April 28, 2009 07:08 am Principal's words not appropriate This is a letter concerning the Charlotte Valley School District. I am concerned about the way our principal talks to our children and the teachers in the school. My granddaughter, who is in seventh grade, had to go to the office for the first time. She, of course, was scared. Before she left she was told that if she had to come back, he (the principal) would beat her with a stick. He then told her that he was joking. She didn't find it funny. Of course, when I heard about it, I was outraged. I called the board members, and they addressed him on the subject. Again he told them he was just joking. He called me and tried to convince me that he was joking and that other parents thought it was OK to joke with their children like that. He also told me that he sometimes tells them that he is going to kick their leg out from under them. He wanted to make a deal with me that he would not talk to my grandchildren like that. I didn't let him finish because I don't think he should be talking to anybody's children like that. If we said those things to our children, the Department of Social Services would be knocking on our door. I think it is unethical for a principal to talk to anyone like that in his position. The scary part is that he doesn't see anything wrong with it. I also don't like the way he talks to our teachers and staff in front of our children. Beware, Charlotte Valley parents, and listen and believe your children if they say they were spoken to in an inappropriate way. Milly Merwin Davenport Church doesn't blame Jews for Jesus' death In elementary school, Susan Estrich was shocked to learn the Romans killed Jesus at the behest of the Jews and wonders, "Can we study Jesus' death without blaming his people's descendents for their role?" (The Daily Star, April 14). Concerning the crucifixion and death of Jesus, the catechism of the Catholic Church proposes the Vatican II document "Nostra Aetate." Neither all Jews indiscriminately at that time, nor Jews today, can be charged with the crimes committed during his Passion! The catechism states that, "Sinners were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured" and that "our crime in this case is greater in us than in the Jews." Rita Armstrong Oneonta Parents vital in fighting obesity Childhood obesity is a growing problem in today's society. Unhealthy diets and lack of exercise are the two main factors that have caused an increase in obesity among kids. Children are presented with many junk foods and various technologies that deter them from eating healthy foods and taking part in physical activity. At this point, proper parenting is one of the few ways to make the obesity statistics decrease. It is vital that parents limit their children's computer and television time. A majority of children's time is spent performing low-energy-expenditure tasks, such as playing video games, instead of taking part in intense physical activity. Instead of letting children waste their time on living room couches, parents need to be exercising with them. Children find exercising much more appealing when it is a family activity. If possible, parents should make it a daily effort to urge their children to partake in physical activity. Parents need to monitor the types of food their child eats. It is very important that parents become educated in nutrition and teach their children how to limit their fat, sugar and salt intake. This can be accomplished by providing children with a daily variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, fat-free dairy products, and whole grain foods. Fast food should be eliminated from their diets. Proper parenting will help to decrease the obesity level within our society. Since most children look up to their parents, parents need to be good role models. We need to focus most of our attention on correcting this problem that threatens the youth of America before it gets much worse. Morgan Shuster St. Johnsville Shuster is a senior at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School. Shuster and other students have written letters to the editor as part of Jordan Jaquay's Participation in Government class.
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