schools open to multi culture (yeh right)

[Annabelle]

Fascinating.

To me, a tarot deck is an art object.

Along those same lines, a candle is an object that gives light.

Incense smells good.

The sound of a bell ringing is pleasant.

Some people may use tarot decks, candles, incense, bells and many other objects as part of their religious or spiritual practice.

But a tarot deck in and of itself is just art. Probably something that I wouldn't send to school with a child just because of the possibility of cards being lost.

Don't send the letter. Go talk to the teacher in person, perhaps. There's more chance then of coming to an understanding, and much less chance of confusion and wrong assumptions.

 

[Grizabella]

Kids can be very cruel to other kids. I wouldn't send a deck for that reason and because I wouldn't want cards lost. But mostly because other kids might be cruel to my child and at that age, they don't need to be in the middle of all that. They just need to enjoy their childhood and feel like the other kids, you know?

The two grand-daughters I raised went to a very alternative sort of school and I even taught their friends and their friends parents and teachers to use the cards. But if it had been another kind of school, I'd have never done that.

 

[ravynangel]

I'd be ropable. I'd turn up the volume.

As it happens, our local primary school is not so bad. I haven't had a primary school age child for a long, long time, but the last couple of years they've allowed me to make a speech at Assembly about Halloween.

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[ana luisa]

Kids can be very cruel to other kids. I wouldn't send a deck for that reason and because I wouldn't want cards lost. But mostly because other kids might be cruel to my child and at that age, they don't need to be in the middle of all that. They just need to enjoy their childhood and feel like the other kids, you know?

The two grand-daughters I raised went to a very alternative sort of school and I even taught their friends and their friends parents and teachers to use the cards. But if it had been another kind of school, I'd have never done that.

I am 100% with you on this, Grizabella. If the other kids are not "ready" for different things or broad-minded enough, what is cherished by one kid may the the object of scorn and cause severe bullying. As a teacher who has NEVER done a "Show and Tell" (not something we use in our schools) I was wondering about the purpose of that activity... Is it to inform of different experiences of kids ? If so, one has to accept a lot of differences. If it's just for passing time or giving the teacher some "free" time, then, well, that's another story.

 

[nisaba]

. Is it to inform of different experiences of kids ? If so, one has to accept a lot of differences. If it's just for passing time or giving the teacher some "free" time, then, well, that's another story.

I think it's about public speaking and confidence-building.

I've heard of kids being bullied for all sorts of reasons, but I've never heard of it coming out of a show-and-tell session.

My daughter once took (or got me to turn up with) our pet black goat for show-and-tell. She showed rocks that floated, and wood that sank. She showed the skull of a dead possum.

Once when the kids had been talking about witches being hook-nosed warty people that wore black and terrified people, she even brought ME in for show-and-tell, as a real witch outside of the story-books. It wasn't an issue and she never got bullied. In fact, her friends thought I was cooler than she thought I was, and she didn't like that much. She was supposed to be the popular one, not me.

 

[ana luisa]

I think it's about public speaking and confidence-building.

I've heard of kids being bullied for all sorts of reasons, but I've never heard of it coming out of a show-and-tell session.

My daughter once took (or got me to turn up with) our pet black goat for show-and-tell. She showed rocks that floated, and wood that sank. She showed the skull of a dead possum.

Once when the kids had been talking about witches being hook-nosed warty people that wore black and terrified people, she even brought ME in for show-and-tell, as a real witch outside of the story-books. It wasn't an issue and she never got bullied. In fact, her friends thought I was cooler than she thought I was, and she didn't like that much. She was supposed to be the popular one, not me.

That's such a relief to know that there are schools like those that encourage diversity and, as a consequence help kids be willing to learn about many different subjects. I was bullied for being a medium and reading oracles so, it does change from school to school and public to public.

 

[nisaba]

I think it's just Australian culture generally.

 

[magpie9]

To me, this really connects. My kids were raised Jewish, and in Middle-school were required in Art class to draw Swastikas. Yes, well. It's not a bad symbol in many culltures, but of course the boys in the class did them up s Natzi armbands.
so I protested that Jewish childeren should nt be required to draw them. The teacher was Native American, and could see no problem with swastikas...but I held firm and pointed out that they were going in the meaningfully opposite direction than benign Native American Swasticas, nd were done up in the Natzi colors and that circle and and all if it.No way Native American.
So I won. My kids, of course, were terminally embarrassed.
But Concentration Camp survivors looked me up in order to thank me.
So I guess it was worth it. And I'd do it again.

You have to stand up for what you believe in.

 

[Zephyros]

I have had my own thoughts of "saving" the swastika, but it really can't be, unfortunately. Some things are just too big, and the meanings of symbols change over time.

As for Tarot, in my opinion the problem is one that is also dealt with in prisons. Cards, among them Tarot, are not allowed in prisons in many parts of the world because they have the potential to build dependence and rank, either through fraudulent divination or simple gambling.

 

[magpie9]

Here in New Mexico, in Prison there is a battle going between practitioners of Native Religion and Witchcraft (ay brand you chose) over religious objects and texts including Tarot Cards. They have not been allowed, and people are protesting.clearly, freedom of Religion laws are being circumvented and ignored, but it will probably take a favorable Supreme Court Decision to straighten it out.
And it's all the same damn issue, in grade school and prison and everywhere.