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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Sonehwat of a lurker here but a parent at the school and in a class that used to be amazing and is now not so amazing. The new Head is just meh. I know a lot of unhappy families. The n-word was definitely used by a kid in our class this year but you would never hear that from the school.  We learned about it from other parents. With one class per grade, if you don't like the teachers or the changes that they make in classrooms to teaching partnerships (which have been constant in grades 1-5) for the last 5 years, you're really stuck. And sadly where changes are needed (teachers in 6th and 7th) there haven't been changes and they never force those teachers to do or be different. 7th grade is particularly awful. Find some parents in the current 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 8th grade classes if you want deep insights about the school. People in K or 1st are blissfully happy, as they should be. [/quote]

Do not want to get into a debate about the N word.  It is a vile, despicable word and in my experience white parents often think if they do not ever say it their child will never say it.  They are wrong.  I will share one experience that I am aware of with how Sheridan handled a child in one of the young grades using the N word.  I was not a parent of a child in the class but heard about how the situation was handled.  The teachers and the head of the school talked to the children about the power of words and how their were different words.  Some words were positive words of empowerment and encouragement and I believe they asked the kids to suggest some words and they hung them up in the classroom.  Worlds like beautiful, good friend, strong. kind, etc. Then they talked about unkind "garbage" words like hate, mean, jerk, sh**, and they wrote them down and threw them in the trashcan.  Then they talked about the N word and where it came from.  Why it was so hurtful and awful and that it should never be used.  That word (and maybe some other racial or ethnic slurs or epithets) were written down and thrown in the trashcan and the head of the school explained that those words were so bad that you couldn't just leave them in the trashh can but that you had to take them out and dispose of them right away.  She then took the trashcan containing the words out of the classroom.  Now I amy be off on some of the details but that is the general idea of how they tried to teach and impress upon some of the younger children why they should never use hurtful and vile words like the N word.  I know that in other years when the word was used the school addressed it immediately and their were consequences attached to its use and from what I was aware of they didn't simply punish the child but tried to educate the child and the rest of the children on why that word should never be used.  As my children grew they became a bit confused that the word was in songs they heard because they learned it should never be uttered and that spurred a whole other discussion.

I have heard of the N word being used at other public and independent schools in this area.  I have heard of white kids saying it to children of color during basketball games, soccer games, and other athletic events in the area.  What I can tell you is that my children call people out who say it and address it.  That confidence to stand up for whats right is due in large part to their Sheridan education.  My kids are acutely aware of how blessed they are, how who you are born to and where you live can give you a huge head start in life or put more obstacles in their path.

Finally, there are a lot of parents and children who think 6th grade is one of the best years at the school so I was particularly surprised to see the prior poster say that changes are needed there.  My child and my child's friends would vehemently disagree with you.[/quote]

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