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07.03.08, 09:37 AM General Topics
69 replies
Someone please tell me about how you tried and tried to get your child into a school better than your "crappy zoned school" and couldn't test out, couldn't get a private, couldn't afford a private, didn't win a lottery spot and couldn't get a variance. After all that, tell me how you just shrugged your shoulders and sent your dc to the crappy zoned school anyway because that was the morally correct thing to do. Please tell us how it all turned out! [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 07.03.08, 09:37 AM Flag
 

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we didn't go through all that hastle, just put our dd in our zoned school (not a great one but really no school is that "crappy" if you don't think of it that way), and she's doing very well. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:39 AM Flag
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all schools are what you make of them. Your bad attitude will not get you or your kids very far anywhere, be it at Anderson, PS38, or Yale [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:41 AM Flag
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Your whole statement rests on "crappy zoned school." That is so subjective. There are parents here who think anything less than Anderson is a crappy zoned school, not good enough for their precious child. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:39 AM Flag
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that's why I put it in quotes, because I've read over and over on here about parents disappointed about the G&T results because they have a "crappy zoned school" [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:43 AM Flag
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we are in that situation and will not send ds to zoned school. still working on other options. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:41 AM Flag
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why not? seriously? It is school - your kid will succeed if you give him the tools to do so [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:41 AM Flag
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I've toured my zone school and talked with the principal. The school has zero parent involvement and basically serves children from the near by housing project (principal said this). We were not even shown the general ed classrooms on the tour. The teachers were hard working, class sizes were great, but I would not be comfortable sending dc there. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:45 AM Flag
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parent involvement can start with one- you. There is nothing wrong with children from the housing projects unless you're determined to raise your child in a diversity-free environment. With hard-working teachers and good class sizes, I think you're 80% of the way to a great school experience for your dc [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:46 AM Flag
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np-stop being such a fucking pollyanna. There is a LOT to be concerned about here. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:47 AM Flag
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why the attitude? I have sent my dcs to a "not great" school for the past 4 years because it was our only option. We weren't thrilled at first but they are excelling in school, making good friends from all walks of life, and we are very happy with where they are now. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:49 AM Flag
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which school is that? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:50 AM Flag
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not outing myself because i know other moms UB, but it is in Brooklyn, not one of the ones mentioned below [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:51 AM Flag
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261? I don't think that's it, because that's a great school. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:55 AM Flag
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no, but nearby. The school we're at is constantly making strides and improving, but is still not considered "good" [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:57 AM Flag
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PS 38? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:04 AM Flag
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perhaps ;) [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:06 AM Flag
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Are you in the G & T at whatever school it is? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:09 AM Flag
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yes [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:10 AM Flag
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np: We were at 261 until recently. 7 years ago when we first moved to Brooklyn, 261 was NOT a sought-after school. It's because parents stopped pulling their kids out getting a variance to 29 and/or private that the school became popular. And I don't think a thing changed about the teachers or the school - it was all about how UMC families thought about it. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:03 AM Flag
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NNP: this is often the case, but sometimes (and I've seen this first hand) you will find principals who don't want change. They want to marginally improve scores for the kids who are getting 1, because they know this will move them right up the DOE food chain. They are NOT receptive UMC parents and their concerns. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:50 AM Flag
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the doe is also being sued by a parent because her kindergartener was sodomized by another 6 year old in the bathroom. And being the one involved parent is not going to turn it around for the 200+ kids in the school. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:50 AM Flag
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this is at the school you toured? THAT is a very different story than "kids from the projects" [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:51 AM Flag
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how do you know about this? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:51 AM Flag
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or--read it in the newspaper [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:27 AM Flag
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a 6 year old can sodomize someone? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:54 AM Flag
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np. Yes. Go look up the definition of sodomy. Technically oral-genital or oral-anal contact are sodomy, not just genital-anal, which is what I expect you're thinking of. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:02 AM Flag
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do you have the details of this story? What school? Link, what type of sodomy? Where they in the same class? Thanks [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:10 AM Flag
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or--yes, they were in the same class and sent to the bathroom together. the mother felt that if the school knew the sodomizer had issues, he should not have been sent to the bathroom unsupervised. don't have a link; the article was from the fall. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:29 AM Flag
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have you considered that the school probably did NOT know the 6yo sodomizer had issues? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:30 AM Flag
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sure, but I used to be a school social worker at a low income school. there were certain kids that could not be alone with other children or sent places on their own. I don't think you molest your friend in the bathroom without other warning signs. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:35 AM Flag
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its probably hard to differentiate between a normal hi-strung 6yo and one with more major issues. The poor child is probably being sexually abused at home as well [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:37 AM Flag
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having worked in schools, it's not that difficult to separate the two. I assumed that he had been abused himself. I still am not comfortable sending my dc to this school. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:42 AM Flag
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that's your choice, but going to morally questionable means to get out of it seems bad to me, especially if your dc would be in G&T classes and likely not interact with troubled children like this [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:43 AM Flag
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or--not sure what you mean by "morally questionable means"; my dc would be in the gen ed, not the g&t [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:50 AM Flag
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oh, ok. I meant the buying a studio in a good zone or faking an address [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:55 AM Flag
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we're considering all options--another year in prek, moving or renting an apartment in another zone. you would be happy to send your dc to a gen ed school like this? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 11:04 AM Flag
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I wouldn't be happy and would probably move, but if I had NO options I would - it sounds like the school/teachers are now very alert and aware and such an incident won't likely happen again [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 11:07 AM Flag
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because they are being sued? I'm sure they will do what they can to prevent such an incident from happening again, but that doesn't make the atmosphere of that program any better. Nor does it change the attitude of the support staff who spoke harshly to the children (and me). [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 11:11 AM Flag
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ok, you keep bringing up more issues that weren't clear before. Clearly you're not sending your kid to this school, I probably wouldn't either, but from the op it sounded like it wasn't that bad with small classes and great teachers. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 11:15 AM Flag
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That's because I really wanted to give the school a chance and not just dismiss it because of it's location/reputation. Having worked in similar schools, I know how hard the teachers work and how many social issues they have to contend with. I've even considered volunteering there, but it would not be a good place for my dc. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 11:31 AM Flag
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^^or the poor dc who are stuck there with no options [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 11:32 AM Flag
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and how did the school know that this child was a sodomizer? Had it beeen done in the past? This "issue" word is far too vague. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:33 AM Flag
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the school described above, with all kids from the projects, doesn't sound very diverse to me. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:54 AM Flag
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I doubt they are all from the projects. almost no schools are [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:55 AM Flag
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she said the principal told her that. it is what it is. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:05 AM Flag
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no, she didn't say that actually. she said it basically serves children from the projects [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:06 AM Flag
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or--the principal said the gen ed is all project kids; the g&t gets some none project kids. I've observed recess and been on the tour; it is not a diverse school [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:26 AM Flag
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^^92.5 % qualify for free lunch [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 11:14 AM Flag
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We lived in an area (Bklyn) with a mediocre zoned school. It wasn't crappy or failing, but certainly not great, and every older parent we met in the neighborhood had managed to get kids in the neighboring good schools via a variance or some other method. Then DOE stopped giving them. A group of parents decided to try the pre-K year at our zoned school, thinking we'd try for lottery somewhere else if we hated it. It was great, we all decided to stay and worked hard to make school better. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:42 AM Flag
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exactly - this is why some selective schools in newly "gentrified" areas are becoming steadily better [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:44 AM Flag
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^^^now school is very desirable. This is the story of many schools in Brooklyn (PS 8, PS 58, PS 39, PS 107, PS 154....and so on). But if my zoned school hadn't worked out, we would have kept calling the charter/magnet schools in September to try for a spot -- I mean, constantly keep calling and applying and often a spot opens up. At last resort, we would have moved to better zone or suburbs. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:44 AM Flag
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OP: this is an awesome story! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:44 AM Flag
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Thanks! And lots of those parents had kids who would have very likely qualified for G&T programs, but in Brooklyn, they weren't that desirable and none of us even had our dcs tested because we preferred a mediocre zoned school we could make better to a G & T in a completely failing school. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:47 AM Flag
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ps59 mom? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:44 AM Flag
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OP: No, it's in response to the thread on "cheaters" getting into schools they aren't zoned for [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:46 AM Flag
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FWIW, I am the end-result of a crappy elementary and JHS education in the NYC public school system in the 70s, which was worlds worse than today. My parents were immigrants and did not have time or knowledge to work the system to get a better school. Eventually tested into Stuy, as did both of my brothers who also had similar experience. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:57 AM Flag
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and I'm sure you turned out completely terrible (j/k) [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 09:58 AM Flag
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OR: Yes, illiterate, drugged-out, and pregnant in high school. All because I didn't get a variance! ;-) [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:03 AM Flag
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aww, poor you! lol [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:08 AM Flag
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Why is it the morally correct thing to do? Sending your kids to a school other then your zoned public school is not immoral. Nor does it it make any better a person or parent it you do. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:03 AM Flag
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No, it's not immoral to send your kid to another school if you do so honestly. But it is immoral to fake your address instead of following the legal channels. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:31 AM Flag
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i wholeheartedly disagree and the OR on this thread is a great example of why. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 11:48 AM Flag
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Refusing to lie doesn't make you a better person? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:58 AM Flag
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We did. It worked out fine. The school worked with us, we got involved. Glad we made the choice we did and we can hold our heads high. And this is 4 years now, so it was back in the day when it was much easier to fake your address. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:30 AM Flag
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what school? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:42 AM Flag
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Sorry, not outing myself! D6. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:51 AM Flag
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how could you out yourself? is your child the only one at the school? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:54 AM Flag
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No but I don't want to insult other parents who were happier to go there than we were. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:57 AM Flag
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lol, got it! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.03.08, 10:59 AM Flag
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