School Talk

[ratboy]

Because it's near the end of term and I have had rather a dramatic career change and am now co-running a business from home, I said to my son that if he asked his teacher, I would be quite happy to take some of the snakes in for his class to see. a) it would be educational and b) it would show that he has not been telling them all porkies for the last couple of years

So he did. His teacher went to the head mistress and the result was the headmistress was convinced they all carried disease and all the kids would go away with Salmonella and his teacher was convinced that some of the kids would get bitten. I recieved a note from his teacher that they could not allow it for health and safety reasons but that Jonjo could take some photographs of them in to show the children.

I sat down and wrote a 2 page A4 letter to his teacher and headmistress explaining that in 10 years of keeping snakes, none of my family or anyone else that had come into contact with my snakes had contracted Salmonella poisoning. I explained about simple hygiene to eradicate any possibility of it. I also explained that all my snakes were rat snakes, their teeth size and structure and what they were used for and all about musking.

I then explained that while talking to the children and showing them a particular species, I could gauge how nervous the snake was and whether or not it would be OK with being touched. If it was relaxed enough, I would hold both the head and the tail and allow the children to feel the snakes scales so they could see and feel the difference between smooth scales and keeled scales and we could talk about them. If anyone is going to get bitten, I could guarantee it will be me.

Result was I got a message from the teacher asking me to take the snakes in on either Monday or Tuesday to give 3 40 minute talks to all the classes in Jonjo's year.

Ignorance can be overcome

[freekygeeky]

well done you!
when i tried i was told to pee off!! i even wrote a letter!!

[Ally]

Yay, go Steve!

I bet they think you're some kind of responsible adult...
Let us know how it goes!

[ratboy]

Originally Posted by Chiltern Reptiles

I bet they think you're some kind of responsible adult...

Damn fools

[fatratsandcheesekk]

well done ratboy we get to do that to our cubs it was hard convince the leader about doing a talk about sankes and rats (2 seperate talks) it took about 3 weeks to convince him that they didnt carry decese and were alright and as long as provoked wont bite, weve now got the talk the cubs loved the rats yours will love the snakes

[fuzzielady]

Nice one.

[Ally]

Let me know when you want me to come along and help on the cubs one too...
Soonish might work well with the end of term.

[ratboy]

Originally Posted by Chiltern Reptiles

Let me know when you want me to come along and help on the cubs one too...
Soonish might work well with the end of term.

September hun... start of next term. I'll let you know as soon as she replies to Debs so you can book a day off

[ratboy]

Originally Posted by fatratsandcheesekk

well done ratboy we get to do that to our cubs it was hard convince the leader about doing a talk about sankes and rats (2 seperate talks) it took about 3 weeks to convince him that they didnt carry decese and were alright and as long as provoked wont bite, weve now got the talk the cubs loved the rats yours will love the snakes

My wife is a cub leader in our local area... so talks for them are actually in quite high demand

[fatratsandcheesekk]

Originally Posted by Chiltern Reptiles

Let me know when you want me to come along and help on the cubs one too...
Soonish might work well with the end of term.

you could come along but were in dorset