" Try to stay on topic, bull. "

" Lodian I'm not to sure why this issue is of such concern to you but you should GET OVER IT and move on.


In other words LET IT GO ! "

" Oh, and 3.0 students ask silly questions too. :-) "

" Whoa Nellie! wrote on Feb 20, 2008 5:32 PM: "RARELY do you have a student with a 3.0 gpa being a classroom problem."

I 100% totally disagree with you. You just can't tuck these kids in a neat little box like that. There are just too many variables to make this kind of a statement. "

"
whoa nellie: I disagree that a student, with a 1.5, shouldn't attend a science camp type trip because he/she "...would be asking silly questions, probably something that he/she should have learned in the classroom." I have been involved with GATE kids for years and they ask a lot of what you might call silly questions. Kids also ask a lot of great questions. Who are you to decide that a kid, at 13, is someone to be left behind in his/her education. I'm sure there are many here that could testify that they may not have been a great 13/14/15 year old student, but grew to be successful. This comes from good parents, teachers and great educational experiences along the way. Asking silly questions is how kids learn. Teach a child that their questions are silly and you get a student that is stifled and headed towards failing. How can you ban a kid because you think he/she may ask silly questions? That's simply a ridiculous statement.

You also stated that, "It is also these under-performing students who will be the discipline problems; goofing off, causing problems, and being disruptive.". Not true. You are putting kids in one box and it's simply not a correct way to access a child/student.

How about the kid that on an IEP that only achieved a 2.0. For that child it could be comparable to getting straight A's. Do you realize that some our best and brightest are not straight A students? I've known so many kids that were never above being a C/B student that have grown up to do exceptionally well in college and beyond.

Besides all this, my main objection to this prize trip is that it is an extravagant gift for an 8th grader as a reward for good grades. Our "public" school should not be spending time and money on such an exclusive educational prize trip. "

" RARELY do you have a student with a 3.0 gpa being a classroom problem. "

" Phantom - sure my statement may sound biased, but do you work in the district? Just ask any teacher or principal. "

" Whoa Nellie!: Exactly. Only children with low GPA's are disruptive. Who could argue that logic?

I think the trip should be open to those students with clean disciplinary records, as long as their GPA is a 2.0 or higher. School, currently, is more about memorization than actual learning. That skill comes more natural to some, and intelligence doesn't have much to do with it. If the student is maintaining a passing average and isn't in detention every other week, they should have the same opportunities as everyone else. Especially since science camp has been dropped. "

" Lodian, you are dead wrong, just like Closson.

This is a reward trip. Kids need to learn that if they work hard they can be rewarded. They also need to learn that life is not fair.

If every 8th grader were allowed to attend the trip would be less successful. The 1.5gpa kid would be asking silly questions, probably something that he/she should have learned in the classroom. It is also these under-performing students who will be the discipline problems; goofing off, causing problems, and being disruptive.

Keep the Catalina trip the way it is now. "

" If this is called an educational trip then all students should be going on such a trip in 8th grade, especially when promoted, set-up by our public school and using teachers in supervision/organization. If you call it a rewards trip then there are several reasons why this is inappropriate for only "some" 8th graders to be attending.

It should not be the goal or job of our public school to promote, set-up and deliver an exclusive extravagant rewards prize/trip to Catalina Island for "some" 8th grade students. It is exclusive and the criteria is flawed as to how the students are "selected" to attend this trip; the lottery, determined in 7th grade, being a non-inclusive trip of educational description.

This is an extravagant prize trip for an 8th grade student as a "reward" for keeping their grades up and behaving in school. To me, this is expected, not rewarded with such extravagant gifts. Each family can set up their own individual "rewards prize or trip" if they wish. But, this is NOT the job of our public schools. Also, teachers should not be taken out of class for supervising such a prize trip and leaving subs for the students not receiving the prize trip. Another fault of this trip.

Finally, the extension of education that comes with an educational field trip should not "exclude" students in this 8th grade public school. Every student should have the right to enhance their education with their classmates, regardless of the lottery win or not.

One more thing... we should all support the return of Science Camp. It's just criminal that this long standing valuable tradition is no longer available to all students. Please speak out on behalf of returning Science Camp, a valuable educational trip for ALL of our students.
"

" wtf: Yes, that is a very small part of this, but to me the bigger picture is clear.... (cont) "

" All of the reader's letters today have a similar theme which I read as:

Actions have consequences, whether positive or negative, and it is up to the individual which results they want to achieve. "