November 18, 2009

Chivalry Isn't Dead, It's Just Been Sent Home with a Note to Its Parents

At my son's school they have a system of discipline that involves cards of some sort that the kids pull when they have been acting out. At cards two or three you start losing your recess time and around the fifth time (in one day) you have to go pull a card you get sent to the office.

We've been having an interesting time with the card pulling situation. In kindergarten Julius never pulled cards. For some reason in first grade he averages about three per week.  We have been puzzled by this and the nearest we can make out is that he's just not being kept busy enough and so he will dig through his backpack and look for stuff or go look out the window or stand in line at the pencil sharpener (only two people allowed at a time) or whatever and then he gets in trouble for "not staying on task" or "not following instructions".

The other day he came home and told me right away that he pulled a card and said, "But I can explain. You have to hear the story..."

Apparently he was at the pencil sharpener and a little girl came up and needed to sharpen her pencil. He, being a gentleman, offered to sharpen the girl's pencil for her. He claims that socializing at the pencil sharpener is what got him in trouble.

"All I did was ask her if she wanted me to sharpen her pencil!"

"Well, you were talking and that's probably why you got in trouble. I know you were trying to do something nice and that was awesome how much of a gentleman you were, but you also have to remember to follow the teacher's rules or take the consequences."

And what about the little girl in the story?

Julius says, "She really did want me to sharpen her pencil for her."

Yeah, score one for the red-headed cutie with the dimple!

15 comments:

  1. That Julian is just sooo chivalrous! What a cutie!

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  2. Oooh, watch that little scamp, he's going to be a right little chick-magnet!

    What a sweetie :)

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  3. Up to now I always enjoyed cards, whether they be for poker or birthdays or Christmas.

    Trust school to ruin a good thing. LOL

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  4. Aw that's adorable. Maybe the teacher is just jealous that no one ever offers to sharpen her pencil.

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  5. I love the title of this one - it's perfect! LOL!

    Julius is a real gentleman and I sincerely hope this combination of classroom repression (no socialising at the pencil sharpener? What?) and political correctness doesn't knock it out of him, bless his heart.

    I doubt it will, though. He sounds like a self-confident little chap, and with you to support him at home and provide some sensible explanations and balance, his individuality and huge personality will survive.

    Cards! Sheesh ... *Walks off shaking head*

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  6. Even teachers have admitted to me that talking socially may be cause for a checkmark at school but it is actually a positive characteristic for a person to have. He sounds like a happy boy.

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  7. awww he shouldn't have gotten in trouble for that! grrr @ that teacher :) love ya Wendy ♥ sure did miss you

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  8. First grade...and a little boy has got to figure out the complexities of social engagement, manners, and teachers expectations...ouch.

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  9. He may be a rebel, but he's a sweet litte radical!

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  10. But did the little girl get in trouble? That's the real question.

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  11. The school sounds like it's a bit too twitchy in handing out those cards. Juliu sounds like a gem, but hardly a rampant troublemaker. What do they think will happen at the pencil sharpener if there are more than two people?

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  12. Sounds like he is in the army instead of first grade. Wow kids have it much harder now. Next thing you know his assignments will need to be typed and double spaced.

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  13. I see this is where my computer decided to act up. I'll try this again.

    I'd rather my kid get in trouble for being nice, that hitting a kid, or copying off of someone else's paper! LOL! He is too cute!

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