It is my opinion that our students are heading towards serious physical injury being forced to carry heavy loads of books in book sacks weighing 30 pounds or more! This averages out to approximately one third to one half the child's own weight, 30 to 50%.
The average adult weighs in at about 175 pounds. That means if you had the same average load to haul around all day long you would be carrying between sixty and ninety pounds.
This serious problem can be remedied by forcing the school board to purchase lockers for the students books. Take the time to contact the school board with your concern and contact those new politicians you just voted into office to do something about this serious problem.
I have sent a fax to Mr. Clouatre superintendent of Ascension Parish Schools today expressing my concern asking that he immediately start action to resolve this problem. If I do not have a response in two or three days I intend to ask the media and politicians to get involved in this issue. I hope all that read this do the same.
Suggestions from JanSport From: Consumer_Relations@vfc.com Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 1999 9:11 AM To: clemieux@att.net Subject: Back
Dear Chuck, I am always so pleased to hear from our JanSport fans out there. Thank you for your professional interest in the information regarding wearing backpacks. JanSport is very concerned about the trend in students carrying larger and larger amounts of "stuff" in their packs. When students write to us requesting that we suggest a "really large pack", or imply that they will be carrying "quite a load this school year", we send them this warning:
We sympathize with your need to carry a lot of stuff, but remember that if used or packed improperly, a pack may actually affect your posture and cause shoulder or lower-back pain.
TIPS ON PROPER BACKPACK USE
1) Do not over-pack a backpack.. When filled, a backpack should not exceed 15% of your weight. 2) Be sure to wear both straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder interferes with proper posture and strains muscles. 3) Distribute the load. If your backpack has several compartments, attempt to disperse the weight evenly across the back to create a proper centre of gravity. 4) Keep the weight close to you.. Arrange items so that the heaviest objects are closest to your back and wear the straps securely to keep the weight close to your body. 5) Be sure to use a pack with heavily padded shoulder raps straps and a padded back. .
While researching this data, we came across this magazine article, as well:
DON'T OVER-PACK A BACKPACK: An overstuffed backpack may affect a child's posture and cause shoulder and lower-back pain as well as muscle spasms, report experts at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, in Baltimore "These problems won't be permanent but can make a child uncomfortable", says Paul Sponseller, M.D., director of pediatrics orthopedics. Here, he offers advice on choosing and using a backpack wisely: Select a backpack with several compartments, so weight can be dispersed evenly across a child's back. Look for heavily padded shoulder straps. Make sure your child wears both straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder interferes with proper posture and stains muscles. Limit the load. When filled, a backpack should not exceed 25 percent of a child's weight. (As seen in PARENT & CHILD magazine, September, 1997) . (Although, we tend to feel that 25% of a younger child's weight may be "pushing it"- hence we feel that 15% should be the maximum.)
Our Product Development department is currently looking into some innovative back-saving applications for students. (The catch is finding something that they will actually USE!) In 1999 we will be doing seminars, focus groups, and other forms of research to try to find a viable solution to the problem of kids just plain carrying too much!!! I hope that in some small way I have helped you in your very important research.
Sincerely, Laurie Consumer Relations Manager JanSport, Inc.
From Contact Kids Magazine April 1999
January 23, 2000
Robert Clouatre
Ascension Parish Schools Superintendent
This is my third inquiry to you about the excessive weight our students are forced to haul around in their backpacks.
Our first discussion about this concern was back in November 1999. At that time you stated you had recruited the aid of a chiropractor to alleviate the problem. That effort fizzled out without any improvement at all. And in my opinion was not a satisfactory answer to the problem.
Our second discussion was approximately two weeks ago. At that time you stated you had turned this problem over to your middle school director. This again seems to have been a waste of time.
To be blunt Mr. Clouatre I don’t feel you have much control over your staff. If you did your middle school director would have done something by now. I strongly suggest that you pull in the reigns and make a legitimate effort on your part to get control of your staff to remedy this serious situation. You might consider requesting resignations or issuing walking papers if that’s what it takes.
To refresh your evidently short memory, I have attached both the email from JanSport, and the article from Kids Contact Magazine previously sent to you. Both the email and article back up my statements that the weight being carried by our students is indeed excessive.
Hopefully I and other parents will see some positive effort by you and your staff soon.
Chuck Le Mieux
After 8 months a feeble attempt
April 8, 2000
After 8 months the school board has made a feeble attempt at addressing the backpack issue by showing students a movie on the proper way to wear a backpack.
My son informed me that before the movie they were told that there was no possibility of finding places to store their books, nor was there any possibility of reducing the quantity and weight the students were being forced to carry in their backpacks. He went on to inform me that this movie presentation suggested they not carry more than 15% their body weight. This figure corresponds with that suggested in Kids Magazine previously published on this page.
I describe this attempt by the school board as feeble because it is evident that the school board can not, and doesn't care to follow the very suggestions they presented to the students, as they are still carrying twice the recommended weight. Evidently simple math is not one of the school boards stronger subjects.
Students physical health and safety again ignored
June 29, 2000
It seems after all this time, and with all of the persons in the school system
I've made aware of this serious issue, you'd have thought it would have sunk in
by now. Not so!
My seven year old daughter who attends Dutchtown Primary brought home on her
last day of school, a back to school items list. The very first item on the list
was a book sack, and noted, "no wheels".
Parents have in desperation turned to wheeled book sacks as an answer to
alleviate the excessive weight their children have been forced to carry.
The reason you ask for no wheels? One, mind you one, school bus driver
complained that it took too long for students with wheeled book sacks to get on
and off his or her bus! So, someone in the Dutchtown School system decided right
there and then that this was a bigger and more important issue than the physical
health and safety of the students.
Contacted Mr. George Valentine about this, he brought it to Mr. Clouatre'
attention at their board meeting, and the no wheel restriction has been shot
down for students grades four through eight. Also every effort will be
made by the school board to inform those parents who received this no brain list
that they do not have to needlessly spend $30 or $40 replacing their children's
wheeled book sacks.
I might add that Mr. Clouatre had previously brought this issue up to the board
and was upset that his previous edicts had fallen on deaf ears.
School Board may possibly cause parents to spend money needlessly
July 20, 2000
Mr. George Valintine
13323 Highway 73
Geismar, La. 70737
Dear Sir:
As of this date, I have yet to see one word in the media, as the school board promised, alerting parents that students grades four through eight are allowed to use book sacks on wheels.
If you and the school board are not aware, parents are already purchasing back to school items, and possibly squandering money needlessly on new book sacks, just because someone in the Dutchtown School system felt that one single bus drivers complaint, that it took too long for students to enter and exit his or her bus was much more important than the students health and well being.
To refresh your memory we discussed this issue back in June of this year. At that time I explained my frustration with the school boards total disregard of this issue dating back to November 1999. You informed me that you would bring the issue to the boards attention again. A short time later you contacted me by email and informed me the subject was brought to the school board, and that they rescinded the requirement of non wheeled book sack for grades four through eight parish wide, and assured me that every effort would be made to inform parents so as not to spend money needlessly because those in the school system took it on their own without the school boards approval to make this announcement.
Now with only twenty-five days left to the start of a new school year not one word printed, mailed, or broadcast has been issued from the school board to save parents from spending their hard earned money needlessly.
You ask that I try and work with you and the school board on this and other issues. I’m sorry, but I see no reason to bend over backwards when there is absolutely no effort from the other side.
Hopefully some of the media getting courtesy copies of this letter will publish the fact that parents not need needlessly purchase back packs without wheels for there children grades four through eight and save them a serious financial outlay, because as it appears to me the school board has no intention of doing so.
Chuck Le Mieux
Cc/Fax to:
Ms. Elizabeth Stafford Dutchtown Primary Principle
Ms. Cathy Meredith Dutchtown Middle Principle
Channel 9 TV
Channel 33 TV
Cc/email to:
Mr. Robert Clouatre Ascension Parish School Board Superintendent
Mr. Harold Marchand Ascension Parish President
Mr. R. Anderson Ascension Parish CAO
Ascension Parish Council c/o Mr. R.Loupe
Mr. George Valentine Ascension Parish School Board Member
The Ascension Parish Council c/o Randy Anderson
Ms. Jennifer Sheffield Channel 2 Education Reporter
Mr. J Connelly Channel Two News Room
Ms. Keisha Lacour Channel 2 Two On Your Side
Mr. J. Connelly Channel 2 News Room
Mr. John MacMillan The Advocate’s River Parish Office
Mr. David Young The Gonzales Weekly
Mr. David Young The Community Mirror
Mr. David Young Ascension Parish TV
The Ascension Citizen
Mr. Cecil Picard Louisiana Board of Education
A copy of this letter has been published to the web site In Ascension Parish at http://inascension.com
