Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 22:33     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I pack my kids lunchables sometimes. And they attend a big three school, gasp!



BS-- all of the big three have dining rooms and no one brings their lunch.


Wait, someone on DCUM is not being entirely truthful? Someone is typing about something the don't really know about? Someone's lying about kids, private schools and food--the very core of our existence? I'm shocked!


Don't students bring their lunch at GDS? Most schools that serve food have on-line menus. These are some links to school lunch menus.

http://www.norwoodschool.org/calendars/month.aspx?StartDate=9/1/2011&ModuleID=35


http://www.stalbansschool.org/page.aspx?pid=1473


Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 22:23     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:Ok, take the parking issue for example. I have kids in 2 private schools, both located in residential areas. Both schools recently did or will soon undergo major renovations. The neighbors had the power to tie up the renovations for a long time by complaining to various governmental agencies. In both cases, the schools worked hard with the neighbors to reach certain agreements. I'm certain that chief among the agreements was to limit parking in the (public) spots in the neighborhood. Point being, the rule may seem arbitrary to you, but you don't know all the reasoning behind the rule.


I do, in fact, know why the rule exists. But I don't think that the school has any right to tell parents that they can't park on city streets near the school. I don't see why the fact that a kid goes to a school should give the school the power to restrict the parents from doing something they are legally entitled to do in order to curry favor with neighbors who, in fact, have no right to demand that any particular group be excluded from public parking spaces. I live in a residential neighborhood in DC and fully expect (and experience) people parking in front of my house to shop, take their kids to the park, ride Metro, go to church, etc. It's public space -- that's how it works.

Basically, I don't think enrolling your kid in a private school gives administrators the right to bargain your rights away in negotiations with third parties. And it's really cynical to invoke "community" as the rationale for such decisions.

I'm fine with community agreements that the school will provide more parking onsite or will provide traffic control and/or parking enforcement in the neighborhood (e.g. to ensure that parents don't park illegally, block driveways, or hydrants).
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 20:15     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I pack my kids lunchables sometimes. And they attend a big three school, gasp!



BS-- all of the big three have dining rooms and no one brings their lunch.


Wait, someone on DCUM is not being entirely truthful? Someone is typing about something the don't really know about? Someone's lying about kids, private schools and food--the very core of our existence? I'm shocked!
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 18:02     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:I'd prefer that school teachers and administrators exercise power in a rational manner and limited to the scope of their relationship with their students. So raise your hand to ask a question -- fine. That's classroom management and necessary to the enterprise of education.

Rules about what kids can't eat, where parents can't park (when they involve legal public spaces), and prohibitions regarding how books or food are transported seem overreaching. If school want to persuade parents (or kids) that these are good ways to behave, go to it. (The birthday party rules fall into this category for me -- good point; I'll voluntarily comply.) But when they impose these restrictions unilaterally and expect everyone to fall in line, that's not an example of community or consideration for others.

As I said, my DC's school doesn't have a junk food rule and if it did, it wouldn't affect us because I don't pack anything that would be considered junk food. What bugs me in this discussion is the assumption that any dictat from someone in authority at a school somehow binds both parents and kids regardless of whether it's an area over which the school should have any legitimate say.

And I don't think you foster respect for rules by telling people just to submit to stupid ones.


I agree with you that this is a stupid rule but I also think its stupid to make a big deal out of it.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 17:58     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:I pack my kids lunchables sometimes. And they attend a big three school, gasp!



BS-- all of the big three have dining rooms and no one brings their lunch.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 16:43     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:I'd prefer that school teachers and administrators exercise power in a rational manner and limited to the scope of their relationship with their students. So raise your hand to ask a question -- fine. That's classroom management and necessary to the enterprise of education.

Rules about what kids can't eat, where parents can't park (when they involve legal public spaces), and prohibitions regarding how books or food are transported seem overreaching. If school want to persuade parents (or kids) that these are good ways to behave, go to it. (The birthday party rules fall into this category for me -- good point; I'll voluntarily comply.) But when they impose these restrictions unilaterally and expect everyone to fall in line, that's not an example of community or consideration for others.

As I said, my DC's school doesn't have a junk food rule and if it did, it wouldn't affect us because I don't pack anything that would be considered junk food. What bugs me in this discussion is the assumption that any dictat from someone in authority at a school somehow binds both parents and kids regardless of whether it's an area over which the school should have any legitimate say.

And I don't think you foster respect for rules by telling people just to submit to stupid ones.


Ok, take the parking issue for example. I have kids in 2 private schools, both located in residential areas. Both schools recently did or will soon undergo major renovations. The neighbors had the power to tie up the renovations for a long time by complaining to various governmental agencies. In both cases, the schools worked hard with the neighbors to reach certain agreements. I'm certain that chief among the agreements was to limit parking in the (public) spots in the neighborhood. Point being, the rule may seem arbitrary to you, but you don't know all the reasoning behind the rule.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 16:14     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
No junk food but here comes the birthday cupcakes.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 16:09     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
I'd prefer that school teachers and administrators exercise power in a rational manner and limited to the scope of their relationship with their students. So raise your hand to ask a question -- fine. That's classroom management and necessary to the enterprise of education.

Rules about what kids can't eat, where parents can't park (when they involve legal public spaces), and prohibitions regarding how books or food are transported seem overreaching. If school want to persuade parents (or kids) that these are good ways to behave, go to it. (The birthday party rules fall into this category for me -- good point; I'll voluntarily comply.) But when they impose these restrictions unilaterally and expect everyone to fall in line, that's not an example of community or consideration for others.

As I said, my DC's school doesn't have a junk food rule and if it did, it wouldn't affect us because I don't pack anything that would be considered junk food. What bugs me in this discussion is the assumption that any dictat from someone in authority at a school somehow binds both parents and kids regardless of whether it's an area over which the school should have any legitimate say.

And I don't think you foster respect for rules by telling people just to submit to stupid ones.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 15:38     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:I hate it when the language of choice is invoked to defend arbitrary exercises of power and when the language of community serves as a prelude to telling someone they should leave...


I hate it when parents exaggerate the importance of trivial rules by calling them "arbitrary exercises of power." You have to raise your hand before you speak and wait your turn-- arbitrary exercise of power. If you have a birthday party invite all the kids or less than half, you can't just exclude a few -- arbitrary exercise of power. My point was that you have three choices that are considerate of others and of the community (yes a school is a community): (1) follow the group's rules, (2) try to change the rules, (3) leave. Just ignoring the rules is not a considerate option. And with so many different private schools in this area as well as public school you can certainly find one that allows your child to bring junk food to school.

I prefer school teachers and administrators exercise power. My guess is that you do as well, and that you really truly wouldn't want your child to go to a school that didn't have and enforce rules. Its just a stupid rule about junk food. I can't understand why anyone would get exercised about it either way.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 12:17     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
zumbamama wrote:All cookies are banned? Even low-fat pumpkin oatmeal cookies?


Maybe if every student were entitled to special exceptions you're pumpkin can bring in your cookies. Otherwise, spread some frosting or cream cheese between two cookies and call it a sandwich (and be prepared to share!)
zumbamama
Post 09/10/2011 11:32     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
All cookies are banned? Even low-fat pumpkin oatmeal cookies?
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 11:11     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
I hate it when the language of choice is invoked to defend arbitrary exercises of power and when the language of community serves as a prelude to telling someone they should leave...
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 10:51     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
There were several incidents of kids falling down the stairs with wheeled backpacks at my DC's school. They didn't forbid them, but I do see a rational reason to do so.

I'm all for people questioning authority but I think kids need structure and to respect their community. Its one thing to raise your hand a question why a rule exists -- I'm all for that -- but its another entirely to simply break the rules. If you choose to be a part of a community, and private schools are a choice, you have to respect the rules of that community. Fine, raise objections, try to change the rules you don't like. But ultimately you either follow them or leave. You can leave.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 08:13     Subject: Re:It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:So far I think the rules make sense. The carpool is worked out to the second, with lots of sub-rules and restrictions. But they've been doing it for eons. Who am I, as a new parent, to rebel? There are reasons. And maybe it doesn't work the best for me personally, but some other rule on some other area, will.

We follow the school rules because we want DC to follow our rules. So we set the tone. If we really don't like how something IMPORTANT is going down, we join a committee and find a constructive way to voice our opinions. We've had lots of success at both schools so far with this approach.


There's the difference for me. We want our kids to question what they are told they must or must not do and to expect rational answers and/or legitimate claims to authority in response. Arbitrary rules and rules that exceed the scope of someone's authority don't deserve automatic compliance. Doesn't mean that the best approach is always to flout them but refusal to submit may be just as legit (and a lot more efficient) than committee work in some cases, especially when the rules aren't the result of a participatory process to begin with.

That said, junk food in school lunches isn't an issue for us (it's not something kid or parents want to include). Wheeled backpacks are something I'd give up only if an additional set of textbooks were provided for use at home. It's insane to expect kids to carry a lot of heavy school books back and forth on their backs while schlepping to and from public transit. And it's wrong to structure school around the assumption that they'll all have door-to-door car service.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2011 07:40     Subject: It irks me that both schools my kids attend are bossy about what to pack for lunch
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Cigarettes weren't allowed at my highschool, and guess what? Everyone of the stoners knew exactly where to go to light up. When they added a salad bar everyone loaded the salad with cheese and ranch dressing. Kids brought candy in their purses, and chips/sodas in their backpacks. Eating is such a basic, personal human function, let everyone else eat what they want and worry about yourself and your own kids. Items sold at the school should be healthy, but if you bring food from home it shouldn't be anyone else's business. The schools need to first worry about educating the kids. When they fix that, then they can start policing lunch boxes for whether or not mommy sent in a cookie.


. . . . So said the proud mommy of public school kids.


I'm confused by this. Private school kids don't eat cookies? Public school kids don't eat healthy food? What a bizarre, elitist statement.


You are confused. You have to read the thread to begin to understand.