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RatherBknitting
Chatty Knitter
213 Posts |
 Posted - 02/16/2006 : 2:33:34 PM
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I hope I'm not getting off on a tangent, but here's a ridiculous story for you.
My daughter is 12, 6th grade, in a gifted and talented class. Very special young woman, excited about everything. I taught her to knit, and she wanted to knit for a charity. So, we researched and chose the Mother Bear Project (teddy bears to orphanages in Africa, mainly due to AIDS). She took her knitting to school one day -- the teacher said that she was welcome to knit during free time. She got a whole group of the kids from the 6th/5th grade classes excited about both knitting and knitting for a charity. The kids started bringing their supplies to school, and my daughter taught them all to knit.
The principal found out, and banned knitting needles from school -- "because they are considered weapons". So much for kids setting good examples for others...
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rather be knitting
Seriously Hooked
USA
954 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 2:55:32 PM
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| I don't know what kind of school your daughter attends -- and if attempts at violent crime are the norm. But it seems that the principal is an ignorant jerk. I just read a newspaper article this week (sent to me by my mother) about a teacher in CT who reads to her class while they knit. She has found it increases their focus and reading comprehension! There are lots of solutions to his concern. Is there an adult who "supervises" free time? If not, could some parents or teachers be found to volunteer to do this? Maybe an discussion with the knitters about the "appropriate" use of knitting needles and the "consequesnces" of inappropriate use. There's a prison program where the men earn the privilige to knit (search the charity knitting KR forum for more info, or PM me and i'll find the link) -- if hard-core felons can be trusted with knitting needles, i think they could be safe in the hands of 5th/6th graders. Besides learning knitting skills these kids are getting to learn and practice far more important human values of compassion, caring, giving... These are qualities that are all too needed in our crazy, mixed-up world. I hope the kids' parents get together and advocate for the kids. |
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rather be knitting
Seriously Hooked
USA
954 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 2:57:26 PM
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| I don't know what kind of school your daughter attends -- and if attempts at violent crime are the norm. But it seems that the principal is an ignorant jerk. I just read a newspaper article this week (sent to me by my mohter) about a teacher in CT who reads to her class while they knit. She has found it increases their focus and reading comprehension! There are lots of solutions to his concern. Is there an adult who "supervises" free time? If not, could some parents or teachers be found to volunteer to do this? Maybe an discussion with the knitters about the "appropriate" use of knitting needles and the "consequesnces" of inappropriate use. There's a prison program where the men earn the privilige to knit (search the charity knitting KR forum for more info, or PM me and i'll find the link) -- if hard-core felons can be trusted with knitting needles, i think they could be safe in the hands of 5th/6th graders. Besides learning knitting skills these kids are getting to learn and practice far more important human values of compassion, caring, giving... These are qualities that are all too needed in our crazy, mixed-up world. I hope the kids' parents get together and advocate for the kids. |
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lizknit
Permanent Resident
USA
1179 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 7:51:52 PM
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No good deed goes unpunished. Anything can be a weapon in the wrong hands. I think the principal was a little over zealous but that's his/her prerogative, I guess. It's a shame that after your daughter got so many kids interested in knitting and in helping others that their enthusiasm had to be squelched that way.
The cat, the only self-cleaning appliance in the house |
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Atavistic
Permanent Resident
6604 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 8:06:48 PM
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Before I could start the knitting club at my school, I had to address the "knitting needles are a weapon" thing. One day one of the paras found a preK student with one of the chopsticks that we use as needles are started freaking out.
Amanda,
who
Knits
"Is that my Not-Mine Sweater? Whoever gets that Not-Mine Sweater is very lucky." |
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achrisvet
Permanent Resident
USA
5986 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 12:28:51 PM
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Gee, I hope they don't allow any pencils, or worse yet, compasses in the school!
Anita
My completed projects
and here
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Atavistic
Permanent Resident
6604 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 12:41:09 PM
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Actually, the compasses we use are flat safety compasses. Like this:
http://www.highhopes.com/safe-tcompass.html
I love them because they're super easy to store when not in use.
Amanda,
who
Knits
"Is that my Not-Mine Sweater? Whoever gets that Not-Mine Sweater is very lucky." |
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comfybev
Chatty Knitter
USA
256 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 2:24:19 PM
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Perhaps the knitters at the school could be supplied with plastic or bryspun needles as opposed to metal ones.
Take care, Bev
2006 FO Count: 3
OTN: cuff down socks, toe up socks, Knitting Olympics "fair isle beret" project
http://bwdiaz.blogs.com/comfybev/
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Schachkoenigin
Chatty Knitter
166 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2006 : 2:40:21 PM
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| Maybe your daughter and her friends could meet at your house, or someone else's, if they can't knit at school? |
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Janice Rosema
Chatty Knitter
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2006 : 12:46:17 PM
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| What kind of world are we living in or should I saw existing in today? Knitting is dangerous and requires a warning label now! That is nuts! In the Waldorf schools, it is part of the curriculum to teach kids knitting in elementary school. Good hand-eye coordination, problem solving and learning patience (unthinkable in a world dedicated to instant gratification and sound bytes). G-r-r-r! |
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procrastiknitter
Permanent Resident
Canada
1415 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2006 : 1:15:14 PM
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Not to mention that schools can obligate students to play full contact sports! Where is the sense in that?
What would chairs look like if our knees bent the other way? |
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achrisvet
Permanent Resident
USA
5986 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2006 : 1:16:36 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Atavistic
Actually, the compasses we use are flat safety compasses. Like this:
http://www.highhopes.com/safe-tcompass.html
I love them because they're super easy to store when not in use.
Amanda,
who
Knits
"Is that my Not-Mine Sweater? Whoever gets that Not-Mine Sweater is very lucky."
I have not seen those before! I wondered whaat they were doing about compasses now that everything is dangerous. When I was in school we had those hinged metal things that you had to lock a pencil in and the other end was a sharp metal spike!
Now everything is perceived as such a menace. In my area last year they shut a school down for days and brought in a hazmat team because someone broke a thermometer. When I was a kid we used to love it when a thermometer broke so we could play with the mercury. Somehow I lived.
Anita
My completed projects
and here
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procrastiknitter
Permanent Resident
Canada
1415 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2006 : 1:20:09 PM
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Not to mention that in middle scool I [indirectly] learned how to make weapons [throwings stars, shop class] and bongs [science class]. No real way to teach the legitimate curricula without imparting the knowledge and equipment to make the illegal object. But look out for knitting needles! Of course, if they make and use a bong, they would be too chilled out to use the knitting needles as a weapon. That propbably wouldn't be a practical solution, though...
What would chairs look like if our knees bent the other way? |
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lisa@niceknits.com
New Pal
9 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2006 : 9:42:57 PM
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That is outrageous! I think that will definitely be one my of new "you know the world is crazy when" stories. Of course, I always thought that about the knitting needles being banned from planes in the first place. Although I did have one stewardess ask me not to knit during take off because she had a "vision" of me poking my eyes out. (I was making a sock; I guess it looked pointy!) That was a little strange. But it did make me think twice and I now usually keep the knitting away from all eyes during take off and landing!
~Lisa
Be nice. Knit nice.
www.NiceKnits.com |
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knitting_physicist
Chatty Knitter
122 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2006 : 09:27:22 AM
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That is so ridiculous. First of all, the first pair of knitting needles I had my husband brought to me from the supply closet at his school! Secondly, has anyone ever seen those little white plastic knifes for lunches they give out? Yeah, one of my husband's students (a six-year-old) was threatened by four others (also only 6) with those plastic knives...they planned to kill him with them. So yeah, I am REALLY worried about those CRAZY knitters. You never know what they might pull!
-Sarah
No...gravitational physics makes the world go round. |
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lilsis
New Pal
1 Posts |
Posted - 02/25/2006 : 7:11:04 PM
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If I were them, I'd start knitting using pencils or pens! Just to prove a point  |
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Atavistic
Permanent Resident
6604 Posts |
Posted - 02/25/2006 : 7:57:24 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by knitting_physicist
Secondly, has anyone ever seen those little white plastic knifes for lunches they give out? Yeah, one of my husband's students (a six-year-old) was threatened by four others (also only 6) with those plastic knives...they planned to kill him with them. So yeah, I am REALLY worried about those CRAZY knitters. You never know what they might pull!
Wow. I haven't seen a plastic knife in public elementary schools in at least 10 years. We have sporks. And that's it. Not even forks. Sporks. Do you know how hard it is to eat anything with a spork??
Amanda,
who
Knits
"Is that my Not-Mine Sweater? Whoever gets that Not-Mine Sweater is very lucky." |
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BLN3320
Permanent Resident
USA
3808 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2006 : 01:02:54 AM
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Hi, Amanda: Sporks? Is that what they now call them. I am an old lady and in my mother's sterling flatware she had what was called ice cream forks--looked like a spoon but with rather rounded tines. What goes around comes around sometimes in a different fashion. To be honest they weren't all that hard to use and you could have a little bit of ice cream and a little bit of cake. Thinking back, there were rather nice. However, they weren't plastic but silver. Perhaps that is the difference--solid. Take care, Beverley 
Bev |
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Atavistic
Permanent Resident
6604 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2006 : 06:59:07 AM
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Bev, sounds like the same thing. If these were metal, the tines might actually stick into fruit. Since they're plastic, the tines just sord of bend and the fruit slides off. Yep, spork, for spoon+fork.
Amanda,
who
Knits
"Is that my Not-Mine Sweater? Whoever gets that Not-Mine Sweater is very lucky." |
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NCmusiclady
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
541 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2006 : 09:26:51 AM
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I think I would collect as many articles as I could that talk about how knitting is good - for all the reasons mentioned. Those of you that have articles - we should send them to the principal of said school so that he/she is inundated (sp?) with a whole slew of articles.
I wouldn't let this go...and I think I would print out all the responses here as well and send them to the principal...and maybe the school board President...and maybe send the Pres copies of the articles.
It's amazing how things are done if you go over their heads.
I would stay quiet about it but wage this through the proper channels. If your child's teacher is in your corner, enlist his/her help in finding out to whom to send the articles.
Let us know how we can help!!! |
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ozknitter
Permanent Resident
Australia
3248 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2006 : 7:25:05 PM
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Hi,
I just cannot believe this, this is just beyond the pale.
Knit in peace and harmony.
Rose in Melbourne, Australia. |
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