4/20 - Day of the Lost

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:12 am

So today is 4/20. National Pot Smoking Day, Hitler's Birthday, The anniversary of Columbine ad the Oklahoma Bombing. If you don't know by now, it's the new generation's (Gen Y's or the Millenials as they call themselves) new holiday. Self-proclaimed.

I have about half of the students I normally have in school today. One of them asked me, "Why don't you just cancel school, since you know that everyone won't be here?"

I replied, "Because that would be giving in to negativity, and we aren't about that. We are about life, light, and futures."

Moreover...I plan to contact the parents of every kid that is missing today, to make sure that they knwo that their child didn't show up.

jahamaa · Post by **jahamaa** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:22 am

Wow, I'm not sure what to make of this info. It is kind of disturbing somehow.

Do you think the kids are just doing it to get a rise out of the adults?

Or is it just an immature excuse for a day off. Or something else.

minks · Post by **minks** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:35 am

jahamaa wrote: Wow, I'm not sure what to make of this info. It is kind of disturbing somehow.

Do you think the kids are just doing it to get a rise out of the adults?

Or is it just an immature excuse for a day off. Or something else.

Hmmmm sounds like the day my daughters grade went on a 2 class protest. They wish to be heard, or take a stand as things mean something to them. I dunno Jives your right in calling the parents cause likely that is your job and your obligated. As for the kids taking a self proclaimed holiday hmmm Columbine was of huge impact to kids and they have the right to celebrate the deaths of fellow students.

Kids don't always do things to get a raise out of adults.

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:39 am

Minks...did you just say, "celebrate death"?

But I know what you mean...Nah..for most kids it's just a "cool" day to ditch. To them it's just a rebellion thing and mostly harmless...but as Anastophe and I have stated in the ICP thread, there are a few disturbed kids out there.

God forbid one of them takes this whole thing too seriously.

Agnes · Post by **Agnes** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:47 am

i do not smoke pot, so number #1 my brain is wired differently. socially this is the new norm in life, rights for everyone. Hitlers birthday, actually it is funny, have a grand time, after all they are people too, right? i thought so. shame on them if thats what they are into? oh well. i am a person too, i am celebrating today nothing.

hotsauce · Post by **hotsauce** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:54 am

Jives wrote: Minks...did you just say, "celebrate death"?

that is exactly what i thought. awww...I'm sure she didn't mean that.

I didn't know this was Gen Y's new holiday. Interesting. It has no impact on elementary kiddos here...but I am going to the middle school this afternoon. Wonder if there smaller clases today?

minks · Post by **minks** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:01 am

hotsauce wrote: that is exactly what i thought. awww...I'm sure she didn't mean that.

I didn't know this was Gen Y's new holiday. Interesting. It has no impact on elementary kiddos here...but I am going to the middle school this afternoon. Wonder if there smaller clases today?

Ok laugh all of you darn it I DID mean celebrate death, geeze !!!

Ok commerate!!

minks · Post by **minks** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:13 am

skittles2004 wrote: YIKES!!!!! Glad your not my teacher. All though I've never ditched!!!!!!!!!Yeah me.

He is only doing his job Skittles hehehehe

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:08 am

I think if they wanted to commemorate they should raise money for a monument. That would be a better use of their time and sentiments. If the point is not just to ditch classes, that is.

Tombstone · Post by **Tombstone** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:19 am

You sound like a great teacher!

mominiowa · Post by **mominiowa** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 1:28 pm

The whole time I worked at the middle school we only had one protest..and I was actually quite impressed as were many teachers..I am a Deaf Ed. teacher so of course my kids are different......anyway - they protested the fact a bus driver was charged with beating his daughter and was still allowed to be a driver..I was really impressed the kids stood up for themselves..

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 7:55 am

Kids at my daughters school got calls home for cutting yesterday as well. Some were suspended for skipping the day.

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:04 am

mzsandeestar wrote: In the first years after Columbine , I heard of parents keeping their children out of school on the anniversary because of fear of new incidents. That may be how this "cutting" holiday started.

yes, I think you're right. But now it has evolved into a kind of National Ditch Day. Other teachers may see this as a good thing, less students, less trouble for them, and easy day in the offing! Not me....I'm charged with bringing up seriously behind students four years in ability in a single year. I have absolutely no time to waste or lose.

I am surprised that the school does not have someone in the office whose official job it is to call all parents of children who don't show up.

At my school, I am the Principal, the Math Department, The Personnel Department, the Filed Trip Chaperone, the Counselor, The Janitor, and the Secretary! LOL!

It's a scary world we live in and the responsibilities of your job are tremendous and far reaching , Jives.

Don't I know it, and thank you for that nice compliment too! As I have been in this career for a over a decade now (my third Career) I've noticed more and more that kids who struggle in school come from families where the adults did not graduate from high school. It's a vicious circle.

If I can break that circle...just once...that kid will grow up to be a parent that appeciates education and succeeds in life. They will, in turn, teach their children the value of education. The entire families future may be changed for generations, possibly even centuries.

I hope you and the students who are in school today have a wonderful learning experience.

No doubt about it, I'll be sneaking in secret messages to the problems in combining like terms today for some extra fun, then we read "Ender's Game" by orson Scott Card, followed by "The Monsters are Due on maple Street" A Twilight Zone play by rod Sterling, tonight I'm teaching "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and "The 7 Ages of Man" by Shakespeare..

All the World's a Stage, and the men and women merely players!

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:06 am

skittles2004 wrote: Bummer!

Oh I tell you I am a terrible person when it comes to this school my daughter goes to. They have the most insane rules I have ever encountered and I can't help but go against them often times. They are quick to suspend for the dumbest reasons. They do not like me because I stand up for my kids (olther daughter went there in the past). Even went so far as to tell my youngest that "your mother doesn't care about anything" when I spoke to them about a protest my daughter partook in a few months back.

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:40 am

skittles2004 wrote: Our rules are all right. I'm cool with it.

You are blessed and likely not a school run by old ancient Morman rules instilled upon by uptight parents many decades ago. Bah the school makes me mental.

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:57 am

Jives wrote: Moreover...I plan to contact the parents of every kid that is missing today, to make sure that they knwo that their child didn't show up.
I was just curious Jives, what the parents reactions were when you called. And how everyone is acting today at school.

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:27 am

devist8me wrote: I was just curious Jives, what the parents reactions were when you called. And how everyone is acting today at school.

The parents were overwhelmingly supportive. (We made sure they understood that we were concerned for their child's safety.)

And thanks to my annoucement, we only had two absent from the entire school! Score!

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 11:47 am

Jives wrote: And thanks to my annoucement, we only had two absent from the entire school! Score!
Way to go Jives...nice ending!

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 1:31 pm

Well, Sittles, how can I do my job of giving them the skills they need to survive in the very harsh real world, if they aren''t there?

When kids ditch, they don't seem to realize is that they are not ditching school.....they're ditching their own future.