Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Cedar Ridge Adventures seeks to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of our clients through the use of a Biblically-based experiential adventure model."

WTF???? Why is this the program for a public school???????

+1

But we recently also learned that MCPS provides teachers to several of the Christian and Jewish religious schools in the area. Teachers, hired and paid for by MCPS, working AT these religious schools.

There appears to be much mixing of church and state in Montgomery County.

These are special education teachers and it has something to do with the County's obligation to special education students. I can't say I understand it exactly, but public schools are apparently required to provide some services to all students within their boundaries, even those that attend religious schools. I know that our school psychologist has to do evaluations for private school students whose families request them and whose private schools are within our school's catchment area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Cedar Ridge Adventures seeks to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of our clients through the use of a Biblically-based experiential adventure model."

WTF???? Why is this the program for a public school???????

+1

But we recently also learned that MCPS provides teachers to several of the Christian and Jewish religious schools in the area. Teachers, hired and paid for by MCPS, working AT these religious schools.

There appears to be much mixing of church and state in Montgomery County.

Do you work in a W school? I feel your pain.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Cedar Ridge Adventures seeks to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of our clients through the use of a Biblically-based experiential adventure model."

WTF???? Why is this the program for a public school???????

I am assuming that they are not including the religious aspect. Not hard to guess this.

Why would you assume that???? And why would you assume that nothing will go wrong with a company that says, if we harm your child in any way, even due to our own negligence, we will not be held accountable? Who needs that kind of an agreement?

I would assume that because MCPS should obviously know better than to include religious content and because it would be pretty easy to modify a program and offer it to public schools. That is pretty standard language for liability waivers and who knows if it’s actually enforceable. I’ve crossed out parts of ridiculous waivers and they often don’t notice. I went to a haunted house and the waiver included the intentional torts of employees. Literally if they hired a known rapist who raped someone in the haunted house they wouldn’t be liable. I crossed that part out. But with the new electronic ones you can’t do that. I think they are likely to be unenforceable but who knows. They are definitely pretty common/standard.

What? My kid’s middle school is doing something with this half day Friday. This is what the email says:

On the morning of Friday, October 4 teachers and students will be involved in Community Day. Our Community Day will consist of a rotating schedule of team building events. These events are meant to help students enhance their relationships with teachers and classmates, foster teamwork and community, and celebrate the start of a new school year! We want to make sure our students feel connected to their peers and the staff at school and are looking forward to a fun and motivating day.

Nothing about dismemberment!

Still, not cool

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Cedar Ridge Adventures seeks to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of our clients through the use of a Biblically-based experiential adventure model."

WTF???? Why is this the program for a public school???????

I am assuming that they are not including the religious aspect. Not hard to guess this.

Why would you assume that???? And why would you assume that nothing will go wrong with a company that says, if we harm your child in any way, even due to our own negligence, we will not be held accountable? Who needs that kind of an agreement?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Cedar Ridge Adventures seeks to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of our clients through the use of a Biblically-based experiential adventure model."

WTF???? Why is this the program for a public school???????

I am assuming that they are not including the religious aspect. Not hard to guess this.

Anonymous wrote:"Cedar Ridge Adventures seeks to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of our clients through the use of a Biblically-based experiential adventure model."

WTF???? Why is this the program for a public school???????

"Cedar Ridge Adventures seeks to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of our clients through the use of a Biblically-based experiential adventure model."

Oh my...that’s...not appropriate.

Anonymous wrote:So my curiosity got the best of me.. went to Westland's webpage, saw the calendar listed:
6th Grade Cedar Ridge Team Building In School Field Trip 12:00-3:00

So I googled Cedar Ridge and found their website
https://cedarridgeadventures.org/groups/school-day/

Looks like OP's kid missed a fun afternoon!

MCPS being a public school system, I definitely have a (different) problem: They are "Christ-centered" and associated with Cedar Ridge ministries. https://cedarridgeadventures.org/about-us/who-we-are/

So my curiosity got the best of me.. went to Westland's webpage, saw the calendar listed:
6th Grade Cedar Ridge Team Building In School Field Trip 12:00-3:00

So I googled Cedar Ridge and found their website
https://cedarridgeadventures.org/groups/school-day/

Looks like OP's kid missed a fun afternoon!

Anonymous wrote:Not in MCPS, but I remember the waiver form we had to sign for our school's teambuilding seemed to say proceed at your own risk and we're not responsible for your kids. I understand why a parent wouldn't feel comfortable sending their child to these things. Pretty sure my parents wouldn't have sent me if they read these waiver forms in the 1980's!

The waiver at the trampoline birthday party was 10 times more alarming.

In answer to your question, OP - my kids are not at Westland, but they both (at different schools) had team-building activities in 8th grade, and I did not keep them home. And nobody died or got dismembered.

Anonymous wrote:Not in MCPS, but I remember the waiver form we had to sign for our school's teambuilding seemed to say proceed at your own risk and we're not responsible for your kids. I understand why a parent wouldn't feel comfortable sending their child to these things. Pretty sure my parents wouldn't have sent me if they read these waiver forms in the 1980's!

+1