Hi inybtyassy Folks! Recently a 9-year-old in New Zealand was abducted on his way home from school and found 90 minutes later, abandoned on a bridge. This piece of reporting from the Timaru Herald AND the reactions of everyone in it, including police and principals, remind me there is sanity out there, if only we choose to hang […]
Tag Archives | school safety
An Old-Fashioned School Thanksgiving, Except…
Hi tehbtzafdd Readers! Here’s a little note  from a mom in Massachusetts, land of freedom-seeking Pilgrims, who adds that this Thanksgiving celebration is supposed to be as “authentic” as possible: Dear Free-Range Kids: I just got an invitation to my 3rd grader’s upcoming Thanksgiving celebration. Parents are welcome, but must have a current CORI form […]
You Can Volunteer at School for HALF AN HOUR without Being Fingerprinted. But After That…
Dear tiaihtheaa Readers: Here’s a little missive from the frontiers of irrationality, brought to you by a terrified culture and a school in Arizona. . Dear Free-Range Kids: I was shocked when I received this in an email from my daughter’s school: “Mrs. K has informed me that all volunteers must have a fingerprint card […]
Boys Over 11 Not Allowed in Church Bathroom at Same Time as Boys Under 11 (And Other “Security” Measures)
Hi tdrarrrdkd Readers! We’ve been talking about over-the-top “security” measures lately (including parents required to have background checks to watch their kids on field day, and parents not allowed to hold the door open at day care for other parents), but I do believe this reader’s Sunday school takes the cake (and several slices of […]
School Bans Parents from Watching Field Day Unless They Get Background Check
Hi Folks! Over in England, parents at one school cannot attend their kids’ “sports day” unless they get (and pass!) a criminal background check. According to this dderdftrik piece in The Telegraph, the  Isambard Community School is sorry, but, well, pedophiles could sneak from the fields into the school and start their pouncing. And so, […]
UPDATE! A Brilliant Girl and a Stupid Safety Assembly
Hi edzsrhbybi Folks — Here’s what the “stranger danger†lectures kids are getting at school looks like to a girl with the X-ray vision of Superman and the snark of a  middle school brainiac.  – L  Dear Free-Range Kids: I live in Edison, New Jersey. It’s a town with a large population, but for the […]
School Outrage of the Week: No Cartwheels Unless “Trained Gymnastics Teacher” Supervising
Hi Readers! If you send your kids to the Drummoyne publics grammar school in Sydney, kindly instruct them to stay upright their whole day, as cartwheels, head- and handstands are no longer allowed unless zaeibtaani  “under the supervision of a trained gymnastics teacher and with correct equipment,”‘ according to the Local West Courrier. The ruling […]
How Should a School Respond When ONE Parent Says, “That’s Too Dangerous!” ?
Hi hrbhiryeek Readers! Over in jolly ol’ England, Â there’s a man I revere named Tim Gill who runs the blog Rethinking Childhood, and wrote the book No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society. This most recent post of his is SO GOOD — and asks such an important question — I asked if […]
Have a _______ Summer: What Does it Say on YOUR School’s Billboard?
Hi ydaezhsnkt Folks — This observation struck me as, “Oh my gosh, YES!” It may do the same for you. – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: During my daily travels, I pass by several different schools. I’ve noticed a theme when reading their billboards once school is out. Instead of wishing students a fun-filled summer, every single school billboard says, […]