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Post by justvote on Sept 28, 2008 12:01:00 GMT -5
Since the principal has denied that the incident even occurred, this doesn't bode well to the question "what are they doing to ensure safety?". Is this how the new principal handles difficult situations? Let's just deny it ever happened and hope that nobody notices? Poor decision on her part. Well in her defense, I don't think she can say anything to the press about these sort of things. Poor choice of words, probably should have said something like "I cannot comment on any incident involving students " and then directed them to the district office. So far, unimpressed with this new principal. She certainly cannot control the actions of a handful of kids but something needs to be said to the families sending children to Waubonsie. Again, this is not the Waubonsie I know. Time to clean some lockers out. I'm not sure it is defensible. If the press got it right (and I know that's a BIG if) then she denied the incident ever occurred and once backed into a corner, she declined to comment. It's hard to attribute an outright denial to "a poor choice of words". If she said something like "I can't confirm or deny anything about this incident at this time", then I could give her pass. That's not what she said, though, and her statement, if quoted accurately, is a lie - pure and simple.
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Post by sardines on Sept 28, 2008 13:19:21 GMT -5
Well in her defense, I don't think she can say anything to the press about these sort of things. Poor choice of words, probably should have said something like "I cannot comment on any incident involving students " and then directed them to the district office. So far, unimpressed with this new principal. She certainly cannot control the actions of a handful of kids but something needs to be said to the families sending children to Waubonsie. Again, this is not the Waubonsie I know. Time to clean some lockers out. I'm not sure it is defensible. If the press got it right (and I know that's a BIG if) then she denied the incident ever occurred and once backed into a corner, she declined to comment. It's hard to attribute an outright denial to "a poor choice of words". If she said something like "I can't confirm or deny anything about this incident at this time", then I could give her pass. That's not what she said, though, and her statement, if quoted accurately, is a lie - pure and simple. I guess the police gave all of the incident details to the reporter? None of the kids I asked had heard anything about this event even happening. I am fairly sure expulsion is the outcome (at least it was for the individuals at the Warriorfest event). I wish we would hear more about all of the great things and great kids (the MAJORITY) at WV in the papers ....
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Post by wvhsparent on Sept 28, 2008 17:20:58 GMT -5
I take it you have examples of similarly violent acts against police officers occurring at NV? As a matter of there was a documented one from last year I believ, and that school officer was injured. I'll see if I can find the article.
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Post by wvhsparent on Sept 28, 2008 17:28:06 GMT -5
For the record I too am not impressed, rather disappointed, at the response of the new principle to this incident. It's one thing for the kids not to know what goes on, but when you are the top person at the facility....you better know whats happening. There seemed to be a communication breakdown somewhere, and it better get fixed fast.
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Post by southsidesignmaker on Sept 28, 2008 19:30:17 GMT -5
There was an incident last year at NVHS in which a police officer was injured . The incident was publicized but I feel that those on this blog have it right that WVHS is under the microscope. This should pass with a little time just as the incident at NVHS did.
Maybe some time should also be given to the new principal regarding this situation. Let us see if the paper got it right and see what is said in a follow-up report. Many times once composure is present, a more complete synopsis is presented which will benefit all parties.
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Post by wvhsparent on Sept 28, 2008 21:08:51 GMT -5
Great post by casey from blue........
One has to be careful when comparing incidents at NV and WV. Believe me, there is fighting taking place at both schools. This is NOT isolated to WV only. There are kids that cause cause trouble anywhere. The SD just needs to make darn sure that they have a plan in place to stop it and deal with it. I would guess that the new fearless leader from WV has since discovered that.
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Post by gatormom on Sept 28, 2008 21:29:58 GMT -5
Great post by casey from blue........ One has to be careful when comparing incidents at NV and WV. Believe me, there is fighting taking place at both schools. This is NOT isolated to WV only. There are kids that cause cause trouble anywhere. The SD just needs to make darn sure that they have a plan in place to stop it and deal with it. I would guess that the new fearless leader from WV has since discovered that.Thanks for bringing that over. I worry that these types of incidents will intensify the anxiety that some feel about joining the Warrior family. Nice to see this, gives me hope.
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we4
Junior
Let's Go Yankees......Let's Go Yankees
Posts: 204
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Post by we4 on Sept 29, 2008 7:41:23 GMT -5
The worst part of this whole thing is that the kid went for the officers gun. Why would a kid for for a gun? Did he intend to use it once he had it? And if so, on who? So much is not known and that is scary. This could have been so much worse.
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Post by asmodeus on Sept 29, 2008 7:42:32 GMT -5
Fighting, yes. I'm no fighter, but nevertheless was involved in a couple of minor scrapes in my day.
However, under no circumstances would I EVER consider trying to grab a policeman's gun, and in my opinion that is a gang member mentality. And that, to put it bluntly, is the difference between NV and WV. Not the majority, of course, but a fraction. If there are a few fistfights at a school my kids are attending, I'm concerned but not alarmed. If there are kids willing to grab a cop's gun and potentially shoot the cop or teachers, that is terrifying.
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Post by momto4 on Sept 29, 2008 7:58:46 GMT -5
Fighting, yes. I'm no fighter, but nevertheless was involved in a couple of minor scrapes in my day. However, under no circumstances would I EVER consider trying to grab a policeman's gun, and in my opinion that is a gang member mentality. And that, to put it bluntly, is the difference between NV and WV. Not the majority, of course, but a fraction. If there are a few fistfights at a school my kids are attending, I'm concerned but not alarmed. If there are kids willing to grab a cop's gun and potentially shoot the cop or teachers, that is terrifying. Or perhaps the difference between this kid and the other kids at WV. Why would one kid's actions be extrapolated to a difference between schools that each have thousands of students? Also, I'm not sure why a few fistfights at your children's school would be of that great a concern. Can there be a public high school anywhere with more than a thousand students in which there isn't a fight occasionally? There is no way to completely prevent this IMO.
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Post by asmodeus on Sept 29, 2008 8:13:37 GMT -5
It is the difference between having a gang element or not. I could be wrong, but I don't believe there is a gang element at NV. I believe there is at WV, albeit extremely small. But all it takes, as we see in this story, is one kid.
Of course we could argue forever about there being "normal" kids who go psycho and create a Columbine situation. I would never say that unspeakable violence is impossible at any school, even private ones like Benet. In that sense, NV is as vulnerable as WV.
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Post by sardines on Sept 29, 2008 8:16:21 GMT -5
My thoughts exactly Momto4....
On a slightly different but I think relevant topic, I have often wondered just how thorough the screening process is with enrolling kids. I know of two kids that attended WV last year, played basketball (until one consistently could not make grades week after week). He was often in trouble but never anything too serious. He lived with his "Aunt" for supposedly 6 months prior to enrolling at WV. I asked my kid about him a few weeks ago. He said he is going to a different suburban school and living with a different "relative". The other kid dropped out and now lives with his Dad in the city.Don't these people have to show legal (as in court papers providing proof) guardianship and permanent residency when enrolling in Dist. 204? I have a feeling this stuff happens more than we may even know....
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Post by WeNeed3 on Sept 29, 2008 9:10:35 GMT -5
It is the difference between having a gang element or not. I could be wrong, but I don't believe there is a gang element at NV. I believe there is at WV, albeit extremely small. But all it takes, as we see in this story, is one kid. Of course we could argue forever about there being "normal" kids who go psycho and create a Columbine situation. I would never say that unspeakable violence is impossible at any school, even private ones like Benet. In that sense, NV is as vulnerable as WV. I have heard there is a gang element at NV. If it's not specifically a gang, it is a large group of troublemakers. Just rumors as I have no kids there but that is what I have heard from other parents. In a school that large, I wouldn't be surprised. Kids are not all goody goody on the south side you know. From what I have heard, this gang is more "subtle".
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Post by asmodeus on Sept 29, 2008 9:34:02 GMT -5
Is it a "gang," a "group," or a "clique"?
There have always been loosely defined groups such as the jocks, the burn-outs, etc. I am strictly talking about kids who belong to a street gang that deals in drugs and guns. Kids who have no father figure so the gang becomes the family authority.
I cannot say NV has none of these problems. But as they say, all stereotypes begin with a kernel of truth. WV has an image problem in comparison to NV for a reason. And the reason is simple...the demographics of the two schools are not identical. Incidents such as these will no doubt magnify that and embolden those who are unhappy at having to switch to WV. Yes, we are all part of D204. But D204 is an arbitrary area of land.
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Post by gatormom on Sept 29, 2008 9:48:26 GMT -5
Is it a "gang," a "group," or a "clique"? There have always been loosely defined groups such as the jocks, the burn-outs, etc. I am strictly talking about kids who belong to a street gang that deals in drugs and guns. Kids who have no father figure so the gang becomes the family authority. I cannot say NV has none of these problems. But as they say, all stereotypes begin with a kernel of truth. WV has an image problem in comparison to NV for a reason. And the reason is simple...the demographics of the two schools are not identical. Incidents such as these will no doubt magnify that and embolden those who are unhappy at having to switch to WV. Yes, we are all part of D204. But D204 is an arbitrary area of land. *sigh* The stereotype lives on and every child who attends Waubonsie is tainted by it. I understand your concerns asmodeus, my child will be attending WV next year and I share those concerns. This was a very serious incident and a scary one, for everyone. Just my impression of gangs though, by the age of 17 school is not part of a typical day. So call it what you must but this was a kid with the wrong values in life and he got himself in a heap of trouble. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
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