Sports Day - HT called our children spoilt babies

[wibblypig1]

Hope someone can advise as I'm really cross.

DS1 yr2 - school sports day last week. It was loads of hanging around, everyone was getting bored and tired. One race, then a delay, one more race - delay - it took hours to get through everything. The usual PTA members kids won loads of medals each - some 3 gold medals per child, whilst my DS (who isn't competitive or particularly athletic/sporty) won nothing.
The next day, HT took assembly. Asked all kids to stand up who didn't win anything. My DS stood up with a handful of others, mainly reception kids.
They were told to stay standing up if they'd cried at not winning. I can't make out if he stayed standing or not. The HT then toldvthose standing up that they were nothing but babies and acted very spoilt.

Is it just me or was this totally unnecessary?

There's loads of nepotism in the school, the same kids in the newsletter winning awards for "most caring" and getting photos of them on the classroom windows, the best parts in plays etc - all PTA kids or TA's kids. It's really got me cross. Please help me reason this out. DS bust a gut and was so sad at not winning (we'd told him there would be no negative repercussions - now I feel like I've been made out to be a liar).

[user1497455653]

*Stonecircle
*
I am assuming that the OP knows this happened in a factual matter before ranting about it online... otherwise it's a bit stupid pointless.

But yes - if the events are not hard cold facts I would totally agree to ensure that it really did happen first

[user789653241]

No, OP doesn't know if this happened in a factual matter, because she has only heard it from children.

[stonecircle]

Exactly Irvine. Unless the op was actually present (which she wasn't), she doesn't know what happened. And a lot of us with children have learnt the hard way not to place 100% reliance on their interpretation of events.

[nonicknameseemsavailable]

IF that is accurate then you have to complain HOWEVER please don't mention about the PTA kids winning everything. the chances are that the parents who volunteered to help at sports days are those who are sporty themselves or have sporty children hence their children probably being better at sports because they do more etc and therefore winning. that really isn't relevant to the complaint itself.

[StarHeartDiamond]

In our school the class split into teams of 4 so there is no individual medal winning but there's still competition. They also mix children of different abilities in the teams so there isn't a "super team" within the class.

Seems to work. Have never seen tears in sports day, but all the children are highly motivated and putting 100% in, same as if it was for individual glory. By the next day it's all forgotten. In our school they are really good at not pitting children against each other individually which can lead to upsets (at that age), whilst still retaining an element of competition with a definite winning team.

[StarHeartDiamond]

Oh and there no "nominated to do" a race, judging who is better for the sack race or whatever (!) all the children in all the teams compete the same and the first team to sit down, after everyone has had their turn, wins.

[mummytime]

If true I would write to the Head teacher, copying in the Chair of Governors and the LA.

But actually I would also be looking around for another school - it sounds horrible.

[OyofMidWorld]

Blimey. I'm chair of the PTA but the best my son did in any of the 8 races he ran yesterday was fourth. I didn't realise that having a parent who can be arsed to give up a bit of time to try to help school automatically made him a fast runner!

[Raaaaaah]

The PTA thing is beside the point and you just need to take it on the chin. However if the Headteacher behaved in this way I would be livid. For all those who say that OP shouldn't take the word of the children as gospel how should she corroborate the story? Genuine question. I always think that it is odd that we shouldn't take kids reports from school seriously. Sure they can tell some porkies but I have also had really important nuggets of truth from my children.

[Raaaaaah]

I would also be looking for another school unless my children were really happy and settled there.

[lljkk]

9yo DS has a snit every year at sports day. Lots of tears when he was younger (and tantrum refusals). Now he puts on a barely holding it together sulk.

This drives me crazy & I'm not sure I would care if HT had publicly shamed him for it. I have stopped going to Sports Days b/c I can't deal with DS's protests that others must have cheated. It's so ridiculous. I'd try anything to get him to stop being so competitive about SportsDay.

I am a stalwart of the PTA & DS wins nothing. Ours must be a shite PTA, I guess!!

[OneOfTheGrundys]

I wouldn't bother with the other parents-just go direct to the cause of your concern. Request an appointment, outline the evidence for your worries (several distinct reports all correlating) and go from there. Ime, even otherwise sensible Y6s aren't immune to a bit of excitement, scandal and outrage.

[user1497480444]

the main PTA kids

how on Earth do you qualify as a "main PTA kid"?

how does as TA influence the outcome of a race on Sports day?

As to delays, etc, have you ever tried to organise one?

You sound very judgmental, and very unclear about what happens is schools.

[wineusuallyhelps]

I know this isn't the purpose of the thread, but just to dispel the apparent myth that all PTA members are pushy busybodies:

• I am on the PTA because I want to help my children's school to flourish
• it's always the same small number of us at every event doing the same jobs, no matter how many times we ask for help
• people then criticise the events
• I don't particularly enjoy spending hours prepping an event; helping to run it; putting up with some rudeness from parents during it because I'm not serving quick enough; and then clearing up their sneaked-in beer bottles and food packaging they haven't even bought at the event afterwards
• as a bonus, some people assume I am doing it to be nosey, cliquey and hobnob with teachers
• my kids do not get any preferential treatment...most of the teachers don't know who's on the PTA
• none of the PTA are stay-at-home parents. We all have jobs...

End of soapbox

[itisasmallworldisntit]

Those pesky PTA members and TA's shortening lanes at sports day. Was there any participation trophies?

[grannytomine]

I went to GS sports day and I would say there was definitely nepotism. If there was a clear winner nothing they could do, close races it was always the "chosen few" who got the prize, some were really dodgy decisions. There were alot of upset kids, some crying. They were in houses and the one thing I was pleased about was that the house with a child with mobility issues really supported him even though he was last in every race but one. In the one race one of his housemates ran with him and dropped back at the last second so he let the other boy go in front of him. I thought that was lovely and although that house came last I felt like they were real winners.

[BarbarianMum]

School sounds unpleasant and you sound deranged with your PTA conspiracy theories. Match made in heaven.