Kids, adults shirking duties under cinematic spell of 'Harry Potter'

The Dallas Morning News ^ | 11/16/2001 | By MICHAEL PRECKER

[boxlunch]

By about noon on Friday, seventh-graders at Richardson West Junior High School should have an up-close-and-personal review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Ben Buchanan is going to the 9 a.m. show. He promises to make up any missed work, and Mom hopes the teachers will understand.

"We've watched Ben love Harry Potter for several years," Carol Adams says. "I think it's appropriate to honor that." The 12-year-old student recently wrote a book called My Year With Harry Potter, and he and his mom collaborated on a second volume about how to turn your favorite book into a game.

Whether or not that's a good enough excuse, they figure to have plenty of company in explaining their absence back at school or at the office. With the cinematic version of Pottermania officially beginning Friday, young and old fans alike want to beat the crowds that should start as soon as school is out and last all weekend.

"We just had to be at the first showing on the first day," says a Plano mom who's taking her third-grader out of school to catch an 11:15 a.m. show. She doesn't want her name, or her son's, in the paper.

"Last summer when we found out when the movie was coming out, we circled it on the calendar," she says. "He knew he'd get out of school to see it."

At least four area theaters, including General Cinemas at Irving Mall and Loews Cityplace, scheduled showings around midnight Friday for the 152-minute film, probably ensuring some groggy or tardy students later in the day. Plano school spokeswoman Nancy Long says the district expects students to be in class Friday – and to catch Harry Potter on their own time.

"Students reap the most positive educational benefits by attending school each day," Ms. Long says. "Missing school to attend any movie would be considered an unexcused absence."

The 48 third-graders at Ben Milam Elementary School in Dallas won't have to worry about their teachers finding out they're at the 9 a.m. show. The teachers are taking them. "We're using this as a supplement to their learning," says Mary Kaperzinski, one of the three teachers. "These are the things at school you'll remember for the rest of your life."

Ms. Kaperzinski began reading Harry Potter to her class in September. Soon, she says, the children had their own books, either to follow along with her or read on their own.

The teachers channeled their enthusiasm about the books into writing and creativity projects, then got permission for the whole group to attend the movie. Most, she says, are coming in costume.

"They are so excited," Ms. Kaperzinski says. "I'm going to have to bring them down [after the movie], because we definitely have some work to do in the afternoon."

It's not just kids who are rearranging their priorities for Harry Potter. Caroline Prothro, who works for an insurance company in Dallas, doesn't want to face the hordes of young fans who probably will pack theaters from Friday afternoon through the weekend.

"I'm sure it'll be mobbed with kids," she says. "So I decided I'm going to take a half-day off and go to see a matinee. It's the first time I've ever done something like that." ...

... many educators are thrilled at Harry's magical powers to get kids to read, she says some of her son's teachers don't like the supernatural aspects that have offended some religious groups.

"I'll just send a note saying he has to be somewhere," she says. "If he leaves after 9, it doesn't count as a day's absence. But he kind of told the kids on the playground. We hope they won't tell on him."

[boxlunch]

"We just had to be at the first showing on the first day," says a Plano mom who's taking her third-grader out of school to catch an 11:15 a.m. show. She doesn't want her name, or her son's, in the paper.

Not that she's doing anything wrong. She just doesn't want anyone to know about it.

The 48 third-graders at Ben Milam Elementary School in Dallas won't have to worry about their teachers finding out they're at the 9 a.m. show. The teachers are taking them.

And people wonder why we homeschool.

"I'll just send a note saying he has to be somewhere," she says. "If he leaves after 9, it doesn't count as a day's absence. But he kind of told the kids on the playground. We hope they won't tell on him."

Another great benefit, she's teaching him how to lie to his authorities.

[BluesDuke]

Oh, for God's sake, is this ridiculous or what? Puh-lease, children for generations have been missing school days on Opening Day of baseball season and no one is ready to proclaim the end of civilisation as we know it because of it...

[StockAyatollah]

Here here! As I have posted before, let kids be kids. If little Jane or Johnny misses one day of school nothing bad will happen to them. Furthermore, if it was one day of a public or a liberal private school the child is much better off.

[mxbluto]

she's teaching him how to lie to his authorities

Right. My child will tell 'his' authorities straight up where they can go.

[Russell Scott]

The reason people are interested in Harry Potter is because he has super-natural powers. As soon as the Christian church begins doing the works of Christ, and greater works of super-natural power, the world will be saying Harry who?, Jesus is the one I want to know about.

[JRandomFreeper]

I take the youngest out of school whenever the family has a good reason. Folks (and the school) may not agree with my reason, but I don't care, she's our kid, not the school's. We are very concerned about her education, and she goes to a private school.

It's nobody's business why I'm taking the kid out of school (barring abuse) and if I get quizzed, "None ya" is about the nicest answer anyone can expect. I'm a free adult, I don't have to explain myself to anyone.

/john

[BluesDuke]

If little Jane or Johnny misses one day of school nothing bad will happen to them.

This may amuse you:

In a restaurant near Wrigley Field there is this sign: "Any employee wishing to miss work because of death or serious illness please notify the office by 11 a.m. on the day of the game." In that spirit, the teachers of Victoria and Jon Will are hereby notified that, because of an annual April emergency, Victoria and Jon must be in Baltimore Monday afternoon. But Geoffrey Will will be in school, drawn by love of learning (that's a joke, son) and baseball practise. - George F. Will, "An Exacting and Elevating School," 2 April 1989.

But I am also compelled to wonder: Had the little 'uns been kept out of school to attend the premiere of, say, Stuart Little, or Cats and Dogs, would there have been even a sixteenth of the brouhaha being kicked up by young Mr. Potter's film premiere?

(All things considered, I am also somewhat surprised that similar brouhahas are not aroused for Opening Day games of the Anaheim Angels, given that there was once a player - Gary Gaetti, since retired - who surveyed the weird fortunes of the team, usually ill fortunes afield, and became convinced there were witches haunting the ballpark.)

[boxlunch]

The day of school their missing is not the point. The point is WHY their missing the day and what the parents are teaching the kids by taking them out and lying to the teacher about why their taking them out.

[Libloather]

More Cabbage Patch crap? This ain't the end of it...

[strela]

This is going to shock some of you, but I actually WALKED OUT of Harry Potter this evening. I made it through about 50 minutes of the picture, but had to leave.

(Of course, the real reason I left was this damnable toothache I'm suffering, and I couldn't sit still with the blasted thing throbbing like it is. Hope the codeine holds out till Monday (when the oral surgeon is scheduled to remove the thing).

[CrossCheck]

On Nov. 15 (opening day of deer season) here in Michigan, thousands of young'uns dumped school to go out in the woods to see if they could kill Bambi. What's the big deal?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

We went to see Harry Potter this afternoon, just AFTER school let out in case you are wondering!

After all the articles I have read about the evils of the Harry Potter series, I was stunned by this movie! It was fabulous! It is truly a "good triumphs over evil" movie.... the entire story line is based on good deeds and helping others..... the stories of "animal sacrifice" are total bs..... an EVIL being killed a unicorn, and the good people in the story tell Harry that nothing good ever comes from an evil deed.....

I am a Christian, and I believe there is a difference between "fictional entertainment" and some sinister, underlying plot to take over the minds of children....

[BluesDuke]

The point is WHY their missing the day... - Well, with such spelling as yours, one understands why you might be put off by the thought of being kept out of school a day. But would there be such ranting and raving, I ask again, had Mom and Dad taken Junior or Juniorette out of school for a day to go to the ballpark on Opening Day, or to catch such premieres as Stuart Little, or to get a head start on the 'NSync tour premiere?

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

It's just a movie, c'mon, not like the kids are being taken to a pub or a strip club. Ditto BluesDuke and StockAyatollah, let kids be kids, life's too short not to have innocent fun. If they're god fearing, church goers like mine, they can recocile on Sunday; no harm, no foul.

[Mr.E]

Tickle me Elmo ...

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

Okay, okay, now I'm the pot calling myself the kettle black. Wish I had spell check on this thing. Do I? I know, reconcile is not spelled recocile. Dohhhh! At least I can laugh at myself, god knows you have to...

[wwjdn]

This is what Harry Potter is all about...Lying, cheating, and so on.

Homeschooling is the way to go.

If a teacher took kids to a story about Jesus she would have been fired...It's a very sad state of afairs these days...The world is upside down.

[sarasmom]

I guess your name says it all.<> I have been eagerly awaiting the movie since my child is too young to be "read the books". From the stance of a registered Republican, I am amazed re the negativitity about this pretty simple series of books.<> Have you read them?<> What evil did they impart to you? It's a fairy tale for goodness sakes! If you need a battle to fight, may I suggest the current one? The one the grown-ups are involved with.