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Toronto School Bans Hard Balls
In an attempt to finally "think of the children," Earl Beatty Public school has prohibited students from playing with balls after a "few serious incidents" in which students and staff were hit or almost hit by balls. From the article: "The happy days of kicking a ball around at recess ended Monday after students took home a letter advising that henceforth, no child could bring a soccer ball, football, volleyball or even tennis ball to the junior and senior school in the area of Coxwell and Danforth Aves." I assume all lunches will soon be taken via feeding tube to minimize choking hazards.
I'm watching you.
Will they ban pencils, because they can be sharpened into "stabbing weapons?"
I call bullshit, you are a passive aggressive American who wants to paint socialism in a shitty light. This has nothing to do with Canada's economy.
soccer ball, football, volleyball or even tennis ball
None of those listed are even hard! What do they consider soft, Nerf?
Stop thinking of the children and their balls.. That's not what we ment when we said 'think of the children'.
First, a story about a Boeing "Penetrator". Now, a summary about balls. "In an attempt to finally "think of the children" Earl Beatty Publid school has prohibited students from playing with balls" practically shoves it in your face. Dick jokes... actually, are still pretty funny. Nevermind go right ahead.
The ban on hard balls being brought to school is a “proactive measure. It’s also a preventative measure,”
Yes. That would work as a preventative too. Most schools take a slightly... different approach, but I suppose banning balls period works too. To prevent head injuries.
"None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
No, I think anyone who has started that practice should probably never stop ... best for the gene pool really.
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
Distinct possibility of frivolous lawsuits cause ban on hard balls at Toronto school.
Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo
In the days where there are lawsuit trolls roaming the earth trying to turn any mishap into $$$, I can't really blame them.
Of course, take it out on the kids instead of the lawyers or politicians that allow the lawyers to conduct business as they do.
The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
November 7, the entire school board for my county of 60,000 residents went up for election. Only 2000 people voted. Several of the board members ran uncontested. The rest were reelected.
If you don't like crap like this, get yourself or someone you trust on the school board. It can't be that hard!
The general voting public ignores local politics, which is much more important for day to day life.
Godaddy is a scam and a ripoff.
Why is this on here?! This is not at all tech or nerd related and it is completely overblown. If your RTFA you'll see it is ONE SCHOOL enacting a temporary measure because they have 350 kids on a playground that is too small which also includes a day care with toddlers. I don't even know why the "toronto news" thought this was newsworthy let alone slashdot.
Rocks are not balls and you can still play catch, baseball, hockey, etc. with them.
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
Granted, I am probably the first person to RTFA, but of course, despite the play to the aesthetics of outrage, the true story is less absurd, less dramatic:
1. the "ban" is temporary until they can find a better solution to the problem
2. the problem is not that the precious little angels might get hit by balls, it's that the play area is much too small, making accidents too likely.
But don't let me stop the hand-wringing. Carry on, carry on.
..the most serious injury at the school to date involved a parent, who was hit in the head by a soccer ball and suffered a concussion.
If that parent can suffer a concussion from a soccer ball kicked by a kid then they need to wear a helmet whenever they leave the house. Don't punish everybody else for having a skull made out of jello.
Many kids today are inactive and do everything to play sports. School is an environment to grow, learn, play and socialize. Sports seems to fit this very well.
A colleague of mine at work said their 8 yr old son was sent home from school on Halloween, because their outfit was 'too scary'. The parents got a letter and other kids were apparently dismissed. He had a mummy or vampire costume mom had made him.
I don't have kids yet. It seems odd that the generation that grew out of having hippie pot smoking, acid dropping, heavy metal parents to their kids who, like myself, grew up listening to and enjoying even crazier music and exposed to more sex, drugs and alcohol are the same that are deeply offended by 'scary' Halloween costumes or kids playing sports at school.
I live in Toronto and compared to what goes on in the rest of the city, playing with your (or other people's) balls should be the least of parents' concerns. (pun intended),
I don't think they banned balls with arms.
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
Google maps shows a urban JK-8 school with a tiny green space and playground.
The street level view is crowded.
There is a small area set aside with a handful of shade trees, a slide, climbers, etc., for the youngest kids.
A running track frames the play area for the older ones.
There is a batting cage at the far end of the field, but no other permanent structures.
You could probably safely practice and play some team sports here under controlled conditions. But 350 kids on break each doing their own thing?
I don't think so.
The Address: 55 Woodington Avenue, Toronto, ON M43 3J3, Canada
I went to kindergarten at this school and almost drowned while on a class trip, I'm ok with them taking a safety-focused approach.
Why would you give children landmines? You probably peel the 'DO NOT EAT' stickers off of them before you hand them off, too....
HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
Why is this relevant news to this site? Has /. become Fark?
This is also an elementary school in the middle of Toronto. It has limited yard space, and hence, not much room for kids to share a relatively small space.