From the Principal's Desk--Hugh McDermott

After-School Time: How is your student using his/her time?

One of the concerns I have as your principal right now, is what students are doing after their academic school day has ended at 2:58. It is no secret that the time between the end of the school day and 5:30 p.m. can be challenging and for some, a dangerous time. Students need some time to release some of their energies from being here at school all day. I hope your son or daughter is actively participating in some type of program, whether it is school sports, clubs or community activities such as private music lessons, midget football or a number of other wonderful programs, or perhaps he or she goes to the Rec. Center immediately after school. Or maybe your student has specific responsibilities at home right after school. Many of our students do just great in getting involved in something constructive and positive after school. Several volunteer at a variety of companies and organizations after school. These are all positive constructive things to do after school. We need parents? help in giving all students the message that they need to be somewhere shortly after school is out and that there be a plan of some kind, so that students are not getting into trouble during these after-school times.

We are seeing and hearing about several students, particularly 8th graders who are not involved in any particular program or activity. They are leaving school and causing problems for other students as they walk home. We have had three to four incidents in which students got into fights, were verbally abusive, or were acting as bullies towards others who were just minding their own business and walking home. As a result of some of these incidents, the police have been notified by us, a neighbor or other parents. The result can sometimes be that a student gets cited for a variety of law violating actions such as assault, disturbing the peace or both. None of these actions are helpful to anyone involved.

My experience has been that several of these students, who are getting into these trouble situations simply do not have a supervision plan in place. They are not coming to their teachers after school to get extra help and they are not getting involved in any positive activities. They simply are hanging out and causing problems with others for their own entertainment. The parent or parents of some of these students may not be able to be at home when their student arrives home from school and may not be able to be home for a couple of hours after the student has arrived home. It is a difficult situation and I don?t have lots of answers, other than there needs to be some type of plan put into action. I am calling on parents to work out some type of arrangement with their student so that we can avoid some of these incidents as students leave school. Walking home from school should be a pleasant and enjoyable experience with your friends.

We are willing to work with you in developing a plan. If it means that we have to have some students remain here at school in a study hall of some type until you arrive home or until we feel we can let them go home without bothering others, we are willing to do this. But we need to do something now before some of these students get into more trouble with us, with you, the neighbors, and/or the police. Please talk and establish a plan with your student. The plan should have elements of good supervision built into it, such as having the student call you from home once they reach there and ways that you can absolutely check to make sure he or she is getting to where he or she should be, in a timely manner. This is all part of good supervision on our part and building responsibility on the part of students. Give me a call if I can assist in the development of such a plan. Please also suggest to your student any of the clubs available at Irving. Thank you.