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PTSD graduation to proceed as planned
Staff writer
ttjohnso@observer-reporter.com
Graduation for seniors in Peters Township School District will go on as planned Friday night after all but four students appeared for a make-up practice session Wednesday morning.
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Doors were closed, and administrators refused to interrupt the practice.
Shelly Belcher, district communications coordinator, said Dr. Thomas Hajzus, high school principal, publicly apologized to parents and students during an awards ceremony Tuesday evening. Hajzus spoke of decision making, Belcher said.
"He apologized for taking the focus off graduation and the important event that it is in their lives," she said Wednesday.
Participation in graduation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis for the students who did not attend the make-up session.
"There are some who don't want to walk at graduation, and there are some with extenuating circumstances who will be permitted to walk on Friday," Belcher said
Students who were not permitted to enter the practice late complained the gymnasium doors were "slammed" in their faces and that they were forced to stand outside amid heckling.
"We looked at the security video to the gymnasium and at 8 a.m., there was no one in the hallway," Belcher said. "According to that video, and it is time-stamped at 8 a.m., nobody was there."
Graduation is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at the stadium, weather permitting.
PTSD : 6/11/2009
Policy is policy. Yes these students should be made to abide by the schools policy. When they get out into the real world, there are more policies that they will have to follow. They might as well get use to this now and learn by their mistakes what the consequences will be. PARENTS, for once let the school decide what is the right thing to do, obviously you did not care enough to see that your child was there on time!!!!!!!!
I'll do it this way : 6/11/2009
Those late should not even be at the graduation unless they have good reason.Let the school send it to them in the mail.They are bucking the system
On time : 6/11/2009
Hopefully these kid's have gotten a taste of the real world, when you are supposed to be some where at a given time, be there. If they get a job after school and are late for work is Mommy and Daddy going to go to their employer and complain when they get fired for not being responsible enough to show up to work on time?
Right On : 6/11/2009
You can set your watch by my actions. It's better to be early than to be one minute late. They got what they deserved. Maybe they will grow up and not have their parents making excuses all the time.
pths graduation : 6/11/2009
Yes, the students should have been on time. No, it isn't the parents fault - perhaps both parents were already out the door to work and 'trusted' their child to make the right decision. Obviously, this is the first of many life lessons these 'children' will be faced with. Hopefully, they actually learn from the lessons. On the flip side, perhaps the heckling referred to was not in the hallway but rather, in the gym - kids will be kids. Why all the attention though, it's not as if this is the first time in Peters' history that this has happened. It happens every year - there will always be someone trying to bend the rules - no matter what school district, what event. Despite all the controversy in Peters this year and during the past few years, the students need to learn to 'turn the other cheek' and make the right choices. They need to realize that people have differences that they should accept and learn to deal with them accordingly. Both sides are to blame here - the power struggle between the students and administrators needs to stop.
Irresponsible students : 6/11/2009
This is another example of weak administration. They set the rules before the first rehersal, yet 50-80 students chose to ignore the rules. Now, the administration gives them a second chance, ... come to a 7:00 a.m. rehersal the next day. So, the administration wimps out, and allows the students to run the show. After the make-up rehersal, yet four students don't show. Rather than the administration following their own rules, they now wimp out again, saying they will review each student on a case-by-case basis. Wimps!!! Either they have rules, and intend to follow them, or they don't. The joke of the actions of the administration is this flies directly in the face of the Character Counts program. The CC program has been promoted, and advertised as being so important to student development. But, when the administration is confronted with a situation of questioning their integrity (one of the points of CC program), they wimp out and take another road out. What does this tell the students? It says, "we don't really believe all the things of the CC program that have been touted, for you to follow, but not for us." In other words, their actions speak loudly against the words of the CC program. Shame on the administration. To BJS, yes, both sides are to blame, students for their failure to take responsibility of their choices, and t he adminstration for their choice not to follow their own rules. But, there is no power struggle. Students are not the ones in power, they are subservient to the rules of the administration. If the students are allowed to run roughshod over the system, what chaos does that bring? Perhaps if there is chaos now, it is because of weak backboned administration, giving the students control where it is not authorized. What system can be run properly if the students are the ones in control. This incident with graduation practice leads me to believe the adminstration has already lost control.
Curious : 6/11/2009
I find it odd that any public school district in PA that would have a "district policy" that removes children from the building for being tardy. Deserving of a serious reprimand? Absolutely. Removed from the building then notifiying parents two hours later? I don't know about that one.
Children : 6/11/2009
They are not children and are responsible for their own actions. There should never be a power struggle no matter your age you should respect authority and regulations.
pths graduation : 6/11/2009
pths seniors who missed graduation practice should not have been given the opportunity for a makeup session the next day at 8 a.m. parents, teachers, administrators and school directors have k-12 bullying them into whatever the spoiled k-12 children want. wake up pths school district and continue to let us taxpayers know what is going on in our schools for which we pay dearly. get the school board meetings on tv during prime time and not hiding airing them in the middle of the night. thank you.
pths graduation : 6/11/2009
taxpayers beware; who are the "administrators" and why do these postings have to reviewed by them??? hiding something again??? we taxpayers pay your salaries, administrators...wake up and accentuate the negative also. thanks.
pths graduation : 6/12/2009
Hajzus and high school officials over reacted. What he did was petty. Slamming the doors in their faces. He could easily have waited until 8:05 and then locked the doors, then there would not have been any complaint. All these "in the real world" comments are just stupid. These are 18 year old kids who are graduating high school. Why would you take what should be a happy time and make it controversial. Shame on Dr.Hajzus and I have been one of his biggest supporters.t
