The Box

im copy and pasting this from a friends status from fb ..........






What the smurf?!


EDIT: In this same album are two pictures from inside "The Box" - now I am really disturbed. Just click "Next"

I (Aric Catron) have confirmed this via phone conversation with a spokesman for the Mint Valley Elementary School in Longview,
WA just now.

What you are seeing here is "The Box" - it is used for the punishment of a specific group of 8 students that are routine "behavior problems". The student is locked in this room, alone, with no way for them to open it from the inside. I asked the person on the phone if there was a way for the student to exit "The Box" in an emergency such as a fire and she said "I don't know - I should probably look into that." She did confirm that a staff member is near "The Box" at all times when it is being used, however.

You can help by sharing this (it is public, something I rarely do) and contacting Mint Valley Elementary at:

360-575-7581
Principle is Patrick Kelley at pkelley@longview.k12.wa.us

Please share this. This is potentially unsafe in an emergency and I cannot imagine any scenario where a child who can, in theory, attend public school should be subjected to sensory deprivation/solitary confinement-style punishment.

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UPDATE: Kiro 7 News called and told me they are doing a story on this tomorrow but that "The Box" is used for severely developmentally disabled students and that all of the parents have signed off on it.

I will be very interested to find out why.

I have edited settings so any and all can comment on this photo so I can clear out my messages inbox. Also, someone has pointed out that for a select few Autistic children such a sensory deprivation scenario can be beneficial when they are overloaded. This I can understand and if that is the case, and it meets with the approval of the parents, it makes sense except for two things:

1) The person I talked to said it was used for discipline and
2) They didn't think the children could open it on their own.What do you think of this as a form of punishment ?

That seems like it might be pretty traumatizing for kids...

Umm I'd be mad if my daughter was put I that!

We have a room like this in our school down the street. All parents had to sign to allow it, it was for children with agression and behavil issues, when put inside it they removed anything that had a string like shoes with laces etc....so they wouldnt hurt themselves.

I think it's horrible and I would never, ever consent to that for my kid. How smurfing dangerous

Punishment, absolutely not. For kids with things like autism, honestly, I would be happy if my school had that. It would help SO much if my son had a room he could go to away from everything.

Solitary confinement, eh? Kinda like a prison...

Quoting Uh-Nis-Uh [EBF]:" Solitary confinement, eh? Kinda like a prison... "

This. Or a mental institution...

Maybe it's because I just don't understand  

I have known many kids who were put into the one our school has when I was a kid and nothing ever ended up being traumatic or anything. lol ours was also the size of a small bedroom or closet 5 feet by feetish. lol with a window. lol

Well, the parents gave consent for their child to be put in it, if need be.
At the daycare I used to work at, we had this one child (severe mental problems, I'm not sure what) who would pitch a fit anytime he didn't get his way. He was 8 or 9 at the time, and his mother would actually tell us when he gets that way, to help him get in one of our cubbies (couldn't have been more than 2 feet on each side, but he'd squeeze in). Every now and then new workers would start, and wouldn't know about his situation, and would try to handle him the same way as the other students. He's broken adults legs, feet, and given very nasty bruises.
(I'm not condoning "the box" by any means, but it would be interesting to watch the segment on it).

My daughter'a father used to have to go in something like that when he was in a special school for kids with extreme behavioral problems.

Some cases I see it as ok, others as not. Either way the parents okayed it so /shrug.

Quoting crazy coupon lady:" We have a room like this in our school down the street. All parents had to sign to allow it, it was for ... [snip!] ... when put inside it they removed anything that had a string like shoes with laces etc....so they wouldnt hurt themselves."

There is a ROOM like this also where I live.

Quoting º×ß¡±©µ×º:" im copy and pasting this from a friends status from fb .......... What the smurf?! EDIT: In this ... [snip!] ... and 2) They didn't think the children could open it on their own.What do you think of this as a form of punishment ? "

IMO its wrong, separating a disturbed or abusive child away from others is not the same as placing them in a box with padding and no windows. I couldn't even imagine how scary that could be, even for me, I would freak out if I was put in there. Locking them in there seems like a way out for the teachers, if they get too difficult to deal with then just give up and lock them away.

ill post the news clip after it airs

<blockquote><b>Quoting Binky ♡:</b>" IMO its wrong, separating a disturbed or abusive child away from others is not the same as placing them ... [snip!] ... in there seems like a way out for the teachers, if they get too difficult to deal with then just give up and lock them away."</blockquote>



Have you ever worked with disturbed or special needs kids? Sometimes you can't simply separate them, they'll just try to hurt themselves.