My son got in trouble for bringing a weapon to school

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'll ask about it when I respond to the counselor's email. Maybe he misunderstood.

I suppose they could have thought it was a sword, but I seriously doubt it. I mean, they took it away from him so they got a good look.

How did he get in trouble?

I thought you said the teacher was okay with it.

A wand is not a sword--and if the school professionals think it is, it's almost as bad as utilizing poor grammar in official letters.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Wait -- he has a wand with a carrying case - is it embossed with the Ollivander's crest? What's it made out of (dragon, unicorn, walnut.....) I want the details please. Put your son on if you have to.

Um, and please tell me where can I buy one?

lol http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-...=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1266621163&sr=8-12

Whatever you do, don't take it to work with you.

 

[Liberty Belle]

How did he get in trouble?

I thought you said the teacher was okay with it.

A wand is not a sword--and if the school professionals think it is, it's almost as bad as utilizing poor grammar in official letters.

There were two teachers there. He asked one of he could look in the box "to make sure it was ok" and she said yes. The other teacher (his main teacher) saw it and took it away.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

lol http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-...=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1266621163&sr=8-12

Whatever you do, don't take it to work with you.

Okay--indulge me--what is the wording of your schools policy?

And when is a "wand" a "weapon"?

I'm telling you--it would be EXTREMELY TEMPTING to let the news know about it.

Of course then people here may call you crazy. But as long as you don't say you will sue , we'll be in your corner.

 

[agnes!]

This is what you need to do.

And I am serious.

*Get a hold of the Students (Rights/Responsibilities) Handbook. Study it, get to know it better than any administrator.
*Make sure the Principal will be in the office on Monday.
*Take off work on Monday.
*Your DH needs to do the same.
*Take your DS to school.
*The two of you must then go to the office together, you have to have your husband there.
*Tell the receptionist/administrative aide that you are there to see the Principal.
*Wait. to. see. him/her. As long as it takes.
Then?... calmly ask the Principal where the Handbook states that a Harry Potter Wand is a weapon and a ruler or a pencil or a piece of chalk or a big Magic Marker is NOT.
*Make sure this 'black mark' is removed from his record...yeah, I guess it might not follow him to the upper grades, but it's a WEAPON... and we've already established that common sense has been thrown out the window, so don't assume anything.

*After the meeting, write-up an e-mail detailing what occurred and make sure to send it to the Principal (AND to CC their Supervisor).

*Make sure to update this thread...we'll be waiting.

The most important thing is that your son understands that he did absolutely nothing wrong and that you & your DH will always have his back.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
agnes!

 

[Katie's Butterflies]

Wow. Those wands look like giant sticks so... what would happen if a kid picked up a stick on the playground? Would they get sent to the principals office for wielding a weapon? Or did the school remove any and all foliage so as to prevent such a risk?

 

[SCHBR'smom]

The more school issues I read on the Dis, the happier I am in our decision to homeschool. The wand, the lego gun, the laptop spying, and fight club, what is happening? I hope for our children's sake that common sense returns quickly.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The more school issues I read on the Dis, the happier I am in our decision to homeschool. The wand, the lego gun, the laptop spying, and fight club, what is happening? I hope for our children's sake that common sense returns quickly.

And then you have the poor kid being bullied by an 18yo student known to have a gun and known to have said something about killing his stepfather. But until he admits it himself or a witness backs up her sons story--NOTHING will be done.

It is sooooo backwards.

AT least the lego gun--LOOKED like a gun.

I'm still confuzzled in what realm a "wand" is a "weapon".

Seriously--if I were to call the cops right now if I had a wacky neighbor wave a wand at me.....

Do we really believe the cops would do a darn thing about it? Nooooo--b/c it isn't a weapon!!!!

 

[SCHBR'smom]

And then you have the poor kid being bullied by an 18yo student known to have a gun and known to have said something about killing his stepfather. But until he admits it himself or a witness backs up her sons story--NOTHING will be done.

It is sooooo backwards.

AT least the lego gun--LOOKED like a gun.

I'm still confuzzled in what realm a "wand" is a "weapon".

Seriously--if I were to call the cops right now if I had a wacky neighbor wave a wand at me.....

Do we really believe the cops would do a darn thing about it? Nooooo--b/c it isn't a weapon!!!!

I was just reading that thread.

 

[bumbershoot]

I am not even sure that this meets the scrutiny of a zero tolerance rule. How is a "wand" considered to be a weapon? Would a fairy godmother type wand be banned?

Are rings banned? Remember the rings of power in the Tolkien books? They were used as weapons, too. Need to write up all of the teachers wearing rings.

Seriously, this isn't the result of a zero tolerance policy. This is pure idiocy...

I agree. I mean, I don't have a big problem with zero tolerance, but things have to actually be, or look like things that are, weapons.

Though maybe it's saying something about the teacher who confiscated it, that she DOES think it's a weapon? Perhaps she herself is a bad wizard? Not Wicca, as you are not to do harm, but someone who is up to no good?


Also, I was thinking of the Firestarter book and movie. SHE made things burn using her *mind*. Should those not be brought to school, too?

I do not have the type of personality that can deal with stupidity on this level.

I don't either.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Also, I was thinking of the Firestarter book and movie. SHE made things burn using her *mind*. Should those not be brought to school, too?

Sounds like the teacher leaves his mind at home. So perhaps they are beginning to put that policy in place.

 

[Debbie7452]

My daughter did a school project that was a representation of a "pumping" blood vessel. It was really cool but was powered with a power drill. I was terrified she would be punished if caught at school with a power tool! I warned her severely to keep it out of sight (the science teacher approved it for in class). If a wand causes trouble, imagine a power drill. Watch out everybody she's going to drill you!

It all turned out well...the teacher loved her project and kept it to show future classes (but not the drill).

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Wow. Those wands look like giant sticks so... what would happen if a kid picked up a stick on the playground? Would they get sent to the principals office for wielding a weapon? Or did the school remove any and all foliage so as to prevent such a risk?

The schools here won't let children play w/sticks on the playground because a child could get hurt. If a teacher or playground aid sees a child w/a stick, they are told to throw it over the fence, so no one gets hurt.

This is the first time I heard a wand is a weapon. What about a fairy wand?

 

[FayeW]

It's official.

Now I've heard everything.

 

[laurie31]

lol http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-...=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1266621163&sr=8-12

Whatever you do, don't take it to work with you.

Goodness - that's very cool, but it's just a glorified flashlight!! It doesn't even REMOTELY look like a sword or anything else I'd consider a "weapon."

This is what you need to do.

And I am serious.

*Get a hold of the Students (Rights/Responsibilities) Handbook. Study it, get to know it better than any administrator.
*Make sure the Principal will be in the office on Monday.
*Take off work on Monday.
*Your DH needs to do the same.
*Take your DS to school.
*The two of you must then go to the office together, you have to have your husband there.
*Tell the receptionist/administrative aide that you are there to see the Principal.
*Wait. to. see. him/her. As long as it takes.
Then?... calmly ask the Principal where the Handbook states that a Harry Potter Wand is a weapon and a ruler or a pencil or a piece of chalk or a big Magic Marker is NOT.
*Make sure this 'black mark' is removed from his record...yeah, I guess it might not follow him to the upper grades, but it's a WEAPON... and we've already established that common sense has been thrown out the window, so don't assume anything.

*After the meeting, write-up an e-mail detailing what occurred and make sure to send it to the Principal (AND to CC their Supervisor).

*Make sure to update this thread...we'll be waiting.

The most important thing is that your son understands that he did absolutely nothing wrong and that you & your DH will always have his back.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
agnes!

I second this. This takes zero tolerance to whole new depths of stupidity. If the principal won't do anything, I'd tell the newspapers and the local TV news station. They'll have a field day!

 

[Shutterbug]

Zero tolerance is for those that are 100% lazy because zero tolerance makes it easy..you dont have think.

Of course there is some parent who would have thrown a fit that it could have melted their lil snowflake

 

[FireDancer]

Zero tolerance is for those that are 100% lazy because zero tolerance makes it easy..you dont have think.

Amen. A rational person can look at at situation and make a determination based on the facts. It is lazy to use a boiler plate solution for every situation.

 

[TDC Nala]

So is this the teacher?

 

[3prettyprincesses]

So is this the teacher?

Oh my gosh!! This must be her!! Tell me OP, did this teacher then make your son write "I must not tell lies"? Maybe if you're lucky, some centaurs from the forest will run off with her!

 

[wisblue]

This reminds me of something that happened around here a few years ago. A young boy was suspended from school because he had a rubber dinosaur that also was able to sqirt water. According to the pinhead who applied the zero tolerance policy, squirt guns were on the prohibited items list (presumably because they could look like a real gun) so a squirting dinosaur was subject to the same penalty. That's what happens when you are afraid to let people use common sense and reasonable judgment to apply to a situation. By extension, if you prohibit a rubber dinosaur because it can squirt water like a water gun, you'd have to ban drinking water bottles that have a top that allows you to squirt water in your mouth.