Anyone Have a Kid in K Whose Guest Speaker Dissected a Deer for the Class?

That sounds a little extreme, and something that the parents should have been notified of in advance. I would talk to them about it, this seems out of line. I would be more understanding if it was a frog, but a deer?

I've never heard of this but I think it's pretty wonderful. Kids are interested in their bodies and how they work and they haven't developed the eeew factor yet.

To get the brain disease you need to eat the brain. NO an issue from just dissecting.
And I don't have a problem with it, but my two year old has seen us cut up several deer.
I think more people need to understand where food comes from.

I think I heard Bambie scream in my head when I read your post. If someone would have done this when I was in kinder, I would have thrown up on my shoes.

Dawn

Um. Wow.

My dad and brothers are deer hunters, so I have seen skinned & decapitated deer carcasses hanging in our garage, but if I saw that happen in front of me, I'd puke. I am beyond shocked, and am actually upset with your daughter's teacher that you were not given advance warning of this. WOW! Even if a Kindergartener opted to go watch, most of them would have NO idea what they were about to witness. Distrubing!

I haven't heard of anything like this myself. It could be a traumatizing experience for some young souls if handled crudely. If done respectfully of life (and perhaps on a deer that had been killed on the roadway), it could actually be pretty awesome. Perhaps even mark the beginning of some child's wish to be a doctor.

We teach our kids what is acceptable or gross by the attitudes we exhibit. In many cultures, children that age would probably already be acquainted with the insides of the animals they eat, since many animals are sold whole and plucked or skinned, gutted, and prepared in the family kitchen.

Here, we may be acquainted with fish innards if we go camping and fishing with our dads, perhaps other animals if we're born into a family of hunters or grow up on a farm. I caught and cleaned fish with my step-dad from the age of 8, and it was simply learning the whole story of where our food comes from. For me, that knowledge is basic to appreciating my food fully, and understanding how I fit into the natural order of life.

Dissection.
Kindergarten?
A Deer?
And 2 guests a week?

NO, never heard of that.
My son, is in Kindergarten now.

Were the parents... told ahead of time about this dissection?

My son, learns about the body too, at school. But no, no dissections.

At least, they allowed your daughter, to stay away, of her choosing.

Heck I am from Texas and have not heard of this in a Kindergarten classroom but during hunting season it is going on in lots of neighborhood yards.

I remember my grandmother gutting a kid (young goat) and all of my cousins and I did not think a thing about it.. We are just used to it.

We have tons of photos or animals being prepped and skinned by all sorts of family members.

When it is showmn very matter of fact and explained what you are seeing, it is extremely interesting.

If you make it a big deal and react instead of seeing at as how our food is processed.. then it would be a problem.

Never underestimate your children. They love learning about all sorts of things.

OMG! Speechless. That would have done my daughter in.....FOREVER.

That's surprising but I would not have a problem with it. My son would love that but my daughter would have stayed inside and gone pale. To me it sounds like a really excited to teach teacher.

Not even in PA, which is pretty famous for deer hunting.....

I'm shocked, really. In 7th grade bio we were given the option of a computer program or dissecting a frog. I would have been HORRIFIED as a small child. I was so grateful that my 10th grade bio class did not get to the fetal pig, but the other class did. Did no one think this might be disturbing for 5 and 6 yr olds if HS students don't want to do dissection?

Wow! That seems young. My son's first dissection was a cow's eye in 2nd grade, deer heart in 3rd, etc. Glad she was able to stay in her classroom!

Uh NO! Cannot believe you were not told about this prior to the event. I don't think it was necessarily a "bad" thing, just a little much for kindergarten age I think. My kids would've freaked out as we live in a heavily wooded area and have deer in our yard all the time. They love the deer and hate when they hear about their uncle shooting them. They're just a little too young to understand the whole "hunting" concept. So in my opinion, I think it was wrong of your child's school to not inform you about this beforehand, so you could prepare your child or keep her home. I'd definitely want a schedule of the "guest speakers" from now on. That should be a no-brainer for the teacher and administration.

No, but my kids' school is adjacent to a a nature preserve and sometimes the environmental ed teacher will invite all the classes out (K-5) to observe a decomposing carcass in various stages of decay. There have been several animals including at least one deer and a coyote.
I personally don't have a problem with it, and I know for a fact most of the kids, especially the younger ones, are really fascinated and intrigued by seeing the inner workings of a formerly living being. It's usually the adults who are grossed out, uncomfortable and bothered by it :)

Damn, even in Wisconsin I don't "think" that's happened buy ya NEVER know.

That's REALLY not cool at all.

I would have liked to know about it ahead of time, but would have been THRILLED ...

(*As Long As* proper precautions were taken. Mad Cow Disease -prion disease- is actually VERY hard for PEOPLE to catch. The prions that get into deer muscle and nervous tissue, however, are the EXACT same kind that we get -aka it's SUPER easy for people to become infected with prion disease/ mad deer. One needs to be VERY careful in handling deer and deer meat & know the symptoms of infection. Most hunters do.).

It sounds like something your child wouldn't learn from you. Perhaps it is a good thing because she was able to see it first hand from someone willing to show her. No worries, my little one would never learn it from me either.

From the sounds of things, the speaker held her interest.

Yeah for kindergarten I'm a bit surprised.
Field dressing a deer I'd think might be more a high school thing.
I took AP bio and we did worms, frogs, rats and cats.

What the hell? Yeah, that's weird. No way is that appropriate for a school program. What were they thinking?

@ BD - what's wrong with reading Henry's Freedom Box to pre-schoolers? The reading age of the book is 4.

Forget the dissection, at least two guests a week? Geez. Is it like some sort of daytime talk show hosted in a kindergarten classroom? Or are the K teachers at a loss as to what to do themselves, so they get other people to do their job? (LOL, jk ...or am I?) "Oh my, what to do? we've got an hour of nothing in our schedule... YES, tried and true method- get a guest speaker! That's it! Ha!"

BTW, with all the guests, I'm sure they run out of reasons to have someone come, hence the dissection. LOL.

What did your daughter think of the whole thing? She didn't witness it, but what did she think of the idea?

REALLY interesting, as well, that at an age THAT young, they have something that would require some kids to opt out. If they are thinking that some kids should be able to opt out if they wanna, then my guess is it isn't a good idea for that age-group.

I don't think it is the most outrageous thing, though. Must be a smaller type school? I'm guessing... i mean, to be fair to all K classes at my daughter's school, they'd have to do it 5 times- with 5 different deer (there are 5 K classrooms)

They should have notified the parents ahead of time but I think its a great experience. People do need to know where their food comes from, and the inner workings of the body are fascinating.

I grew up in a rural community where people hunted for food. I grew up seeing deers butchered in our basement, or in friends front yards or garages and don't feel at all traumatized by it.

As a parent, I DO think that parents should have been notified before hand.

In my husband's/daughter's parochial school, there was this version:

Husband was vice principal there & is an avid hunter (we ate the meat) and while he did not dissect it in front of young children, he brought the organs for his 7th/8th science class. I'm pretty sure it was all the organs (which I told him was questionable) and I'm pretty sure other kids could've wandered in.

Yeah, I was wondering why he didn't get parent calls on that one. I wasn't really thrilled, but at least it was the older class...

I wish they'd done something like that in my kids' K classes...
I would not have any issue with it whatsoever.
LBC

So I get the biology aspect of this. But how did the deer die? In high school kids are equipped to make decisions about supporting hunting, supporting raising frogs for dissection, etc. Not something a kindergartner is really able to do. So while I have a BS and doctorate in biological sciences, I do not feel this is appropriate without some appropriate discussion with the parents and some discussion about death/killing with the kids.

What's wrong with Henry's Freedom Box?

Wow, my kinder is in mandatory all-day public school, and they don't have the time for all those great extras. It's great they have all of these opportunities. However, I would be miffed about not being notified ahead of time regarding the dissection. I don't think I would believe my son if he came home and said that happened! Not because he's dishonest, but because that's just so far out there for a kinder experience! Wow. I hope you update us after conferences if you do ask the teacher about this!

Boy, this might just top the preschool librarian reading "Henry's Freedom Box" to 4 year olds...

I wouldnt have an issue with it, however it would have been nice to know about it previous. Dissection is a grisly sight. My kids are in a school program that really makes nature and outdoors a daily activity. I dont think they ever saw that but they have plenty of bones and such to play with. I did get a little concerned when my 4 year old told me they watched a bird die, and no one did anything for it. I dont know if I would have sat back and watched death but I suppose it is a way to learn. It had flown into a window and got pretty hurt and they left it there and checked on it periodically. They had a long discussion about death from it as well. Though I still felt there could have been more done to make it comfortable.

I havent heard of that~ But, if that ever showed up at my kid's school---they would have a big problem! I think Kindergarten is WAY to young to show that kind of stuff--very traumatic to a young 4/5 year old! I am just as suprised as you are.

M

Surprised that they didn't let you know ahead of time. I would have liked to know simply to discuss it with my child and / or be there. But other than that I would have no issue. My kids have both seen deer killed and gutted / dissected since they were 3 years old. My husband hunts and both kids are learning to. It's part of life.

Weird! Yeah, I think K is a little young for that type of thing.

Beyond shocked. So not appropriate without a parental consent beforehand. Can you imagine the conversations round the dinner table that evening in the kids homes and the surprised parents. If that had happened at my school I would be calling the newspapers and TV and writing a VERY strong letter to the school district. They are only 5 for goodness sake!!!!

I would be very surprised and upset.

We are not hunters... My dad is an avid hunter and I have hated it all my life.

This demonstration would not settle well with me at all. I know my daughter well enough to know that she would have made a big deal about it at the time as well... very negative.

Are you kidding me?!

No way! I have a kindergartener and I wouldn't let my her be there. Way to young.