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Longmont, Colo (CBS) At a school where parents were asked permission before their children were allowed to watch a speech by President Obama, and where permission is sought for students to watch movies, not asking parental permission to touch and feel a placenta in a science class was a shock for some parents in Colorado's St. Vrain Valley School District. The school district says it was an "oversight" not to let parents of 5th graders at Alpine Elementary School know in advance that a human placenta was being brought to class as a teaching tool. Unfortunately that presentation did not quite follow district protocol," said district spokesperson John Poynton. "They (the parents) had a right to know in advance and for that we regret that they were not told in advance.The incident occurred Dec. 15, 2009, at Alpine, which is described as an International Baccalaureate school in Longmont, Colo., for high performing students. A certified nurse midwife who is the mother of a 5th grade student brought the placenta in to help students learn about human circulation. Wearing surgical gloves, the students were encouraged to feel, poke and prod the placenta, which was sitting in a light blue hospital tray. A placenta is a temporary human organ that joins the mother and her fetus, transferring oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the fetus. "I thought it was horrible, not age appropriate. It's horrible," said Michael Valentine, whose daughter Cara, 10, was one of the 22 students in the class."I just felt a sick feeling in my stomach when I heard she had one and it was real," said Cara Valentine. "I knew right away I didn't want to touch it but the teacher and midwife were coaxing us to do it." "I was completely astonished and didn't believe what she was saying," said Cara's mother, Christina Valentine. "But when I saw the picture it put everything into perspective."
Valentine is talking about the cell phone photo her daughter shot of the bloody placenta to verify what had occurred in her classroom. "I wanted to show them in case they wouldn't believe me," said the 5th grader.


And I thought having them put condoms on bananas were gross.