First day of school jitters, aka "open mouth, insert foot"

[pgwenthold]

I was reading this article about the first day of school at the local catholic schools:

http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/NEWS040101/708160345/1152/NEWS

and was struck by this comment by the new primary school principal:


It wasn't just the new kindergarten students who were nervous on their first day at St. Mary Cathedral School Wednesday morning.

The new principal, Kimberly Overmyer, had a few butterflies as well.

"I am really excited," Overmyer said as she greeted families. "You always have butterflies the first day. But as soon as the kids come in with their cute little uniforms, you think, this is what it's all about."


Yowch. It's all about "kids...with their cute little uniforms"?

She's a new principal. I hope in the future she will learn to watch what she says a little more carefully.

I didn't think that catholic schools required uniforms because they were cute?

[Alt+F4]

Yeah, Catholic schools certainly have changed since I was a student in one in the '70s. Back then you were certain to get your first nun wack by 10:00am on the first day.

[pgwenthold]

The nun I had in 2nd grade used to take her big nun ring and turn it so the stone was on the palm side, and the slap us up side the head.

It hurt. A lot.


More to the point (which I think should be obvious), folks should be careful about talking about "kids in cute little uniforms" Male or female, I don't care. And in a catholic school, of all places?

[Ryokan]

Moral panic much?

[Ysidro]

I don't get it.

[Oliver]

I don't get it.


Ditto.

Her comment: "But as soon as the kids come in with their cute little uniforms, you think, this is what it's all about", can be misinterpreted in many ways.

Maybe she's just pedophile or has a school-uniform fetish, for example. :boxedin:

[Goshawk]

It's possible to think kids in uniforms look cute without necessarily being a pedophile, you know. ;)

[Puppycow]

It's possible to think kids in uniforms look cute without necessarily being a pedophile, you know. ;)

I was thinking the same thing. Children are cute. It is completely normal to think that children are cute. It doesn't mean you want to molest them. It wouldn't have occurred to me to think that statement implied anything bad.

[Alt+F4]

It wouldn't have occurred to me to think that statement implied anything bad.

Neither did I. I think the most disturbing thing about that article is that school reopens on August 16th!

[PrincessIneffabelle]

When I read the quote, my thought was that Kindergarteners do indeed look sweet in their "cute little uniforms". My 1st-Grader still looks downright adorable in his little uniform, as do all of the other little Kindergarteners and 1st-Graders at his school!

I guess since I'm the mother of a young child, it's okay for me to say that, right. I sure wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

[PrincessIneffabelle]

I think the most disturbing thing about that article is that school reopens on August 16th!

My son just started 1st Grade on August 6th. The Kindergarteners started on the 13th. Hold on, it's really not as dismal as it sounds! His school doesn't have any more school days per year than the traditional schedule; they get the August vacation days that they missed "paid back" by having a few long breaks during the rest of the school year. For example, while some of the other schools are still in session, my son gets the last two weeks of October off. He'll also get extra time off in December and throughout the year. So, yeah, they are starting early, but they're not in school more days than the old schedule.

[baron]

I was thinking the same thing. Children are cute. It is completely normal to think that children are cute. It doesn't mean you want to molest them. It wouldn't have occurred to me to think that statement implied anything bad.

Ah, that's because you're not keeping up with the media hysteria. Best thing to do is make a list of what's acceptable nowadays and keep it up to date. Latest entry - "Referring to child as cute".

[LibraryLady]

Yeah, Catholic schools certainly have changed since I was a student in one in the '70s. Back then you were certain to get your first nun wack by 10:00am on the first day.

You got to whack nuns?

[Wheezebucket]

Uniforms, booooo!

[Alt+F4]

My son just started 1st Grade on August 6th. The Kindergarteners started on the 13th. Hold on, it's really not as dismal as it sounds! His school doesn't have any more school days per year than the traditional schedule; they get the August vacation days that they missed "paid back" by having a few long breaks during the rest of the school year. For example, while some of the other schools are still in session, my son gets the last two weeks of October off. He'll also get extra time off in December and throughout the year. So, yeah, they are starting early, but they're not in school more days than the old schedule.

It seems many schools are experimenting with alternative vacation schedules. The big problem is when you have siblings in different schools. It's havoc trying to schedule child care and/or vacations.

[Charlie Monoxide]

I was raised Catholic and sent to Catholic schools until high school (thank jebus). The first day of school was always tough for me, going to school in a uniform. I had an older sister and I always got her hand-me-downs ...

Charlie (it did teach me to fight though) Monoxide