Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Why did Denny Middle School have lockers….
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
November 15, 2011 at 12:03 am #601252
luckymom30Participantthat the students are not allowed to use? Wasn’t that a big waste of money? Public funds? 6th – 8th graders are not permitted to use the lockers and must lug all their belongings, instruments, backpacks, coats, everything all day long because they aren’t trusted to use them properly?
November 15, 2011 at 3:28 am #740444
WSBKeymasterHave you asked the principal?
It was alluded to at this meeting.
https://westseattleblog.com/2011/05/dennysealth-shared-campus-principals-talk-plans-logistics
Sorry I cannot remember his elaboration on the topic as to why. – TR
November 15, 2011 at 5:28 am #740445
ForestParticipantI don’t know the hallway widths at the new Denny school, but a school district rep at meetings prior to the WSHS renovation 10 years ago confided that open school lockers are technical violations of fire and safety codes as they relate to hallway obstructions. My guess is that lockers have been installed at Denny with some understanding that a code variance from the City Council will be forthcoming. I’d urge the Denny PTSA to call and write the school district to see what’s taking so long.
November 15, 2011 at 5:58 am #740446
QueMemberI was at the meeting that WSB is referring to. The reasons given were:
1. It makes the hallways really loud if they use the lockers.
2. Middle school students are not very organized and their constantly needing to head back to their lockers to get stuff is super disruptive.
3. This way, they always have their stuff.
4. When I asked about how heavy and cumbersome their backpacks must be with all their books in them, I was told, “We don’t use big textbooks in the same way that we used to in schools, so really, their backpacks don’t end up being that heavy”.
That being said, I have talked to 2 moms who say that they can’t pick up their middle schooler’s backpacks because they are so heavy.
This is certainly a concern of mine. Thanks for bringing it up.
November 15, 2011 at 4:06 pm #740447
luckymom30Participant19 pounds is the average weight, carrying up to 6 journals, a school planner, 1 1/2 inch notebook, library books with school supplies among other items. Oh and add instrument and coat.
We were told that the students only carry afew small books, but quickly found out every class requires a journal everyday it quickly adds up. And you are given just 4 minutes between classes to get to your next class while climbing the stairs loaded down with all your belongings. No wonder the kids are tired when they get home.
I will try to contact the Denny PTA president but I also am asking other parents to do the same, maybe if more of us complain they will think of another solution.
I was not aware of the fire/safety violation for using the lockers.
November 15, 2011 at 5:06 pm #740448
kootchmanMemberTextbooks? Why haven’t they gone to media yet? A lot easier to carry dvd/cd’s or better yet, access the texts online. Updates from publishers are easier and less expensive than new text book purchases. Lost books a thing of the past. Content can be enhanced, made interactive, homework submitted online. The American Orthopaedic Association has published weight limits and standards to prevent long term bone and nerve damage. Many schools have adopted these standards. I don’t know if this is the chart… but the recommendations should be followed.
http://ergonomics.about.com/od/ergonomicsforchildren/ss/bpweightchart.htm
November 15, 2011 at 5:09 pm #740449
luckymom30Participantbump
November 15, 2011 at 6:07 pm #740450
kellymParticipantonline media is great but what about access to this during the day not every student/class has computers/laptops nor does everyone have after school access to computers either.
my daughter’s backpack weight is a joke for her small frame no wonder it’s often dragged on the ground.
November 15, 2011 at 6:10 pm #740451
luckymom30Participantkellym have you spoken to Jeff clark about this? I feel if more of us parents voiced our opinions about this maybe we could come up with a solution so our kids weren’t lugging their belonging around all day.
I wrote Jeff Clark and I ask other parents to do the same.
November 15, 2011 at 6:45 pm #740452
DBPMemberThis is ridiculous. Somebody’s got to be exaggerating here.
[What? People exaggerating on the Blog? No way! Not in a million billion years!!!!!!]
November 15, 2011 at 7:43 pm #740453
luckymom30ParticipantDenny/Sealth shared campus: Principals talk plans, logistics
Maybe Jeff Clark should talk to the Sealth principal and see how it is done to allow students use of lockers.
November 15, 2011 at 7:44 pm #740454
yeah-meParticipantDBP, what part is exaggerated? Ok. Maybe not tiny mom being able to actually pick up the backpack.. But I’ll tell ya — my daughter is a forth grader and I sure wouldn’t want to carry her backpack around all day.
November 15, 2011 at 7:48 pm #740455
luckymom30ParticipantGet ready people if your child will be attending Denny they too will be lugging all their belongings all day (backpack, instrument, lunch even at lunchtime) long unless parents complain and do something.
November 15, 2011 at 8:15 pm #740456
DBPMemberNothing gets Seattle’s knickers in a twirl like the issue of schools. Judging by discussions here, you’d think we had one of the top-performing school systems in the country, but such is not the case.
Sorry . . . I just don’t see school lockers and the weight of textbooks as something parents/kids/teachers can’t handle on their own. Seems like what you should be more worried about when it comes to school is whether your kid is actually learning anything useful there or not.
But how much discussion do we see on that?
November 15, 2011 at 8:22 pm #740457
datamuseParticipantTextbooks? Why haven’t they gone to media yet? A lot easier to carry dvd/cd’s or better yet, access the texts online. Updates from publishers are easier and less expensive than new text book purchases. Lost books a thing of the past. Content can be enhanced, made interactive, homework submitted online.
I can give you a couple of reasons:
1. Students by and large don’t like e-textbooks (this isn’t just anecdotal; there are studies, including a recent one from UW).
2. Online access is not 100% reliable and requires the student to have the necessary technological devices, which they may not have.
3. E-textbooks are cheaper? Hoo boy, I have a beautiful bridge I’d like to sell you. They may be cheaper to produce but they sure as hell ain’t cheaper to buy.
4. Online homework interfaces are seriously hit or miss and often require more time and effort on the instructor’s part to deal with–time that most of them don’t have to spare.
E-textbooks may be It someday, but they aren’t yet.
When I was in junior high/high school my backpack was crammed with notebooks and textbooks. It was HEAVY. I can’t imagine having to do without a locker and having to carry that around all day.
November 15, 2011 at 8:26 pm #740458
luckymom30ParticipantThanks datamuse for your input.
The whole point of this posting was to get parents talking about this problem, get them to contact the school and get this ridiclous rule changed.
November 15, 2011 at 8:29 pm #740459
datamuseParticipantBelieve me, luckymom30, if I had kids I’d be on the phone. The rationale Que cited from the meeting strikes me as ridiculous.
November 15, 2011 at 8:31 pm #740460
BostonmanMemberIn Junior High and High School my backpack was always filled. They didn’t give us enough time to go to your locker between classes. Not only that but I walked to school, in Junior High it was about 3 miles, in High School I took the bus to Central Square and then walked about 2 miles. It was heavy, and annoying.
Guess what, I lived through it. If they put it on their back like its supposed to be then they will have less issues carrying it. If they carry it around by hand then yes it will be heavy.
November 15, 2011 at 8:40 pm #740461
365StairsParticipant20 lb. packs for the middle school ages should be..among other physical benefits at this ripe age…a character builder.
We are coddling our kids too much.
Agree with DP & Bostonman on this one. Focus is on the wrong issue.
November 15, 2011 at 8:45 pm #740462
luckymom30Participant•A loaded backpack should weigh between 10 and 15% of a child’s body weight, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. For example, a child weighing 100 pounds shouldn’t carry more than 15 pounds.
Wonder if Madison Middle School and or area middle schools allow students the use of lockers?
November 15, 2011 at 8:54 pm #740463
365StairsParticipantGood research Luckymom30. Now you are armed with the solution to this trivial issue.
Take an inventory of all the absolute necessities a middle school kid needs to carry everyday. Nothing more…nothing less. Standardize the backpack size for all kids and fit it all in there and see what it weighs…work backwards from there until 15% is achieved. Get the school board to agree to purchase scales…
These kids should see what a combat sniper has to carry in their packs…;)
November 15, 2011 at 9:53 pm #740464
BostonmanMemberMost kids nowadays are dropped off or take the bus from a stop close to the house right to school. So this whole argument is over the fact they need to carry around extra weight walking between classes which all in all is maybe 500 feet a day. We should be asking the kids what their problem is, as parents should we hire assistants to walk around with them in school carrying their backpacks and picking up their garbage?
November 15, 2011 at 10:22 pm #740465
WDParticipantLet them use the lockers that were provided for them… good grief. What’s the problem? Lockers have always been noisy and hallways have always been crowded. And Middle School students aren’t organized enough? Seriously? They are kids… what do you expect? You have to TEACH them organizational skills.
The lockers were provided for a reason… Let the kids use them and put some rules in place around when and how to use them. Sounds like the school personnel are more the lazy and or disorganized ones.
November 15, 2011 at 10:23 pm #740466
datamuseParticipantMost combat snipers aren’t middle school aged, 365Stairs. When they are, it’s usually considered a sign that something’s gone horribly wrong. For such a trivial matter, this seems to matter to you a lot…
November 15, 2011 at 10:40 pm #740467
365StairsParticipantOh datamuse…the literalist in you is truly aMUSEing…
My point was kids need perspective…perhaps it was a bit of a reach to compare combat snipers packs with what middle school kids carry…
“oops”
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.