Can a Purse Change a Girl's Life (or at Least Help?)
posted by: Cynthia Samuels 47 days ago
EDITOR'S NOTE: We're a bit late on this which is entirely my fault. It's pretty busy around here. But we can't let this pass - because it's wonderful, because MochaMomma is a remarkable blogger and teacher and woman, and because it's a Care2 kind of thing. (OH and because we're about to launch an Education Channel (stay tuned) and we hope that stories like this will be part of what we cover. Maybe you'll want to take part. AND post comments here about education issues you'd like us to cover.) But now - here's the important part.
Kelly Wickham (Mocha Momma) is an inspired and committed educator. In the years that I've known her she's gone from work as a literacy coach to a high school dean to an assistant principal - all the while writing a riveting, moving and inspiring blog about her life and her profession. Her work has come to mean a great deal to her readers, and now she's asking us all to help her. I'll let you tell her how.
It's a small thing, but could mean a lot.
Kelly Wickham (Mocha Momma) is an inspired and committed educator. In the years that I've known her she's gone from work as a literacy coach to a high school dean to an assistant principal - all the while writing a riveting, moving and inspiring blog about her life and her profession. Her work has come to mean a great deal to her readers, and now she's asking us all to help her. I'll let you tell her how.
As I walk into work each day the poverty of my schools’ students is never lost on me. Yet, I watch some of these students who come from more than difficult home lives continually come to school where they want to learn. Even more impressive is that they come to school and help with blood drives, canned food collections, and other community service events even when they themselves are in need. It is not lost on me that they are themselves inspiring to the adults who gladly work with them. In a million years I didn’t expect to have a career that I loved this much. The things I get to witness and the growing I get to watch astounds me.
Recently, because of a response to the media trashing us, we are hitting hard on some things in our school. Students have never been allowed to carry backpacks, but the issue that keeps coming up are the girls’ purses. Hey, I’m as fashion forward as the next gal so I know that big purses are here to stay. When my male students complain that girls get to even carry purses I remind them, gently, that as soon as they have to carry around tampons and Midol this won’t be an issue.
Some of the biggest complainers have come to see me in my office or caught me in the hallway or a classroom:
Why can’t we carry big purses? I saved up $50 to buy this and it’s the only one I have! I can’t buy another one.
This is stupid! I’m a good girl. Why are we always getting punished?
Who even SELLS small purses? Everything in the stores is big.
These girls are right. They’re also pretty whiny when they come talk to me so I decided to take something ugly and turn it in to something pretty. I asked seven girls to help me coordinate a Purse Drive for school and I’m using my blog to spread the word.
Do you have an old, small purse you’d be willing to donate?
Can you purchase a small purse that we can use for our Purse Drive?
My intention is to take all donations and sell them for the set price of $5 for any girl who wants to come to the Purse Shop I’m setting up in school and then give the money to the school. My seven girls will help me set it up, arrange the purses for display, collect the money, and do a really good thing. A small thing, but a good thing nonetheless.
So far the campaign has been successful. It demonstrates what Kelly calls "the kindness of strangers" (a much cheerier use of the phrase...)
Can you help? If you can, send your purse to this address. It's in a post that also suggests we include some encouraging words in each bag. I've also placed it here:
"Kelly Wickham (don’t use Mocha Momma for the title – I hear the Postal Service doesn’t have a sense of humor) P.O. Box 9465 Springfield, IL 62791"
Care2 members are the most committed and caring people I know; that's why it's such a privilege to work here. I know you'll find Kelly's project worthy, and hope you'll launch your holiday season by taking part. Let us know in the comments, too, so we can let the rest of the Care2 community know what's happening.It's a small thing, but could mean a lot.
Read more: teenagers, womens rights, high school, dress code, no backpacks, backpack ban, moca momma
comments
"i have one in my pocket right now. i have a permit. i live in indiana. we are good to go."
You should be careful when you say stuff like that.
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why is this inappropriate?
The link in the article above, "this address", takes you to MochMomma's small purse drive web site. The size limit is posted there.
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why is this inappropriate?
As an Australian I was somewhat bemused about backpacks and
bags. Kids here carry them from Kindy to High School.
I wondered at the reasoning then I read further and the comments taught me. You are afraid of concealed weapons.
One kid even bragged he carried a firearm in his pocket and even proudly disclaimed he was from Indiana. Well I guess that is ONE (tiny) step up from Mississippi. What is more he had a permit.
In Oz. It would be very unlikely a permit would be given to carry a concealable weapon to any adult for virtually any reason. Carrying a knife even is an indictable offence.
You have a gun oriented mentality. You pay the penalty with more gun, and violent crimes within your own country than any other advanced nation on earth. You then export that "Firearms will solve all problems" attitude to countries around the world, with whom your political masters decide need pulling into line.
I've just noticed my British cousin Magdalen B has also the problem with understanding. Welcome. Britain too enjoys a, relatively, gun free society. If knockers think I'm just an anti gun freak, think again. In the "Bush " I need my 12 gauge, 303, 223 and .22.
I keep them locked in a gun safe.
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why is this inappropriate?
Really. Don't schools have lockers any more? We used neither purses nor backpacks in class. We also didn't wear our coats to classes and no boy wore his hat in class, which would have shown total disrespect to his teacher and classmates. [and for the record those of us who had our first period at the age of 10 didn't carry purses to grade school either!]. Schools do not need to cave in to dress styles or academic ones, for that matter. Administrators and parents need to develop some common sense AND gumptionl.
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why is this inappropriate?
you don't need a backpack or purse to carry a gun. i have one in my pocket right now. i have a permit. i live in indiana. we are good to go. breid
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why is this inappropriate?
i definitely have a few, but i'll wait until i read a response about the size limit before i send anything.
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why is this inappropriate?
Magdalen, the kids in the North American schools are bullied to distraction and some brought guns to school to retaliate. Thus the ban on large bags and backpack. Sad but true.
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why is this inappropriate?
Well to answer your question Miss Magdalen, here in the ol'US of A, weapons that abound, could easily be concealed and carried in a backpak.
In regards to the article, being a male, I am a bit desensitized why a girl would need a purse, until the article pointed it out quite nicely...personal issues in being female.
Point astutely taken...the girls definitely need their purses.
Donating proper sized purses are a great idea along with some of the comments here such as sewing classes and alternative 'clutches' whatever they may be.
But in getting back to Miss Magdalen. The elimination of school backpaks for school seems an unseemly but perhaps necessary act, but it doesn't by no means approach the root problem with its band-aid application.
For our kids do have inventive minds and if indeed they want to bring a weapon to school, they will find a way with a ban on backpaks or not, simply because weapons are so available here over the big pond.
Because of adults screaming weapon freedoms and howitzer ownership here, our own little school girls and schoolchildren in general will have to suffer the consequences of less freedoms.
Now, I ask of you, what kind of freedom is that...
Anyway, in the meantime, we'll see if we can acquire and donate some small purses to this unfortunate cause...
Good job on this teacher's idea and the comment's suggestions left here.
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why is this inappropriate?
I think the whole rule is silly and they should be allowed to carry backpacks and they should be allowed to carry big purses. I think if guys want to carry purses then let them carry a man bag. I don't think those ever really caught on. I think the only reason they get away with it is because the kids have no rights and can't do anything about it so they take away what little rights they have. It would never fly on a college campus. What next? Will they not allow clothing because someone might conceal something in their clothes?
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why is this inappropriate?
I can only assume that the enaction of this 'rule' is an attempt to prevent inappropriate contents on school premises but it is draconian. It may make is simplier for the administration but it does not teach a very good lesson for civic engagement...
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why is this inappropriate?
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