(Drama unfolding) Nintendo to school - yes or no?

[Ginger]

yeah i think you should let her take it as a 'one off'.

make sure that the teacher has extra security measures in place though- like locking it in her office over lunchtime- and that dd's name is clearly attached to it.

[Macca79]

I have to say that while I can see the teacher wanting to give the kids a treat I do disagree with it. As a teacher during the end of the school year there is so much going on such as classroom change overs, furniture being moved so the school can be cleaned over the holidays etc it is very easy for things to be lost and pinched. And something like a Nintendo is very tempting to hands that like to pinch things. Last year I had two students bring electronic games to class both of which were stolen during our end of year concert from the classroom and I had to spend my last day at school dealing with parents who thought that it was my responsibility to safeguard their child's belongings. I really do suggest that you think it over and if you do send it to school please realise that it is not the teachers responsibility to protect the game. We are flat out dealing with students, pack ups, room cleans, returning missing library books, packing up computer equipment etc. It is not that we are a mean bunch of people it is just that we know how devastating it can be to a kid when a treasured toy/game goes missing and the reality is that once it is gone we are only able to do so much, often with little result.

[Salsa]

Our last school newsletter mentioned someone was missing their DS and wanted it back...

I had to chat with my kids teacher even about stuff brought in for show and tell - to make sure it would be safe. And I talked to him about if he really wanted to take it he had to know there was a chance it could be stollen or broken and did he want to consider taking something else?

But then I often wonder if Im overly paranoid about stuff like that?

[Rouge]

If the teacher has suggested it, then I think its fine. I wouldn't be allowing it on a day to day basis but at the end of year there isn't much going on, I know at our school anyway all the books and work has come home and they are just having fun at this point.

[Trillian]

So what did you end up doing about it?

FWIW I am going to be old misery here and say if it were one of mine that came home and said they were doing that, I would say no because 1 I have a rule that they are not allowed to take anything to school that cost more than $10 and 2 I think there are more productive things the kids could be doing instead of that kwim. Our kids don't have one anyway (Lindsay is getting one for Christmas though shhhhhh ) but I think that it only serves to highlight the differences between the haves and the have-nots and the teacher really should have put a lot more thought into it - imagine how the kids who don't have one are going to feel. I would even go so far as to say something to the school about it.