[Don Corleone]

Sounds like a typical Liberal...doing all the Wrong things for all the right reasons.

[jwalsh07]

I'll characterize this thread as swallowing the AP whole. LOL

[Nexus]

My public middle school cafeteria had a reversable sign on the main post with "quiet" on one side and "talk" on the other.
After any altercations or other shananigins, it would be "quiet" for at least a few days during lunch as punishment.
The area in which I lived wasn't the greatest, so "quite" lunches would occur more often than not.

[Blowtorch]

When I was in fifth grade I had to go two days without talking for saying "shut-up" to a classmate. This wasn't my teacher's policy but some snub-nosed temoporary sub that my teacher didn't agree with but complied with the new "rules" until the sub left. It was a punishment that was more hurtful than constructive, and since I've grown older I realized how wrong it was.

Since this is a religious school I guess they can do what they want, but I'd pull my kid out in 2 seconds if this went on where he was going to school.

[Kaylee Frye]

When I was in elementary school, we simply had a big stop-light hooked up to a noise detector and when the volume got too loud, it went yellow, then red. We were all to keep the volume in the green zone. Worked fine for us. We could still talk, but it was quiet enough not to be unruly.

[zbigreddogz]

I'm guessing this policy will be reversed pretty fast. No sane parents would leave their kids in an environment like this.

If I had my kid in there, I would pull my kid out so fast it would make your head swim.

[twinzmommy]

If you can *hear* them (as in coughing or making noise) aren't you supposed to let them try to get it up themselves? I thought Heimlech and such were only supposed to be done when the airway was blocked entirely.

And do the teachers have to be silent too? What about just having teachers SIT with the kids and encourage positive conversation during lunch?