Dancers and Backpacks

[Victoria Leigh]

Parents, as the beginning of school approaches and you and your dancers shop for school supplies I just want to bring up again the subject of the danger of backpacks.

 

Carrying books, lots of very heavy books and binders, on your back is just NOT something that young people should do, and ESPECIALLY not young dancers! I cannot stress this strongly enough. These packs are causing horrendous damage in the head, neck and upper back areas. Even if the child is not injured to the point of pain, just do me a favor and take a look at them as they walk with those things. Where is the head in relation to the top of the spine? Where are the shoulders? Watch these children walk down the street looking like a 90 year old hunchback. It is seriously frightening.

 

I have constant problems in ballet classes with heads protruding forward, and this is one of THE MOST difficult things to correct. It simply cannot be done as long as the child continues to do what is causing the problem in the first place.

 

The head is the heaviest part of the body, and when it is off-kilter then the whole structure is not aligned and balanced. Students wonder why they can't turn and balance, for instance. Well DUH! There is no balance pointe when the very top of the structure is not sitting on the top!

 

I really don't want discussion on this. We have been there and done that over and over. This is a PLEA to the parents to take action and get rid of these things.

Enough said. If you want a child with a strong, straight spine as an adult, not to mention a DANCER, then LOSE THE BACKPACKS!!! Subject closed.

[Victoria Leigh]

For further information on the alternatives, please search under Backpacks. I have spelled it out so many times! There are a gazillion excuses about why these things have to be used. Isn't it totally amazing that some of us (of a certain age ) managed to survive all the way through school without ever using one of those things??? Seriously parents, it IS doable! They may not like it, but, they are not going to like it when they are hunchback at 20, or cannot have a career in dance because their head is not aligned and they can't stand up straight.

[Victoria Leigh]

Here are two of the most relevant threads.

 

http://balletalert.com/dancersforum/index....st=0entry9897

 

http://balletalert.com/dancersforum/index....st=0entry8765

[e'smom]

I attended my son's school parent night last night, and many of the teachers mentioned that the textbooks were accessible either on a CD rom or on the Internet via a password and user code. What a great idea - leave the books at school!

[Victoria Leigh]

Wow! That is excellent news. I hope that all schools will soon do that.

[qtpiedanzer01]

knock knock! my school does this also! but i only in american history. students have the option of a book, cd rom, or the internet. i chose the internet. i like the internet because it has like practice quizes and interactive games, unlike the cd where its just the book in adobe format, but its still pretty cool i think.

[giselleforlife]

Student also!! Yeah, we also have the option of Internet for our textbooks, makes things alot more convienient!!!

[tu2mama]

We're in the dark ages here. Text books are a premium, sometimes not even enough for the whole class, and lockers are hard to come by. At least lockers are being used again if the parent sends a note with the student that the student's backpack is too heavy. This is an issue for boys because they don't want to be labeled sissies. I just finished paying $57.50 for a book my son lost last year so he could be enrolled this year. When my daughter was in high school they did not allow locker use but there were still enough books for the students to take one and leave it at home. I sure hope Arnold comes through with the funding for our schools. My daughter is lopsided and has back problems from carrying books all of those years. Heaven forbid the rollie backpack! I guess that those are prime targets fora swift kick and ridicule, even in college. I'm all for text books online but it's not the same as reading a book and more open for ease of plagarism.

[Victoria Leigh]

Actually, I heard that the rolling backpacks are the latest in cool!

[pointe2perfection]

A few years ago they were the cool way to go, but we apparently have moved on I hardly saw a rolling pack this year in Target. My dd is looking for the perfect messenger bag - I guess that is the new style - still so hard on their backs! Argh!!!

[Victoria Leigh]

Nope, not good. Maybe even worse, not sure. But definitely not good. Maybe if she has two of them, well balanced..........and still not too much weight in them....I don't know.

[sgmca]

I guess I shouldn't be so upset that our town is growing so quickly that there's no $$ for textbooks for the new middle school that opened this year. They have a class set and the teachers send home ditto sheets from the textbooks for homework. I would bet they are spending as much or more on copies as they would on textbooks, but at least the copies don't weigh so much and won't hurt her back!

[gbna]

Ditto sheets? wow, been a long time since I heard the term ditto sheet. Ah the blue stains on my hands....the smell of ditto fluid.......but I am showing my age

 

One point, I wonder if your middle school ever heard of the term "copyright laws'?

[Momof3darlings]

There are many textbook places online. Mostly for college, but some upper level high school and AP courses are available. You can also call the publishers and see which books are available for parental purchases. It is quite an expense, but well worth it. Most of the AP books also have study guides for the tests that go along with the books.

 

vj

[amethyst]

When my daughter was in high school I was able to purchase used copies of most of her books online. I used ebay and amazon - both had excellent prices and super fast delivery. Her teachers allowed her to keep the "school copy" in the classroom, and she had the extra set at home for homework. What a savings on her back, since she usually needed every book every night! The next year, I resold most of the books to kids a grade younger.

At the new high school in the district where I teach, they are considering giving each student a laptop to access textbooks and eliminate the need to purchase any books at all. Ahh, to live in a rich school district!