Re: GEN Thoughts on frightening morning

[Elissa Stahl <EWStahl@AOL.COM>]

  Hi all,
    My perspective on  the Colorado tragedy has been mostly through here, as
it was not discussed in my school (other than amongst the staff), but I can
see how it has had its effect. During this past week there have been 2
incidents directly caused by it. The first was an expletive graffitti on the
school wall directed at the principal and attributed to the Trench Coat
Mafia, and the second was a suspension of a student. My school has pretty
much a no suspension policy (fistfights sometimes warrant an overnight
suspension, parent comes in the next AM), yet I had a class this week where a
KINDERGARTENER was suspended for telling another student he was going to get
a gun and kill him. To clarify, I didn't suspend him, he was already gone
before I had the class. In an urban school where "trash talk" is the norm,
this usually wouldn't have resulted in much more than a time-out.  Most of
the staff I talked to about it agreed that 2 weeks ago there would have been
no suspension, and I doubt anyone involved believed it was much more than
just "trash" (no real threat). I agree that words like that are downright
mean, but is suspension from school really the answer?
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Elissa Williams-Librarian
School District of Philadelphia
Email:  ewstahl@aol.com
Instant Messenger and ICQ: EWStahl
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