I suspended a student today. Well, the boy's dad made the call, but I supported him 100% and would have pushed for it if he hadn't already called for it. CB is an adorable little 2nd-grader who doesn't have a malicious bone in his body but has no concept of how his actions might play out in the long (or even short) term when it comes their effect on other people. He's also starting to crush on older girls. So at lunch he took a swing at a girl he likes and hit her harder than she cared for. They took it to the peace table, and I didn't see the need to pursue it further.
But then there was choir practice. AAAAAAAAAAH! I will be so glad when this program is behind us. Our music teacher is great - for music class, but she isn't a choir director. She hardly directs the students at all, and they're up there with no guidance, so they're coming in whenever they think they should, bouncing around like a bunch of barely restrained monkeys and singing terribly off key. That's a different posting, though. AFTER choir practice, the music teacher asked for the students with solo parts (don't get me started on how embarrassing this is going to be) to hang back and practice for a few more minutes. I took my students to class, thinking that someone should probably stay with her in the gym. Should have gone with my gut on that one, because it wasn't two minutes later that students were running into the lower elementary wing shouting that "CB had pushed EK!"
I left the class with Kati and went into the gym to investigate. What I found was kind of appalling. Several students were RUNNING AROUND the stage and climbing under and on the risers bought specially for this program. Serious tag-like behavior. What the heck?! I called for CB to come up and talk to me, and of course everyone wants to holler out their version of what happened. CB was obviously ashamed of what had happened, and he initially tried to weasel out of it saying he "didn't know" what would happen and even kind of trying to pin some of the blame on the other kid. However, when I asked him quietly, "Did you pull him off the stage?" He answered very softly, "Yes."
I told the music teacher that he didn't get to practice with them today, and I took him out of the gym. In the main hall we turned to the south stairs rather than heading north to our classroom. He asked where we were going, and I said we were going to his dad's classroom since his mom was already gone. He knew he was in trouble big, and began to protest, but I kept him moving. We ended up in Diana's office where his dad was doing some work. CB wouldn't tell what he was there for, so I ended up explaining what had happened. It was his dad who spoke first, saying that he was going to call and have CB picked up and that he was suspended.
Given the severity of the injury suffered by the other child, I felt that the suspension ought to carry over into the next day, but because of the fact that both his parents work at the school, and that his mom has an infant in the office already, Diana was concerned that logistically a suspension just wouldn't work - not this time of year, anyway. I was concerned that he had already been told that he was suspended for a second day and didn't want him to get the idea that we had caved b/c he was so sad and pathetic in the office. However, I want him to know that there is kindness and mercy in the world, so tomorrow in the morning - early on, around 9ish, I am going to go to the office and get him. I will invite him back to class and let him know that we still love him and that we trust that he can control his body and keep his silly in check.
It's a compromise I feel good about.
This week is a mess, Maria. Last week of school before break. Everyone is already shut down and checked out. I can't wait for 2010.
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