Posted on 12/18/2008 2:36:42 PM PST by Cindy
http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14102&AlertID=934
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14100&PRID=759
December 18, 2008
Sixth-Grader Penalized For Mentioning Jesus in His Christmas Paper at School
www.LC.org
Hattiesburg, MS – Eleven-year-old Andrew White wrote a poem about Christmas but received a deduction for writing about Jesus. His teacher, Latasha Atkins, insisted that mentioning Jesus was not allowed and asked him to write a new poem.
Andrew and his classmates were assigned a creative expression paper for the Winter Writer’s Board as part of his sixth-grade language class at Thames Elementary School in the Hattiesburg Public School District. He could choose among three topics, and he chose to write a poem about “what Christmas means to me.” After turning in his rough draft, Atkins circled the word “Jesus” and deducted one point from his grade. The teacher explained to Andrew that he was not allowed to mention Jesus at school and would need to rewrite the poem for his final draft without using the word “Jesus.” He attempted to rewrite the paper according to the teacher’s instructions.
Andrew’s parents discovered what happened because Andrew was late turning in the final draft and was notified by the teacher. Atkins sent an email to Andrew’s mother explaining the situation. In her email, she specifically stated: “He and another child did a poem about Christ. I know we can't discuss these type [sic] of things in school so I asked the two of them to do another poem of their choice.” Andrew’s parents encouraged him to use his original poem as his final draft.
Andrew’s poem, “A Great Christmas,” reads: “The best Christmas ever is when everyone is there. It is when everyone is laughing here and there. That is the Christmas I want to share. Christmas is about Jesus’ birth. About peace on Earth. This is what Christmas is about. It is when He lay in a manger. And the three wise men come to see. That’s what it means to me.”
Principal Carrie Hornsby sided with Andrew and his parents, changing his grade to a 100 and conceding that there was nothing improper in using Jesus’ name. Hornsby had each teacher send out a letter for all the parents to read regarding religious expression at school. The letter clearly explains that religious expression is permitted under federal guidelines. However, despite promises that these papers would be posted on the Winter Writer’s Board for all to see, Atkins has refused to post any of the papers from the class.
Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law commented: “Some educators need education that the story of Christmas is not banned from public schools. I am relieved that the situation was resolved by the principal but horrified that a sixth-grader was told by his teacher, ‘we can’t discuss these types of things in school.’ I don’t understand why some people don’t get it. Christmas is a state and federal holiday. Schools are closed to celebrate this holiday. Obviously, Christmas is constitutional.”
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Bttt.
I like the way you supply light.
Thanks.
“He and another child did a poem about Christ. I know we can't discuss these type [sic] of things in school
Besides being horribly lacking in US Civics, the teacher also appears to be a dismal Language teacher.
Unlike Delaware, where I came here from, the VEA is not a union in the same way as the DSEA. Delaware teachers are unionized, Virginia teachers are not. It is one of the major reasons we are and not DE or MD (there are other counts against both, but we’re talking schools here.)
What grades are your children in and what type of school do they attend?
As rural and poor and backwards (according to many) that Accomac County is, I will pit any 5th grader I know against 5th graders in even the best of the public schools in Delaware.
The VEA looks out for its members, as any professional association should, but it sure as heck doesn’t have the kind of legislative clout in Richmond that the DSEA has in Dover.
I am also anti-union, but I accept the fact there are exceptions to every rule and even some union members are trying to work from within to make changes. However, I do not agree with impugning all of a group, in this case pubic school teachers, because of a particular subset of them.
I have dealt with good teachers and I have dealt with bad teachers, thankfully since I’ve lived in Virginia I have dealt with very few of the latter.
That is fair enough but I do believe that the goal should be to eliminate unions as a political force and the only way this is going to happen is if we refuse to pretend that some how most union members don’t tow the line. 67% of them did vote Obama. And 76% of them in 2006 voted Democrat in 2006 which was key in swinging the balance of power. If we do not stop them we are going to find ourselves living in a US that resembles more Venezuela than a free nation. I opt out of public schools and home school my kids though I still am forced to support them against my will through taxes.
My niece attended her sons (ages 5 & 6) Christmas party at their elementary school today. In looking through the pics she had posted on her myspace page, I noticed one of a tree in the schools hallway. It was covered in handmade paper angels.
I teasingly told my sister that I needed to alert the ACLU since young minds are being corrupted. How refreshing it is to live in one of the reddest counties of a now blue state (NC).
May the blessings of our Lord and Savior be with us all this Christmas season.
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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
Apprentices who work a full 40 or more hour week, 50 weeks or more a year, and likely no benefits, sick time, personal holidays, or gold plaited pensions and retirement benefits. They also do dangerous, dirty, wet, cold, or hot work, and are likely to damage their bodies do to contorsions required by the work. If they don't do their work correctly ** 100% ** of the time they could careless kill themselves, their co-workers, or their clients.
Besides all of the above, you actually need to be smart to be an electrician and likely these guys can do fractions, decimals, and percentages.
Since were having a contest here, my homeschoolers were in college at the ages of 13, 12, and 13. All finished all general college requirements and Calculus III by the age of 15. The two younger had B.S. degrees in mathematics by the age of 18.
So?....Where's the government school that can do that, Gabz?
Discuss the issues all you want but do not make it personal.
So noted.
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This is so terribly wrong. There have been many articles like this over the years, and as it gets closer to Christ-mass, more surface. By removing the very foundation of freedom - worship of God - our country will disintegrate faster than we will believe. For now, IMO, massive homeschooling is one step in the right direction.
>> People who read a story like this and just assume this behavior encompasses all public schools are just plain ignorant.
Ignorant? Don’t be a dope.
The teacher should be fired.
I know; it's awful isn't it? I mean all these poor adults FORCED at gunpoint to take jobs that pay so little. And yes: we, the taxpayers, should be made to feel guilty for it.
Raise my taxes. Please. It's the least that should be done...
One of my second grade son’s classmates said in class, “if Santa doesn’t come, there won’t be Christmas”. The teacher (public school) corrected him, stating “no, Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth”. Thank God for the Bible Belt!
You get what you pay for, that's the American way. If you want a good doctor, lawyer, "teacher" whatever...its going to cost for a good one. If ya don't, there are droves of inferior ones out there (like the one in this story) who will work cheaper, just don't whine when their work is substandard.
Most of the ps teachers I have met do a good job, the boob mentioned in this article is the exception not the rule.
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