<p>I am curious how many kids actually watched.
There is a thread in the Parent Cafe-politics subforum for those who want to discuss the pros and cons. I would like this to be a simple answer. I hope this can stay in the Parent Cafe if we behave.
Questions-
Did your child or children watch the President’s speech at school?
What grade?
For those whose children did not watch did your student hear any discussion about the speech at school?</p>
<p>Remember if you have comments on the pros or cons please go to the other thread.</p>
<p>I will go first-
Student grade 10 Did not watch the speech at school.
When asked about it after school she said she did not hear of anyone whose class had watched it.</p>
<p>My 2nd grader immediately recognized Obama’s voice on the radio on the way home this afternoon. She said that her class listened to him in computer lab. </p>
<p>When I asked her what she learned from the speech, she said, “Things that you say, mom, ‘Try harder’ and ‘Failure can lead to success.’”</p>
<p>My d is a 3rd grade teacher in the DC Metro area. Her class watched, and was attentive and excited. One of her students is homeless; he told the class on the first day of school that he wants to be President some day. My d went home and cried. Today she couldn’t take her eyes off this boy’s face as he watched the President. </p>
<p>Our fairly affluent school system in upstate NY didn’t watch. The official reason was that there was just too much to do on the first day of school. (Though there’s always an assembly mid-day at the high school. But you know, why use that precious [non-instructional] time to listen to the President? :rolleyes: ) Can’t help thinking that the actual reason is that the district office figured there’d be fewer protesting phone calls if they didn’t show the speech than if they did.</p>
<p>Interesting follow-up - our school system has decided to start showing the speech tomorrow, though they won’t be able to show the videotape in every classroom for a few days. I can’t help thinking that the administration decided to pre-screen the speech to be sure Obama said nothing controversial; since he didn’t, they’re willing to show it. I’m just glad the kids will get to hear it.</p>
<p>Our school district is one in the DC area which overreacted and decided not to show the speech (presumably because there is too much going on at school on the first day). Individual principals had the option to show it, but apparently my S’s middle school principal opted not to. S has Civics today so I hope he will see it there. I read the entire transcript, and it’s very motivational.</p>
<p>I don’t have school-aged children but friends and colleagues report that it was not shown in our local schools. No big surprise . . . we’re a bright red Southern state and we’re very much against Socialism in these here parts!!</p>
<p>Well, for those schools that felt it was too much for the first day, a great idea would have been to tape it and show it in another week. </p>
<p>My senior son saw it at school - he said kids reacted very positively and that if he didn’t know that Obama was a Democrat, he would have had no indication of his party because the speech was not focussed on issues at all. </p>
<p>My 7th grader did not see it - personally I think it’s a missed opportunity to view and have some good discussion afterwards.</p>
<p>My S, a senior in an urban public school, did not see/hear the speech. I forgot to ask him yesterday and this a.m. on the way to school he was too grumpy for much discussion. I hope to get more details from him later when he is more awake.</p>
<p>My 3rd grade daughter saw it…they had bag lunches, ate in gym and watched on TV.
Big highlight was the trying again and again if at first you don’t succeed. They had to write a response to it afterwards.
Not too sure what was so “painful” about the speech for anyone in particularto listen to?
I love the captive audience comment, lilmom, boy does that ring true in our house!</p>
<p>4th week of school here. I have 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 10th graders who heard the speech at school. They said most/all kids watched it that they know of. (Could opt out). Kids remembered “Keep trying.”</p>
<p>“He was raised by a single woman who couldn’t afford money to send him to school, so he was homeschooled and had to get up at 4:45 am so he could finish all his schoolwork before his mom went to work!” (2nd grader said this–she is usually not very accurate. . .I haven’t read the speech).</p>
<p>High schooler said he mentioned Harry Potter–JK Rowling’s writing was rejected many times–and look at the success she had eventually–because she kept trying.</p>