Canadian Elementary Schools

Ok, so my son is 10 and in grade 6. He gets an agenda at the beginning of each year, and every year the rules are in the front pages. The highschool kids get the same agenda, with the same rules, so I expect them to be slightly dramatic for the smaller kids. However, this year I read about facial piecings and hairstyles. No facial piercings period, and no hairstyles or colours that may be misrepresentative of the school. I strongly disagree with this rule, but that's beside the point.

This morning my son's principal called me.

Apparently, on Friday, walking home from school, my son tried tipping up one of those grey Canada Post boxes. He wanted to see if it was chained down. He didn't push it over, and it was a good 4 minute walk from school grounds. Downside for my kid is his principal was driving past at the time and watched what went down.

The box is outside a medical building. There was a woman on the steps of the building having a smoke, and she saw what my son was doing. She shouted out to him not to do that to gov't property.

This is where the story gets hazy. My son shouted something back to her. He and a boy he was with (he has had no contact with this child since the incident) claim he told her "my parents will find out about this". I guess he figgered I would kick the bitches ass for shouting at my kid. Not so. I am upset with him for trying to damage gov't property, but I do know that kids will be kids, and sometimes curiosity gets the better of them. So I won't come down on him for that.

But the woman claims, and told the principal, that my son told her to "shut the fuck up" and "my parents will tell you to get out of their fucking faces."

I eavesdrop on my son and his friends regularly - they are ALWAYS here! I have NEVER heard him use the f-word, but I have heard him say "bitch".

I don't believe this woman when she says my son swore at her. And the other little boy was brought into the principals office this morning and he reiterated my sons story, but of course the school thinks they made a pact. This could not be possible since my son was with me all weekend with family visiting from out of town.

So, the last thing I said to the principal was that I don't believe my son swore at the woman, but I do believe he was playing with the box (he admitted that).

Regardless, my son was suspended today.

The fucking thing did not happen on school property!!! Not even close! The principal was preaching about Civic Duty and all that....fuck, I nearly wanted to tell him I am in full support of legalizing marijuana, just to see if he would write that in MY OSR! (Ontario Schooling Record)

So I have the number of the superintendent, and I plan to call her today. I think it is important for my son to be punished for his actions - but to be punished at HOME for something he did OFF school property. Will they suspend him for mouthing off to me? Is THAT against his civicfuckingduty?

I bet you are all thinking he must have a potty mouth if this is how I speak, but I do not swear in front of my children, and I very rarely cuss myself.

I'm pissed off.

Thats bullshit. The incident had nothing to do with the school.

It'd be like the Brazilian police coming over to stop you for jaywalking. What a joke.

Those folks have NO right to punish him for something that didn't involve them. They aren't the kid's full-time parent, you are. Fight back against their dumb asses.

I belive your child, and i rekon the woman should pick on people old enough to defend themselves.

Tbh, even though it was wrong, i wouldnt even punish him for what he DID do, i mean, what have the government done for us recently?

I do beleive your son, but look at it from the Head Teachers view, an old dear tells him that two of his pupils trashed public property and then shouted obsceneties at her. Now im guessing that your son was wearing his school uniform on the way home, thus he's representing his school. Fucked up I know! When I was a youngun I thought because I wasnt in school I could do whatever I liked on the way home, but not in the eyes of Mr.Ford (my head) ''I was representing his school while in uniform''. If ANYTHING untoward happened on the way home in uniform we would be punished! But it does seem abit extreme suspending your son. But as I said, look at it from the heads point of view, who should he believe a law obiding elderly citizen or two 10 year olds who were seen vandalising property?

Just my :twocents:

Peace

Buddy

everything is spin these days-sometimes to your benefit but most often not.:mad:

Sorry to say, but I don't believe your son. When you eavesdrop on him, he is more than likely inside of the house or around the house right? Of course he won't use the f-word when your in the same house or yard as him. I was a 10yr old boy once, little boys lie and swear like crazy.

Beside the point though, the school had no right to suspend him when outside of school or not even on school property. Even if he did curse at them, does that give them the right to do that? No, in my opinion it doesn't.

10yr old boys aren't as innocent as they seem and they will say whatever they want as they don't understand consequence.

I remeber when I was 13, we would always skateboard at the church lot a few blocks away from school. One day a teacher from school asked us nicely to stop skating and respect the property. Well then, what dod I care, so we beaked her off and told her off. The following Monday, me and 3 of the buddies all got in-school suspensions because we told a teacher off.

Same thing pretty much. They seem to think when you sign up for the school year that they have total control and dictation over you for that year, wherever you are.

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Originally Posted by Nochowderforyou

I remeber when I was 13, we would always skateboard at the church lot a few blocks away from school. One day a teacher from school asked us nicely to stop skating and respect the property. Well then, what dod I care, so we beaked her off and told her off. The following Monday, me and 3 of the buddies all got in-school suspensions because we told a teacher off.

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Thats wrong. I don't think you should have been nailed for that - teacher should have told your parents and had you dealt with at home.

I do believe my son, but that is beside the point.

He does not wear a uniform, and the medical building he was in front of is passed by 4 other elementary school without uniforms, and one with. He could have been from any school - therefore, not representing his own, kwim?

I have decided not to punish him, but he is doing his schoolwork, and catching up on homework. The rule in our home is that he is not allowed out to play on schoolnights, so that's a given for tonight.

As for hearing him in or around the house cussing...I heard him just outside my front door when he called another older girl a bitch. I have heard things thru walls that he would never say if he knew I could hear him. Some mean, ignorant things that have led me to talking with him about homosexuality, sexual assault and harrassment. I think if he were using the f-word on a regular enough basis, I would have heard it by now.

And I was no innocent as a child - and I am not now, either. I don't have the kid who is the perfect angel in class, but he isn't flunking out either. He's about as average as they come. While I am very real with him, he is still just a ten year old boy.

Thanks so much for all of your comments - they really have given me something to think about. And I have just gotten off the phone with the superintendents office (principals boss)...I am hoping to hear back from them today.

~gr8

When you attent a school, you represent that school even when not in class. Same goes for your job, your community, country or whatever. Now, I don't think your kid should have been suspended, but I think I can see where the school was comming from. If this school is close enough to this hospital for kids to walk to it and do stuff, then the hospital will be compaining to the school if the kids are acting up. The hospital will see the school as being in charge of what these kids do, even though they can't control it. The school has to put a foot down to prevent any other kids from going over there and causing trouble. Hopefully it's just a short suspension and there'll be no negetive effect from it.

Best of luck to you and your kid. Hope it all works out for the best.

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Originally Posted by benagain

When you attent a school, you represent that school even when not in class. Same goes for your job, your community, country or whatever.

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I do agree. I was going to use a politician as an example, but thought that could be a mistake...lol

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Originally Posted by gr8misadventures

I do agree. I was going to use a politician as an example, but thought that could be a mistake...lol

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lol. I waws just quoting from memory from the HS wrestling days. We used to be bad to trash rival schools till the cops and the principals got involved. Lesson Learned :)