Lost Families – School Disaster

It is dangerous to write about this today. Mainly because I may not know the whole story at this point – or worse yet I (we) may never know the whole story.

The main characters I point to now are “Joan” and her son “Nick”. There is also another parent/teen duo given the names “Barry” and his son “Mark”. (all four whose names have been changed)

Nick and Mark are part of a group of five students that have been suspended from a local high school for wrongful things they supposedly have done – one the main ones is using and selling drugs.

Yesterday’s local Newspaper – The Peterborough Examiner, February 26, 2009 has reported that Joan and Barry have both hired the services of their lawyers to help find out what has happened in their son’s situations.

The local School Board has been involved now along with the leadership of the student’s School, PCVS. They are not making any statements now.

Andrea Houston, the Peterborough Examiner’s reporter states the following…
Quote ~
“A legal battle has been launched in Peterborough over the powers of Ontario's Education Act versus the rights of people under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms in a case that left five students expelled from school.

At the centre is a Peterborough mother who is upset at her son's school, PCVS, because she says it investigated an off-school party incident and searched backpacks and a cellphone, which resulted in several expulsions.

While the public school board says it has the authority under Ontario's Education Act, the mother's lawyer says those powers violate personal rights and freedoms.

The dispute between the board and family that started in December will be the subject of an appeal hearing on March 2.

Let's start from the beginning with what the student's mother says happened.

Joan knows her son smoked pot.

She even knows he sold a $10 bag of marijuana to a friend at a party a couple of months ago.

But when her 17-year-old son was expelled from PCVS in December, she felt the school had gone too far”. ~ end quote
(reference to this article is below)

The events that are reported in the Newspaper took place in two places from what I can determine. One was at a party on a weekend – no where near the school – where Nick sold a $10 bag of marijuana. The other took place in the Vice Principal’s office – where it is alleged that the VP had a Cell Phone of one of the students. The VP(staff?) found names of students on that phone and then forced them to confess to their “crime” or the staff person would call the police. The person made this statement while their hand was on the telephone – indicating/suggesting if the student didn’t say/tell what was desired the police would be called. No parent, no lawyer no support was there for the student.

There is no report that the police were involved. It was staff and student(s)… then school board… and an expulsion from school. Four students received one level of expulsion from PCVS and one received an expulsion from all schools in the school board area.

I really don’t have this clear yet. Andrea Houston did her best to help readers like me know what was going on. I am still confused.

But I am not as confused as the teens must be. Good or not good students – they are out. They are losing school time and the help that they need. I am not sure here – but it is an educated guess – they likely are not the shining example of top students – yet they could be the next potential level of “lawyers” or even “future clergy”.

Six families have been deeply affected. Of that six, four families affected more deeply. Of that six one family and one student – very deeply – with no school that will receive him at all.

I am a grandparent… and I think, “What if this was one of my grandkids?” I am deeply concerned for these kids and their families.

It is not the first situation to be concerned about…
A few months back a student was issued a warrant for his/her arrest by a judge in one our courts – because the student failed to appear to answer why they had not attended school.

The school board and school leadership had taken this drastic step working with the court officials to get the student and family’s attention. They got the Newspaper’s attention as well and the population or our city as well.

Some local students interviewed reacted as well. They thought it was ridiculous.

I am not inferring that it was the PCVS School that was involved in this arrest warrant situation – but the school board was. They apparently backed the actions taken as did the court system pointing out that it is their duty to make sure that every “child” gets an education.

Today Nick and Mark along with four others must wonder where it changed.

Now I know teens can be “knuckle heads” (a really old term from my high school days that some of us were called by our teachers). But are they redeemable? Is there any hope at all?

Andrea Houston mentioned “Joan” and her son “Nick” – but there was no “Mr. Nick’s Dad” mentioned. So what is the real story?

I deeply fear there are more potential families that are lost. They are “Lost” in the shuffle of RULES, Legislation, and Policy. They are Lost and Broken… now because of what has happened… add the word “discouraged”.

The School Board will “listen” to them in the first week of March to at least two families with their lawyers. There are not only questions about the School Board ruling but also about the Education Act and its new rules and powers. Then add to that ONE HUGE problem that appears to have taken place – Canada’s precious Charter of Rights has been possibly broken by the School and School Board action.

Before this is sorted out – Five Students will lose their school year – unless there is an outright miracle. Five families will have LOST their momentum forward.

In Andrea Houston’s article she mentions that she spoke with Rusty Hick, “superintendent of schools and operations for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board”.

A Few Years Ago…
I met Rusty Hick just after I conducted a funeral a few years back for an older man in our community. Along with Rusty I also met with a predecessor to the present principal Ms. Dinise Severin.

The older man that I conducted the funeral for had died in a tragic way beside PCVS High School. Students from PCVS were constantly smoking in his yard, in and near his driveway. When he pulled in one day to his driveway an altercation took place with angry words. There was some pushing and physical contact. The man had a massive heart attack and died on the spot in front of the stunned students.

I took part in a public forum following that tragedy. Rusty had invited me to take part in the forum – kind of representing the family of this man (I assumed).

The tension at that meeting was great. Students had strong opinions. Community had very strong opinions. Staff looked for answers.

Unfortunately there is another controversy for this great High School now. And IT WILL HAVE AN AFFECT ON ALL THE STUDENT BODY. From what I know Ms. Dinise Severin has accomplished amazing things at her school. The students at this school are amazing as well – I know some of them! They don’t need this now.

A Deep Reflection for me…
Earlier I stated “…yet they could be the next potential level of “lawyers” or even “future clergy”.”

A long, long time ago in Central Collegiate Institute – (CCI), in Regina, Saskatchewan, three guys were studying for their finals of their Grade 12 Exams. Two of the guys slipped out of the study session to get some fresh air. They saw the third guy’s car out front and slipped into the front seat. One guy found a pair of small scissors in the glove box and used them to pick the ignition lock. The car started easily. The other student proceeded to drive them around the block a few times honking the horn and burning rubber. Later - together they parked the car in the same spot and returned to their studies. Their friend found out and was very angry at the time.

The friend told his mother. The mother called the police and the police visited the homes of the about to graduate Grade 12 Boys with an announcement was presented of potential “car theft” or “joy riding” charges to be laid over the next few days.

Their marks were not the best entering that study session. Now they were likely going to fail entirely and could be in court soon – and/or worse.

I was the guy that picked that lock. I sat in a car that made lots of noise and had a ball – for a little while. I was part of a class of potentially good students that just were having way too much fun.

All of us graduated. There were no charges laid – an apology given – and that car owner is still a good friend and doing well.

Of the entire class of Grade 12 students… one or two of us became ministers, two or more are University Professors, at least six became lawyers(some of those became politicians), and mixed with that were at least that many doctors, teachers and successful business men. These were great years in High School – BUT all of us did some really STUPID things.

I tell this part of my story in my early retirement – so that you will know I care for Nick and Mark and whole lot more.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

Source:
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1452789