Students fed pencil erasers to our class turtle

[reefiniteasy]

If you want to find out, just offer $20 bucks to anyone willing to tell you anonymously. For 4th graders I bet you could get the job done for $10 or even $5! Then you know which parents to send the bill to.

Paying cash money to a bunch of 10 year olds to snitch on 3 people is going to get you 80 different suspects...

The kids are tight lipped. you wouldn’t think, but even at that age they won’t rat on each other no matter what. Plus, I think it might have been one of the good kids so they won’t give them up.I have a good relationship with my students. I have a strong feeling they don’t want to upset me.

 

[Magellan]

The kids are tight lipped. you wouldn’t think, but even at that age they won’t rat on each other no matter what. Plus, I think it might have been one of the good kids so they won’t give them up.I have a good relationship with my students. I have a strong feeling they don’t want to upset me.

I have a lot of respect for your patience! You sound like a really great teacher, the world needs more like you.

 

[Terri Caton]

I thought about bringing him home and telling the kids he died but I can’t do that to them. 99.9% of the kids are great. Also, I can’t force the kid’s family to pay anything unfortunately. This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with this. Three years ago a kid tossed in a green Crayola crayon. For that we didn’t need an x-ray. The vet said a mushed up crayon won’t show up on an x-ray. The vet cleaned out his mouth and they gave him a dose of activated charcoal to prevent absorption or chemical poisoning, I don’t know, something like that. He pooped green for a week.

The few issues we have pale in comparison to the learning experience. The most important thing I use the habitats for is teaching responsibility. When you commit to the care of an animal, you see it through. I’m willing to pay for a few vet visits if that’s the price of the experience.

Aww, what a great teacher you are. The kids are lucky to have you.

 

[User]

Not if multiple people name the same suspects. You could also just say “reward”. Let 4th grade imaginations work for you.

Duden has 60 classes. Whats that - 1200 students? The 80 was taking the 'named several times' factor into account

 

[User]

The kids are tight lipped. you wouldn’t think, but even at that age they won’t rat on each other no matter what. Plus, I think it might have been one of the good kids so they won’t give them up.I have a good relationship with my students. I have a strong feeling they don’t want to upset me.

They havent upset your already?

Shipped has sailed on that one. Time to teach them what 'complicit silence' and 'consequences' mean.

 

[Magellan]

Duden has 60 classes. Whats that - 1200 students? The 80 was taking the 'name do several timesfactors into account

Irrelevant, since OP has already decided his course of action..but just going to leave this here.

Based on a lunch conversation that was overheard we know the class, just not the three students.

 

[andrewkw]

This is a tough situation with them being your students. You might want to consider handing this over the principal or someone else to handle. You don't want this to get ugly or uglier. One thing I would consider that may or may not be out of line is having something sent home with kids and have parents sign it so they know what has occurred.

4th grade kids are young, but old enough to know trying to kill an animal is wrong. Getting the person(s) responsible caught may be the best thing for them. Not so justice can be served but so they can learn from their mistakes while still young.

I had a pink belly sideneck for more then 10 years. I had planned to give him away right before I moved and the person who was supposed to pick him up (with free 120 gallon tank / stand filter ect) never showed up. I ended up keeping him for a few more years then selling him not because I needed the money but so that I knew the person who took him would value the turtle for the rest of his life.

 

[Vinman]

Alex what about the reef? Is the reef safe?

 

[reefiniteasy]

They havent upset your already?

Shipped has sailed on that one. Time to teach them what 'complicit silence' and 'consequences' mean.

of course they upset me. I mean I think they are protecting the kid because they don’t want me to be upset with him/her because that/those kid(s) are, generally speaking, one of the “good kids.” Plus the kids are good at managing themselves. Meaning they will hold each other accountable. Blind Consequences don’t work. I cannot punish everyone for the deed of one or a few individuals.

All I know is if they mess with my reef, the hammer will drop! Hahaha!

 

[Vinman]

You should get them rotten kids with a lazer beam

 

[Dragon52]

I would talk to the students in front of their parents & ask them how should the students go about fixing the problem of the cost.

 

[reefiniteasy]

4th grade kids are young, but old enough to know trying to kill an animal is wrong. Getting the person(s) responsible caught may be the best thing for them. Not so justice can be served but so they can learn from their mistakes while still young.

Elementary age kids don’t have the foresight to imagine the possible consequences to their actions. If I found out who did it, their punishment would be feeding the turtle and doing the weekly maintenance. “Punishment” like detention or suspension and the like is not effective. In this case the “punishment” is a lesson in animal husbandry. Plus, cleaning that filter is enough punishment on its own

I had a pink belly sideneck for more then 10 years. I had planned to give him away right before I moved and the person who was supposed to pick him up (with free 120 gallon tank / stand filter ect) never showed up. I ended up keeping him for a few more years then selling him not because I needed the money but so that I knew the person who took him would value the turtle for the rest of his life.

They are the greatest. Such personality. I originally had two. We had to rehome the female back to the breeder as she became very territorial. They put her out in one of their ponds. I got them from a guy who breeds many species of turtle and tortoises including Galapagos tortoises. Maybe one day when I have an extra 5-10 grand laying around. Buzz is now alone, living his best life, eating his Hikari sticks and some rubber for desert, hahaha! This is working. I’m now laughing about this mess

Alex what about the reef? Is the reef safe?

The kids love the coral! I’m not worried about them hurting the aquariums. My only fear is someone bumping the BioCube and it slides off the stand. I have Neon yellow Velcro outlines on the carpet around all the aquariums. They kids don’t get close enough, but I’m sure it’ll happen with one of the tanks one day. One of my autistic students from one of the self contained classes pulled the mag float off of our tropical tank and let it slam back on the glass. Luckily the glass held firm. That’s the closest we ever got to total destruction.

 

[reefiniteasy]

Buzz is doing great. All the erasers seem to be gone. He is now 9 inches and 2.5 pounds.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Beautiful turtle. As someone who has worked with kids for the last decade, specifically elementary age, you’re right. Most have not reached the cognitive level to really be able to comprehend the future as far as serious consequences go. Were it my classroom I’d secure the handsome lad’s habitat so that the only way the kiddos have access is with your supervision. As far as the autistic individual and the reef tank goes, I’d wager, depending on his fine motor skills and cognition level, give him a job with the tank. Doesn’t have to be anything complicated, but a responsibility would be a great learning point for the child and would likely help cut down on maintenance.

Idk. Ymmv. RBT and former elementary school instructional assistant here. Coyote away!!! (Idk. It’s the lounge and I’m sleepy lol)