From: L638615@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM (STAFFORD, KD)
Subject: Re: 64 Kindergarten Blues
Organization: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 21:25:07 GMT

I'm sure it depends on the school, area, etc. but....the school my son
went to for his kindergarten year and part of his first year wasn't like
your article describes it.  I, myself, used one of the "little girls"
bathrooms and found them perfectly sanitary (except for maybe the wet wads
of paper stuck to the ceiling).  As far as the playgrounds go...the older
children wouldn't dare be caught on the "baby" playgrounds!  And in our
experience, Brandon's daycare was on-site at the school where the older
kids were mixed in and for the most part they helped the caregivers with
the younger ones.  Of course, you'll always have bullies and trouble-
makers but we found they were the exception, not the rule!  Hope that
makes you feel better!

Kelly

------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
I recently received a newsletter from our local (Boulder, CO) Children's
Services Division.  It had a few informational tidbits for parents and
caregivers, but one in particular really disturbed me.  It was called
"Singing the Kindergarten Blues: Helping Your Five-year-old Enter School."
The article painted a very grim picture of the condition of schools
today, and, even though my eldest is only 3, I'm concerned about what
he'll have to face when he does enter school.

Here are some excerpts:

"The Playground: It's noisy, usually disorganized and frequently much
older children mix with the younger ones during the general recess periods
even if they're not supposed to....Some good-natured ribbing is a natural
part of initiating the new kids.  Listen to your child's experiences and
try to decide for yourself when or if you should intervene.  While
children should not feel threatened on the yard, rescuing a child at an
inappropriate time can make things worse."

"Going to the Bathroom: ...If you haven't visited an elementary school
bathroom for a while, believe all your child's complaints.  They do stink
and the kids do on occasion use the floors, sinks, etc.  There is very
little, if any, privacy....This is one of those "what choice do you
have?" situations in life...it's the public latrines or not at all.
...if the bathrooms are truly gross, point this out to the principal
who probably hasn't been foolish enough to step inside one for years."

"The Cafeteria: Many kindergartners now eat at school...Whether you bring
your own lunch or buy lunch at school, the cafeteria can be another
overwhelming experience--noisy and chaotic.  And the food, what can
we say?  Most school food is cooked off-site, days ahead of time."

"The Bus: If your child is bused (as many children are), the situation
is almost identical to the playground and the cafeteria--noisy, confusing,
etc....crabby [bus drivers] got that way with good reason."

Actually, most of this is not surprising--except the word on bathrooms.
I was appalled by this description of bathroom conditions--are they
really that bad?  I suppose a lot of this varies from region to region.
At any rate, the entire tone of the article sort of disgusted me...it
was like "this is how things are, and there's not a thing you can do
about it, so just accept it."

Say it ain't so?

--
Diane Diesh
diane@advtech.uswest.com

Newsgroups: misc.kids