Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The whole tone of the letter is very condescending and disdainful. I understand dealing with stinky, dirty kids on a regular basis is unpleasant, but there is definitely a more tactful and respectful way she could have addressed the situation. Even if my child got this note and I knew that she was NOT one of the kids being referred to in it, I would still be disturbed by the disdain this teacher has for small kids.
And why on earth would she have a line for a 3-4 year old child to sign? That was just plain stupid. If she felt such a need to send a message to the parent, that's between the parent and the teacher, NOT a preschool aged child. It doesn't look like this teacher has either the tolerance or the common sense to be working with children this age.
In some schools, it is school policy that students (no matter their age) also be aware of and sign letters that the parents are required to sign. Usually, it is something like every parent and their child sign that they are aware of and the child will follow school rules, school computer policies, behavior management programs, etc. But, some schools do it on other notes as well.
So don't blame the teacher when it may be a school wide policy for everyone from preschool to sixth graders.
In some schools, it is school policy that students (no matter their age) also be aware of and sign letters that the parents are required to sign. Usually, it is something like every parent and their child sign that they are aware of and the child will follow school rules, school computer policies, behavior management programs, etc. But, some schools do it on other notes as well.
So don't blame the teacher when it may be a school wide policy for everyone from preschool to sixth graders.
Well whoever's idea it may have been, I think it's a dumb one. Messages like this don't need to be told to preschoolers.
In some schools, it is school policy that students (no matter their age) also be aware of and sign letters that the parents are required to sign. Usually, it is something like every parent and their child sign that they are aware of and the child will follow school rules, school computer policies, behavior management programs, etc. But, some schools do it on other notes as well.
So don't blame the teacher when it may be a school wide policy for everyone from preschool to sixth graders.
I do blame the teacher, because given the information in this particular letter and especially the WAY she chose to convey that information, such as not wanting to touch them or some kids giving off a foul odor, she should have realized how a little 3 or 4 year old would take that kind of criticism even if she were not even talking about them. She did send the letter to every parent, not just the ones with problem children. Are the kids supposed to know who she's talking about, or know that it's not them that she "doesn't want to touch?" Are the ones who do perhaps have negligent parents who don't care for them properly not supposed to feel humiliated and ashamed of what their parents aren't doing? That's where the teacher's common sense should come into play. If she had even a little bit, she would not have sent such a letter to every household and expected the CHILD to sign it. That is ridiculous in my opinion.
The note probably could of been worded a bit better, especially the part about not wanting to be around them or touch them. A bit more tact. I still think that she was within her right to say something.
I used to send my kids to a daycare many years ago. Some of the kids there stunk so badly that you could smell them clear across the hallway. It was wretched and these were kids on the older side--not small kids in diapers. Big difference between a dirty diaper and a kid that smells unwashed for days.
The note probably could of been worded a bit better, especially the part about not wanting to be around them or touch them. A bit more tact. I still think that she was within her right to say something.
Agreed. The part about not wanting to touch them was excessive, and was probably half the reason for all the outrage. They were given the perfect excuse to write it off as the teacher being a b**** instead of an actual, honest-to-goodness lack of proper hygiene.
Parents should support the teacher and fire the principal. As a person that financially supports the school although I have never had children in the school I do expect students to arrive at school clean, fed, and mentally ready to benefit from the money I spend yearly. I expect parents to be fully engaged via homework, extra reading, limited TV, etc. in the education of their children albeit I am paying for that education. I even pay for transportation for these kids.
I have a hard time with how this rude letter was written, but I understand the sentiment. I taught in the inner city of Houston, and I was amazed at how some people sent their children to school. (Most of the homeless kids were clean and well dressed in comparison to some of the kids.)
Here were the worst offenses:
Children who hardly ever bathed...maybe once every few weeks.
Children who wore soiled clothes to school. They were soiled with old urine and feces. The parents knew we would give them a change of clothes, which were never returned. We would also wash the soiled clothes and return them to the family.
Children whose hair was not washed or brushed at all for a week or longer. Some had lice crawling on their scalp that you could see without trying to.
I know life is tough and some people don't have money to buy clothes or have access to a shower and laundry machines, but somehow even the homeless kids managed to be relatively clean and neat. It was weird that the kids who really had legitimate reason to be dirty or disheveled were mostly clean. It really came down to neglect, and I had to report many families to CPS over the years.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
