Posted on 03/23/2007 10:30:42 AM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. -- One Bloomfield Hills school is enforcing a new policy that will end the use of a popular Web site on the premises.
St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic School students were informed recently that under a new school policy, Think First, Stay Safe, the use of MySpace.com will be prohibited at school and at home.
The policy states that students enrolled in the school can't have a MySpace.com account or any similar type of personal site, according to a news release.
(Excerpt) Read more at clickondetroit.com ...
Educators can be control freaks, public or private.
knowing some of my fellow parents at these schools, they are at least half the problem. the school bends over backwards to discourage underage drinking at dances, proms etc. Parents are the ones presiding over the parties where alcohol is served.
ping
I am curious about your stance here. If students at a school (public or private) were using myspace as a tool to embarrass the school or a teacher or fellow student, would you think it was the school's obligation to do something about it?
Yeah. If someone else is brought into it and defamation of charcter is going on, then the school or other party has an interest in doing something about it. I'd think dealing with it on an individual basis in that case would be a better option than simply banning it for everyone just because some might abuse it.
It sounds like the school decided on this policy recently. If it's a change in policy from what the parents and students originally signed up for, then I think they're out of line. If it's clearly stated in the rules from the beginning and the families agree to it at the start, that's different.
Moral issues are different. God has established right and wrong and expects His people to behave in an appropriate manner but in areas where Scripture isn't clear about things (although I know myspace can be abused) I'm not comforrtable with people imposing standards that there isn't much justification for.
As far as the argument of *sending kids elsewhere*, that isn't always an option. We live out in the coutry and there's not much *elsewhere* to go. Options here are really limited. If you don't like the local Catholic scool or Christian school (note singular) that doesn't leave much.
have you BEEN to myspace and seen what is posted there?
Doing the right thing isn't easy. Sometimes, things come out that are well intended but a bit over the top. That's all that I'm cautioning against.
I am sitting here at home, presiding over the start of a regular Friday night teenage party at my house, hosted by my son. We get anywhere from three to ten teenagers. They do what kids do until about 11 p.m. or so, and generally make a mess of the place. I sit right here at the PC, making smart remarks and keeping a loose eye on them. They don't mind me and I don't mind them until it comes time to clean up :) (And we're working on that.) But we have an understanding and no one gets out of hand. It's an experience for me and they don't seem to mind having an old fart hanging out nearby. I will admit that they can make me blush at times. At least I know where my children are, eh?
sounds like you are doing a great job: ) i agree i am happy to put up with my kids friends being here, and the noise and mess that entails, rather than have them at someone else's house where the parents may not even be home. i see far more damage done by lax parenting and a lack of rules, than i see of dmaage done by either parent or school overdoing it. i guess that's why i come down where i do on this issue.
LOL Well, if you went to parochial school, I think you know that a lot wasn't allowed, unless you went to a very unusual school. The boys' and girls' Catholic schools in my hometown had fairly strict rules for "outside" behavior.
I understand. It's a tough job and you have to draw the line somewhere. Sometimes I take the more risky road when it comes to decisions, and my hair stands on end when I do that. It's a fine line when it comes to over or under doing it.
Your last line is the sad part. True, but sad. I know a lady who's boys have her as a friend on their Myspace account. She also has a lot of their friends on her account.
If parents monitored more they could talk to and ask their child how they know who is on their list.
Except for bands on my own account I can say that I have met about 85% of the people that I have on my own friends list. It's like anything else on the Internet. The wrong people can use them for evil purposes. No matter how well intentioned. Ten years ago the Internet as a whole was considered evil and to be avoided by many people. This time it's specifically MySpace.
When my oldest is 14 I will probably tell him to wait a few more years to use myspace. Mostly because of the ads. But, that is my own decision. Not because someone else said so.
That school would get a phone call from me telling them that my policy is "I" set the policy at home and they can mind their own damned business.
Yeah. MY kids have friends who have accounts there but they keep it pretty decent so what I've seen doesn't fit with what I hear, although I don't doubt the reports for a minute. Anything can be abused and knowing how I've seen kids dress and act, I can only imagine.
"LOL Well, if you went to parochial school, I think you know that a lot wasn't allowed, unless you went to a very unusual school. The boys' and girls' Catholic schools in my hometown had fairly strict rules for "outside" behavior."
Yeah, boy, my buddy and I were pushing it to the limit :) We baked some really good (salt, I mean) SUGAR cookies for a faculty meeting one time. Yes, sugar cookies. Mmmmm. You didn't arbitrarily mess with those Christian Brothers who had taught in schools in South Philly. No way.
Have you been to NYC and seen what can go on there? Have you been to the beach and seen what can go on there?
Should the school ban students from ever going to NYC or to the beach?
Agreed. I get so tired of "it's for the children" crap. Every aspect of our life is soon going to be monitored or regulated in the name of "safety".
A kid could just create a myspace account and then just tell the school system that it isn't theirs and someone else must have put it up there.
listen, you raise your kids the way you see fit, because i am doing fine with mine. we live in northern VA, my 15 yo son and 18 yo daughter go to school in DC, no one is living in a bubble here. but i see absolutely nothing wrong with a school prohibition against having webpages. i have said repeatedly my husband and i are paying hefty tuition for their education and are grateful that it includes safeguards like these. you don't want those safeguards, fine, you do without.
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