Condoms for kids in Provincetown Massachesetts

[Dave]

If this program was available to high school and maybe middle school kids then maybe it wouldn't be so bad but making the condoms available to ALL students in the school system. Another issue with the program is that ALL students are in the program, parents are not allowed to opt their kids out of the program. Hopefully the superintendent see's the err in her ways and changes the program so that its at least more age appropriate.

(CNN) -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick urged a school district to revise its policy allowing students as young as in elementary schools to get condoms if they are believed to be sexually
active.

"It is simply not age appropriate to have a program in place for such young children, not to mention not having parents of such young children involved," Patrick said in a statement.

"Comprehensive reproductive health education needs to be done in an age appropriate manner."

The policy -- passed this month -- has no minimum age on supplying condoms to students. It allows nurses to give condoms to students they think are sexually active after counseling and education
without informing their parents.

Provincetown school district superintendent, Beth Singer, who wrote the policy, said she wanted to ensure students of all ages requesting condoms get information on their
use.

"Sex has no age limit. It's an individual scenario for each person," Singer said. "We can't put out an age for using condoms."

Singer said the policy is being misunderstood and was never intended for elementary school students.

It makes it clear that "we are against (students) being sexually active," she said.

The superintendent urged parents to discuss sex issues with their children, including letting them know that abstinence is the only safeguard.

A Provincetown school committee voted unanimously for the policy June 10. It was due to go into effect in the fall, but the committee plans to
re-examine its wording amid the concerns.

Some parents in the school district decried the policy, saying it encourages children to be sexually active.

"This policy is stripping children of their innocence and making them more vulnerable to sexual predators," said Sherri Smitt, whose daughter graduated from Provincetown High School.

Evelyn Reilly of the Massachusetts Family Institute called the policy "absurd" and said it does not give parents a say.

"Sex ed allows parents to make the decision to opt their child out, this policy is essentially saying it's not the parents business if their child is
having sex," Reilly said.

"It is emotionally, physically and psychologically disturbing."

[Willy]

This is why public school systems are failing. They have no business promoting anything but the three R's. This is why folks are sending their kids to private schools and home schooling. I feel sorry for those trapped in a public school system that tries to control the private lives of it's students. This is just another example of more liberal / porgressive intrusions into other peoples lives.

[Sweater Cows!]

Well, my kid doesn't need them from school, she can grab them from my sock drawer whenever she wants. She doesn't know what they are as of yet but if she gets a bf I will have no prob showing her what they are and how they work.

It has been made very clear to her how babies are made. I found anatomically correct diagrams (like in a health/anatomy/biology book) of the male and female reproductive systems on line and explained with visual aides from the diagrams that the penis must be put into the vagina and then the sperm from the testes goes through the penis then goes into the vagina and then into the uterus and mixes with an egg from the females ovaries, implants into the inside of the uterus and a placenta is created to feed the baby and that is why we have a belly button. I also explained that the period(menses) happens to remove the inner lining of the uterus so that when the egg drops from the ovaries the zygote can implant easily.

We also went over how the egg carries half of the DNA (23 chromosomes) and the sperm the other half(chromosome=23).>>> BTW a human cell has 46 chr.; ppl w/ downs syndrome only have 21(42)br /> They must bind together to create the complete DNA molecule, which is the coding for how the cells will grow, I also found a nice picture of the double helix and chromosomes and showed her that to show how it is split and reconnects to create one programmable cell. We did not get into into genes and alleles,dominant or recessive and such yet.

Now what i don't understand is why people have such a difficult time explaining this to there kids. It is easy to understand when explained this way and the kids learn proper terminology.

Although the kid tunes out about half way through I see no reason to keep this info from a 3rd grader. She will be years ahead of her classmates when she gets into higher level science.

Farm kids in the world and esp. the past(1800's) have a better understanding of breeding and reproduction than many of the nitwits in tenth grade now days.

This is why public school systems are failing, They teach the 3R's to the point of boredom, so that kids can pass tests only. ADHD is abundant because kids are tortured with dreadfully boring curriculum. That does not teach them one bit how to think, have common sense or get by in life. It only teaches them to memorize pointless crap to score high on a test. Of course they need the three R's but they also need to learn reality without the head burying 'my kid won't get knocked up if we hide reality from them' prudes.

The distractions and bad influences of public school are just what kids need to learn to overcome so that they stay focused and create great lives. If they can't overcome that they are destined to be 'woe is me' welfare cases.

I feel sorry for kids who are home schooled and never learn anything but there parents limited world view.

[Max]

"It has been made very clear to her how babies are made. I found anatomically correct diagrams (like in a health/anatomy/biology book) of the male and female reproductive systems on line and explained with visual aides from the diagrams that the penis must be put into the vagina and then the sperm from the testes goes through the penis then goes into the vagina and then into the uterus and mixes with an egg from the females ovaries, implants into the inside of the uterus and a placenta is created to feed the baby and that is why we have a belly button. I also explained that the period(menses) happens to remove the inner lining of the uterus so that when the egg drops from the ovaries the zygote can implant easily."

So that is how it happens! Thanks!

[XLFD]

I can't get through a sentence of that explanation without going "Ewwww, that sounds gross."
I may have to try it some day to see what all the fuss is about...

[Sweater Cows!]

haha, I know, I had a hard time with it too but being a Anatomy and Physiology student at west shore a few years ago made it easier to be technical, I guess if I can gross her out now maybe she'll remember that when she becomes a teenager. Hopefully she won't become interested in boys until her dad and I in our 60's. She did say she's not a lesbian though. her friend and her were playing truth or dare and were saying the first letter of boys names to guess who they liked, the friend says some letter and my kid says some girls name and then "I'm not a lesbian" and looks at her friend like she's crazy! I had to leave the room before I cracked up laughing.

Of course I like the old saying

"Dad to BF: Ya know, now that your dating my daughter I want you to know, I've been to prison before and am not afraid to go back!"

I love that.

[Willy]

Sheila
I agree that parents should teach children about sex. Not the school. Your last 3 paragraphs are good reasons why I would not want my kids going to school with yours.

[Sweater Cows!]

Please explain? I am not sure what you mean. What are you expecting to happen or them to learn? I really have no clue what you mean so give me some details.

RE:Your last 3 paragraphs are good reasons why I would not want my kids going to school with yours.

[Willy]

Just read your last 3 paragraphs. If kids are bored it's not the subject matter, it's because schools/teachers are boring. A good teacher keeps kids interested. ADHD is a bunch of bunk. Almost all of the kids that are diagnosed with this are boys and they are very energetic. Most teachers are women and they don't know how to handle boys so they want them medicated. You say your kid won't get knocked up if you don't hide them from reality. What are you going to do? expose your kid to every kind of reality. Take your kid to drug houses, whore houses, bars, casinos, violent sports, watch movies and TV about murder, rape and violence. How about getting them tatooed, body peirced, let her watch porno and all the other realities this life has to offer. After all your going to teach her all this stuff so you won't be considered a prude, right?

The last things kids need in school is distractions and bad influences. Do you think drugs and sex and weapons should be allowed in schools? They would be great distractions for your kid to overcome. Don't forget bullies. The best way for kids to grow a backbone and develop charactor is to be pushed around, beaten and threatened every day.

The fact is, that parents who home school their kids and put them in private schools don't want all the bad influences and distractions so that their kids can focus on learning even if it is boring.

[Sweater Cows!]

Well, I do have to agree that ADHD is bull. I almost clarified that in my last reply but didn't.

Now, you didn't answer my question, or maybe I didn't state it.

Why wouldn't you want your kids in school with mine? As you don't know her what would you expect to happen from my kids and your being together?

[Willy]

Sheila
I wasn't referring to you personally. You and your daughter are probably a very nice. What I meant was that you don't seem to mind what goes on in public school as long as you have introduced your child to what you consider reality. My point is that all the "distractions and bad influences" should not be going on in school. We as adults would not tolerate it in the work place so why should kids have to put up with it in school.

[Sweater Cows!]

I didn't mean that they should have bad distractions and influence like guns or drugs or bullies. I guess it sounds that way now that I re read it.

What I meant was that the diversity of different students from different backgrounds not all agreeing on everything is what they need to be able to overcome, to learn to get along with others and do there studies regardless of differences of culture, religion and opinions.

Academically I think that not all kids are created equal, I am lucky to have one of those that is all a's , one of only two girls to do that all year(this year anyway which I believe has to do with her loving the teacher), she doesn't need to study for tests(spelling in particular) and still only gets one wrong at most.

I think the rote memorization required by training the kids to pass tests is what gets a lot of the other kids, especially the ones who are getting labeled ADHD, sure they need to learn to 3R but they need to learn to think about how to solve a problem when they don't know the answer, not just memorize the answer. They require a different approach than the 'easy learners' but the teachers are so forced into teaching for the tests(NCLB, meap, etc) that they don't have time to deal with the ones with difficulty learning in that format.

Like when training a dog you must tire them out with exercise before they can focus on training. The so called ADHD kids need physical work to tire there minds and bodies so they can focus on the boring classroom stuff. Kids like mine are so easy going and would rather sit at the desk all day than go out and run around.

Of course there is way more to it than what I posted this time but I don't feel like writing an essay.lol