On 9/23/2014, students from Maili Elementary School went to a field trip to the State Capitol. They were NOT allowed to bring water bottles on the field trip.
This isn't just a short ride. It's going from one side of the island to the other! With no water allowed along the way!
http://khon2.com/2014/09/26/school-to-reassess-field-trip-policy-that-prohibits-students-from-bringing-lunch-water-bottles/
A day-long field trip for Maili Elementary School students drew complaints from some parents, because the kids were not allowed to bring their lunch or their water bottles.One parent asked KHON2 to find out why.Some of the kids are five years old, and they usually get their lunch in school before 11 a.m. Without water, some parents say it’s a big deal.For kindergartener Holden Medeiros, it was his first field trip at the school and a new experience for his mom. She was concerned when she found out the kids would leave their lunches and water bottles in school.“I asked about their water bottles, if they were able to take their water bottles, and (the teacher) said no because it would be too much responsibility to keep track of 21 water bottles and they might misplace it,” said Holden’s mother, Vee Medeiros.
and more
To make matters worse, Medeiros said the chaperones were allowed to bring their own food and water.
“I counted three chaperones with the red-and-black bento containers, the ones with rubber bands on it. Three of them had that. They had water flasks,” Vee Medeiros said.
So KHON2 went to the school office to ask the principal why it had to be done this way.
The principal didn’t want to talk on camera, but shortly after our visit, Medeiros got a call from the Department of Education saying the school needs to change its policy when it comes to field trips.
and this
The principal also emailed a statement saying out of more than 120 kindergarteners, they received only two complaints.
Well, I found the principal (Suzie Lee) and her email (Suzie_Lee@hawaiidoe.org) at the following website
http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ParentsAndStudents/EnrollingInSchool/SchoolFinder/Pages/Maili-Elementary.aspx
And here's my email to Suzie_Lee@hawaiidoe.org
This email is notify you that I am one of many who are outraged that your school has banned students from bringing water bottles on field trips!
Children dehydrate very easily and you could've had a child die on the field trip. You might say "no worries, no one died this time". Well, not everyone dies when a person drives drunk but that's no excuse!
One of your teachers have been quoted as saying "it would be too much responsibility to keep track of 21 water bottles " WHAT? That's their job, if they don't like it, they should find another job! I have led children on field trips, and DAMMIT, we should EMBRACE being responsible for all those water bottles!!!! It sounds like hard work, but that's what your teachers get paid to do!
You are quoted on KHON2 news that " they received only two complaints." What you don't realize is that these things snowball! Meaning it starts with 2 complaints, this stuff goes viral (and I have posted a link to the story on facebook, with my friend's list spanning several countries).The other parent will start to feel emboldened to speak out and once that happens, it will be hard to contain all that anger!
Your school serves a historically oppressed population, some of whom might feel "what's the use of complaining". But once they see that others they know are taking a stand, their anger will be very hard to contain! By insulting your school's community, you are playing with fire!
Please do the right thing - hold a community meeting, apologize without defensiveness and resign!
Mahalo,
Pablo Wegesend
PS: This email will be posted on my blog, and so will any defensive, sarcastic and negative responses to this email.
