Girl Suspended for Cartwheels

[Hobbit]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Cartwheels and handstands have gotten an 11-year-old girl temporarily bounced out of her Los Angeles-area school.

Deirdre Faegre was suspended for a week after repeatedly disobeying school officials who told her not to perform gymnastic stunts during lunchtime.

"Our first concern is the safety of all children," San Jose-Edison Academy Principal Denise Patton told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Patton said Deirdre could accidentally strike another student, or injure herself, and other children could get hurt trying to imitate Deirdre, who has been doing gymnastics for five years.

Deirdre's father, Leland Faegre, said it was absurd to suspend his daughter for doing gymnastics when students were allowed to play basketball and other sports.

"Contact sports, apparently, are fine. But this one is so dangerous it requires the cartwheel cops," Faegre said.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6800443

What the hell is wrong with school discipline policies. I keep hoping they'll add common sense, but it never happens.

 

[manu1959]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6800443

What the hell is wrong with school discipline policies. I keep hoping they'll add common sense, but it never happens.

maybe she wasn't wearing panties?

 

[musicman]

"....other children could get hurt trying to imitate Deidre...".

Now, we've come to the heart of the matter. Deidre is pursuing excellence, and excellence is not the agenda - equality is! It's not so much that someone could be hurt trying to imitate her; rather, rewarding talent, hard work, and individual achievement runs contrary to the education establishment's dedicated pursuit of mediocrity and sameness. What about the children who CAN'T do cartwheels? Think about their self-esteem! Sit down, Deidre. Shut up and be a good little drone.

 

[no1tovote4]

*** Heavy Sigh! ***

 

[krisy]

But students at some college(from another thread) can puton a play saying the wish the President death and that's o.k.

Suspended? She deserves jail time. Kart wheels have injured many,many children.

 

[Trigg]

In 20 years people are going to start complaining that we're a country of wimps.

In Schools;

No cartwheels (might get hurt), no tag (someone has to be it), no honor roll (makes the kids not on it feel bad), no telling fairy tails (to violent). Makes me wonder how I ever made it through my childhood doing all of these things.

 

[dilloduck]

In 20 years people are going to start complaining that we're a country of wimps.

In Schools;

No cartwheels (might get hurt), no tag (someone has to be it), no honor roll (makes the kids not on it feel bad), no telling fairy tails (to violent). Makes me wonder how I ever made it through my childhood doing all of these things.

Maybe if they play PC they will get in trouble for trying to be to equal and we will have come full circle.

 

[Hobbit]

Man, when I was in elementary school, I'd bloody myself playing sports and games EVERY WEEK, but not at the school, oh no. Those spazzes would freak. I did it in my neighborhood.

One of my larger scars I got at age seven and a cut that big would freak me out today (freaked my mom out something awful), but I didn't care. It didn't really hurt.

Oh, one hypocrisy is the whole "self esteem" thing. When I was in school, I had my self esteem lowered by bullies and jocks on a regular basis, but it was knowing I was in honors and on the honor roll that kept me going most of the time. Now, honor roll is gone, but teachers still take an "I didn't see it" stance on bullying.

 

[Gem]

My best friend Kelly could do one-handed cartwheels...I tried one once and my arm gave out...fell smack dab on my face on the playground blacktop...my mother could have killed me...school pictures were the very next day and I looked like I had been attacked by a rabid cat....lol. No one blamed Kelly...they blamed me for trying something I wasn't sure if I could do on the blacktop rather than the grass...duh!

It didn't destroy me, I laugh when I look at the picture now...and I could kick her ass at the 50m and 100m Butterfly on the highschool swim team...we all excel at something...

We are raising our children to be mediocre wussies....I'm petrified for what the future will bring...lol.

 

[NightTrain]

Hopefully Ah-Nold will step in and quash these Girlie-Men and their evil deeds!

Seriously, I'm sure he will, he understands the value of competition and athletics. These idiots at the L.A. school district need to be straightened out.

"Cartwheel Cops"... man, that's good, I'm glad that quote made it into the story.

 

[Joz]

Well, maybe lunch recess wasn't the place to do this activity. And maybe someone might have gotten hurt. And maybe she should have stopped when someone warned her. But suspension?? Do you think Deidre understands?
We just went thru the Olympics, where, 16 year old gymnast Carly Patterson was the second one to bring home a gold medal to the US. (Mary Lou Retton was the first in 1984). Miss Patterson also brought home a silver medal.
She probably doesn't.

 

[Gem]

recess isn't the place to do some cartwheels??? is that really the kind of world you want your kids to live in?????

you know...somone could trip during a game of tag or even duck duck goose...no more of that, besides...we don't like the implications of someone being "it," it means they are singled out, different...that could be bad for their self-esteem...so it is physically and emotionally dangerous...all games like tag, duck duck goose, hide and seek, etc. need to be banned, just like dodgeball.

and swings...have you ever seen how kids always jump off the swings? so dangerous...and slides? what if they climb over the side or fall off??? no, can't risk the lawsuits...no swings or slides allowed on the playground.

should we let them outside at all? I mean, what about air-born allergens...what about if its too cold for some or too hot???? no...we'll just keep them inside....they can't sit in a circle on the floor and talk about their feelings....much safer...

What??? Our children's obesity problem is skyrocketing? As is childhood depression, ADD, etc. etc. etc.....I wonder why???


(no, I'm not implying that cartwheels have been what was keeping children thin...simply making a point about the ridiculousness of decisions like this one)