Reason for the Season - Incident at Maxham Elementary School

Today I bring to your attention something appalling. I recommend you write your own letters as well. This comes from my father's letter:

I have just read in the online Taunton Daily Gazette the most incredible story about a recent incident at Lowell M. Maxham Elementary School <http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/x1903566059/Taunton-second-grader-suspended-over-drawing-of-Jesus>. If the newspaper article is factual, it is not a story of properly following all the safety protocols of the school system, but one that illustrates incredible stupidity, ignorance, and lack of common sense from individuals in the Taunton Public School System.

He goes on with his thoughts on the situation which I echo. Goodness! How ridiculous can people be!? Click the link above to go read the article in it's entirety. You can also see an image of the picture the boy drew... Let me point out a few things.


A second grader suspended and required to undergo a psychological evaluation at his parent's expense before being allowed to return to school for completely an assignment. - When asked to draw something that reminded him of Christmas, the eight year old drew a picture of Jesus on the cross with XX's on his eyes to show he was dead. The teacher then finds the picture violent, procedures follow, boy is suspended and required to be evaluated.

The father said he got a call earlier this month from Maxham Elementary School informing him that his son, a second-grade student, had created a violent drawing. The image in question depicted a crucified Jesus with Xs covering his eyes to signify that he had died on the cross. The boy wrote his name above the cross.

Seriously? Can you imagine how traumatized this kid is?

The boy made the drawing and was sent home from school on Dec. 2. He went for the psychological evaluation — at his parents’ expense — the next day and was cleared to return to school the following Monday after the psychological evaluation found nothing to indicate that he posed a threat to himself or others.

How many people get caught up in all the superficial reasons for Christmas? Is it not our job as Christian parents to continually remind our children and others the "reason for the season"? The fact that an eight year old's first inclination and imagery of Christmas is Jesus Christ's sacrifice is incredible and awe inspiring to me. I am uncertain if the teacher etc really believe his picture to be violent or if they are simply attempting to put a further wedge in the ridiculous rulings of separating school from religion. It makes me wonder if a child made a picture of a baby in a manger under a night sky it they would praise it call it Christmas, or if they would turn him over for a psychological evaluation stating that he should need child services because of the idea of a baby being out in a cold night in a manger/cave/barn or similar of all places.

The historical value of Christ's birth is plain. I wonder if a child drew a picture of George Washington and his troops in the Christmas Winter of 1776 with bayonets and canyons included if that child too would be suspended for violent images. ??

Something that makes me ill, is how the newspaper article ends... It states:

This is not the first time in recent years that a Taunton student has been sent home over a drawing. In June 2008, a fifth-grade student was suspended from Mulcahey Middle School for a day after creating a stick figure drawing that appeared to depict him shooting his teacher and a classmate.

Seriously? Are you saying that Jesus' ultimate gift is on the same lines of violence as a proposed shooting? That's awful. Either the teacher is just completely ignorant or I just do not know what to think.

My thoughts.

Christmas = Jesus = Love

Violence, is not the thought that comes to me. God so loved the world. LOVED people. He gave his only son. The ONLY one. To those that will believe in him shall not perish. NOT perish, not die, not come to ill will. But to have eternal life. Life with him. Life of love. LOVE!

See the link at the top or here: http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/x1903566059/Taunton-second-grader-suspended-over-drawing-of-Jesus

There are also several other links about the article you can find by googling "Taunton suspended". Some people also bring out that the boy wrote "his" name above the cross and that was what alarmed the teacher. Others say he was special needs, some say he just had "reading and speech" help. Either way, the main portion of the story is the same.

Here are contacts, if you wish to share your opinion with them.


Dr. Julie Hackett
Superintendent of Schools
Taunton Public Schools
110 County Street
Taunton MA 02780
jhackett@tauntonschools.org

Ms. Rebecca Couet, Principal
Maxham Elementary School
141 Oak Street
Taunton, MA 02780
rcouet@tauntonschools.org

Ms. Josephine Almeida, Chairperson
Taunton School Committee
34 Orchard Street
Taunton, MA 02780
jodyalmeida@yahoo.com

Mr. Charles Crowley, ex-officio as Mayor
Taunton School Committee
15 Summer Street
Taunton, MA 02780
mayor@tlmp.net