Duct taping the principal to a wall

[puddle]

So I've just learned that as a fund raising incentive, our elementary school principal is going to let some of the children duct tape her to a wall.  The top seller gets to  tape her mouth shut.  Apparently she did this last year as well.

I know my opinions tend to diverge from the mainstream, but is this really something that most people find acceptable?  Am I totally off base in thinking that this is a wee bit inappropriate for 5-11 year old children?  Do other schools do this type of thing?

[Bokonon]

I think that's terrible.  Why does it have to be so extreme?  Last year my son's principal sang the school song from the roof of the school when they hit their fundraising goal.

[rachelsmama]

We used to have that in highschool.  It was great fun and seemed to help foster a sense of community instead of the us-vs-them dynamic that sometimes exists between students and administrators.  Then again, as a Canadian, duct-tape makes me think of  The Red Green Show.  I wonder if Americans are more likely to associate duct-tape with its more sinister uses?

[whatsnextmom]

You know, my school principals were always very aloof and separate from their students. We respected them. We feared them. We never really felt they knew us and what we were going through. If you weren't in trouble, then they were pretty irrelevant in your life. If you were struggling, you did your best for them not to ever find out.

Times have changed and for the better in my opinion. Both my kids have had remarkable relationships with their various school principals. These people KNEW who they were. Were approachable and really helped my kids when they needed it most (bully issues, recommendations, back-up with teacher issues, ect.) DS had a principal that told the kids if they raised a certain amount of money for a charity drive, he'd wear a dress to school. They did it and this 6'7" man paraded around at recess in this dress. We've had others that dress-up in funny costumes, sit in the dunk tank at carnivals, allow themselves to get a pie in the face, play with the kids at recess, sing in talent shows, and more. We haven't seen a dip in respect, just a more open relationship between the kids and the staff.

Of course, in our area, it's the vice-principals (middle and high schools) who are the "heavies." They deal with bulk of the behavioral issues. They tend not to do anything like this but then, it's not as interesting to the kids either.

Being duct-taped to the wall? Well, it's not my personal cup of tea but then, it's not me.

[JollyGG]

I'd suggest taping them to a column instead. We tried it at one of my schools fundraisers and all the tape in the world wasn't going to get that man to stick to a wall. A column lets you wrap tape around the principle and the column.

[Tigerle]

I think it's bizarre and I would worry about kids trying this at home, regardless of what they are told. The one thing that really bothers me is that someone gets to tape a person's mouth shut. That's an asphyxiation hazard and not something to do in front of kids and call it fun.

[mamalisa]

I'd suggest not taping the mouth shut, but taping the principal to the wall would be well received by our students :)

I'm more offended by children peddling cheap goods at a huge mark up and the school only getting 30% back.  

[APToddlerMama]

Straight up weird...

[Geofizz]

Schools need to give kids incentives at times. I like "principal embarrases him/herself" incentives as they are very low cost, everyone gets to "participate" or at least appreciate it, and it doesn't involve pizza or ice cream.

For 6000 trips taken to school by foot or by bike on Wednesdays this fall, the principal will dress up as a Thanksgiving turkey. It's just enough to affect change in people's habits.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

It's a bit weird but truly doesn't sound that different from a dunk tank (certainly cheaper than renting a dunk tank!)

When I was student teaching kids got to pie someone (it wasn't the principal but now I can't remember the person's role).
Edited by tbone_kneegrabber - 9/22/12 at 11:33am

[pek64]

Dressing like a turkey sounds better than duct taping.

[Tigerle]

Why not just turning the principal into a loo paper mummy? Perfectly safe, probably much funnier for the kids.

I shudder to think what a group of unsupervised kindergartners (yes, it happens) might get up to with a roll of duct tape once inspired. A grown-up might, depending on the amount of tape used and the surface of the wall, break free easily. A kindergartner might not. And a child with its mouth taped up needs only to start crying for the nasal passages to swell up and cut off air supply altogether. Enough kidnapping victims have died that way.

I just fail to see why elementary school kids need to be introduced to duct tape bondage.

[pek64]

T.P. the principal! I love it! Best suggestion yet!!

[elus0814]

Taping their mouth shut is just weird and could be dangerous if try it themselves. In middle school our principal, vice principals, and several teachers dressed up in big sumo wrestler outfits and 'wrestled' each other. It was really fun for the kids. Another time the principal was pied in the face.

[One_Girl]

I think it sounds fun! I love the way my dd's principals have always made an effort to be fun and approachable. If you are worried about your kids doing this at home then talk to them about not doing so.

[puddle]

I'm actually really shocked to find out both how widespread this practice is and how many people think there's no cause for concern. I searched online about it and saw that lots of schools do engage in this practice, although usually with older kids.  I also read that one principal overheated and passed out, and doctors said it could have been fatal.  So, for those of you that think it's awesome, my concerns are:

1) These are really young kids, 5-11 years old.  If it's made out to be fun and exciting, they might want to recreate that fun and excitement with a friend or sibling or pet.  Duct tape is not gas permeable.  If someone accidentally sticks a piece of duct tape over a young child's mouth, like they're doing to the principal, it could easily cover the child's nose as well.  Young children could suffer skin injuries, overheating, or suffocation.  And as far as telling my kids not to do it at home--I'm not worried about my kids doing this.  My kids are really cautious and not likely to engage in this kind of thing.  But there are a lot of kids at that school.  And not all the parents read the newsletter thoroughly.  The parents I mentioned this to had no idea it was planned.  So a lot of kids aren't going to have their parents carefully explaining the dangers of duct tape to them because they have absolutely no idea it's going on and it's just not a routine conversation between parents and kids.

2) Like I mentioned, one principal who did this overheated and could have died.  I don't want my kids to engage in or witness a principal being injured for fun.

3) I don't feel like it fosters a respectful relationship between students and the school authority figures.  I think pies in the face or water balloons or a lot of other things can be silly and all in good fun, but I think incapacitating someone with duct tape moves into abusive and creepy territory.  To me, it's the equivalent of them earning the right to give her spankings.  And the image of a woman duct taped to a wall is just not something I'm thrilled with being normalized for young children. 

Basically, the responses to this thread have been pretty mixed, with some people thinking it's awful and some thinking it's great.  And I expect that the feelings of the people in my community are probably equally mixed.  And my personal feeling is that something this controversial is probably best avoided by a public school.

[JollyGG]

Originally Posted by puddle 

I'm actually really shocked to find out both how widespread this practice is and how many people think there's no cause for concern. I searched online about it and saw that lots of schools do engage in this practice, although usually with older kids.  I also read that one principal overheated and passed out, and doctors said it could have been fatal.  So, for those of you that think it's awesome, my concerns are:

1) These are really young kids, 5-11 years old.  If it's made out to be fun and exciting, they might want to recreate that fun and excitement with a friend or sibling or pet.  Duct tape is not gas permeable.  If someone accidentally sticks a piece of duct tape over a young child's mouth, like they're doing to the principal, it could easily cover the child's nose as well.  Young children could suffer skin injuries, overheating, or suffocation.  And as far as telling my kids not to do it at home--I'm not worried about my kids doing this.  My kids are really cautious and not likely to engage in this kind of thing.  But there are a lot of kids at that school.  And not all the parents read the newsletter thoroughly.  The parents I mentioned this to had no idea it was planned.  So a lot of kids aren't going to have their parents carefully explaining the dangers of duct tape to them because they have absolutely no idea it's going on and it's just not a routine conversation between parents and kids.

2) Like I mentioned, one principal who did this overheated and could have died.  I don't want my kids to engage in or witness a principal being injured for fun.

3) I don't feel like it fosters a respectful relationship between students and the school authority figures.  I think pies in the face or water balloons or a lot of other things can be silly and all in good fun, but I think incapacitating someone with duct tape moves into abusive and creepy territory.  To me, it's the equivalent of them earning the right to give her spankings.  And the image of a woman duct taped to a wall is just not something I'm thrilled with being normalized for young children. 

Basically, the responses to this thread have been pretty mixed, with some people thinking it's awful and some thinking it's great.  And I expect that the feelings of the people in my community are probably equally mixed.  And my personal feeling is that something this controversial is probably best avoided by a public school.

There's really only one solution to your concerns, discuss them with the principle and the school.

I'd personally skip the duct tape on the mouth, but have done the duct tape to the wall thing in an elementary school and we all had fun. But if it bothers you, my opinion of it doesn't really matter, nor does anyone else on this threads. The people who needs to hear your concerns is you child's school.

[loveandgarbage]

This would make me uncomfortable because it is mocking a woman getting tortured.

[TCMoulton]

Originally Posted by loveandgarbage 

This would make me uncomfortable because it is mocking a woman getting tortured.

I doubt this is what the kids will be thinking, especially since the principal is a man. Honestly, I never would have thought that either.

[pek64]

Originally Posted by TCMoulton 

I doubt this is what the kids will be thinking, especially since the principal is a man. Honestly, I never would have thought that either.

Originally Posted by puddle 

So I've just learned that as a fund raising incentive, our elementary school principal is going to let some of the children duct tape her to a wall.  The top seller gets to  tape her mouth shut.  Apparently she did this last year as well.

I know my opinions tend to diverge from the mainstream, but is this really something that most people find acceptable?  Am I totally off base in thinking that this is a wee bit inappropriate for 5-11 year old children?  Do other schools do this type of thing?

As you can see, the principal *is* a woman!

I agree with loveandgarbage, and all who are expressing concern. There must be a better way to raise money.



Edited to remove double printing of a quote.