Warm embrace for kids, or merely a psycho cry fest

The Seattle Times ^ | Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - | Keith Ervin

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

So much to say and only so much bandwidth to work with.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Please bump this to any other teachers you know. I would like to hear from any teachers or parents who have had events like this going on in their schools.

[noexcuses]

"One boy later told a counselor it had been the best day of his life; he felt as though 80 pounds had been lifted from his shoulders. "

Yeah, but can he read? Sheesh.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Wait until some kid figures out all those tears he shed on challenge day doesn't mean D%^^ when two weeks later he is still being called pinapple face because of his acne.

Then when he goes postal it will be the NRA's fault.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Challenge day sounds like a great place for boys to meet girls. At that age girls like the crying sensitive/feminine (look at the boy bands, Leonardo Di Caprio, etc.) type boy.

Go to challenge day, cry on a girl's shoulder, and come away with a girlfriend.

[Psycho_Bunny]

I live in downtown Seattle and can witness to the rest of you that this city is chalk-full of slack-jawed, prattle-headed twits.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

"A letter from Resource Realizations founder David Gilcrease to the parents of Challenge Day participants said "the next step for your teen" is the company's three-day, $295 Teen Discovery seminar. Brochures were provided for a May 3-5 seminar at the Ramada Inn on Northgate Way."

This seminar sounds fun (:-)

[John O]

After the final exercise — hugging as many people as possible in two minutes, to the theme from "Rocky"

Great! Group grope on school time and it's actually encouraged. And I bet the girls won't file harassment charges because it's part of challenge day!

Are all staff members and participating teachers licensed psychologists? If not why are they doing psychotherapy on our kids?

More and more I believe that those who choose to teach in government schools (and participate in this type of crime) should be at a minimum tarred and feathered. (I realize that some Freepers are trapped in the government schools. I hope they don't support this sort of crime against our children and our country)

God Save America (Please)

[Pete]

Aoki, co-president of the Parent Teacher Student Association at Washington Middle School, is one of many parents who credit the seminars with motivating their children to straighten up and with bringing families back together.

Maybe Aoki should stand up and take some responsibility for his family instead of handing it off to the government or some private corporation.

Mort Hurt, who went through seminars to support his daughter nine years ago, called it "a life-changing experience. ... If we had a program like this worldwide, we wouldn't be having the problems we face today."

Sounds like Mort-the-father went bye bye years ago.

Schools, eager to find antidotes to the damaging effects of cliques, bullying, and drug and alcohol abuse, have embraced Challenge Day in growing numbers. St. Joseph School in Seattle offered the program to sixth- through eighth-graders in February.

I prefer the antidotes called homeschooling and parental responsibility.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Meany Middle School Principal Christi Clark could not be reached for comment.

Obviously, the first thing they need to do is change the name of the school. :)

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

For the record, Aoki is a woman.

[dighton]

Meany Middle School

Great catch.

[Freakazoid]

Get your kids out of public school.

[scholar]

I prefer the antidotes called homeschooling and parental responsibility.

Yes, whatever happened to the concept of parents teaching their children how to be respectful and kind to others?

[robomatik]

"I live in downtown Seattle and can witness to the rest of you that this city is chalk-full of slack-jawed, prattle-headed twits."

I used to live in Durango, Co. and I know that a lot of kooky stuff originates in Scottsdale, Az. Actually, I'm surprised that the students werent required to bring crystals, tips about alinging their chakras, and that they werent taken to "sacred" vortexes and energy points in the mountains to facilitate their "healing."

When it comes to the promotion/creation of whack-jobs, Scottsdale is right up their with Seattle, San Francisco, LA, and NYC. (IMHO)

-robo-

[Orual]

Critics have accused Resource Realizations' seminars, like the better-known est and Lifespring trainings of the 1970s, of "brainwashing" participants.

[Pete]

Yes, whatever happened to the concept of parents teaching their children how to be respectful and kind to others?

For many parents, it disappeared when they dropped 6-week old Johnny or Janey at the daycare center. At that point, the inconvenience some call a kid became someone else's problem, right?. After daycare, it was into the government schools. My kid must be learning. He's in school, isn't he? Hey, this is great! Now I can focus on my career and get more stuff.

Johnny is misbehaving? Here's some ritalin. Johnny isn't learning? - poof - A "D" is a "B". Don't worry Mom and Dad, we will take good care of our...I mean your... kid - fill his brain with all the right stuff. You just leave it to us. And if things get a little out of control, well, hey, we'll have a group hug.

[summer]

A letter from Resource Realizations founder David Gilcrease to the parents of Challenge Day participants said "the next step for your teen" is the company's three-day, $295 Teen Discovery seminar. Brochures were provided for a May 3-5 seminar at the Ramada Inn on Northgate Way.

"While Challenge Day is a critical first step, a one-day learning experience only goes so far," Gilcrease wrote. "To create truly lasting transformation in their lives, most teens need more."

I am very troubled by this, as it is clearly an attempt to use the schools solely for marketing purposes. Anyone with more than 1/10th of a brain can see that. Why the principal and superintendent allowed this is a highly material question -- are they part owners in this company?

I certainly understand the need to have order in the schools -- and, to have students devoting their time to their studies, as opposed to wasting time on bullying and fighting.

Here is how I solved a problem with inappropriate student conduct here in a FL middle school where I taught, and this is a true story I have told before on this forum:

I told this male student that if he didn't shape up, I would call his parents and ask them to come and attend class with him -- and sit next to him in class.

Well, this kid just about died of embarassment at the mere thought of one or both of his parents hanging around him all day at school -- because he knew his parents would have done this at my request.

He shaped up.

[summer]

Please see posts #2 and #19. Thanks!

cc: big ern