Posted on 06/14/2007 8:18:08 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3
INDIANAPOLIS -- Sixth-grader Matt Porter didn't enjoy getting "Most Likely Not To Have Children" and "Sir Clowns-a-Lot" awards from two teachers at his school.
His parents aren't pleased, either.
Matt said he received the awards in front of classmates during a ceremony at the Decatur Intermediate Learning Center at the end of the recently finished school year. His mother and his stepfather have asked the Decatur Township school system to reprimand the teachers, and they want an apology.
"Words cut deeper than any knife could. They hurt," said his stepfather, Joseph Sims. "When you hurt a child like that, you not only hurt him mentally, but it does hurt physically because you withdraw within yourself. That is what Matthew has done."
The certificates were signed by the teachers who distributed them. Matt recalled what the ceremony was like.
"I was standing in the middle of (the two teachers), and they (were) reading them off," he said. "Everyone was laughing."
Matt felt humiliated.
"They (were) putting us down and everything," he said. "That is not what their job is for, to put kids down. They are supposed to teach us."
Amy Sims, Matt's mother, said she met with a school official over the matter but was not satisfied with the response.
"She just told me that the teachers would call and apologize to him, and we've not heard anything at all," Amy Sims said.
Gary Pellico, spokesman for the school system, declined to say whether the teachers have been disciplined. He said system officials regret the incident.
"We don't feel like it was an appropriate awards ceremony at all," Pellico said. "It wasn't part of the school's award ceremony, and it will not happen again."
Amy Sims said her son needs counseling because of the awards. The school has offered it, but an agreement on who will provide it has not been reached, Thomas reported.
Oh dear. Two soppy humorless parents raised in the self-esteem culture and a milquetoast whiny brat who can’t take a joke.
Bring back the dunce cap and let kids get a serious taste of the real world.
Doesn’t sound like that school is onboard the “Self-Esteem is Everything” express.
Yo, Matt!! Think you can milk this for all it’s worth???
The teachers shouldn’t have given these awards publicly, just
to themselves, yes, but my goodness, it’s not like the child will be traumatized for eternity, let’s get some free bucks from the school system to make up for our lack of parenting skills, okey dokey mom and dad?!
Hope Matt’s learned his lesson and next year will win “Best Behaved Student in 7th Grade!”
Anyone want to bet no child of ‘color’ endured this type of thing?
Just a thought.
So you'd be OK with this if it was your kid?
What an idiotic thing for teachers to do.
Don’t worry, they’ll just put him on the “juice”.
When she graduated elementary school she won the award for being a chatter box.
Every kid got something and none of the awards were flattering, it was all in good fun.
She’ll be staring her third year of college and she still has them prominently displayed in her bedroom and she loves them and the memories they rekindle.
IMO some one should have taught this kid how to lighten up and roll with it.
O, for the love of Pete.
I now crown him, “Sir Sniveling Little Rat Faced”
This is the parents’ fault, as well as the kid’s and teachers.
His behavior shouldn’t have been so bad during the year that the teachers felt a need to do this to him.
I got no sympathy for the kid or the parents. Good behavior=good consequences. Bad behavior=bad consequences. Pretty simple.
On the other hand, my mother always said, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but little words do not harm me". I like my mother's approach better.
How about calling him “Brave Sir Robin” instead?
If you're a wuss they do. Life is tough, wear a helmet.
I missed that in the story. I'll have to go back and read to find where it says that his behavior was so bad during the year that the teachers felt a need to do this to him. Thanks for pointing it out.
This is why “hate crimes” laws are incorrect.
Bring back the dunce cap and let kids get a serious taste of the real world.
Award ceremonies can be fun and can be humorous. I'm all for that. But teachers should not use insults or demeaning humor toward students in any setting but especially not a public setting like this. It was totally inappropriate and the parents are absolutely right to be angry.
BFD!!
We had awards like this in my 6th grade chorus... I think I got the “Handwriting most resembling chicken scratch” award or something..
It was true, my handwriting was ridiculous! I laughed, and moved on!
I feel bad for this kid though.. this preciously guarded little hothouse flower is going to have a tough time in the real world, where not everyone will think he is perfect like mommy and daddy do.
Dear Parents: STFU!!
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