While I completely agree the sixth grade should be allowed to at least try out (because some certainly would make it and it is a ridiculous gap for athletes playing previously to stop for a year) , I can't wrap my head around the idea they are hazed and scarred for life because of it! My child is hardly terrified to walk the hallways because he doesn't play soccer at school!!

OP is not crazy 21:46, but I definitely see a bunch of bullies on this thread. It didn't take too long for me to figure out what OP meant. Sure, I would not have used the word hazing that way, but that doesn't mean the question is not legit To call the OP crazy is absurd.

Hazed as new students yes. Kids at JW are thrown in lockers, tripped, backpacks kicked, made fun of etc... NOT. A fun year for kids. The school is just so darn crowded, teachers can not monitor.

No. My DC went to a under-performing MS. DC was not minority, FARMS, ESOL, Sp Ed. No hazing took place. There were other discipline problems but not hazing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK. I guess that shut that down. You folks have been so helpful. Real modern thinkers. . . .Always, at least, good for a laugh to run things past the clear thinkers on DCUM. . .

Best!
OP Checking back and signing off. . .

Oh yeah, that above teacher needs some professional development in online communities of practice and when wiki is an acceptable source. . .

no "professional development" necessary, moron

If you want CREDIBLE information, you use subscription databases (Gale, SIRS, Questia, ProQuest). Greenwood is phenomenal, by the way.

a little beyond your reach, PP, I think . . .

And for credible tertiary information (from there you can find secondary and primary sources referenced), you can examine Britannica. And guess what? At MY school, some of the sources are even TRANSLATED into other languages! woo hoo!

yeah - I need PD.

We've established that the OP is crazy, but really? You'd go to all those sources to look up the definition of hazing?

Anonymous wrote:OK. I guess that shut that down. You folks have been so helpful. Real modern thinkers. . . .Always, at least, good for a laugh to run things past the clear thinkers on DCUM. . .

Best!
OP Checking back and signing off. . .

Oh yeah, that above teacher needs some professional development in online communities of practice and when wiki is an acceptable source. . .

no "professional development" necessary, moron

If you want CREDIBLE information, you use subscription databases (Gale, SIRS, Questia, ProQuest). Greenwood is phenomenal, by the way.

a little beyond your reach, PP, I think . . .

And for credible tertiary information (from there you can find secondary and primary sources referenced), you can examine Britannica. And guess what? At MY school, some of the sources are even TRANSLATED into other languages! woo hoo!

yeah - I need PD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I agree that hazing is not the correct term but it is a really unfair and dumb policy to not allow 6th graders to do sports. First of all, two of the 4 sports in MS are no contact. And second if they are not physically ready, then they will not make the team. And the sport seasons are so short anyway.

And if anyone argues that it is to have the kids focus on the transition to Middle School, then how come the 6th graders can do drama, math club, etc. that take up just as much time? It really makes no sense, and Freshman in HS can play when there is even a bigger age difference. Really dumb.....

Freshmen in HS are usually on JV, which is 9th and 10th graders only. There are sometimes 9th grade girls on varsity teams, much less often 9th grade boys. There was one 9th grader on our Varsity soccer team this year but he was 6"1" so fit in physically. The Catholic schools actually have 9th grade teams, then JV and Varsity. Still not hazing in my book.

Relax, he will get to play next year. In the meantime there are lots of rec and club sports out there which offer much better coaching and competitive opportunities than MS sports.

Yea, but if they can make it, they can make it in HS regardless of class, and many girls do make Varsity as freshman. You have such a great agrument, "relax". Well thought out. Of course they do not need it to make them a better player, they can get that by club sports. I was just pointing out that there really is no good logic for it. Why can they be in the school play and practice 15 hours a week and not run cross country for 5 hours a week? Not talking about making them a star athlete from MS sports, not at all my point, just that it doesn't make any sense to exclude them from an extracurricular activity for no good reason.

People have pointed out the logic already. Most MCPS middle schools have 1 sport a season, with about 20 spaces for girls, and 20 for boys. So 40 out of 1,000+ kids. If a middle schooler plays all 3 years, then that's another middle schooler who doesn't get to play at all. Better to allow it for fewer years, and let more kids play.

But that same logic "let more kids play" would hold true to only allow 7th and 8th graders be in the school play but that isn't done. It is just a weird singling out in middle school sports. It doesn't keep me up at night but I just do not see the consistent logic. But I wouldn't use it in the context of hazing, just pointing it out.

At my son's MCPS middle school, the school play is no cut. Every kid who wants to participate gets a role, whether it's big or small or running the spotlight. So the "let more kids play" argument doesn't apply at all.

OK. I guess that shut that down. You folks have been so helpful. Real modern thinkers. . . .Always, at least, good for a laugh to run things past the clear thinkers on DCUM. . .

Best!
OP Checking back and signing off. . .

Oh yeah, that above teacher needs some professional development in online communities of practice and when wiki is an acceptable source. . .

Anonymous wrote:actually, yes. Wikipedia. . .You should be mindful that hazing falls on a spectrum

sorry

I tell my students to AVOID any wiki entries.

not credible

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I agree that hazing is not the correct term but it is a really unfair and dumb policy to not allow 6th graders to do sports. First of all, two of the 4 sports in MS are no contact. And second if they are not physically ready, then they will not make the team. And the sport seasons are so short anyway.

And if anyone argues that it is to have the kids focus on the transition to Middle School, then how come the 6th graders can do drama, math club, etc. that take up just as much time? It really makes no sense, and Freshman in HS can play when there is even a bigger age difference. Really dumb.....

Freshmen in HS are usually on JV, which is 9th and 10th graders only. There are sometimes 9th grade girls on varsity teams, much less often 9th grade boys. There was one 9th grader on our Varsity soccer team this year but he was 6"1" so fit in physically. The Catholic schools actually have 9th grade teams, then JV and Varsity. Still not hazing in my book.

Relax, he will get to play next year. In the meantime there are lots of rec and club sports out there which offer much better coaching and competitive opportunities than MS sports.

Yea, but if they can make it, they can make it in HS regardless of class, and many girls do make Varsity as freshman. You have such a great agrument, "relax". Well thought out. Of course they do not need it to make them a better player, they can get that by club sports. I was just pointing out that there really is no good logic for it. Why can they be in the school play and practice 15 hours a week and not run cross country for 5 hours a week? Not talking about making them a star athlete from MS sports, not at all my point, just that it doesn't make any sense to exclude them from an extracurricular activity for no good reason.

People have pointed out the logic already. Most MCPS middle schools have 1 sport a season, with about 20 spaces for girls, and 20 for boys. So 40 out of 1,000+ kids. If a middle schooler plays all 3 years, then that's another middle schooler who doesn't get to play at all. Better to allow it for fewer years, and let more kids play.

But that same logic "let more kids play" would hold true to only allow 7th and 8th graders be in the school play but that isn't done. It is just a weird singling out in middle school sports. It doesn't keep me up at night but I just do not see the consistent logic. But I wouldn't use it in the context of hazing, just pointing it out.

Hazed???

You have watched way too many movies!

I bet you think that the entire staff are all sleeping together too!

Well, it goes to show you that there are 2 perspectives on this hazing thing. IMO, I would not consider not allowing the 6th graders to participate in sports, for example, as “hazing.” However, I could see a situation where hazing could occur if 6th graders were allowed. If only one 6th grader was good enough to make the team, how would that kid’s experience be playing with 15 7th and 8th graders? Seems to me that the potential for hazing would be much bigger in that scenario. Anyways, don’t most MCPS middle schools try to limit the 6th graders’ exposure to the older kids anyways? When my kids were in 6th grade, they had their own “hall” and even went in a different door than the older kids. I was told that the MCPS powers thought that type of separation decreased the odds of bullying.

As far as the DCs’ MCPS HS, only truly exceptional kids made varsity as freshmen in any sport….size, ability, extensive club team experience, etc. And the coach of the sport that my kids played would not put just one freshman on varsity. It was at least two or none. He said he put just one on his first year coaching and that kid was miserable – no age peers on the team, felt isolated, etc.

actually, yes. Wikipedia. . .You should be mindful that hazing falls on a spectrum