Child Interrupted

Crabapple Crossing has a draconian lunchroom policy which prohibits the children from speaking while the music is playing. This music cycles on and off every few minutes. The children are expected to remain quiet during the music portion. It is an unnatural and unhealthy process in which they are constantly interrupted in the middle of their conversations. As you can imagine, this causes a lot of problems. It is not fair to the students or the lunchroom monitors who are forced to try to prevent the children from talking. Children are natural learners. Sometimes as adults we obstruct this process. This music lunchroom policy is one such example. Children learn through socializing with others. They learn compassion, negotiation, fairness; just to name a few. Also, with the increasing pressures of school lately due to more frequent and voluminous tests, assessments, homework, etc., they deserve and need “down time”. They need time in the day to feel free and unrestrained and just be kids. But, instead, at CCES they are treated like Pavlov’s dogs. The music cycling on and off is simply a form a behavior modification and conditioning. It does not teach them personal responsibility, independence or self control. They just learn to reluctantly obey a misguided rule to avoid being punished. Those children that challenge the rule spend time at the “naughty desk” by themselves. Well, it is time that we challenge the rule as parents and give our kids a voice at CCES. This type of fascist rule has no place in a free country like America. This is not a military academy or behavior reform school and the students should not be treated as such. (Remember the “Silent Halls” debacle).This is a public institution where everyone in the community should have a voice. Let your voice be heard. Please stand with us as we ask CCES to “let the children speak” and end this dreadful music lunchroom policy.