Pubdate: Wed, 01 Nov 2006
Source: Fort Frances Times (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 Fort Frances Times Limited
Contact:  http://www.fftimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2343
Author: Gord McCabe

NUMBER OF SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS CAN BE REDUCED

Principal's Perspective

Happy Belated Hallowe'en.

Over the next few months, I would like to use this column to discuss 
some subjects which often are not mentioned in student handbooks or 
information nights.

The first topic is one that most parents hope they never have to deal 
with--suspension from school.

As a school community, we are very proud of Fort Frances High School. 
However, every year we have students who are suspended from school. 
This means a student has been involved in a very serious violation of 
the school rules.

With the exception of expulsion (and in my 15 years at Fort High, I 
do not remember an expulsion), suspension from school is the most 
serious consequence for improper behaviour the school can administer 
to a student.

Suspensions are not given out lightly. They are punitive in nature, 
but also are meant to be a deterrent to prevent other students from 
engaging in the same behaviour.

In a perfect world, every student would conduct themselves properly 
at school and we would never issue a suspension. However, the world 
is not yet perfect.

The reasons for suspension are varied. In the past year, students at 
Fort High have been suspended for fighting, assault, possession or 
use of illegal substances such as drugs and alcohol, confrontational 
behaviour such as swearing at a teacher or person in authority, and 
other reasons.

Depending on the nature of the offence, suspensions usually range 
from one-five days. School work will be provided for the suspended 
student upon request.

Only in extreme cases or for repeated serious offences will a student 
be suspended for longer than five days. In cases of offences which 
also are criminal in nature, the police also may be involved.

While the reasons for, and length of, suspension are varied, they do 
have one thing in common. With a little forethought by the student, 
and in some cases by the parent, the suspension could have been avoided.

How can parents help? First and foremost, talk to your child. Let 
him/her know that certain standards of behaviour will be expected at 
school. Prepare them for situations in advance. Let them know that it 
is OK to talk to you.

High school is the time when students are making the transition from 
childhood to adulthood. In some cases they are faced with very adult 
problems and don't now how to react.

If a so-called friend pressures them to drink or use drugs at lunch 
hour, what do they do? If someone at school challenges them to a 
fight, how should they respond?

If they feel they have been treated unfairly by a member of the 
school staff, what is the appropriate reaction?

Teenagers often are unsure of how to react in these situations and 
they easily can make the wrong choices. Encourage them to seek your guidance.

Ask questions of your child every day. Do you remember those days 
when your child was in Grade 2 and wanted to tell you what happened 
at school? Well, chances are now that your child is in high school, 
their attitude has changed.

Don't give up. Ask your child what happened at school every day and 
don't take "nothing" for an answer. If parents take the time now to 
try and open the lines of communication, however difficult that may 
be, it will pay huge dividends later.

If you know what is going on with your child at school, there is less 
chance that they will get into a situation they cannot handle.

Finally, be proactive. When your child comes home and talks about a 
problem at school, even if it is other students who are having the 
problem, pick up the phone and call the school. Let us know what is going on.

You may have heard the statement, "It takes an entire village to 
raise a child." We work very hard to make Fort Frances High School a 
safe and welcoming place for all students, but we can use all the 
help we can get.

If you know of a potential problem, let us know so we can take action 
to help those involved before it becomes serious. I am always amazed 
when the school investigates a situation and we discover that an 
adult knew of the situation but did nothing to let the school know.

As I stated at the beginning of this column, in a perfect world, the 
school would never issue a suspension. While that lofty goal may 
never be reached, if we work together, we can certainly reduce the 
number of suspensions.

When students are not in school, they are not achieving--and 
achievement ultimately is what matters for each and every student.

As always, if you have questions about this column or any other 
issues related to Fort Frances High School, feel free to call me at the school.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine