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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be annoyed about this school event?

238 replies

eliza1960 · 15/07/2015 13:22

My eldest DD (Year 11) is quite upset over something that happened at school. Her form group is full of very loud, strong characters and she is a quiet girl who just gets on with things. Out of school she is more outgoing, does drama/ theatre as a hobby but she can be quite shy around the louder girls at school.

This week the form teacher let the leaders of the form organise a prize giving for the end of year 11. DD says it's a group of the more popular girls who organised and led this event.

They presented every person with a certificate related to their personality/ interests. Things like 'chatterbox of the year', 'most caring', 'sports mad' etc. they called DD's name and presented her with her certificate of 'class mouse'. She said she felt embarrassed as the rest of the class were laughing at her as she went to get it and she felt it wasn't meant in a nice way. It was done in front of lots of people and I think she found it humiliating as it was done to mock her for being quiet.

She's been quite tearful about it which isn't like her. I think she's also disappointed as she would have liked a certificate to keep that reflected her true personality (something nice about her, like how friendly she is or her drama interests, which these girls did know about. )

I feel that they have done it to be mean, as every other student received a certificate that was something positive. Class mouse is not something she wanted to be remembered as and she has even binned the certificate. She says that some of the other students have been making fun of her since, shouting 'mouse' and making squeaking noises at her.

I feel that she's spent years building up her confidence and self esteem only to have it knocked by this silly event, which her teachers allowed to happen without supervising what these girls were saying about their peers. The form teacher was even in the room when this happened and let the others laugh at her without intervening.

AIBU to feel annoyed about this?

OP posts:
LondonRocks · 16/07/2015 23:01

What's all this pussyfooting? Just say something and ask for it to be confidential. Point made.

YANBU at all. They were little bitches.

LondonRocks · 16/07/2015 23:02

The fact that they were sniggering says a lot. About them.

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 16/07/2015 23:25

Quietest, Rufus?

A quietist might be someone who is prejudiced against quiet people Smile

CrispyFern · 16/07/2015 23:46

Something really similar happened to me, really really similar, except the teacher wrote the awards.

I was really quiet, had been bullied. Male teacher, really friendly with the loud girls. He did it to get a laugh out of them, the weak prick.

RufusTheReindeer · 17/07/2015 07:41

Thanks closer Grin

Didn't look right the first time I typed it either..stupid words

CarlaJones · 17/07/2015 07:44

That's horrible Crispyfern. I hope my dd doesn't encounter any teachers like that when she goes to secondary school. What was the name he called you. (Don't say if you prefer not to. )

creighton · 17/07/2015 08:13

class mouse means you are a nobody

itsmine · 17/07/2015 10:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nurserywindow · 17/07/2015 10:48

I have to say Chocolate, I'm a bit surprised at your post.

The teacher should have been well aware of the personalities of the girls in his form and able to appreciate that this kind of 'banter' and jokey labelling could cause a lot of upset. Calling a quiet sensitive girl the 'class mouse' is not banter, it's insensitive and crass. Calling the most outgoing girl in the class the 'class mouse' would have been banter.

The problem is so many people, including many adults, excuse their rude and insensitive remarks with 'whaaaaat?? It was only banter. Can't you take a joke?".

Usually, I have to say, the kind of people who can dish it out but can't take it back. I bet there'd have been huge sulks and tears if any of those little madams had been handed a less than complimentary label.

Roseforarose · 17/07/2015 11:25

Well said Nurserywindow,unbelievably unfair to let the confident popular girls decide on what label to give everybody. I wonder how they would have took it if somebody had labelled one of them "nastiest person" or "class bully". Wonder what their parents would say about that.

BitOutOfPractice · 17/07/2015 12:19

I totally agree nursery and rose

Esmeismyhero · 17/07/2015 12:30

I haven't rtft but what a bunch of nasty bitches! Class mouse! Your poor dd Flowers for her and a big "fuck you" to them!

Seriouslyffs · 17/07/2015 12:34

I hate these awards for everyone activities- they always backfire and are utterly meaningless.
A new boss tried to get us to nominate each other for one and the whole team ignored her emails stroppy mares that we are! Grin

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