Posted on 05/18/2006 12:12:49 PM PDT by Abathar
PENN HILLS, Pa. -- Parents and at least one school board member said they believe an elementary school in Pennsylvania overreacted when it suspended 14 students earlier this month for mixing sugar and Kool-Aid crystals and calling it "Happy Crack."
Officials in the Penn Hills School District said the kids were suspended for imitating drug activity.
The students put the mixture in plastic bags and labeled it "Happy Crack."
But some parents said they don't think that should have gotten the students suspended from Shenandoah Elementary School.
School Board Member Erin Vecchio told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that she agreed with the parents.
"My own kids used to make it at school. It's Kool-Aid and sugar," Vecchio told the newspaper. "It's colored. It doesn't look like drugs. It looks like Pixy Stix. I didn't find anything wrong with it."
The principal and school superintendent haven't commented on the incident.
I just thought of something. After responding I realized that they sounded really good even today. Maybe I really am addicted to them?
The kids in our neighborhood had a little club where we started the meetings by having a ceremonial mouthful of Pop Rocks or Space Dust candy before issues could be called to the floor for discussion.
~ Blue Jays ~
>>> mixing sugar and Kool-Aid crystals and calling it "Happy Crack." >>>
We used to make and eat this all the time!! They market this stuff too. It's called PIXIE STICKS!!
What are they going to do next, expell them for practicing witchcraft eating something named after Earth religion entities???
Was anyone brave enough to drink soda, afterwards?
"Officials in the Penn Hills School District said the kids were suspended for imitating drug activity."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That quote is why I support the school in this case.
For me....it's not what they brought to school, it was calling it "Happy Crack". That is not acceptable in a school setting.
It's been at least thirty years, but I remember candy cigarettes having a pleasing chalkiness on the tongue that I used to enjoy. The ones I used to purchase had a little drop of red food coloring on the tip to simulate a glowing ash.
I've never smoked a cigarette or taken an illegal drug in my life and I'm in excellent physical condition...yet I can still taste that unique candy when I think about it! Almost a combination of vanilla and mint.
~ Blue Jays ~
Ohh, I think I'm gonna cry at those pictures. Nostalgia can be an odd thing.
I remember that too. Make supersaturated solutions over the Busen burner to make sugar crystals?
About that time we realized we were in public school & the teacher was too lazy to actually teach us any chemistry, so we started leaving little piles of gunpowder that we'd made on the floor around his desk. Charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter.
He moved pretty fast for a big man.
Yes! Liked them better then Pixy Stix.
Didn't you know that candy cigarettes were the "gateway" to the much more dangerous Bubble gum Cigars!!!
You dodged a mighty big bullet my friend!!
-fb
"...Was anyone brave enough to drink soda, afterwards?..."
And take a chance on dying from the dangerous combination like Mikey of Life Cereal fame? Are you nuts!
~ Blue Jays ~
It is scary that this is from an elementary school.
Break out the pickle covers?
Okay, do you still have a stock of these things around? You described them perfectly. I remember the red dot on the end. I know there is some place that stocks retro candy but I don't know if they have the candy cigarettes.
It's nice to know some things don't change. We did this exact same thing in Catholic grade school (1-6) in the late 70s, simply & solely for the sugar rush. Drug use was never implied nor thought of.
-PJ
Was he also defending his 'stash' with his chicken finger 'piece'?
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