School Bans Lip Balm

[The Straight Story]

School Bans Lip Balm…What’s Next?


Okay, this whole banning things at school is getting out-of-control. First, some schools banned silly banz. Then they banned “I Love Boobies” bracelets. And now one school in North Carolina has banned lip balm. Seriously, the kids need to bring a note from home saying they can wear Chapstick or other lip balms!

Until recently, students needed a note from the doctor in order to bring lip balm to school.

“I just don’t see how Chapstick can even remotely be perceived as medicine,” said Stephanie Boyd, a parent in the district. “Is it me or has common sense just gone out the window lately? They seem to ban something new every single year.”

I’m with you, Ms. Boyd!

What’s the rationale behind the ban? The Johnston County school district said the policy was put in place by the county heath department. Apparently, parents were concerned that kids were sharing lip balm and spreading germs.

http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2010/11/29/school-bans-lip-balm-what-next/

[sakabatou]

1. *facepalm*

[flvegan]

2. (facepalm)

Oh deary me. Put all the kids in individual bubbles with air filtration breathing apparatus and get it over with.

[hlthe2b]

3. Oh, heavens... is there no common sense any more...

I still remain appalled at the expulsion of the straight A student for bringing a plastic disposable table knife to spread her peanut butter.. or the girl expelled for bringing a dose of ibuprofen to treat her menstrual cramps. Chapstick? Good Goddess.

[Liberal Veteran]

4. Maybe they thought it was a lip-bomb?

[struggle4progress]

5. I'm pretty sure they can sort it out in Johnston county without everybody else's help

If you have concerns here, why don't you begin by finding out exactly what the county heath department told the school district and why

[The Straight Story]

6. The why is in the OP: Concerned that students might share it and spread germs(nt)

[struggle4progress]

15. I don't understand why that causes you outrage. Perhaps you have a child in the Johnston county

school system, and it is a gross violation of your rights to ask you to write a note saying your child has permission to bring chapstick?

[The Straight Story]

28. Are you ok with things that go on in China, India, Iran, etc? Not your country

So if they execute a woman there by stoning is it any of your business? You don't live there so why should you complain about it?

And if a city allows smoking at bars, a city you don't live in, are you for or against them doing so? Or if they allow it in your city at a bar you have no plans on going to - should anyone care what you think about it?

[struggle4progress]

35. I can't see any useful analogy between a threat of stoning and a county health department

worrying about students sharing chapstick in flu season

[Angry Dragon]

7. Next will be holding hands and kissing

it could spread germs

hazmet suits for everyone

edit for spelling and to add

[pipi_k]

47. And breathing and sneezing...

One sick kid sneezing within a few feet of a bunch of other kids could probably spread more germs than a crappy little chapstick.

Oh, and they don't even want to know how many girls are sharing lipstick and mascara in the girls' bathrooms in between classes.


sigh...

idiots.

[FSogol]

8. Maybe they're concerned about this stuff:

http://merryhempsters.com/hemp/balm/LIP-BALM-VEGAN.html

"I know, just in time for stocking stuffers"

[texastoast]

21. The best ever

Nothing beats hemp oil in a lip balm. No buzz, though.

[Toucano]

9. Home schoolin' looks better all the time. n/t

[betharina]

10. bring me my chapstick

[somone]

11. Idiot school administrator

but they're smart enough to blame the county health department

[Nevernose]

12. As a high school teacher and parent of a 14yo girl:

The lip balm thing is obnoxious as shit. Constant interruptions for kids applying, borrowing, or requesting lip balm. But banning it? C'mon, school bean counters and beuracrats, do you really have nothing better to do? And now, as distracting as lip balm was, now teachers in that district are going to have to be lip balm police. Thank god I'm in the union, too: I can foresee teachers facing disciplinary measures before the end of the school year for not enforcing the lip balm ban stringently enough.

[struggle4progress]

17. Why not actually read the article before posting?

[Nevernose]

30. I did. They claim it's about "germs"

Which sounds like bullshit to me. It sounds like people were sitting around bitching about lip balm before blowing it all out of proportion. It sounds to me like an overpaid administrator took it to the local health district, who then took it back to the school district.

None of the conjecture or article contents, however, change the fact that now, instead of teaching, educators will have one more ban to enforce. Did you bother to read my whole post?

Most school districts seem to be concerned with many things, only one of percent of which has anything at all to do with education.

[AnArmyVeteran]

34. I ran for school board once just to give teachers a voice.

Teachers are overworked, underpaid, unappreciated and totally disregarded. And then they have to teach while administrators and parents are attacking them from both ends. At one time teachers were the most respected members of society and they were given free reign to actually teach children. But no longer. Teachers are at the bottom of the educational system with everyone from their administration, their states and the national government all pressing down on them. Why anyone would want to teach anymore is beyond me.

You are absolutely right about school districts being concerned with everything but teaching. When I ran for a position on the school board the number one question I was asked in forums was if I believed in prayer in school. That is a totally irrelevant issue as it has nothing to do with education or teaching children how to think and learn. It's amazing how ignorant most people are.

I know I'm obviously preaching to the choir. You are absolutely correct...

[struggle4progress]

37. So you didn't click through the blog to the original newspaper article

[TorchTheWitch]

13. what madness n/t

[MichaelHarris]

14. so you're

upset with a public school responding to the parents concerns filtered through the local health department? If I remember correctly you home school correct?

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Bingo

[The Straight Story]

29. If a state/city you don't live in likes charter schools, you going to post about it? (nt)

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. I have done so many times

What is your point?

[The Straight Story]

24. So you can only be concerned with things locally? You want to limit your own voice?

If a school district in Ohio bans a gay pride club will you just be silent because it does not concern you and your kids?

I will keep that in mind.

[DefenseLawyer]

16. A balm? What are you giving him a balm for?

It might bite him!

[JBoy]

18. You put the balm on? Who told you to put the balm on?

That is totally inappropriate. It's lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous!

[Toucano]

40. +1 Thanks!

[Bobbieo]

20. OMG!!!!

[DebJ]

22. Then they need to add lipstick, mascara, all makeup, hair

brushes and clips. Sharing food at lunch would also be a concern.

Good grief what ever happened to common sense?

[Puregonzo1188]

23. I'm pretty sure chapstick was banned when I was in elementary school. On the grounds it was medicine

[nemo137]

25. Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to print up a bunch of flyers for the halls

"Don't share your lipchap! You'll get cold sores!" or something, and leave it at that?

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. And every kid in the school would read those and stop sharing their lip balm

:sarcasm:

[nemo137]

45. One the whole, probably as effective as an outright ban.

For a fraction of the headache. Less likely to piss of parents, for one thing.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. Sounds like a health issue

and a directive from the county health department. Or 'heath' department, whatever that is. At any rate, I don't have a problem with school districts honoring health department directives. I can see where some of those tea party attending 'liberty' lovers may object though.

We banned the silly banz at my school. The 4th graders had assigned a value to each of them. Red meant you'd give a blow job. Black meant you'd have sex with a boy. Pink meant you were a lesbian. I forget the others. One was anal sex. The boys were making lists so they knew which girls would do what. One called a girl at home, tried to arrange a get together and her mom called the school to report it. So we banned them.

4th graders are 9 years old. If you think they should come to school wearing rubber bands that identify their sexual act preferences, then I can see how you might object to our ban. The media didn't report it or I would post a link you could use as an OP. :)

[WolverineDG]

31. so basically the parents need to get off their asses & teach their kids

(shock)

Seriously, how damn hard is it to tell your kid not to share lip balm? Yeah, sure you have to do it again & again & again, but nagging is part of the job description.

dg

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. And as soon as a kid gets sick a parent will call and bitch it was because of sharing lip balm

Trust me. It's probably already happened.

You're a lawyer. What do you want to bet some parent somewhere has either filed or threatened to file a lawsuit over shared lip balm. Wouldn't shock me in the least.

[WolverineDG]

43. and then that parent will get laughed out of court

sorry, just sick & tired of parents palming off their responsibilities to the schools. Teachers didn't go to college so they could become Lip Balm cops.

dg

[proud2BlibKansan]

44. It would likely never make it to court

I seriously doubt the parents who threaten to sue even talk to a lawyer.

But the sad reality is that as soon as they mention liability or lawsuit, the school administrators cave.

[fishwax]

36. why blame the schools for what appears to be a health department policy?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

38. Sharing Lip Balm? Is that what they call it?

Back in my day, we called it "swapping spit", among other things. "Sharing Lip Balm" is a new one on me.

:hi:

[Newsjock]

39. All better now: 'N.C. school district reverses ban on lip balm'

Source: Associated Press

Never mind about that ban on lip balm in Johnston County schools.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported today that school district officials have changed the way they will regulate lip balm because of worries about the spread of germs.

Schools Superintendent Ed Croom wrote parents Monday telling them they now need to send a note only if they do not want their children to use lip balm, hand sanitizer or sunscreen.

Read more: http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/11/30/article/nc_school_district_reverses_ban_on_lip_balm

[Ezlivin]

41. Paying Lip Service to Education

Read the upcoming novel...

[Odin2005]

42. County health departments are a bunch fucking PITA nannies.

I used to be a cook at a preschool/daycare run by the YWCA and the biggest obstacle to feeding the kids good food was the fucking regulations telling us, among other things, the exact amount of each food group we HAD to serve at every meal. It lead to a lot of good food being wasted and a lot of good food did not count towards the food group requirements for no rational reason I could figure out.

fuck the Health Department!

[ladjf]

46. Hmm. They are going to have to ban lips if hygiene is the problem.