Letter to James' Principal
Mr. Xxxxxxxxx,
I am taking the time to contact you because I feel it is important for school administrators to hear the voice of their families. Today I phoned Xxxx Middle School and inquired about President Obama’s speech of next Tuesday.
From what I was told by your assistant, the speech will be shown via Closed Circuit Television and will be incorporated into the lesson plan for the day. I am vehemently opposed to this idea, for it reaches beyond the scope of the school’s responsibility.
I followed up my call to Xxxx Middle with a call to the Deputy Superintendant, to whom I was unable to speak with at the time, but with whom I left a message requesting a return call. My message to him is the same as to you: I do not believe that it is within the pervue of the public school system to bring religion, morals, values, nor volunteerism to my child. Teaching those things to my son is my onus my job, and my pleasure.
The assistant to the Deputy Superintendent spoke of the possibility that a child might be allowed to opt out of the viewing of the President’s speech, but as I see it, this option is no different than allowing a child to opt out of praying in schools. Sure, Little Johnny can skip the speech (praying) but this is perfect fodder for teasing and ostracization at an age when such things can be, and often are, detrimental to a child’s healthy development.
So, sure, I’ll allow my son to watch with his class, I’ll not ask him to willingly make a potential target of himself; I’ll not make a stink of it all at Xxxx Middle nor at the District level. What I will do is prepare my son with information about the La Jolla clean up day, the volunteer positions at Starlight Theatre in Balboa Park, at the Polanski Center for Women, and the bucketful of other opportunities which abound here in San Diego. I’ll also continue his religious education through example, classes, community-based programs and youth groups.
But I still contend that these last duties are mine and mine alone and should not be infringed upon by anyone, even our esteemed President of the United States, who elected to serve us, not us to serve him.
Thank you, sincerely, for your time,
Yvonne Hunt
Bell Alum, ’84-‘85
123.456.7890
yhunt@xxxxx.edu
I am taking the time to contact you because I feel it is important for school administrators to hear the voice of their families. Today I phoned Xxxx Middle School and inquired about President Obama’s speech of next Tuesday.
From what I was told by your assistant, the speech will be shown via Closed Circuit Television and will be incorporated into the lesson plan for the day. I am vehemently opposed to this idea, for it reaches beyond the scope of the school’s responsibility.
I followed up my call to Xxxx Middle with a call to the Deputy Superintendant, to whom I was unable to speak with at the time, but with whom I left a message requesting a return call. My message to him is the same as to you: I do not believe that it is within the pervue of the public school system to bring religion, morals, values, nor volunteerism to my child. Teaching those things to my son is my onus my job, and my pleasure.
The assistant to the Deputy Superintendent spoke of the possibility that a child might be allowed to opt out of the viewing of the President’s speech, but as I see it, this option is no different than allowing a child to opt out of praying in schools. Sure, Little Johnny can skip the speech (praying) but this is perfect fodder for teasing and ostracization at an age when such things can be, and often are, detrimental to a child’s healthy development.
So, sure, I’ll allow my son to watch with his class, I’ll not ask him to willingly make a potential target of himself; I’ll not make a stink of it all at Xxxx Middle nor at the District level. What I will do is prepare my son with information about the La Jolla clean up day, the volunteer positions at Starlight Theatre in Balboa Park, at the Polanski Center for Women, and the bucketful of other opportunities which abound here in San Diego. I’ll also continue his religious education through example, classes, community-based programs and youth groups.
But I still contend that these last duties are mine and mine alone and should not be infringed upon by anyone, even our esteemed President of the United States, who elected to serve us, not us to serve him.
Thank you, sincerely, for your time,
Yvonne Hunt
Bell Alum, ’84-‘85
123.456.7890
yhunt@xxxxx.edu