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R.I. School Bans Talking at Lunch (WHAT'S NEXT....BREATHING???!!!)
The Associated Press / http://www.saintroseschool.com/ ^ | 1/25/07 | JUSTIN M. NORTON

Posted on 01/25/2007 5:45:29 PM PST by paulat

R.I. School Bans Talking at Lunch

Jan 25 6:22 PM US/Eastern

By JUSTIN M. NORTON Associated Press Writer

WARWICK, R.I. (AP) -- Class, from now on there will be no talking at lunch. A Roman Catholic elementary school adopted new lunchroom rules this week requiring students to remain silent while eating. The move comes after three recent choking incidents in the cafeteria.

No one was hurt, but the principal of St. Rose of Lima School explained in a letter to parents that if the lunchroom is loud, staff members cannot hear a child choking.

Christine Lamoureux, whose 12-year-old is a sixth-grader at the school, said she respects the safety issue but thinks the rule is a bad idea.

"They are silent all day," she said. "They have to get some type of release." She suggested quiet conversation be allowed during lunch.

Another mother, Thina Paone, does not mind the silent lunches, noting that the cafeteria "can be very crazy" at the suburban school south of Providence.

Principal Jeannine Fuller did not immediately return a call seeking comment, but a spokesman for the Diocese of Providence described the silence rule as a temporary safety measure.

Spokesman Michael Guilfoyle said the school does not expect complete silence but enough quiet to keep students safe.

Lori Healey, a teacher at the school who also has a son in third grade, said "silent lunch" means students can whisper.

"They know it's not for punishment," she said. "It's for safety, and they'll be the first ones to tell you."

Stacey Wildenhain, a teacher's assistant at St. Rose, said her 7-year- old son does not mind the policy. He told her: "The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get out to play," she said.

Amanda Karhuse, of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, said that students should not run wild during lunch, but that they also should not have to remain silent.

"It seems kind of ridiculous in our opinion," she said. "Kids need that social time, and they just need time to be kids at that age."

The principal's letter also spelled out other new lunch rules, including requiring students to stay in their seats and limiting them to one trip to the trash can. Any child who breaks the rules will serve detention the next day.

Paone's 6-year-old son, Joey, said he accepts the changes, but some of his classmates were having trouble obeying the rules.

Kara Casali, who also has a 6-year-old son at the school, said the rules against talking will be tough to enforce.

"I can't imagine having a silent lunch," she said.

___

On the Net:

St. Rose School: http://www.saintroseschool.com/


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Rhode Island
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To: paulat
"No one was hurt, but the principal of St. Rose of Lima School explained in a letter to parents that if the lunchroom is loud, staff members cannot hear a child choking."

LOL! Bizarre.

21 posted on 01/25/2007 5:57:57 PM PST by spunkets
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To: paulat

I hope no one chokes in the bathroom...

"Oops, can't have any more bathroom breaks..."


22 posted on 01/25/2007 5:58:34 PM PST by CommandoFrank (Peer into the depths of hell and there you will find the face of Islam...)
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To: paulat
"I can't imagine having a silent lunch," she said.

I know it's wrong for kids, but I for one enjoy silence from time to time.

The ladies yip-yap nonstop while we fellas are concerned mostly with stuffing our faces.

With that, allow me to add...

*BELCH*

(... now that's entertainment...)

23 posted on 01/25/2007 5:59:50 PM PST by Enosh
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To: okie01
BTW...I was raised a Catholic...not one any more...but it is my heritage and orientation...

I just don't get this "keep 'em quiet or drug 'em" mentality that's out there about kids.

When I had issues...I left in the morning after my chores and rode my bike until I had to help for dinner (no lunch). That burned off my "issues."

These kids are being strangled.

And we wonder why so many are fat and listless.

24 posted on 01/25/2007 6:00:49 PM PST by paulat
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To: Dallas59

You know, back when the Flying Nun was on TV and I was like 12-13 years old.

I used to think about Sister Bertrille in a way that was...

Well, let me put it this way.

It wasn't like she was exactly saying her prayers.

If you catch my drift.

25 posted on 01/25/2007 6:01:33 PM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: bannie
"Hitler Youth?"

No, just brain dead.

26 posted on 01/25/2007 6:03:26 PM PST by spunkets
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To: Clintonfatigued
Schools are more and more resesmbling prisons.

Except that in prison you can still get an education.

27 posted on 01/25/2007 6:05:06 PM PST by bws53
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To: paulat

The school I teach at already mostly bans talking at lunch. I think it's so unnatural to not speak while eating. In Indiana we often have to stay inside for recess during the winter, and the students watch movies. They don't get to talk all day. If my own child were at that school, I would raise a huge stink about it. I've tried to change things as much as I can, but there's nothing I can do. The administration mostly wants all the students AND teachers AND parents to sit down and shut up about everything.


28 posted on 01/25/2007 6:07:32 PM PST by ReagansShinyHair
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear
But I thought school was to socialize kids.....

School is to provide careers for administrators and keep them safe from responsibility.

29 posted on 01/25/2007 6:07:49 PM PST by Grut
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To: bws53
Except that in prison you can still get an education.

LOL!!! Parents seem to want their kids fat and silent.

30 posted on 01/25/2007 6:08:28 PM PST by paulat
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To: paulat
"I can't imagine having a silent lunch,"

Such flippancy ignores the thousands before her who choked to their deaths at that very cafeteria.

31 posted on 01/25/2007 6:09:26 PM PST by Rudder
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To: ReagansShinyHair
The school I teach at already mostly bans talking at lunch. I think it's so unnatural to not speak while eating. In Indiana we often have to stay inside for recess during the winter, and the students watch movies. They don't get to talk all day. If my own child were at that school, I would raise a huge stink about it. I've tried to change things as much as I can, but there's nothing I can do. The administration mostly wants all the students AND teachers AND parents to sit down and shut up about everything.

...oh, my.....

32 posted on 01/25/2007 6:09:58 PM PST by paulat
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To: paulat
And we wonder why so many are fat and listless.

And alienated.

The "keep 'em quiet and drug 'em" mentality seems to trace to teachers. FReeper teachers, take no offense -- I'm not talking about you.

Teachers who don't know their subject, can't engage the kids to teach it effectively and, thus, can't maintain control of their classroom. The whole motivation for the public education hierarchy is no longer to "teach", but to "control".

What has happened to public education (recognizing that the subject school in this thread is a Catholic school) is an absolute shame.

33 posted on 01/25/2007 6:10:40 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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To: ReagansShinyHair
And when my kids were in public school some of the elementary schools banned talking at lunch. It's not an unusual thing. But I will never understand where in the book of life it says that young children can be educated by sitting at a desk and filling in the blanks all day long and those that have trouble doing this are dysfunctional.
34 posted on 01/25/2007 6:16:17 PM PST by Essie
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To: paulat

At the Catholic school I went to a hundred years ago, no one was permitted to talk at lunch. Which means we ate our own lunches Then we packed up and went out to play for at least 30 minutes. In all weather except raining buckets.

some of my children went to Waldorf school where they went out in all weather. It was part of learning about nature.


Today in the school in our local town the children are not permitted recess if the temp and wind chill factor combine to be 15 degrees. NOT MINUS 15 degrees. Just 15 degrees. It hits that often in these northern climes.

The childrens' theory is that there are some teachers who dont want to stand outside and they lobbied to pass this ridiculous rule.


35 posted on 01/25/2007 6:17:58 PM PST by Chickensoup (Idiots!! I tell you...they're all idiots!!!)
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To: Chickensoup
At the Catholic school I went to a hundred years ago, no one was permitted to talk at lunch. Which means we ate our own lunches Then we packed up and went out to play for at least 30 minutes. In all weather except raining buckets.

I went to Catholic school in the mid-60s. For the life of me, I can't remember any rule not to talk. But we DID go outside, no matter what the weather!

We also walked to school, no matter the weather.

Of course, there were no sex predators every other block....

36 posted on 01/25/2007 6:24:00 PM PST by paulat
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To: paulat
I should make a reasoned, adult response to these people. But instead, I'm just going to say what I really think of them.....

Not a day goes by that I don't feel glad about having homeschooled my [successful college graduate] kid.

37 posted on 01/25/2007 6:31:07 PM PST by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s......you weren't really there)
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To: ChildOfThe60s
Not a day goes by that I don't feel glad about having homeschooled my [successful college graduate] kid.

I would bet your kid is, too!!

38 posted on 01/25/2007 6:33:52 PM PST by paulat
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To: paulat

I remember reading children's stories and wondering how the kids traded their lunches in the stories. It took me a while to realize that of course, they could speak!


39 posted on 01/25/2007 6:34:26 PM PST by Chickensoup (Idiots!! I tell you...they're all idiots!!!)
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To: Clintonfatigued; DaveLoneRanger; 2Jedismom; Aggie Mama; agrace; Antoninus; arbooz; bboop; blu; ...

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the "other" articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. If you want on/off this list, please freepmail me. The main Homeschool Ping List by DaveLoneRanger handles the homeschool-specific articles.

Thanks for the ping, clintonfatigued.

40 posted on 01/25/2007 6:35:20 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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