Women Would You Say Something? Gymnast In (Potentially) Unsafe PE Class

[LIGYMMOM]

Ugh! Yes, DD's toe nail already fell off earlier this season when she smashed her big toe in someone's attic. (Like you - we were thrilled it wasn't broken). Maybe she is just a klutz outside the gym?

Oh my...DD has lost her toenail (same one) twice! Maybe 3 times. From a door opening onto it each time. I was thinking the same thing as Mary was alluding to, they want to keep that nice new floor untouched! If you know the head of the school and have a good relationship, I'm sure you can find a way to drop a hint without coming across as a crazy school parent.

 

[Deleted member 15064]

I guess I'm not exactly sure what a 'state of the art wood suspension floor' is??

Many school gyms have beautifully shiny (in September) wood floors. I work in a school that is just 2 years old. Our gym floor is new and shiny. But is is wood. And honestly, a fall the wrong way on a nice new gym floor is the same as a fall on concrete.

It's a hard floor and sometimes accidents happen. Kids fall off monkey bars (happened here), kids fall on grass when running (happened here, too), kids bump into each other and get concussions (yup, seen that too).

Teachers are watching/paying attention. But if you have 100 kids at recess, you can't see them all at once.

They are accidents.

If you are concerned about the new gym being unused, I'd ask about that. But I wouldn't say kids can't run on a concrete floor.

I just wanted to say that my kid can't run on the concrete floor. The rest can do as they please. Haha..

I think I may just be itching to play a card at this school after being quiet, obedient, and accommodating for 13 years. I may have deeper, unresolved issues and this just triggered them. I'll wait for something bigger to die on the sword for.

The new gym floor has a suspension system under it. For real. Our PE teacher is heavy on dance & yoga. Love her.

And somehow falling anywhere else in or out of the school will sit better with me than the basement floor...when there's an alternative...

Wait, I thought of one more situation that's been irritating me... Icy sidewalks in front of the school. I think someone complained about the environmental impact of salt or chemicals, so they left the sidewalks in their natural state all winter. DD went down on her **s several times when I walked her in this year. And the whole school has been running the city streets every Friday morning training for a school sponsored 5K.

Ok, I'm done complaining.

 

[Deleted member 15064]

Oh my...DD has lost her toenail (same one) twice! Maybe 3 times. From a door opening onto it each time. I was thinking the same thing as Mary was alluding to, they want to keep that nice new floor untouched! If you know the head of the school and have a good relationship, I'm sure you can find a way to drop a hint without coming across as a crazy school parent.

Yah, that's the way to go. I'll try a smooth comment at drop off tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

State of the art sprung wood floors (if that is what OP meant) are quite different from regularly installed wood floors. They are constructed to minimize impact and have give.
I know accidents can happen anytime, and kids do play on concrete all the time... But I'll be the odd man out and say that yes, for my kid, I would probably say something. Nobody wants their kid to be hurt, of course. But, I admit, I feel differently about trying to prevent and/or minimize injuries to kids who are very serious about a sport. I have taken my other dd out of PE for this very reason... She is a serious ballet student and the amount of time and money spent on her dance will NOT be risked by having her do unsafe stuff in PE because some rule says she has to. She's in physically better shape than 99% of the other kids anyways. Judging from the amount of injuries reported at her school PE, I definitely made the right choice.
Being heavily involved in serious sports, us gym (and/or dance) parents know the dangers of concrete floors and I would be much, much more comfortable with PE taking place on appropriate surfaces when available. we wouldn't dream of having our kids tumble on concrete.... For good reason.

 

[sce]

I do see an issue to bring up. That issue is that they are doing PE in a room that is far from adequate (cement floor, pillars etc.) I would not bring up the incident with your daughter.

 

[Committed]

Yeah, I'm in the "it happens" side of things. Then again, my DD is an absolute klutz and always seems to be on the ground. I always cringe when I see her running in the street or on a black top. I can forsee lots of blood!!

 

[Gymdad2]

Have you considered asking that your dd be excused from PE altogether? DD's public school recognized her gymnastics as an alternate to the in-school PE program and allowed her to use the time as a study period instead. Very helpful to her as her time was always for limited due to practice hours.

 

[Deleted member 15064]

@Gymdad2 - I plan on looking into PE exemption at the JR/High School level. I'm not sure how public schools handle those requests around here. Then again, if she gets into the same school as her older sibs, PE can be substituted with dance in a studio, as it's a performing arts school.

As for right now, I figure elementary school PE is fun and she doesn't need the extra time to do homework yet.

 

[Deleted member 15064]

I do see an issue to bring up. That issue is that they are doing PE in a room that is far from adequate (cement floor, pillars etc.) I would not bring up the incident with your daughter.

I spoke to the office admin today. School leader was too busy dealing with state testing this morning. She confirmed that PE will still take place in the basement for activities that can't be done in the new dance room, because of the wood floor suspension system. The preference is always going outside for these activities, but it's muddy out there right now, apparently.

If I deal with it at the classroom level (still not sure I am going to let this go) it may work. Ask her teachers to have her sit and read a book while the rest of her class (3o kids) run around. I hate the idea of singling someone out. But I still can't get over that they had an inadequate gym space, remedied it with a brand new expensive room, but it can't be used for all PE activities. I need the school leader to explain that logic to me, because she is a very smart, very compassionate person and she will help me see the light.

 

[3rd_time_around]

If it makes you feel less crazy, in middle school I insisted PE (which is every other semester) only be during fall (non-comp season) for my daughter. And in high school, no running during PE (she trains plenty at 20 hrs a week at gym, and is in better shape than her whole class). The running was giving her shin splints and inflaming her severs. Plus, she'd had a broken foot and surgery the summer after 9th grade. So no more running in PE. So there ya go, you're not the only one. BTW, they honored our wishes.

 

[3rd_time_around]

I just wanted to say that my kid can't run on the concrete floor. The rest can do as they please. Haha..

I think I may just be itching to play a card at this school after being quiet, obedient, and accommodating for 13 years. I may have deeper, unresolved issues and this just triggered them. I'll wait for something bigger to die on the sword for.

The new gym floor has a suspension system under it. For real. Our PE teacher is heavy on dance & yoga. Love her.

And somehow falling anywhere else in or out of the school will sit better with me than the basement floor...when there's an alternative...

Wait, I thought of one more situation that's been irritating me... Icy sidewalks in front of the school. I think someone complained about the environmental impact of salt or chemicals, so they left the sidewalks in their natural state all winter. DD went down on her **s several times when I walked her in this year. And the whole school has been running the city streets every Friday morning training for a school sponsored 5K.

Ok, I'm done complaining.

Its against the law to leave ice on walkways where I grew up and my parents still live, so I can't imagine they can get away with that. DUMB! Salt is a natural chemical, found and mined in the earth. How is that a bad environmental impact?

It sounds like they don't want their floor used. What was the point in getting it then? If the floor is too special to be used for what it was intended for, or to accommodate PE like it was supposed to be intended for, why did they get it? This reminds me of when we where building a new church building. A few church members were worried about high traffic on the carpets and children being on the carpets and pews, etc .The pastor said that he didn't want a new building if no one was allowed to use it and if they had to worry about a little dirt all the time. He wanted a building that everyone could feel comfortable in and come to worship in. Those people finally closed their mouths.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I wouldn't worry too much. Kids fall and get hurt while playing sometimes. They always have and they always will. And several studies on the subject have suggested that it may even be good for them (I'll see if I can track down links to these studies when I get home tonight).

Even if she misses a meet, it's really not a big deal long-term. I mean, it's a bummer now, but it's not like college coaches or future employers will turn her away because she missed level 5 states.

 

[my4buffaloes]

I am just wondering if you talked to your dd about keeping her shoelaces tied so that she wouldn't trip on them? to me that is the place to start.

 

[Deleted member 15064]

yah

If it makes you feel less crazy, in middle school I insisted PE (which is every other semester) only be during fall (non-comp season) for my daughter. And in high school, no running during PE (she trains plenty at 20 hrs a week at gym, and is in better shape than her whole class). The running was giving her shin splints and inflaming her severs. Plus, she'd had a broken foot and surgery the summer after 9th grade. So no more running in PE. So there ya go, you're not the only one. BTW, they honored our wishes.

Yah! I'm not alone

 

[Deleted member 15064]

I am just wondering if you talked to your dd about keeping her shoelaces tied so that she wouldn't trip on them? to me that is the place to start.

She's new to laces. Second grade. I did. She will. It is a great place to start.

 

[Deleted member 15064]

Lovely priorities your pastor has. Good for him.

If it were me - waaah it's not - I would say no more basement (we've moved on as a school and upgraded the safety/functionality of our PE space!). Outdoor grass for large motor activities and if it's raining then yoga & dance in the new room made for this purpose, whether it's in the lesson plan that day or not. Otherwise the point of this addition that we are now raising capital funds for is what?...

 

[Deleted member 15064]

I wouldn't worry too much. Kids fall and get hurt while playing sometimes. They always have and they always will. And several studies on the subject have suggested that it may even be good for them (I'll see if I can track down links to these studies when I get home tonight).

Even if she misses a meet, it's really not a big deal long-term. I mean, it's a bummer now, but it's not like college coaches or future employers will turn her away because she missed level 5 states.

You're right she will miss meets, maybe a season along the way to injury from whatever source. But Two.More.Weeks. Can we just hold out till then?

She is with a new team. I think that is adding a little pressure to participate, bond and solidify her position with them at states. The NY season is soooo long, too. Who can keep their kid healthy for 9 months? Not me. But true, they won't fire her if she misses due to a clumsy outside-of-the-gym injury? Right?

Thanks for perspective. Always welcome.

 

[krisnkids]

I absolutely despise school PE classes. My oldest son fractured his orbital floor playing soccer during PE, which required surgery because the eye muscle got caught in the fracture. My oldest dd fell roller skating bruising her elbow so bad that they had to put her in a cast for 3 weeks.

I loved California, our children out there were exempted from PE because of their gym training. Each semester our girls would get their cards signed off how many hours they worked out at the gym and they would get PE credit. Lord knows that gymnasts work harder in the gym in their daily workouts than they would ever do in PE classes in school.