One of "those" mothers

I've recently gotten to know the assistant principle at my daughter's school. Really, I should say he's gotten to know me, because it was pretty easy to know him to a degree. He's the guy out in the street at drop off and pick up reminding parents to use the cross walk and not to park in odd, illegal places. Last semester he thanked me for using the cross walk one afternoon, and I wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic because I'd cut the corner a little, or sincere, because so many parents don't use the crosswalk.
Anyway, he now knows my name and who my kid is, not because of the unfortunate lice incident of February/March, but because I called him to complain about "Health" class.
One day Leila came home and told me this sad, dramatic story that a police officer had told them in school. The topic was bike safety, and, to emphasize wearing a helmet (apparently) the officer told a story about a boy who landed on the handlebars of his bike and hurt his stomach. His mother didn't think it was serious, but the next morning, she went into his room to wake him up for school, and "he didn't wake up, because he was dead!" Now, I guess this is a true story that the officer had some relationship to, but it did not relate to the topic, was not appropriate for 1st grade, and was related in a dramatic, not educational, way. It made Leila sad, and it made me really sad, too.
I wrote a letter to the teacher, and she replied that she was concerned about it, too. However, I thought the officer visiting was a one time thing, so I didn't follow up.
A couple of weeks later, Leila told me "Skin cancer is the number one killer in the US" or some other such startling statistic. I asked her where she had heard that, and she said, "Officer P____." Really? Skin cancer? What does that have to do with a police officer? Is it illegal or something to get it? Or to send your child outside without sunscreen?
I planned to contact the teacher again, but my husband suggested this time I go straight to the administration. So I called the school office, and got online with the asst. principal. He was pretty shocked to hear what the officer had been telling the students. I asked about what she was supposed to be teaching them, and it turned out, he didn't really know. The curriculum had been approved by the police department, (and maybe the district?) and this women was coming in every week or two to teach the kids.
When I told the teacher I'd spoken to the principal, she said, "I know what that's about." The kids had come back from their previous session with the officer asking if they could die on the playground! I hadn't even heard this one! She told me that she and the other teacher were debriefing the kids after these lessons to make sure they didn't go home scared out of their minds. (I guess your hoodie can get caught on the equipment? The smart teachers assured the kids that they were never alone on the playground, and they would be fine.)
I passed this latest information on to the asst. principal when I saw him in the hallway and introduced myself. He assured me he would speak to the officer and let me know what the curriculum was for the rest of the semester, and he's followed up with that.
My feeling is that the officer is full of stories and examples and so excited about sharing them that she doesn't stop to think about whether or not they are appropriate for a first grader. I'm sure it's important for little kids to know safety things- I think my kids probably know most of them already, but some parents may not think to teach their kids. I know health class' curriculums cause controversy, but I didn't expect that to start in the first grade!

Dual Citizenship

The other day one of my students wanted to know how to address me- Mrs. or Miss. I told her I prefer Ms., and anyway, that's what would be appropriate as I am married but I never changed my name. (And also, of course, because whether or not I'm married is not important in this context. And anyway, I told her to call me by my first name). She, being from Pakistan, was surprised by this, and asked if my husband minded, but my Mexican and Latin American students were not, as this is how we do it there. I also explained to my students that I had had my last name for a long time before I met my husband, and I wanted to keep it.
The next day, another class of students did presentations. My student from Chile choked up as she spoke of getting US citizenship in the next year or so, explaining that this meant she had to give up her citizenship in Chile, since they do not allow dual citizenship. "I will have to show a US passport, even when I travel to Chile," she cried. "I won't be Chilean anymore on paper, but I will be in my heart."*
So this made me think- keeping my name is like keeping my dual citizenship. I'm still part of my birth family, but now that I'm married, my husband and I have made a new family. A lot of women change their last names when they marry, and keep tied to their birth families in their hearts. While I may find that annoying when I'm trying to find old friends on Facebook, I think people should do what they are comfortable with. Therefore, I've chosen to keep my birth family ties more evident, and I'm still a full participant in my new family.
*I claim poetic license for all speech quotations.

Race

“But what difference does it make?” he added. “When you’re mixed, you see how absurd this business of race is.”

That's what I'm talking about! Read the whole article here. (Thanks for sending me the link Kristen.)

What the?

So I just got another email from this lady saying an application I had filled out for Leila was still incomplete. Now they need her ethnicity. My choices are: Am. Indian, Asian, Afr. Amer., Hispanic, or White. I wanted to write back and say- well, she definitely isn't Am. Indian or Asian. Or, her dad is from North Africa, but isn't black, and her mom is from Colombia, and is considered white, especially there where there are no "Hispanics" (just white, black, and Indian), and I'm just not sure what to choose. I really don't understand this ethnicity business. Obviously they don't want to ask her race, since that's a made up idea anyway. And if they are trying to get at her culture, then they need to put in a few more choices. How about a nice Other? That's what I always check. And if I have to specify, I like to write freckles.
Any ideas in what I should put her down for? (She's a hoot and a holler, for example.)