<p>I still think a layout on pregnant teens is acceptable from the appropriate angle…with the appropriate questions posed. (What are you going to do when the baby is born? Have you adjusted your dreams and expectations?) As long as context is there, and not ‘glorification’ as was described, it shouldn’t be an off limit topic. </p>
<p>And re: piercings and tatts, I’m trying to get a grip on this myself. This may be distasteful to our generation, but body art and the like is viewed completely in a different way by our kids. I admit I would be extremely disappointed if mine came home with a tattoo or something other than one hole in each ear… but I know my pov is different than my teens. It’s a fashion statement to them or an expression of creativy, not subversion. Hey my parents were horrified by some of the music we listened to…Eric Clapton - Cocaine, Little Feat - Don’t Bogart that Joint, Steely Dan - Hey Nineteen…all come to mind. And I just laughed at them…as if listening to a song would make me want to run out and do drugs. It was just music, NOT subversion!</p>
<p>Btw…practically every dang page in my d’s yearbook was a color glossy…that’s why the thing cost almost $70.</p>
<p>I really see no reason to celebrate teenagers having babies, even if they feel swell about their choices. I don’t like the photo emphasis on the pregnant group, nor on the piercing/tattoo crowd, but I realize that these are part of some students’ high school culture. Not everyone is a cheerleader or a member of the debate team. I suppose it should all be about adequate representation, not celebrating depravity or popularity at the expense of others. Perhaps easier said than done.</p>
<p>At least as maddening is the cost…$95 for our HS yearbook.</p>
<p>This is why I believe public schools are really going down the toilet. When you take away moral standards in a situation such as this, material such as this will supplant the ideas of morality. What happened to the days of teaching patriotism and morality to students? This now has been replaced with social acceptance of immoral standards. Public schools are truly heading down the path of destruction. Until we realize that teen pregnancy, drug abuse, and the stereotypical “high school life” are standard due to the lack of morality teaching in school, public schools will eventually become socialist cages teaching children what is supposedly “socially acceptable”</p>
<p>I shudder at the thought that one day, MY children will be learning under this environment. That is why I will either send my kids to a Christian school where behavior and good moral standards are taught and demanded or homeschool them. I will NEVER send my children to public schools.</p>
<p>Hey, the great thing is that I can cook Ethiopian food at home while teaching the culture of Ethiopia to my kids. Supplement this with books, pictures, and perhaps a documentary movie about Ethiopia makes a great learning environment. Ah, the beauty of homeschooling.</p>
<p>Plus, all the money that we will save from eating at home will go towards their college education.</p>
<p>Our school has pretty sprecific guidelines, and most activities are reresented evenly. As well, the students take a pride in the fact they they try and get everyone in the year in a candid shot at least once and that the non-athletic activities get lots of coverage</p>
<p>my Ds’ partner in her section of yearbook has very differen interests at the schook, differnt crowd she hangs out in, so it creates a good balance in the section</p>
<p>they actually do a count to see if a person is in TOO many candid shoots at the expense of other, maybe less “out there” kids</p>
<p>I think some social fads, etc, can be addressed in a year book- look how tacky we were in dress kind of thing, but the really serious issues should be addressed in newspapers so they are REALLY looked at in depth</p>
<p>Also, dont think we have one club- sports or otherwise- that got a full page in the yearbooks…usualy it was 4-5 activities per page, so if indeed this was a support group, did it warrant a full page? what other groups got full pages, did student council, did honor society, did service group…</p>
<p>a school’s priorities are shown in a year book, what they think is important, what they want the world to see…</p>
<p>What if they took a picture of all the kids who cheated on tests and gave them a full page</p>
<p>our school does in fact have a group that is a kind of AA, it is represented lke any other club…no full glossy color pages, but right there along side all the other clubs…that is how it should be done, as it is not any better or worse than any other club…when one group is highlighted over others, it shows it is better, and should one club be better than another?</p>
<p>wow- I thought ours was expensive- I think it is $40
$50 towards ASB to use for dances and sports
free/and reduced lunch is subsidized however.</p>
<p>Not necessarily in year books- but I do have conflicting issues re student parents
If one of my daughters was to become pregnant in high school, and decided to go through the pregnancy and decided to remain at that school ( although frankly- in that unlikely situation, I would look into other situations, where she might get more support and friendship that is more appropriate- a teen mother, has very different issues than an average high school student)
then I would want her to still be considered part of the class. If the school has a large group of pregnant teens, it seems predictable that they would befriend each other.
Not that I am familar with it personally, but I know that for some students, who may feel like they have few choices, having a baby- could seem like a “mature” thing to do. Their immediate circle of friends/family may be more supportive of that choice even if they don’t realize it, than to have an abortion/birthcontrol/planB/adoption or even go to college.</p>
<p>But while I think that the young parents should have a choice ( and I also feel it is unfair for the girl to be stigmatized while the boy gets off), I also see that the most support pregnant teens get in high schools, the more that can seem like a viable choice.
Its really a hard issue.
I don’t like tracking- but there isn’t any getting around that fact that some kids are not going to be going to college soon. In large districts, I don’t think it is unreasonable to have teen parents- getting preparation not just for graduation, but in parenting and job training.
Every effort should be made to identify the father, and have them prepared for their role in their childs life.</p>
<p>Teens are going to have sex- but every effort should be made to get them accurate sex education including birthcontrol information but also to provide enough activities and adult mentoring that they see other choices besides having sex/relationships when they are still children</p>
<p>I agree that it’s wrong to put the pregnant students next to the Debate Club… if it really took that much work to get knocked up as it does to prepare for a state tournament, those girls wouldn’t be pregnant to begin with.</p>
<p>If the girls formed a support group or an awareness organisation, I would really understand if the school highlighted that. Consider that a pro-choice or a pro-life club would have gotten a picture in the yearbook - these girls are actually making those choices (often, either way, easier said than done).</p>
<p>The problem with trying place the responsibility for teaching morality in the schools is that morality is a subjective thing. Some people find it immoral that a girl would become pregnant out of wedlock…to them that is the highest crime. But to others, perhaps the war in Iraq is more immoral than the mistake of a teenager. </p>
<p>I’d like to think that a girl who makes a mistake doesn’t all of the sudden become invisible to her peers. In fact, the idea is ridiculous…you can keep that girl out of the yearbook; but your children see her in the hall everyday, talk to her in class, do homework with her in the library, eat lunch… So what does it accomplish? </p>
<p>Also, yearbooks tend to have sections…school clubs wouldn’t be in a section that discussed life, social issues, etc. My daughter’s yearbook did manage to get a religion layout past the principal, but they were very, very inclusive and neutral in their presentation. And they interviewed Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, etc…and agnostics and aethiests. It was pertinent and informative given that only the most extreme religious povs tend to get face time on the news. It was completely separate from clubs, academics, etc…</p>
<p>See, I am really out of it. I did not know that many girls are pregnant in HS. Seriously. And some people think educating kids on birth control is a bad thing??? Cripe.</p>
<hr>
<p>Anyway, the most controversial thing I ever saw in my sons’ yearbooks (all boys HS) was a page on favorite things and there was a big photo of the one of the priests and the caption read, “Sex with Fr. Smith.” (fake name) It was a reference to a class he taught - Human Sexuality in a Christian Context. I thought it was sort of funny at the time – but that pre-dated the priest scandal.</p>
<p>Most of the other photos are of boys sleeping. Ha! Well, it’s put together by the kids and they are boys after all…</p>
<p>Idmom–I guess for me it is about emphasis. What is being showcased here? I have not seen the yearbook page highlighting the pregnant girls, but it sounded as if they were getting recognition for becoming pregnant in highschool and nothing more. Just featured because they are pregant. If a pregnant girl has made a a contribution to the school community that is significant, that is worth recognition. Simply putting a page together of all the pregnant girls seems weird to me. </p>
<p>The tattoo thing, I do not have an opinion on, other than it seems like a waste of ink.</p>
<p>They haven’t <em>DONE</em> anything. At least nothing besides exercising poor judgment. If you read the xangas of many of the kids from our high school, you will find that a good number are “proud” of their drinking binges and orgies too. About a year ago, one of my D’s was reading xangas and called me over to see something. There, spread out for the world to see was the passed-out, scantily clad 15-year-old daughter of a city council member. Black panties and all, passed out cold on the concrete floor of a basement. She was “proud” enough of her antics to post detailed pictures of it, including up-close ones of the vomit she and her friends had vacuumed up in their clear vacuum. She was proud enough of her behavior to post about 20 pics of this “event.” That alone does not, however, qualify it for mention in a yearbook, but who knows, maybe next year?? <em>lol</em></p>
<p>Thing is, kids are KIDS, and as such, they <em>NEED</em> to be under the guidance of responsible adults. Yes, even high school kids. It was the yearbook sponsor’s responsibility to make sure that the content of the yearbook was in keeping with the stated missions of the school district which, last time I looked, mentioned something about ACADEMICS and preparing the kids to become PRODUCTIVE members of society.</p>
<p>
It was a picture of “Our Classmates Who Got Knocked Up.” The accompanying article talked about their “feelings,” many of which included the usual, “I wouldn’t trade my precious baby for ANYTHING” type sentiments.</p>
<p>I am talking about in a year book…I think all clubs should be represented in the same size…some kids in the kniting club make blankets for sick babies, the movie club bring in kids from shelters for movie night with popcorn, pizza, etc, so who is to judge which is more valuable…and each club has its purpose</p>
<p>idmom, no one is saying keep pregnant girls out of the yearbook, but some are sayong that to have a special full page section showcasing the pregnant girls for no ther reason except they are all pregnant…</p>
<p>if the girls are at a football game, part of a club, elected office, whatever, of course their picture should be there, but the other picture is just bad form</p>
<p>Berurah’s post above was in response to my post #39, and she has convinced me that there was no possible silver lining in this case. You may add me to the “appalled” list.</p>
<p>that is really really sad
Speaking as someone who acted out as a teen, in hopes that an adult would notice and step in to intervene- that is just tragic behavior
This is the heartland of america?
we may be in more trouble than I thought :(</p>
<p>^Precisely! See my previous post on the previous page. American schools are heading down the path of destruction without the ideology of morality.</p>
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<pre><code>As an American, I profess my beliefs from a Biblical perspective. Our founding fathers such as Madison, Washington, etc held to the exact same beliefs. So, as we did in the 19th and early 20th century, I would prefer to see an emphasis on BIBLICAL morality. You sure are correct that morality is subjective; but living underneath a Christian nation has no subjectivity whatsoever with regards to morality. Me and the 80 some percent of Americans who hold to a belief in Christianity would probably not mind an emphasis on Biblical morality, JMHO.
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