Skip to main content

Choices...

Yesterday we had a fight in the cafeteria.  7th graders.  I use the word typical in the sense that these things can happen in a school setting.  At my school, in all honesty, we've had 3 fights in three years, so this was an atypical occasion.

Atypical has so many layers.  A boy was verbally harassing a girl.  She'd had enough, so she took matters into her own fists.  They're both African Refugees, familiar with the consequences of hatred, violence, fear, and malice.

Our entire First Grade saw the fight.  "Why does this have to happen Dr. Sharp?"  "Why wouldn't that boy leave her alone?"  "What is going to happen to them?" were just some of the questions.

Typical disciplinary action calls for immediate suspension, depending on district policy and number of previous offenses.

This was not a typical situation.

Today Seraphine visited each 1st Grade classroom and taught a 10 minute lesson on two of our school's CHOICES (Choosing Habits Of Investigation Character Excellence & Success).  She focused on Responsibility and Respect.

23 little ones gathered on the learning carpet to listen to a 7th grade student talk about how choices impact our lives.  Sharing her experiences in Refugee camps...

...and her choice to come to America.

We all have choices. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

1.5 Reasons to Take a Different Path - The Hippy-Cow Way

The Hippy-Cow Way I remember early in my career asking a question something like, "Why don't we try [insert idea here]?"  And the quick reply, "Because this is the way we've always done it." Wow. 2020 is teaching us that the way  we've always done things..does not work.  Yeah.  The age-old rut that can trap us all. Frustrating isn't it? As a child growing up in the Aspen Valley, I remember traveling many miles along Highway 82.  Glenwood to Carbondale, then to Basalt, and on to Aspen.  Two lanes most of the way, it was and is the main route connecting all of these Rocky  Mountain towns.  The drive can be breath-taking in the Fall. And most take this route because, well, it's the route we always take. It's familiar. Safe. Known. Well traveled. You get the idea. There are other ways to get where you're going. Roads less traveled that hold great sites and great reward. One of my favorites is the Hippy-Cow Way. Known only to our fam...

What I've Learned from Trees

  I grew up in the Rocky Mountains, and now reside there as a middle-aged man. God's country. My family has lived here for six generations, founded to towns, owned gold and silver claims, timber, farmed and ranched here. My father was killed and is buried here.  All around me are these beautiful and majestic trees. For a time, my business was trees. Well, commercial landscaping. Purchasing, planting, cultivating, trimming, and growing trees. I can look at a tree and tell you if it is healthy, I can tell how it's been cared for, and when/where it should be trimmed. Over the course of my life I've learned a few things about these beautiful creations. Aspen trees are known for their breathtaking Fall colors. But did you know that they are the world's largest living organism? Their root systems are connected and when one member of a grove is sick, the others support it with nutrients.  Because Aspens are a united grove, they aren't as susceptible to disease and insects ...

Big Brother and Virtual Learning - Solutions

Dear reader, here's a report of a child who is suspended for a toy he has in his own home.  The so-called teacher, in a millennial activist fugue, spotted the dangerous weapon and used common sense to alert the parents, have a discussion with them, and then realized she should mind her own business. District administration immediately knew nothing and also were able to mind their own business, getting back to the bloat and lack of necessity they now find in their jobs, sending a multiplicity of boring emails and eating carbs. Except, no . That didn't happen. Here's what really happened. Police were called. They conducted a wellness check   without parental consent. The elementary school child is suspended. He is a Black student. Why do I mention this, because...it matters. District fascists stand by their decision. Parental rights, private property rights, 2nd Amendment Rights, and the right to own whatever toy I want...eroding. Listen up! Keeping cameras off preserve...