White House Chief also uses R-word

Disability Scoop posted an article about the White House Chief of Staff R. Emanuel's blurt to the Wall Street Journal (said in August but reported this week) describing an idea (using negative ads) as "F****g retarded." Ummm....I feel like I am fighting an uphill battle. Click HERE to read the article.

The R-Word

Today Emma came home from school and said that she heard kids in her class calling each other "retards." I knew it was coming but, nonetheless, I am livid, and sad, and overwhelmed. She has been reading "The Great Gilly Hopkins" and in that book the main character calls people "retarded" and we have talked a lot about why the author would choose to have the main character use such ugly and hateful language. But what to do with her classmates? We need to balance speaking up for Joe and maintaining a good learning environment for Emma (so she isn't distressed by hateful speech) and at the same time, not making her feel responsible for always educating the world. I am so tired, I am just so tired.

Maybe I will ask the teacher or the principal to show this ad:

Calvin the pest

THINGS CALVIN HAS ACCOMPLISHED IN 2010

1. Shredded the shower curtain
2. Fallen into the bathtub while Emma was taking a bath
3. Turned on the self-cleaning oven at 10:30 PM
4. Got shut in the refrigerator
5. Jumped vertically over 4 ft. and landed on a guest's shoulders
6. Began eating his weight in cat food
7. Enjoyed sleeping in the sink
8. Enjoyed sleeping on the stove top
9. Learned about squirt guns

Joe reads his first story

This was posted on Mrs. Olance's class blog today.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Sentences

This week Joe moved from reading words to sentences.

Christmas 2009