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Six old-school strategies to cope with disruptive airport tech

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-schaberg-1451119">Christopher Schaberg</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arts-and-sciences-at-washington-university-in-st-louis-5659">Arts &amp; Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis</a></em></p> <p>Ten years ago I wrote a book titled “<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/end-of-airports-9781501305498/">The End of Airports</a>” about how digital technologies and commercial air travel were on a collision course. Earlier this summer, I was proved right.</p> <p>In July, <a href="https://theconversation.com/massive-it-outage-spotlights-major-vulnerabilities-in-the-global-information-ecosystem-235155">a cybersecurity software outage</a> snarled airports around the world. Airlines took weeks to get back to normal. Delta was particularly <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/07/business/delta-passengers-sue-crowdstrike-meltdown/index.html">hard hit</a>, with some <a href="https://apnews.com/article/crowdstrike-technology-outage-fallout-delta-c287aaded657a1092724b222435c3d16">7,000 flights canceled</a> and delays lasting well into August.</p> <p>As an expert on air travel who contemplates flight from <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/textual-life-of-airports-9781441189684/">a humanistic and cultural studies perspective</a>, I think the new technologies woven into air-travel management are a double-edged sword. While they enhance elements of safety and efficiency, they can also make the entire system <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/07/crowdstrike-failure-warning-solutions/679174/">more fragile and vulnerable</a>.</p> <h2>The downsides of digital technology</h2> <p>To be fair, aviation depends on technology. Humans would never have gotten off the ground without it. But new technology can create new problems even as it solves old ones. The latest digital tech offers necessarily imperfect ways to manage a vast, intricate network of places, machines and people.</p> <p>And as the computer systems get more fine-tuned and integrated, they also can result in catastrophic failures, precisely because of the connective nature of tech. And let’s not even talk about <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-hot-weather-and-climate-change-affect-airline-flights-80795">the weather</a>.</p> <p>The past summer’s <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/crowdstrike-outage-bug-bad-data-falcon-update-microsoft/">software glitch event</a> won’t be the last time some unforeseen variable brings air travel to a halt. Fortunately, travelers don’t have to depend solely on airport technology systems or our own smart devices for seamless travel. Here are six analog strategies that travelers can use to cope with air travel debacles:</p> <h2>Old-school flying suggestions</h2> <ol> <li> <p><strong>Pack smart for potential delays.</strong> Make sure you have a carry-on that includes whatever you’d need for an unplanned overnight stay at a hotel – or worse, on an airport floor. Take <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/liquids-rule">Transportation Security Administration-approved toiletries</a> and enough clothes so you can deal with a layover somewhere you didn’t expect. And wear comfortable shoes.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Be kind to airline employees and airport staff, who can’t control delays or cancellations.</strong> Remember that no one airline employee can automatically fix the problem when a software malfunction happens or a freak storm grounds planes. But if you are kind and patient, an airline employee may just comp you a hotel room or give you a more generous rebooking arrangement. Also: It’s just the humane thing to do.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Purchase your tickets directly from airlines.</strong> It’s not worth saving $20 or $50 on a ticket deal from a third-party vendor. When delays and cancellations happen, if you have such a ticket, the airline will have less interest in aiding you. Buying tickets directly from the airline will help you get back in the air quicker.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Have a plan B.</strong> In the event that your connecting flight is canceled mid-trip, have you contacted someone you know in that city? Or have you researched hotels easily accessible from the airport? What would it take to get a comfortable spot for a night? A little homework can go a long way if you end up stranded.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Bring healthy snacks and other supplies.</strong> It’s smart to pack vitamins, zinc, hydration packets, a reusable water bottle, medications, hand sanitizer, or whatever helps bolster your health during a travel stint. If you get waylaid for a few hours or overnight, preplanning some self-care items can help you avoid contagious illnesses and general fatigue.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Enjoy the airport.</strong> It’s a fascinating place where so many people converge. If you’re <a href="https://stuckattheairport.com">stuck at the airport</a> for several hours, use that time to find interesting things in the concourses. You might discover art shows, a great bookstore, a yoga room or a movie theater. It can be tempting to just stand around the gate area and seethe. But it’s more fun to move around the airport and explore what’s there.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237372/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> </li> </ol> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-schaberg-1451119"><em>Christopher Schaberg</em></a><em>, Director of Public Scholarship, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arts-and-sciences-at-washington-university-in-st-louis-5659">Arts &amp; Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-new-technologies-snarl-your-airline-experience-here-are-old-school-strategies-to-cope-237372">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Teenager charged with murdering school girls at dance class identified

<p dir="ltr">A court in the UK has identified the 17-year-old boy accused of going on a stabbing rampage at a <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/taylor-swift-in-shock-after-three-young-girls-killed-at-dance-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dance class </a>and killing three young girls. </p> <p dir="ltr">The court released the information on Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, a 17-year-old born in Cardiff, in order to stem the flow of misinformation about the suspect that ignited riots around the UK. </p> <p dir="ltr">The court said that while Rudakubana would not normally have been publicly named due to the fact that he is still a minor, they made an exception to quash the riots, while also taking into account that he is just days away from his 18th birthday. </p> <p dir="ltr">Unrest has been seen outside mosques as protesters target Muslims in the wake of the tragedy, causing police to again confirm that the teen was born in the UK. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police said his family are of Rwandan descent where 92 per cent of people identify as Christian, while only 2 per cent of Rwandans are Muslim.</p> <p dir="ltr">The horror began at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Monday in Southport, just north of Liverpool in England’s north west, when Rudakubana targeted the young girls and their families. </p> <p>Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar died after the knife rampage, while eight other children suffered stab wounds and five were in fighting for their life, alongside two adults who were critically injured.</p> <p>Following the tragedy, large crowds fought with police in the town close to where the tragedy had happened including outside a mosque after false reports emerged that the attacker was Muslim. </p> <p>Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff in Wales but lived in the town of Banks in Lancashire, close to Southport, has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder and a knife possession charged. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Merseyside Police</em></p>

Legal

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Grandmother's plea after tragic fatal school excursion

<p>A 13-year-old girl from New Zealand has tragically died after sustaining an “unsurvivable head injury” during a school excursion to an ice skating rink.</p> <p>Kymani was rushed from Alpine Ice Sports Centre to Christchurch Hospital in a critical condition on Tuesday morning, after falling while skating with her classmates. </p> <p>Following her sudden death, the young girl's grandmother created an online <a href="https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/ice-skating-school-trip-unexpected-tragedy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fundraiser</a>, where she explained, “Sadly while on a school excursion Kymani fell, sustaining an unsurvivable head injury.”</p> <p>“This is a parent’s worst nightmare — sending your child to school and to never return home,” Kymani’s family said.</p> <p>“Her parents, brothers, sisters and whanau are devastated. Kymani was a beautiful girl, only 13 years old."</p> <p>“As this is an unexpected tragedy, any funds would be gratefully appreciated and will go towards preparing for what comes next.”</p> <p>"Aroha nui Hiley-Hetaraka whanau (Much love to the Hiley-Hethara family)."</p> <p>The skating rink was closed on Tuesday, as spokesperson said the staff’s “thoughts are with the family at this time”.</p> <p>The Ministry of Education also released a statement, which read, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic news and our thoughts are with the family and school community. Our traumatic incident team is available to support the school for as long as needed.”</p> <p>WorkSafe NZ is looking into the incident.</p> <p><em>Image credits: givealittle.co.nz</em></p>

Caring

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Bruce Springsteen helps a fan skip school for his concert

<p>Bruce Springsteen has helped a fan skip school to attend his concert. </p> <p>While performing in San Francisco on his world tour, The Boss paused his performance to sign an absentee note for a fan who had missed class to attend the show. </p> <p>The fan, who was at the front of the barricade, held up a sign that read: "Skipping school. Sign my note?"</p> <p>Another concertgoer then captured the moment the 74-year-old rocker signed the note to a round of applause and cheers from his band and the crowd.</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F794567008756785%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="476" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>"That is so awesome. Put tears in my eyes. A true hero," someone wrote in the comments on the Facebook video.</p> <p>"This is the best excuse note a teacher is ever going to see!!" another added.</p> <p>"So cool, Bruce is one of the true talent and a great man of many excuses," a third wrote.</p> <p>The adorable fan interaction comes just weeks after Springsteen returned to the stage for the first time in months after undergoing a lengthy health battle. </p> <p>Springsteen was forced to postpone his 2023 tour with the E Street Band after taking time off to recover from a peptic ulcer disease.</p> <p>Taking to the stage in Phoenix, Arizona, in the first show of the tour, he told the crowd mid-show, "Phoenix, first I want to apologise if there was any discomfort because we had to move the show last time...I hope we didn't inconvenience you too much."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Music

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"First day of school": Charles Spencer shares unseen snap of Diana

<p>Charles Spencer has shared a previously unseen photo from his school days with his late sister Princess Diana. </p> <p>The sweet photo shows a young Charles and Diana in their school uniforms standing side by side on what was their first day of primary school in 1968.</p> <p>Earl Spencer, 59, captioned the photo, "My first day of school, in September 1968: my father took this photograph of me and my sister, Diana, just before he drove us to Silfield, a really lovely primary school in King's Lynn, Norfolk."</p> <p>"The headmistress was Miss Jean Lowe, a warm and thoughtful lady who loved her boys and girls."</p> <p>"I was there till 1972, when I headed off to the place I call - in my memoir - A Very Private School."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TfsiIoQL8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TfsiIoQL8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Charles Spencer (@charles.earl.spencer)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Three years after the photo was taken, Charles was separated from his sister to attend a boarding school, Maidwell Hall Prep School.</p> <p>Throughout the Spencer children's schooling life, Diana was always "very protective" over her brother and "just wouldn't settle" in class until she knew he was okay. </p> <p>Charles told <a title="HELLO!" href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/516378/charles-spencer-shares-poignant-childhood-anecdote-princess-diana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>HELLO</em>!</a> that he and Diana had a unique bond when they were growing up. </p> <p>"My mother [Frances] left home when we were young – I was two or three, and Diana would have been five or six – so we were very much in it together," he said.</p> <p>Diana soon fell into a caretaker role, and would look after her brother after their mother left. </p> <p>"Diana looked after me because she was nearly three years older than me," Charles Spencer said.</p> <p>"She said that the worst part was hearing me cry down the hall because she was terrified of the dark and couldn't come to me."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Family & Pets

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Man proposes to high school sweetheart after rekindling their romance

<p dir="ltr">Over 60 years ago, Thomas and Nancy met when they were in high school and fell in love. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite their feelings for each other, their romance didn’t last and they fell out of touch as life moved on. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sixty years on, Thomas and Nancy rekindled their relationship and spent three weeks having phone conversations to discover their affection for each other never died. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy then decided to fly to Thomas’ home state of Florida for an emotional reunion, and was shocked by the surprise she arrived at. </p> <p dir="ltr">Walking off the plane in the city of Tampa, Nancy was greeted by Thomas on one knee, delivering an emotional speech about how much he loves her, before he asked her to marry him. </p> <p dir="ltr">The heart-felt moment, captured by a fellow traveller and posted to TikTok, shows Thomas dressed up in a suit, waiting nervously for Nancy to arrive with a big smile on his face.</p> <p dir="ltr">Upon seeing her, he handed her a bouquet of roses and gave her a tender kiss before he pulled out his ring and started professing his love. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuQIG3Mr0GA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuQIG3Mr0GA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by PerezHilton.com (@perezhilton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“My dear Nancy, it's been 60 years since we first met, 56 years since we first dated, 10 years since I last saw you, and 20 days since we began this,” he said, his voice shaky with emotion. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You have always been the one I've had a crush on, since your cheerleader days.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It brings a smile to my face, it makes my heart skip a beat [to see you]. For the last three weeks, I have thought of you every day, every hour and have talked to you every night for hours.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have longed to see you again, hold you in my arms, and tell you how much you mean to me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So Nancy, I come to you humbly today, June 30, with a proposal. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and cherish every moment we will have together.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love you more than words can express, more than you can ever comprehend. I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you and making you the happiest woman in the world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Will you Nancy, give me the honour of being my soulmate in life? My partner in every sense of the word, my beloved wife forever? Will you marry me?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy, who had started to cry while Thomas was talking, quickly said yes to the proposal, which resulted in Thomas cheering and a group of strangers who had stopped to watch clapping for the couple before they embraced in a big hug. </p> <p dir="ltr">The TikTok creator also shared a snap of Thomas and Nancy posing together while holding up a sign that read, “She said yes!”</p> <p dir="ltr">The video has gained millions of views, and it sparked a slew of comments from people who said they were “sobbing” over Nancy and Thomas' love story.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were meant to be, nor time or distance tore them apart,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another said, “When two souls are meant to be, they will find each other.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

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“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

<p>An American mother has taken to social media to share her Pringle problem with the world. </p> <p>As Megan Peavey explained in her TikTok video, she’d sent her three-year-old son to school with some chips in his lunchbox to enjoy when snacktime rolled around. </p> <p>However, the staff at the school weren’t exactly of the opinion that Pringles were the right choice, going so far as to suggest Megan had purposefully done the wrong thing and given her child something ‘unhealthy’. </p> <p>“Look at what happened to me today,” she said in the now-private clip. “I sent my son to school with Pringles, which is a very age appropriate snack for a three year old.” </p> <p>She went on to explain that the school had responded by sending the boy home with his empty chip container, the line “please help us make healthy choices at school” written across it in bold black marker. </p> <p>“They wrote that on his Pringles cup,” she said, “they snack shamed my three year old, they snack shamed me, by writing that passive-aggressively on his trash.</p> <p>After asking viewers what they might do in that situation, she described how she got in touch with the school, calling them out on what they’d done, and they “did not label things as healthy and unhealthy” in their house “because that starts eating disorders”.</p> <p>“Do you think that’s ridiculous?” came her final question. “Because I f***ing do.” </p> <p>Megan later shared an update on the entire situation, outlining how she had spoken to the school’s director, and was told “it was passive-aggressive of me to keep sending Pringles after the note”. </p> <p>But, as she pointed out, she didn’t believe Pringles to be an ‘unhealthy’ snack like they did.</p> <p>“I consider things like Doritos, Cheetos, and Milky Way bars to be unhealthy,” she noted, before adding that she regularly sends her son to school with the likes of granola bars with his other snacks, and that she just would have appreciated the school speaking to her directly without leaping to the note. </p> <p>Megan stood her ground and didn’t apologise to the educators, before she “walked downstairs and I just checked my son out - we’re done there.”</p> <p>Her comments were flooded by fellow parents who were more than eager to back her up, with many noting that they may not have handled it so well themselves - one even wrote that she’d have sent her child with an entire tub and a handwritten “no thank you” the next day. </p> <p>“I cannot even explain how out of line and wild this seems to me - on the school's part," another said.</p> <p>“On his birthday…send pringles for EVERY kid in the class,” someone suggested.</p> <p>And one pre-k teacher even came forward to share her take, noting “never would I ever tell a family to 'make healthy choices'. My girls get a bag of chips with their sandwiches, along with fresh fruit."</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Misguided”: Schools replacing Mother’s Day in inclusivity bid ruffle feathers

<p dir="ltr">Attempts by schools to be more inclusive this Mother’s Day by celebrating “Parent’s” or “Family Day” has ruffled some parents’ feathers, with some critics arguing it was more about “eliminating mums” than involving diverse families.</p> <p dir="ltr">Montessori School - an inner Sydney school which covers preschool and primary - will be celebrating Mother’s Day with a “Parent’s and Carer’s” morning tea instead, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/fury-over-schools-banning-mothers-day/video/df83423e904e8752e42e2bb17b9f281d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Stanmore Kindy have switched to a “Parent’s Day” for “inclusive reasons”, with another “up-market” preschool in Sydney’s eastern suburbs also following suit.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em>The Telegraph</em>, the latter school sent a letter home to families last week to advise them that they had “decided to change the name of our annual Mother’s Day breakfast to a Family Day Breakfast”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This will allow all families to be included,” the letter read.</p> <p dir="ltr">On NSW’s Mid North Coast, Bellingen Public School has also followed the trend, with the local Parents and Citizens’ Association running a stall for “Mother’s and Parent’s Day” with the aim of making the wording as inclusive as possible.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are hoping to have some gifts on the stall that will also suit dads who are doing both jobs,” the organisers told parents.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So keep that in mind too when considering gift donation ideas.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes after official advice for Mother’s and Father’s Day was issued by early childhood advocacy group Early Childhood Australia in April, offering a guide for including “diverse” families on both occasions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We know Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are important days to celebrate, but they can be tricky for children from diverse families,” the advice read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Mother’s Day and Father’s Day present some challenges for families that don’t have a mum and dad.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The advice suggested that educators give children the option to make a gift for a “special adult” that isn’t necessarily their mum or dad to “avoid gender stereotypes in children’s crafts”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Steer away from cards with flowers for mum or ties for dad,” it added.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Women’s Forum Australia chief executive Rachael Wong told <em>The Telegraph</em> that “Parent’s Day” could be just as insensitive as “Mother’s Day”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Perhaps the change has been made in a bid to be sensitive to those whose mothers are no longer around for various reasons, but what about those who no longer have any parents?” she asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wouldn’t Parent’s Day also be insensitive? Given attempts to abolish terms like ‘mother’, ‘women’ and other female-related terms from the public discourse, it is reasonable to suspect that this is yet another attempt to erase women in a misguided attempt to be ‘inclusive’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother of one child who missed out on a Mother’s Day event agreed, saying she thought the name change was “part of a wider trend of eliminating mums, which is upsetting”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s nonsensical because same-sex female couples can celebrate Mother’s Day and same-sex male couples can celebrate Father’s Day,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A sensitive approach for children who don’t have mums is to have a ‘Mother’s and Special Friends Day’.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c901077a-7fff-d3d6-ff60-3b6940d45252"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Shocking find in school boy’s lunchbox

<p dir="ltr">A mortified dad has shared how he found out he had mistakenly packed a beer in his young son’s lunchbox after the school called and asked him to pick up his child. </p> <p dir="ltr">The American dad and money mindset coach Will Meyers took to TikTok to share exactly how the situation came to be.</p> <p dir="ltr">Will explained that he accidentally packed one can of black Liquid Death (a sparkling water brand) and a can of Guinness beer, and the reason why the mixup occurred was because they were both black.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the video, Will said, “Well, I gotta go pick up my kid from school today because I made a big mistake.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whenever my son was born, the best advice I ever got was you know more than you think you do, but today is not that day, let me show you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Will pointed out that one of the black cans is sparkling water and that his son, “likes for me to pack that in his lunch because it's awesome”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The other black can was a can of Guinness. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It looks like it's sparkling water, but it's definitely not sparkling water,” Will said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And now I've gotta go pick up my kid from school and try to explain this situation.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The clip went viral, attracting more than 2.7 million viewers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The majority of the comments were people empathising with the dad, writing ‘lol’ and sharing emojis.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others shared their own ‘dad horror stories’ of things they had mistakenly packed for their child to take to school. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My dad sent me to school with a Mike's hard lemonade in kindergarten, so I think it's just a normal dad thing,” one person commented. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I sent two packs of cigarettes in a bag of paper plates and napkins to my daughter's class,” another added.</p> <p dir="ltr">A teacher chimed in saying it’s a common mistake, “A kid brought in a can of White Claw thinking it was regular sparkling water, too”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One mum commented she once accidentally sent her son to school with his sibling’s nappy bag instead of his backpack. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Food & Wine

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"I started walking the long way": many young women first experience street harassment in their school uniforms

<p>Can you remember the first time you were harassed in a public space? What comes to mind? Can you remember how old you were, or what you were doing? Perhaps this is not something you have personally experienced, although we know <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/everyday-sexism/">87% of young Australian women</a> have been harassed in public.</p> <p>We spoke to 47 adult women and LGBTQ+ people in <a href="https://www.streetharassmentjustice.com/">our recent study</a> on street-based and public harassment about their earliest memories of feeling sexualised, uncomfortable or unsafe on the street. Many mentioned they first experienced street harassment in their school uniforms. We heard variations of the phrase “it happened when I was in my school uniform” repeatedly from participants.</p> <p>For many, <a href="https://theconversation.com/whistling-and-staring-at-women-in-the-street-is-harassment-and-its-got-to-stop-38721">street harassment</a> began or became more frequent when they started wearing a high school uniform. Some participants, however, reflected on experiences from when they were even younger, wearing a primary school uniform. </p> <p>Studies from the United Kingdom have shown <a href="https://plan-uk.org/street-harassment/its-not-ok">35% of girls</a> wearing school uniforms have been sexually harassed in public spaces. Despite the importance of schools in the daily lives of young people, and the high rates of street harassment they experience, there’s been surprisingly little attention paid to the harassment of young people in school uniform. </p> <p>Findings from our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2023.2193206">new research</a> show school-related harassment is a serious issue that has largely flown under the radar in Australia.</p> <h2>It happens beyond the school gates</h2> <p>We know young people experience <a href="https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:55181/">sexual</a>, <a href="https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/GLSEN%202015%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20%28NSCS%29%20-%20Executive%20Summary.pdf">homophobic and transphobic</a>harassment from their peers and even teachers while they’re at school. </p> <p>But participants also told us about harassment occurring outside their school grounds. This was perpetrated by strangers (usually individual adult men, or groups of adult men), while they were in uniform and, therefore, clearly identifiable as school children. </p> <p>This took many forms, ranging from catcalling, staring or leering, wolf-whistling, and being followed by men in cars while walking to school, through to public masturbation and men rubbing themselves against victim-survivors (usually while travelling to school on public transport), sexual assault and rape. </p> <p>As one interviewee told us, "walking from high school to home […] that’s where most of the harassment I’ve experienced happened […] As soon as I stopped wearing a school uniform it happened less. So that’s disgusting for a lot of reasons."</p> <p>As another interviewee shared, these experiences were really scary not just because of what was happening at that moment but because the perpetrator “knows which school you go to” because of the uniform worn.</p> <h2>The ‘sexy schoolgirl’</h2> <p>Why is it that young people – and particularly young women and girls – are so routinely harassed in school uniform? We found harassment of schoolgirls was seen as being culturally sanctioned through the “sexy schoolgirl” trope. </p> <p>As one interviewee noted, "when you go on Google images and search for ‘school boy’ it will come up with a five-year-old boy but then ‘school girl’ it will come up with the sexy school girl costume."</p> <p>Participants discussed being targeted because they were viewed as vulnerable and (paradoxically) as both sexually innocent and sexualised, "that was part of the allure for them [the perpetrators], the innocence of a schoolgirl, a fearful schoolgirl in that situation, was like hot to them, they were really getting off on it."</p> <p>Another interviewee told us, "I went from being an innocent child to a child that felt uncomfortable and didn’t know why I was sexualised – and I didn’t understand it because I didn’t understand what sex really was."</p> <p>Because they were so young, many participants often lacked a framework or language to understand their experiences. For many, these experiences were also so routine they simply formed part of the background hum of everyday life. </p> <p>It was often not until years after these formative experiences that participants were able to articulate them as sexual harm and reflect on the impacts. </p> <h2>Trying to avoid harassment</h2> <p>Across our interviews, many participants discussed changing the way they presented themselves or changing the routes they took to school. They often focused on changing their own behaviour and <a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-right-amount-of-panic">made their lives smaller</a> in an attempt to avoid further harassment. </p> <p>For example, "I started walking the long way. I started just going through the main roads, avoiding the back streets, even though it was a longer walk to be extra safe."</p> <p>In the longer-term, participants commonly described feeling unsafe, hyper-vigilant, and distrustful of men in public spaces. </p> <h2>‘What if there’s a paedophile on the tram?’: school responses</h2> <p>Unfortunately, the view that victim-survivors are responsible for their own harassment was often reinforced by schools if harassment was reported. </p> <p>Numerous participants told us how they were reminded of school uniform policies (such as mandated length of skirts and dresses) when they went to teachers for help. </p> <p>One participant recounted an experience where her teacher asked, "Why would you wear your skirt like this [short]? Whose attention are you trying to get? […] what if there’s a paedophile when you’re on the tram home from school […] thinking ‘this is the best day of [my] life’."</p> <p>Others did not seek help from their teachers because of this focus on students’ appearance at school – they felt they would simply be blamed for what happened.</p> <p>These types of responses teach young people to think street harassment and other forms of gendered violence are their fault. It also tells them their bodies are sites of risk that need to be managed and contained to avoid harassment.</p> <h2>School uniform harassment is not ‘normal’</h2> <p>While schools and school-related contexts were often sites of harm for our participants, schools nonetheless have a vitally important role to play here. Harassment in school uniform should not be seen as a “normal” part of growing up. </p> <p>There is an urgent need to provide young people with a framework to understand their experiences.</p> <p>Educational efforts must challenge the idea that harassment must simply be endured. Instead, schools should help young people understand harassment as a form of violence, and offer safe and supportive spaces to talk with peers and adults about their experiences. This should be incorporated into existing sex and relationships education <a href="https://www.bodysafetyaustralia.com.au/">in an age-appropriate way</a>.</p> <p>Importantly, responses to harassment should never blame or implicate young people themselves. It’s time for outdated practices such as measuring school uniform length to be relegated to the past where they belong. </p> <p>In the words of one participant, “the length of my skirt is not influencing how much I learn”.</p> <p><strong><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au/">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800 or <a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/">1800RESPECT</a> on 1800 737 732.</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-started-walking-the-long-way-many-young-women-first-experience-street-harassment-in-their-school-uniforms-202718" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Caring

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School principal forced out after parents complain statue of David is too rude

<p>Hope Carrasquilla, a US charter school principal, has been forced to resign from her position after a parent decreed an art lesson to be “pornographic”. </p> <p>Carrasquilla was given an ultimatum - either she stepped down, or she would face termination from the Tallahassee Classical School - according to the <em>Tallahassee Democrat</em>.</p> <p>“It saddens me that my time here had to end this way,” she told the publication. </p> <p>Carrasquilla also explained that she had been informed of her options by the school’s board chair, Barney Bishop. While Bishop has confirmed that he did hand down the ultimatum, he did not expand on why. However, Carrasquilla believes a Renaissance art lesson to be the main contributing factor. </p> <p>The lesson in question saw students study Michelgangelo’s classic <em>David</em>, as well as his <em>Creation of Adam </em>fresco painting, and Boticelli’s <em>Birth of Venus</em>. </p> <p>Apparently, the school is required to educate students about Renaissance art in their 6th grade. But for three parents this wasn’t reason enough, with each of them voicing their concerns about the lesson plan, while claiming that it had caused their children upset. </p> <p>Two of the parents simply wanted to have been notified about the content before it reached their children, but one had stronger feelings, branding the situation “pornographic”. </p> <p>Carrasquilla said that one of them was “point-blank upset”, and “felt her child should not be viewing those pieces.” </p> <p>But as she informed <em>HuffPost</em>, things were “a little more complicated than that”, before sharing that the school’s usual protocol would be to inform parents before their children are presented with classical art, such as David. </p> <p>According to the now-former principal, a “breakdown in communication” between herself, the direction of operations, and the art teacher has brought upon a kind of administrative oversight, and the parents had never received a letter about the lesson. </p> <p>This came after a new rule was passed in February, with the school board mandating that parents must be notified a fortnight before any “potentially controversial” was taught to students. Parents would also be presented with the option to review their child’s curriculum, as well as any related media, with a reminder to be sent a week ahead. </p> <p>“Parental rights are supreme,” Bishop explained, “and that means protecting the interests of all parents, whether it’s one, 10, 20, or 50.” </p> <p>As her story began to circulate around the globe, Carrasquilla went on to explain in a statement that for a year, Bishop had “expressed his displeasure with my leadership when parents became upset about policies or procedures not being followed to the T. </p> <p>“He was more concerned about litigation and appeasing a small minority of parents, rather than trusting my expertise as an educator for more than 25 years.” </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Art

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Headmistress, husband and daughter found dead on school grounds

<p>School principal Emma Pattison, the head teacher of private school Epsom College in Surrey, UK, has been found dead alongside her 39-year-old husband, George, and seven-year-old daughter Lettie on the school grounds.</p> <p>At just 45 years of age, Mrs Pattison was a very recent addition to the school, having joined the award-winning school in September 2022. </p> <p>While an investigation is underway, Surrey police have released a statement saying that they believe this to be an isolated incident with no third-party involvement. </p> <p>Epsom College has also released a statement following the discovery. </p> <p>“It is with the deepest sadness and regret that we have to announce the news of the deaths of Emma Pattison, Head of Epsom College, her daughter Lettie, and her husband George,” the statement reads. </p> <p>“Our thoughts, condolences and sympathies are with their families at this tragic time. The College is working with the Police in what remains an ongoing investigation. </p> <p>“We must now focus on the welfare and wellbeing of our pupils and staff, and work to ensure that they receive all the comfort, warmth and support required from the Epsom College community. </p> <p>“We ask that the public and the media respect the privacy of Emma’s family, and help us to prioritise the needs of our pupils. </p> <p>The news is heartbreaking and we need time and space to come together and process this loss. No further statement will be issued at this time.”</p> <p>Dr Alastair Wells, chair of the board of governors at Epsom College, said, “On behalf of everyone at Epsom College, I want to convey our utter shock and disbelief at this tragic news.</p> <p>“Our immediate thoughts and condolences are with Emma’s family, friends and loved ones, and to the many pupils and colleagues whose lives she enriched throughout her distinguished career.</p> <p>“Emma was a wonderful teacher, but most of all she was a delightful person. In time we will commemorate Emma and her family, in the appropriate way, and in line with the wishes of her family.</p> <p>“But for now, we ask that we are all given the time, space and respect we need to come to terms with this tragic loss."</p> <p>Pattison’s husband, George, was a chartered accountant who was director of a management consultancy firm called Tanglewood 2016, according to Companies House.</p> <p>Surrey Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey also said: “I want to give my assurance that we will conduct a thorough investigation into what took place last night and hope to be able to bring some peace in these traumatic circumstances.”</p> <p>Inspector Jon Vale, Epsom and Ewell’s borough commander, also said: “We’re aware that this tragic incident will have caused concern and upset in the local community.</p> <p>“While this is believed to be an isolated incident, in the coming days, our local officers will remain in the area to offer reassurance to students, parents, teachers, and the local community. I would like to thank the school and the community for their understanding and patience while the investigation continues.”</p> <p><em><strong>Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help.</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Headspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: epsomcollege.org.uk</em></p>

News

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10 reasons we miss old-school dating

<p>There’s no question about it: the dating rulebook has changed dramatically over the last few decades. Sometimes it’s for the better (online dating, for example) but sometimes we can’t help thinking we may have lost some good “old-fashioned” dating habits. These are just 10 reasons we miss old-school dating.</p> <p><strong>1. Walking to the door</strong></p> <p>These days no one bats an eyelid when someone calls or texts to say “I’m outside”, but remember when the man would get out of the car, knock on the door and walk his date to the car? Picking up your date from their door (and dropping them off!) gives a date a sense of occasion.</p> <p><strong>2. Bringing flowers</strong></p> <p>A bouquet of flowers or other tokens of affection lets your special someone know how much you care and appreciate them.</p> <p><strong>3. Dressing up</strong></p> <p>Courting is no longer the formal occasion it once was so there’s no need for tuxes and gowns but when you put time and effort into your appearance, it tells the other person you believe the date is special.  </p> <p><strong>4. Slow dancing</strong></p> <p>We might not be in Jane Austen’s time of formal balls with set dances but there is something truly romantic about being whisked off your feet for a slow dance. Perhaps it’s the feeling of intimacy as you gaze into each other’s eyes?</p> <p><strong>5. Opening doors</strong></p> <p>Opening doors (especially the car) was once an indicator of a chivalrous man. Of course, women can open their own doors but the little gesture is nice, respectful and caring.</p> <p><strong>6. “Going steady”</strong></p> <p>Dating these days seems like a lot waste time spent wondering whether the relationship is serious or not. Back then you just asked someone to “go steady” and you both were on the same page. Wouldn’t it be great to go back to the days of clarity?</p> <p><strong>7. Love letters</strong></p> <p>Receiving a handwritten love note or poem (which you can keep and treasure) is a lost art form. A romantic email, or text, just does not have the same ring to it.</p> <p><strong>8. No distractions</strong></p> <p>Our smartphones are great devices for making life easier but not so much when we’re on a date. There is nothing worse than sitting idly while somebody is checking their phone. Back when there was no mobiles, you would actually have to concentrate and talk to the person you were with!</p> <p><strong>9. Asking permission</strong></p> <p>Being polite and asking for permission for anything – when you should call, when you can see them next, if you can kiss them – seems to be lost in the modern dating world.</p> <p><strong>10. Offering to pay  </strong></p> <p>This is a contentious issue but there’s no arguing it’s a nice gesture when gentleman offer to pay on a date. It doesn’t mean the man should always pay or ladies can’t pick up the bill, but on a first date it says you are looking to impress.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Relationships

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First day at new school for little Prince Louis

<p dir="ltr">Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have visited their new school as they gear up for the year ahead.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prince William and Kate Middleton, who moved the family to Windsor to have their kids at the same school, arrived hand-in-hand with their children at Lambrook School in Berkshire.</p> <p dir="ltr">The children were greeted by headmaster Jonathan Perry who asked them if they were excited for the new school year to which they all said “yes”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">🎥 WATCH: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis arrived at Lambrook School with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge earlier today. They attended a “settling in afternoon” for new pupils and will officially start school tomorrow 📚 <a href="https://t.co/sLFipBaA3w">pic.twitter.com/sLFipBaA3w</a></p> <p>— Lizzie Robinson (@LizzieITV) <a href="https://twitter.com/LizzieITV/status/1567626466396983305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The young royals will also not be addressed by their titles and instead just their first names will be used.</p> <p dir="ltr">When Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge announced their children’s move to Lambrook School, Mr Perry released a statement, excited to bring them on board.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We are delighted that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be joining us this coming September and very much look forward to welcoming the family, as well as all of our new pupils, to our school community," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The start of the school year begins on September 8 with George heading into Year 5 and Charlotte into Year 3, while this will be little Louis’ first year at school.</p> <p dir="ltr">Each term will cost about £6,999 (AUD$11,938) a term for pupils aged three to 13 which then amounts to £50,000 (AUD$85,294) a year.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Octomom” shares first day of school photo

<p dir="ltr">Nadya “Octomom” Suleman has shared a photo of her eight youngest children on their first day of the new school year.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former porn star, who now goes by Natalie, already had six children when she made headlines after falling pregnant with octuplets in 2009 via IVF treatment.</p> <p dir="ltr">The now 47-year-old has shared a photo of Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Makai, Josiah and Jeremiah all smiling at the camera and arms around each other. </p> <p dir="ltr">“First day of 8th grade. Be proud of yourselves kids for being kind, respectful, and helpful to all your fellow peers, teachers and staff,” Natalie wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You are exceptional role models to the 6th and 7th graders.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I love you.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChWQ08ROVZ0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChWQ08ROVZ0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Nadya “octomom” Suleman (@nataliesuleman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Natalie then noted that her six children, Ameerah, Calyssa, Elijah, Jonah, Joshua and Aidan, did not want to be a part of the photo. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I respect their choice, so should you,” she wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">Natalie occasionally shares family photos to update fans who have been following her since she fell pregnant with the octuplets. </p> <p dir="ltr">In a previous interview, she got candid about being in the spotlight and confessed that she “never wanted the attention”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was pretending to be a fake, a caricature, which is something I’m not, and I was doing it out of desperation and scarcity so I could provide for my family,” she told The New York Times in December 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been hiding from the real world all my life.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Heartbreaking final texts from teen who died on school trip

<p dir="ltr">After the distraught parents of the 15-year-old boy who died on an overseas school trip in June 2019 stated that more should have been done to prevent his death, the upsetting final text messages he sent to his mother have been revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Timothy Fehring was meant to be on the “trip of a lifetime” in Germany with his classmates from Blackburn high-school, with two teachers serving as chaperones.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now it has been shown in a string of text messages received from her son that his condition appears to have worsened everyday, along with his desperation to feel well enough to enjoy the trip.</p> <p dir="ltr">He initially messaged to say he was “very sick” after arriving in Germany, which he linked to the spicy food he was served on the plane and in his dinner:</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hey mum it’s 6:58 here and I’m very sick. I think it’s all the spicy food because I have been on Thai Airlines and they only gave me spicy food and now I’m having dinner that has spices in it because it’s German,” he wrote, according to an image of a text exchange.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/Texts1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">“I almost throw up and am working on getting better so I can have a better time. I’m going to sleep like a baby because it might be exhaustion. I have not slept in hours and I always feel dizzy," he messaged.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a separate message, Timothy wrote: “Love you mummy and will keep you up to date with more.”</p> <p dir="ltr">About an hour later suggested that the water he was drinking might have been contaminated, causing him to feel sick.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also think it has to do with the water because someone had a blood nose when they had it and I was feeling sick so I might have to buy some water,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Shortly after that message he asked his mum for help with the water issue.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can’t buy the water because it’s just the same water ugh can you help me mum?”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The teenager’s <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-trouble/grieving-parents-call-for-change-after-aussie-teen-dies-on-school-trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">parents say teacher's were too fast to dismiss his illness as homesickness</a> following the release of a coroner’s report that documented the days just prior to his passing</p> <p dir="ltr">Timothy was vomiting from the beginning of the trip and couldn’t keep food down, was persistently exhausted and lost about five kilos in just a few days, according to details outlined in the report.</p> <p dir="ltr">Attempts to revive him via CPR were unsuccessful, and he passed away on June 28, 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

Caring

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Grieving parents call for change after Aussie teen dies on school trip

<p dir="ltr">The parents of a teenager who died on an overseas school trip say more should have been done to prevent the death of their “fit and healthy” 15 year old.</p> <p dir="ltr">Blackburn high-school-student Timothy Fehring was meant to be on the “trip of a lifetime” when he attended a school trip in Germany in 2019, along with 16 other students and two teachers who chaperoned during the trip.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, after departing Melbourne and arriving in Germany on June 23, Timothy became ill.</p> <p dir="ltr">His mum, Barbara, received a text from Timothy that read: "I almost threw up and am working on getting better so I can have a better time."</p> <p dir="ltr">Barbara and her husband Dale said their son wasn’t one to complain and rejected claims he was just “homesick” in the leadup to his death.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He was a super fit and healthy child and he would never want to make a fuss or bring attention to himself," Barbra told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/timothy-fehring-family-speak-after-melbourne-schoolboy-dies-on-school-trip-in-europe/b8144abe-790c-46d1-8a35-f2dedfd5f1ff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">As he continued to participate in activities, TImothy became violently ill, vomiting multiple times and eating very little on the first two days of the trip.</p> <p dir="ltr">When a teacher took him to a chemist and explained his symptoms, he was given some medication. Waking up the next day, Timothy asked his mum to get him home.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He expressed dissatisfaction about how he was being treated," the coroner’s findings read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Timothy was then taken to Munich Children’s Hospital and “thoroughly examined” by a doctor, and left six hours later with a diagnosis of a combination of homesickness, constipation and gastroenteritis.</p> <p dir="ltr">On June 27, he joined the group on a walking tour in Vienna, Austria, with the coroner’s findings stating he carried a “vomit bag”, walked slowly and looked tired.</p> <p dir="ltr">He asked to go back to the hospital, but staff denied his request.</p> <p dir="ltr">Then, when he threw up his dinner that night, staff contacted Timothy’s parents and made arrangements so he could fly home alone on June 29, which would include making a trip to a GP to secure a fit-to-travel certificate on June 28.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, after walking into the hallway to get some air, Timothy was found unresponsive with blood trickling from his nose.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was hospitalised but died on June 28, with an autopsy revealing he had a “highly acute” infection in his stomach and lungs, and had suffered a heart attack.</p> <p dir="ltr">Barbara and Dale said they weren’t made aware of the severity of Timothy’s illness, and are calling for change to staffing for overseas school trips.</p> <p dir="ltr">His mother acknowledged that the two teachers were trained in first aid, but said a school nurse would have had a better understanding of his illness.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They would have picked up on the signs quicker and we wouldn't be here today," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He wasn’t homesick,” she continued, adding that having more adults accompany students would have helped save her son.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When he said he was sick and said something wasn't right, that was the truth.</p> <p dir="ltr">"No one was being his advocate, we think it's important to have more adults to student ratios.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In his findings on Timothy’s death, Coroner Simon McGregor called on the Department of Education and Training to increase the staff to student ratios on these trips, and recommended that organisers should ensure there were enough resources available if someone did fall ill.</p> <p dir="ltr">"With the benefit of hindsight, staff made the wrong judgement call that Tim's complaints were not sufficiently serious," McGregor commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since then, the department said a group the size that Tim was in now requires three adults, not two.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Fehrings continue to mourn their son, with Dale saying it has been a “hard three years”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Children shouldn’t die, this is so tragic,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It hits you hard and it has been a hard three years. We have tried to cope."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e3a529fc-7fff-d243-0b79-aa7e71c18bc7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Princess Mary removes son from high school amid bullying and abuse allegations

<p>Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik have pulled their son Prince Christian from his high school following a bullying scandal that has sent shock waves through Europe.</p> <p>They've also confirmed Princess Isabella will no longer be attending the prestigious Herlufsholm Boarding School.</p> <p>The Royal couple have issued a statement announcing the move, weeks after allegations emerged of a violent culture filled with abuse and bullying at the school.</p> <p>Students have also come forward, accusing the school and its staff of covering up their stories of abuse.</p> <p>"The question about our son Christian's and our daughter Isabella's choice of school has been very important for us, and the unfortunate matter has brought many and strong opinions into play in the public," Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary said in a joint statement.</p> <p>"That is completely understandable when it deals with the well-being of children and young people. At the same time, it has been important to stand by our basic idea that major decisions must be made on an informed basis. We now have that basis."</p> <p>Their message comes after the release of a preliminary decision from Denmark's National Agency for Education and Quality that "directs a particularly harsh critique" of the boarding school.</p> <p>"It has been a difficult process for us as a family, but, based on the overall picture and our special position as Crown Prince Couple, we have chosen that Prince Christian will stop at Herlufsholm and that Princess Isabella will not start in ninth class at the school after the summer holiday.</p> <p>"During the summer, we, together with our children, will make a decision about their future choice of schools.</p> <p>"With thoughts about the many students who will continue at Herlufsholm, it is our hope that the school now gets more peace to ensure the necessary changes and succeeds in creating a culture in which all thrive and feel safe."</p> <p>A documentary has aired, which included claims from a student who described being sexually abused by another student.</p> <p>Another student then spoke of corporal punishment and a third described being assaulted during a party at the school.</p> <p>In November 2021, four students were expelled after being accused of taking part in the abuse and filming a number of incidents.</p> <p>Some students have claimed staff turned a blind eye to these stories.</p> <p>When the allegations came to light, Princess Mary and her husband issued a swift response expressing their shock and disappointment.</p> <p>"As parents of a child who goes to Herlufsholm, we are deeply shaken by the testimonies that have emerged in the current documentary about the school," the Crown Prince couple said.</p> <p>"It is heart-breaking to hear about systematic bullying and about the culture of abuse and violence that many have been a part of. That is completely unacceptable. As parents, we expect the school to effectively ensure a culture where everyone is safe and part of the community, and we will in the coming time follow the changes that are obviously necessary."</p> <p>Herlufsholm was founded in 1565 for Danish nobility and is located 80km outside of Copenhagen in Næstved. The allegations about the school follow earlier claims about tough disciplinary practises at the institution.</p> <p>Herlufsholm School responded to the documentary's claims in a statement, with the school’s rector Mikkel Kjellberg saying many of the allegations contained within the television program were "very old cases have been used from another time - where the culture at Herlufsholm was different".</p> <p>He said the bullying and violence were "not part of the culture at Herlufsholm".</p> <p>"Bullying, violence or sexual abuse is not acceptable at Herlufsholm School," Kjellberg added.</p> <p>Princess Mary's charity issued a separate statement via The Mary Foundation. While they don't normally comment on "individual cases", the allegations contained within the documentary are "very violent and shocking".</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Man shot dead after trying to enter school

<p dir="ltr">A man who was seen trying to enter a primary school where a summer class was being held has been shot dead by police. </p> <p dir="ltr">Robert Tyler White, 32, was spotted trying to get into numerous doors at Walnut Park Elementary School in Alabama when the principal raised the alarm.  </p> <p dir="ltr">A police officer who was working as a school resource officer encountered Robert trying to break into a ​​marked Rainbow City police car near the school.</p> <p dir="ltr">The officer raised the alarm before he was joined by one other colleague who attempted to arrest Robert.</p> <p dir="ltr">The man was then shot dead after resisting and trying to take the police officer’s gun. </p> <p dir="ltr">Officials did not reveal how many times they shot Robert, whether or not he was armed, and whether he was an intruder or passerby. </p> <p dir="ltr">Gadsden City Schools Superintendent Tony Reddick said the school resource officer sustained minor injuries and all 34 children were safe. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Our primary concern was just making sure that someone who wasn't authorised to be in our building does not enter and our kids are safe," he told local media. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

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Dad’s lunchbox note hits back at school lunch critics

<p dir="ltr">A UK dad has been flooded with praise after he shared his response to teachers criticising the lunch his daughter took to school each day.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ross Hunt’s daughter began coming home from school upset, after she was told what she should and shouldn’t have in her lunchbox.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The kids in school have been getting sh*t off one of the dinner ladies for eating non-healthy foods,” he explained in a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@teddyevascents/video/7102325993775418630?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id=7019154073816286722" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> that has since gone viral.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh, don’t eat that. Eat your sandwich. Oh, you shouldn’t have that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When Isabelle was left not wanting to take her own food to school at all, Ross decided to do something about it.</p> <p dir="ltr">He printed a label to stick to the top of her lunchbox asking “nosy” teachers to look inside, where he placed a note addressing their concerns and a photo of Isabelle.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Welcome to Isabelle’s lunch box!” the note reads. “We are aware of the content of this box and are happy for Isabelle to eat whatever she wants.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He also shared a previous version of the note that said, “Step away from the lunch box you nosy f***ing a*** bandit”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6acee3f5-7fff-49c1-de9f-76129c3e822d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">But, his wife crossed it out, fearing Isabelle would be in trouble for it.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/uk-dad1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Ross Hunt hit back at criticisms from teachers about the contents of his daughter’s lunchbox with a note dedicated to “nosy” teachers. Images: @Teddyevascents (TikTok)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Though Ross was tempted to fill the lunchbox with treats, he sent her to school with fruit, chips and one piece of chocolate.</p> <p dir="ltr">He hopes teachers will take a step back and let parents decide what their children eat - and many have echoed his sentiment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Give them a chance with the first label. If it doesn’t change … label two,” one mum commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I work in a school and have this argument often. I would rather a child ate and was full than lots of ‘healthy’ foods they won’t eat,” a teacher wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, others pointed out the hypocritical nature of the teachers’ comments, considering the unhealthy options often served at school.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a nightmare, they promote healthy eating but my child comes home saying they had pizza and chips and some cake so which part of that is healthy,” one parent shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Worked in a school which served cake but we had to confiscate a penguin bar from a kid’s lunchbox as it’s not allowed, crazy,” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some weren’t as impressed with Ross’ antics and expressed their concern for Isabelle’s future health.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well cursing is a bad example for your kid but well she will decide in the future how to talk to you and she will have health problems,” one person commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others praised how petty the label was, with Ross agreeing he could be “next-level petty”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7f205582-7fff-64b2-c1ba-e359130d090e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @Teddyevascents (TikTok)</em></p>

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