Posted on 10/05/2006 8:39:27 PM PDT by Pharmboy
Three eighth-graders were given three days of in-school suspension starting last Friday after they brought toy weapons to school in order to participate in a class project on the Revolutionary War era.
But one parent feels this punishment is too strict in the context of the incident.
Page 19 of the Parents Handbook states, "Knives or other sharp objects, hand guns, toy guns, weapon replicas, slingshots, matches, fireworks, or any other explosive materials are forbidden at school, or at any school sponsored activity or trip."
"It doesn't say anything about intention and context," said Elena Driscoll, the parent of one of the students who received in-school suspension, about the handbook entry.
According to the handbook, the object in question will be taken away, and students in violation will be suspended for a minimum of three days. Both parents and the police are notified of the incident, and parents will be required to meet with the principal prior to the student returning to school.
Driscoll said she and her child knew about this handbook rule prior to the incident.
"Bringing weapons to school is against school rules," said Superintendent Mickey Brandmeyer. "Unfortunately the students and the parents knew the school rule and chose to bring a weapon to school anyways."
Driscoll said her son's class was asked to bring in Revolutionary War era props to class. Her son brought in a toy rifle, while another student brought in a carved wooden toy gun.
"Since the teacher asked for props the kids thought these replicas were excluded from that," said Driscoll.
Driscoll said the teacher did apologize for the end result. The instructions did not remind students not to bring in prohibited objects.
"We will review the rule with the faculty," said Brandmeyer, and the administration will ask teachers to remind students that they should not bring weapons to school.
In a letter sent home to all eighth-grade parents this week, Principal Sharon Hobbs explains the incident, the actions taken by the school and the reasons behind them.
"This event provided a dilemma for me as the principal and for students, parents, and teachers," Hobbs writes. "While the intent of bringing in the toy guns was not to threaten or hurt anyone, the handbook expectations and consequences are explicit. With our signatures, students, their parents, the teachers and I, have accepted these expectations and consequences."
"Our goal was to keep the kids in school so their learning would be the least disruptive," said Hobbs in a phone interview. "We decided that because the intent was not to be threatening or harmful that we wanted to continue their learning as undisrupted as possible."
Although students who receive in-school suspension cannot participate in class - they spend the school day in a conference room outside the principal's office - teachers are asked to drop off their work at the office. In addition, students are allowed to make up any tests or quizzes they miss during that period.
Driscoll said in years past students have had other topics of study related to battle, during which they were allowed to make weapons. She questioned why the rule was being enforced now when it had not been enforced before.
Brandmeyer said this is the first time he has had to deal with a weapon being brought into school.
"I've had a couple of requests over the years to have weapons in school," he said, including from the Lincoln Minute Men, who wanted to bring in their muskets for a demonstration.
Brandmeyer said he told them it was not appropriate.
The handbook is reviewed annually, and Hobbs said she plans to review the handbook with Student Council and teachers.
The parents of the three students each reacted differently, Brandmeyer said. One looked at the punishment as a learning experience; another was disappointed but glad the child would still be in school.
Driscoll, however, said there are a number of students and parents who are upset about this incident, and some eighth-graders have been circulating a petition.
"I think that shows the fact that nobody felt that they were threatened," she said.
Did you notice that a toy changed into a weapon?
>>"Bringing weapons to school is against school rules," said Superintendent Mickey Brandmeyer. "Unfortunately the students and the parents knew the school rule and chose to bring a weapon to school anyways."<<
That is one reality deprived administrator.
DK
Your issues are well spouted. Please continue.
The request (to bring guns) is rather implicit, as my last post attempted to show. War is about fighting with guns. What other props could they have brought to a war project? Perhaps a Flag and a sling shot? Hell, the sling shot would have been illegal too, and the Revolutionary War flag looks too much like the first Confederate National flag, another taboo prop. I guess they could have come dressed as Minute Men, carrying...... let's see..... what did those 'ol Minute Men carry? OOPS - guns? I think they chose the LOGICAL props, the problem being we live in ILLOGICAL, PC, insane times.
Have you thought about... why?
If it was implicit why were only three students punished?
"I have to fall on the side of the school here."
You actually think a toy gun and a hand made gun are threatening? Good grief.
I don't think that.Read the thread ace. I know that. I've seen it. What is your point?
Unbelievable. The parents and the kids knew the rule and violated it and now they feel like victims. Must be democrats. Rules are only made to keep Republicans in line since they are such a motley lot. /s
By my read, Long Guns are A OK! Blackbird.
Three children out of the entire class/school get detention for acting like idiots and this is turned into a second amendment issue.
> If kept on site, the toy guns would have to be locked up in a secure cabinet! <
Yes, and they must be unloaded -- with the ammunition stored in a separate, locked place.
Oh, and don't forget the trigger locks!
> They were doing a Revolutionary War project and were told to bring in props. So what other "war props" should they have brought in that would have been ok? <
Maybe fifes and drums?
BRILLLIANT (read that like the Guinness guys)
Yeah, that's how we beat the British in the Revolutionary War, we 'drummed' them out of America.
From the same people who tried to ban the US flag within schools but allow those from Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq (saddam era)
What's next? Schools banning sports because it offends people and could hurt students??? Or the prospect of the instrements of the game being used as weapons???
These idiots are the same ones who suspended a kid for bringing a plastic butterknife to school with his lunch, and are the ones who banned the US flag in/on the school because it was not "Multicultural".
Next... Re-enactments of the Revolutionary war are banned because it offends Native groups.... How far will this stuff go?
I thought they were a result of PC.
Student #1, who is black, brings in a loaded gun, points it at another student, and only misses killing him because another brave student grabbed at the gun before it fired.
Student #2, who is white, brings in a keychain with a 1/8-scale plastic Luger.
Since (according to Jesse Jackson et al.) the only explanation for a decision to punish student #1 but not student #2 would be the fact that the former is black, and since it's obviously necessary to punish the former student, consequently it's necessary to punish the latter student as well.
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