Anonymous wrote:Im thinking to opt out for my kindergartener. I dont think she should go to school to hear about who has only a mommy versus daddy and where strangers or bad people might want to touch her etc etc etc sounds creepy to me.

I opt out of all of it. We teach him about family and life at home. Schools should be teaching more math, reading, writing and science. Too much time is wasted on this stuff. The one year I forgot to opt him out he came home mad at me and said he was so embarrassed and awkward to sit through these lessons with his classmates.

I'm liberal but have opted my kid out of 5th and 6th grade FLE.

That said, human trafficking IS a problem in NoVa and within FCPS so to say it's pretty much nonexistent here is completely wrong.

http://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2017/06/march-raises-human-trafficking-awareness-in-va/slide/1/

https://www.google.com/amp/wtop.com/fairfax-county/2017/06/victims-teen-sex-trafficking-deal-devastating-damage-aftermath/amp/

https://www.northernvirginiamag.com/family/2016/01/22/fairfaxsextrafficking/

https://fcpdnews.wordpress.com/category/human-trafficking/

Im thinking to opt out for my kindergartener. I dont think she should go to school to hear about who has only a mommy versus daddy and where strangers or bad people might want to touch her etc etc etc sounds creepy to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

I don't mean this to be snarky, but then be thankful (and hopeful) that your child and no one she knows has to deal with it. There are absolutely men in this area who will prey on young girls, including 6th grade. Sometimes it's "just" a completely inappropriate relationship but sometimes more. I want my kids to be aware.

Look at the statistics.

As a Fairfax County resident, even if she lives in one of the poorer pyramids, her child will not be affected by human trafficking nor know anyone affected by human trafficking.

Statistically, this is a non issue for our district and it is a waste of time to include this much focus in our elementary schools.

Internet safety and smart phone safety is a much more useful topic to cover in elementary school.

Are internet safety and phone usage not covered? They absolutely should be. And at more depth than human trafficking.

But, if you are letting your kids hang out at the mall or wherever else groups congregate without adult supervision, kids should know about this. Not spend two weeks on it, but it's important to know. You do not know who will be talking to your kids when you're not around.

And just like rape and other sex crimes, I highly doubt that any statistics on human trafficking can be accurate. It's not just girls being stuffed into trucks and taken to a foreign land. It's not that black and white.

Internet safety and phone safety are touched upon.

Human trafficking is focused on heavily, to the point that it scares a lot of elementary kids and is a huge joke to the middle school kids.

Human trafficking is focused on as much if not more than human development, stds, safe sex, good choices, reproducation, and a whole host of other things that should receive priority in a sex ed program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

I don't mean this to be snarky, but then be thankful (and hopeful) that your child and no one she knows has to deal with it. There are absolutely men in this area who will prey on young girls, including 6th grade. Sometimes it's "just" a completely inappropriate relationship but sometimes more. I want my kids to be aware.

And a sincere question back to you, but is this something you would have benefited from knowing about in the 6th grade? It wouldn't have for me, and I don't anticipate it for my kids either. I'm all for discussions of "stranger danger" and "good touch/bad touch", but no, I don't see human trafficking being an issue for my kids or their friends. Awful things happen all the time, but that doesn't mean my kids need to be exposed to it at that age.

Homelessness isn't a big thing either, do you not teach them about that? What other issues do you hide from your kids helicopter mommy?

I'm far more free range than helicoptery, and that may be the point. I don't think bogeymen are hiding around every corner. I don't think they're in danger of being whisked off into the sex trade. And for whatever they need to know about homelessness, they don't need it to be discussed as something that could possibly happen to them as children.

I agree with pp that Internet safety and ettiquite would be a much more relevant topic for most of the kids in FCPS. I don't know if it's addressed at all, but I think the school district probably has access to better resources than most parents do for discussing it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

I don't mean this to be snarky, but then be thankful (and hopeful) that your child and no one she knows has to deal with it. There are absolutely men in this area who will prey on young girls, including 6th grade. Sometimes it's "just" a completely inappropriate relationship but sometimes more. I want my kids to be aware.

Look at the statistics.

As a Fairfax County resident, even if she lives in one of the poorer pyramids, her child will not be affected by human trafficking nor know anyone affected by human trafficking.

Statistically, this is a non issue for our district and it is a waste of time to include this much focus in our elementary schools.

Internet safety and smart phone safety is a much more useful topic to cover in elementary school.

Are internet safety and phone usage not covered? They absolutely should be. And at more depth than human trafficking.

But, if you are letting your kids hang out at the mall or wherever else groups congregate without adult supervision, kids should know about this. Not spend two weeks on it, but it's important to know. You do not know who will be talking to your kids when you're not around.

And just like rape and other sex crimes, I highly doubt that any statistics on human trafficking can be accurate. It's not just girls being stuffed into trucks and taken to a foreign land. It's not that black and white.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

Human trafficking is also not a relevant topic for the vast majority of fcps students.

Look at the statistics for human trafficking in VA and Fairfax County. It is a small fraction of a percent of Fairfax County residents, including adults. It is a non issue for Fairfax County elementary students.

They shoukd devote all the time spent on human trafficking to iternet safety (photos, etc) that are actually relevant to our kids.

Human trafficking affects virtually no fcps students, especially at the elementary level.

Look at the statistics for yourself and you will see.

And yet, if you watch the video, it is very dark, ominous and specifically states that this is happening to a lot of girls in Fairfax County. It really has a "be very afraid" tone to it. That's kind of the point.... there can be discussions or presentations about "traficking" that are more like "don't get into a car just because someone says you are pretty" and "don't let anyone else tell you what to do with your body or who to do it with..." AND THEN there are discussions/presentations that approach it in a scary-boogie-man type of way that make kids worried about who's going to do something bad to them.

tone matters. To me, the trafficking video is not right for 11 yr olds, but may be just fine for 14 yr olds.

Look, there are people who are fine with everything and people who aren't. Even if you are fine with something, your child may not be.

The great thing is that everyone can decide FOR THEMSELVES and FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN.

It is a fact that both of my children (in 5th grade) did not want to attend the FLE sessions after they had been allowed to attend. One was crying. Both begged not to have to see it. That is an indication to me that it was too much for them. I was a little surprised for the boy b/c he thought the 4th grade sessions were the most informative classes he had in all of his schooling to date! But, when it came to 5th grade, ... too much for him.

There is no need to belittle people or call them names b/c they don't want it for their kids and you do. That's why there are opt outs. The original comments in this thread came out of a zinger that assumed only conservative people opted out. I corrected that notion. Make your own decisions -- preferably after being informed about the subject details AS WELL AS your own kids' development and readiness.

This isn't really an issue that needs to be met with hostility or name-calling.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

Just ignorant.

No.

She is correct.

Devoting so much time to human trafficking should not be happening in fcps elementary schools. The facts and statistics support this. It is a non issue for our elementary kids, about as relevant as how to rekindle your marital sex drive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

I don't mean this to be snarky, but then be thankful (and hopeful) that your child and no one she knows has to deal with it. There are absolutely men in this area who will prey on young girls, including 6th grade. Sometimes it's "just" a completely inappropriate relationship but sometimes more. I want my kids to be aware.

And a sincere question back to you, but is this something you would have benefited from knowing about in the 6th grade? It wouldn't have for me, and I don't anticipate it for my kids either. I'm all for discussions of "stranger danger" and "good touch/bad touch", but no, I don't see human trafficking being an issue for my kids or their friends. Awful things happen all the time, but that doesn't mean my kids need to be exposed to it at that age.

Homelessness isn't a big thing either, do you not teach them about that? What other issues do you hide from your kids helicopter mommy?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

Just ignorant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

I don't mean this to be snarky, but then be thankful (and hopeful) that your child and no one she knows has to deal with it. There are absolutely men in this area who will prey on young girls, including 6th grade. Sometimes it's "just" a completely inappropriate relationship but sometimes more. I want my kids to be aware.

Look at the statistics.

As a Fairfax County resident, even if she lives in one of the poorer pyramids, her child will not be affected by human trafficking nor know anyone affected by human trafficking.

Statistically, this is a non issue for our district and it is a waste of time to include this much focus in our elementary schools.

Internet safety and smart phone safety is a much more useful topic to cover in elementary school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

Human trafficking is also not a relevant topic for the vast majority of fcps students.

Look at the statistics for human trafficking in VA and Fairfax County. It is a small fraction of a percent of Fairfax County residents, including adults. It is a non issue for Fairfax County elementary students.

They shoukd devote all the time spent on human trafficking to iternet safety (photos, etc) that are actually relevant to our kids.

Human trafficking affects virtually no fcps students, especially at the elementary level.

Look at the statistics for yourself and you will see.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are fear mongering. I've been to every single parent FLE information session for third, fourth, and fifth grades. I've watched every video the kids watched. I read the entire script the teachers were allowed to state and not vAry from. Those who are giving answers...where is your info from?

The FCPS website. I don't think human trafficking will be an appropriate topic for my kids when they're in 6th grade. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I'm sending my kids elsewhere.

I don't mean this to be snarky, but then be thankful (and hopeful) that your child and no one she knows has to deal with it. There are absolutely men in this area who will prey on young girls, including 6th grade. Sometimes it's "just" a completely inappropriate relationship but sometimes more. I want my kids to be aware.

And a sincere question back to you, but is this something you would have benefited from knowing about in the 6th grade? It wouldn't have for me, and I don't anticipate it for my kids either. I'm all for discussions of "stranger danger" and "good touch/bad touch", but no, I don't see human trafficking being an issue for my kids or their friends. Awful things happen all the time, but that doesn't mean my kids need to be exposed to it at that age.