that can't be for real...
-----Original Message-----
From: "Scott MacLean"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: 13/02/03 1:10:07 PM
To: "MacLean List"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Gun word
And you think "gun nuts" are bad - get a load of these nuts:
Gun control: Schools ban even the word
Sarah Ruttan
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Seven-year-old Chloe Sousa knows how to spell 'gun,' but her mother Amanda
says the word has no place in Chloe's Grade 1 curriculum.
The Upper Canada District School Board has removed the word gun from all
spelling tests in its schools as a result of a complaint by parents of a
Grade 1 student.
Every Monday, Chloe Sousa, 7, comes home from Lombardy Public School with a
list of 10 words to learn, and each Friday her class is tested on these
words. By last week, the class had worked its way through the alphabet to
the letter G.
Amanda and Mark Sousa, who consider themselves to be pacifists and who are
raising their two young children with this governing belief, were shocked
when Amanda's spelling list last week included the word gun.
"I realize people hunt in this area, but I still don't think that warrants
the teaching of this word to my daughter or any other child," said Mrs. Sousa.
The Sousas relocated to tiny Lombardy, about an hour west of Ottawa near
Smiths Falls, from Kingston, where Mr. Sousa still works, to be closer to
family.
Mrs. Sousa wrote a letter to her daughter's teacher describing her views on
the word gun, her unease with any child learning to spell the word, a few
alternatives, and the wish to speak to the teacher about its inclusion on
the list.
"The word gun is synonymous with death. I'm racking my brain trying to
figure out why a seven-year-old would need to learn this word," said Mrs.
Sousa, who admits she was hesitant to bring her views forward for fear of
backlash from the school toward her daughter, and because some may view her
problem with the word gun as another political correctness issue gone too far.
"For a split second I considered whether or not I should raise this issue,
but I knew I had to stand up for what I believe in. This was not right,"
she said.
"I don't think this is an issue of political correctness. It's an issue of
protecting your child from violence. Guns are violent. End of story," said
Mrs. Sousa.
The Sousas did not hear from the teacher. Then Chloe was sent home later in
the week, again with her list, which now came complete with pictures beside
each word.
"It wasn't a water gun or a toy gun, it was a pistol," said Mr. Sousa.
"I was horrified that not only were we ignored, but now my daughter is
carrying around a picture of a gun," he said.
Mrs. Sousa then decided it was time to call the school to speak to the
principal.
Not long after she placed the telephone call yesterday, the teacher
returned her call and apologized for the word being part of the test, as
did Terry Simzer, a public relations specialist for the school board in
which the Lombardy Public school belongs.
Mr. Simzer explained that the word gun had been in the curriculum for a
number of years, but as of yesterday, gun has been removed from the
spelling test because of the Sousas' complaint.
"I can't say how many years it's been used, but a number of years, yes,"
said Mr. Simzer, and he defended the word as being a good phonetic word and
short vowel word that is easy for young readers to learn.
"We do appreciate the sensitivity around the word, especially in these
times, and have taken the word from the list because of this parent's
complaint," he said.
"But children do hear this word every day on the news, particularly about
blank registration -- I don't want to say the word so I don't offend
anybody," added Mr. Simzer.
"We are quite happy that the whole matter has been resolved and the word
will no longer be included in our curriculum."
Although the Sousas remain disappointed the word was ever included in a
Grade 1 spelling test, the family is happy with the outcome.
"Even after all of the obstacles I'm happy with the conclusion," said Mrs.
Sousa.
"I accomplished what I set out to do and that was to have this word removed
from my daughter's spelling list."
_______________________
Scott MacLean
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
ICQ: 9184011
http://www.nerosoft.com
