come in all kinds of combinations, including two mothers and two fathers. There is absolutely nothing inappropriate about teaching kids to accept people for who they are, and to make sure they understand that not all families look like theirs. My kids have understood their whole lives that some people fall in love with the opposite gender and some with the same, and that although one is much more common than the other, both are a-ok.

[Anonymous]

I don't think the pp is a bigot. Sorry I am also uncomfortable with these kinds of topics. I really hate how the "gay" lifestyle is forced on people. I am not interested in a school teaching about sex education at such a young age..and you are when you are really pushing things like "coming out"--what does that mean..What does two moms mean--I say this as someone who is for gay marriage. I think the reality is that this kind of lifestyle is not the average everyday one and it's something I would like to explain as it inevitably deals with issues of sex..that's my job and how I handle the discussion..my business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We like it OK - -one of the big three -- and our DC seems to like it, though he's very easy going. One thing that bothers us, which we'd never see at DC public (and I doubt we'd see at a school with some religious affiliation), is the overt and trying-too-hard gay-friendliness -- e.g., the recent giant posters announcing "National Coming Out Week" along with books about gay teenagers in the library. The designated gay-friendly "safe-places." The assemblies with facilitators "having a conversation with the students" about diversity and acceptance of gay/lesbians. It's just so inappropriate, in my opinion, to have such things in the presence of young children. I'm not homophobic - -I just don't want my 3rd grader to encounter such things yet, but the school forces it on them -- on all kids.

You know that you are a bigot, right? You don't want your 3rd grader to "encounter such things"? Seriously? Were you born in 1927? Loving families in the DC area come in all kinds of combinations, including two mothers and two fathers. There is absolutely nothing inappropriate about teaching kids to accept people for who they are, and to make sure they understand that not all families look like theirs. My kids have understood their whole lives that some people fall in love with the opposite gender and some with the same, and that although one is much more common than the other, both are a-ok.

I'm not the PP, but maybe she means that she doesn't think it's age appropriate for third graders to be learning anything hetero, homo, bi, or otherwise sexual. That's that area of life is better left to discussion closer to puberty. Believing that something is better addressed at a later stage doesn't necessarily translate into a bigot.

[Anonymous]

Acknowledging gay people exist is not equivalent to teaching sex-ed to third graders. Good lord, people. Gay people exist, acknowledging that existence is like acknowledging different religions, different races, ethnicities, people from other countries, etc. You can acknowledge their existence without getting into every little detail. And yes, if you have a problem with that, you are a homophobe and a bigot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not necessarily -- the description certainly matches GDS.

I was thinking GDS, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We like it OK - -one of the big three -- and our DC seems to like it, though he's very easy going. One thing that bothers us, which we'd never see at DC public (and I doubt we'd see at a school with some religious affiliation), is the overt and trying-too-hard gay-friendliness -- e.g., the recent giant posters announcing "National Coming Out Week" along with books about gay teenagers in the library. The designated gay-friendly "safe-places." The assemblies with facilitators "having a conversation with the students" about diversity and acceptance of gay/lesbians. It's just so inappropriate, in my opinion, to have such things in the presence of young children. I'm not homophobic - -I just don't want my 3rd grader to encounter such things yet, but the school forces it on them -- on all kids.

I'm curious. Why do you think it's inappropriate for 3rd graders to learn about acceptance of gays and lesbians? My 6-year-old has known for a couple years about the two-mommy and two-daddy parents in our neighborhood, and she's no worse the wear for it. I assume most kids in this area have encountered such families. It seems to me a pretty positive message for a school to be saying to kids that age that it's OK if some boys like boys. What's the problem with it?

I assume they're not putting on demonstrations with bananas and condoms and toasters ....

toasters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the pp is a bigot. Sorry I am also uncomfortable with these kinds of topics. I really hate how the "gay" lifestyle is forced on people. I am not interested in a school teaching about sex education at such a young age..and you are when you are really pushing things like "coming out"--what does that mean..What does two moms mean--I say this as someone who is for gay marriage. I think the reality is that this kind of lifestyle is not the average everyday one and it's something I would like to explain as it inevitably deals with issues of sex..that's my job and how I handle the discussion..my business.

I don't think most young children immediately equate falling in love and having a family with sex. And to the extent that they do, they're not interested in the details.

[Anonymous]

You are allowed to think what you want to think..but..a school pushing this on kids when their parents have every right to decide how to discuss is still their right as parents. Face it the people who want this taught have an agenda..they want to "educate" your children on this as they see it and try to curtail if you have different thoughts. They don't care that a family may want to have these kinds of "mature" discussions in their own timetable. And yes..talking about why two woman are married is confusing and it is something that a family has every right to introduce as they see fit. The other problem that I see is it really turns off people..like me..who are pro gay marriage pro gay rights..that's fine to me but I want to talk about this with my kids when I feel they are ready to understand and take in. It isn't for you to decide that it isn't about sex..because I feel it is about sex..and that is something I am waiting to discuss.