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AIBU?

To red pen DD2's school newsletter, and post it back to them?

113 replies

SarahStrattonIsBackForJustABit · 27/07/2013 10:49

Four A4 sides, last page has 11 spelling mistakes alone. I dare not check the other 3 pages, or I will have The Rage.

WIBU to correct it in red pen, and send it back to them?

OP posts:

Report

NoComet · 27/07/2013 11:26

I don't think it being a grammar makes it worse in the sense that no school should send out lazy unproofed documents, but it makes it worse for the poor person who did.

Grammar school parents are far more likely to complain rather than giggle.

I know 90% of grammar school parents are lovely, but there are a few very competitive, nasty, point scoring ones, who leap on things like this with glee.

curlew · 27/07/2013 11:27

So it wouldn't be so bad if a less prestigious school were crap at proof reading? Or maybe the parents there wouldn't notice?

NoComet · 27/07/2013 11:29

I'm glad it's not just me.
I had a proper red line on error spell checker por a couple of weeks, then it vanished.

Now all I dare run is the next word suggest, which is nothing like good enough for my dyslexic brain.

(Full auto correct just goes crazy with my spelling).

CaptainJamesTKirk · 27/07/2013 11:29

I wouldn't correct with a red pen, but I would return it (uncorrected) with a letter to the headmaster posting out that you have found x number of spelling mistakes in this and feel it makes the school and himself look quite unprofessional. I really would. It's not acceptable, it's shoddy and it's lazy.

NoComet · 27/07/2013 11:36

Captain I like that.
That way you don't grt side tract in to petty discussions if you youmake an error in your red pen.

youarewinning · 27/07/2013 11:37

I would.

I took in DS school report that states " needs to concentrate more when writing to limit unnecessary mistakes" With DS' name spelt incorrectly

MalcolmTuckersMum · 27/07/2013 11:37

Blimey curlew - are you one of those who think spelling and grammar have no place in modern life? It's people like you who are facilitating the race to the bottom isn't it? FGS have some ambition in life and do things properly.

NoComet · 27/07/2013 11:37

get side tracked

I must preview on threads like this

HeySoulSister · 27/07/2013 11:38

curlew clearly nobody is saying that

HeySoulSister · 27/07/2013 11:40

actually,i have noticed the odd mistake on our newsletters in the past....I never do anything

perhaps all parents should be more vigilant and actually inform the schools.

MargeSimpsonzzz · 27/07/2013 11:42

I wouldn't bother. Two Queen Bees did a cookery book once and I was asked to type up some recipes. Ok I said. I typed them up. They 'corrected' my work with mistakes. they gave everything a capital letter. They put two ps in Paprika, no 3 like this Papprika and then at the end, I was credited with the typing! thanks to marge simpson for typing up the recipes!!! I was so embarrassed.

curlew · 27/07/2013 11:42

Nope. I think spelling and grammar are incredibly important. However, I think marking and sending back a badly proofread newsletter is arrogant and pointless. And I think that thinking it's somehow worse because it's a highly regarded school is ..odd.

Go in to the school next term and talk to somebody about it. There should be procedures in place to make sure this doesn't happen.

Nanny0gg · 27/07/2013 11:43

What CaptainJamesTKirk suggested. Safer option.
Especially as, OP, you said 'I would have been ashamed to send out a document with that amount of errors.'

I think you meant number...

curlew · 27/07/2013 11:44

"curlew clearly nobody is saying that"

So what are they saying, then? Why is it worse because it's a well regarded school?

SybilRamkin · 27/07/2013 11:45

Curlew, get a grip.

OP, do it, but make sure you just send it in an envelope anonymously as you don't want to disadvantage your DD!

curlew · 27/07/2013 11:47

"OP, do it, but make sure you just send it in an envelope anonymously as you don't want to disadvantage your DD!"

Or do what CaptainJamesTKirk suggests, and deal with it like a grown up.

RatUpADrainpipe · 27/07/2013 11:51

Oh FFS curlew - stop nitpicking purlease !

MargeSimpsonzzz · 27/07/2013 11:52

I was a secretary for years. My spelling is good. In fact the problem with my bosses seemed to be that they couldn't fathom that my spelling might be better.

One boss who was otherwise lovely drew a big line across a letter where I'd corrected his spelling of irreparable. He told me it was irrepairable. I said "did you check that before you drew a line through my work!'. He had to admit that he hadn't. He asked me to do it again and I said no! I said I did it right the first time!

WorraLiberty · 27/07/2013 12:01

I don't know if I'd correct it and send it back, but I would certainly point it out to the Head.

I know it was ostensibly sent out by him/her but the Head shouldn't have to micro manage the Secretary, whose job it is to send out correctly spelled letters.

If the teachers/cleaners/cooks weren't doing their jobs properly, it wouldn't be down to the Head to do it for them either.

curlew · 27/07/2013 12:02

"Oh FFS curlew - stop nitpicking purlease !"

at that on this thread!

Seriously. Sending it back anonymously is pointless and passive aggressive. Talking about it with the school is sensible and grown up.

And why does it matter what sort of school it is?

RatUpADrainpipe · 27/07/2013 12:05

oh curlew - don't you 'get' it ?

yegodsandlittlefishes · 27/07/2013 12:05

I had a laugh at this title, OP, as I have felt the same way about various primary school newsletters, even though my own spelling and punctuation is not always irreproachable. I'm a little taken aback that this is from a secondary school though, and a well respected grammar. You could reply with a note asking if the school secretary is leaving and whether this is their way of advertising for someone already involved in the school who can spell, and isn't afraid to respond!

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DiseasesOfTheSheep · 27/07/2013 12:07

I would definitely make them aware of it. It's not acceptable.

I used to work for a school who sent out a lot of documents with errors, and the website was a nightmare for stupid text errors. They didn't want to hear about it though

WorraLiberty · 27/07/2013 12:10

When my DS was in yr 2, he brought home a homework sheet that asked him to describe his favourite toy.

One of the questions said, "How old was you when you got this toy?"

I showed it to the Head and she looked like she was going to explode with rage!

storynanny · 27/07/2013 12:11

Hi, teacher here. Tell them, it's totally unacceptable.

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