You've Got to be Kidding

[DaemonSeid]

2 things...


Because the child's teacher stated that she was allergic to the smell of the olive oil moisturizing hair lotion that the little girl used, Organic Root Stimulator (pictured below).

How can you be 'allergic' to a smell?

Even if they were using pure olive oil (which I sometimes use) VIRGIN Olive oil cut with a frgrance is the best way to go if you plan on using pure Olive oil

this whole article stinks.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

How can you be 'allergic' to a smell?

I think that strictly speaking, you can't be allergic to an odor. But certain odors can act as irritants to certain people, causing irritation to nose, eyes, lungs and throat. Irritants can also do things like aggravate asthma.

An irritant =/= an allergen, but some people will say "allergic" anyway.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by 33girl

why are homerooms in an elementary school determined by the kids' intelligence level? That's a really good way to make a division between the groups.

I took it as the child was in a gifted/talented class, which in some elemntary schools puts the children in thier own class for certain classes (english, reading, social studies). It isnt necessarily about making a division

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

How can you be 'allergic' to a smell?

Ask the people who are deathly allergic to peanuts. I subbed for a class where you couldnt bring ANY peanut/nut product because one kid was deathly allergic. The brother of a childhood friend would get anaphalaxis if he even smelled peanut/peanut butter on your breath.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by epchick

I took it as the child was in a gifted/talented class, which in some elemntary schools puts the children in thier own class for certain classes (english, reading, social studies). It isnt necessarily about making a division.

That's still a division based on outcome and sometimes intent.

Saying "you all are the gifted/talented" goes with saying "you all aren't the gifted/talented" and the subsequent "you all are a step below the "normal" kids who we just told aren't the gifted/talented."

[epchick]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

That's still a division based on outcome and sometimes intent.

Saying "you all are the gifted/talented" goes with saying "you all aren't the gifted/talented" and the subsequent "you all are a step below the "normal" kids who we just told aren't the gifted/talented."

Its the same way in HS with the AP classes. There will always be the GT classes and the non-gt...i don't see the problem wi th dividing them into diff classes. Its not about being a "step below."

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by epchick

Its the same way in HS with the AP classes. There will always be the GT classes and the non-gt...i don't see the problem wi th dividing them into diff classes. Its not about being a "step below."

I agree that it is the same as AP. Those of us who were in AP classes were "tracked" into those classes early on. We didn't just end up in those classes overnight but instead were in gifted and talented courses/programs for years. Schools that don't have a formal program called "tracking" still use a track system if they have classes divided by something other than age and grade level.

It's not about being a "step below" to us but the problem with tracking isn't about our personal opinions.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by epchick

Ask the people who are deathly allergic to peanuts. I subbed for a class where you couldnt bring ANY peanut/nut product because one kid was deathly allergic. The brother of a childhood friend would get anaphalaxis if he even smelled peanut/peanut butter on your breath.

But that's an allergy to peanuts, not to the smell itself. That student was not allergic to the smell of peanuts; his allergy to peanuts was severe enough that it could be triggered by inhaling (rather than ingesting) peanut allergens. The corollary would be if the teacher in the OP's post was allergic to olive oil itself, or to the lotion, not just to the smell of the lotion.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

But that's an allergy to peanuts, not to the smell itself. That student was not allergic to the smell of peanuts; his allergy to peanuts was severe enough that it could be triggered by inhaling (rather than ingesting) peanut allergens. The corollary would be if the teacher in the OP's post was allergic to olive oil itself, or to the lotion, not just to the smell of the lotion.

My relative's doctors call it allergic...and though personally I haven't heard of someone being DEATHLY allergic to smell, I can tell you for a fact that some people have bad enough reactions to fragrances for them to be considered debilitating in some cases. For her it's severe headaches and nausea along with the typical allergy symptoms like itchy/watery eyes and an effed up nose. And this can be triggered by shampoo, scented lotion, air fresheners, cigarette smoke, etc. I think it's perfectly believable that the teacher was allergic...but that doesn't excuse her way of going about it. There are many ways she could have handled the situation without singling out one student.