Suspended students aren’t staying home anymore

Both the student and the parent decide whether or not to try out the program, or if they want the student to be at home with a traditional suspension.

“When you’re suspending kids, it doesn’t feel right sending them home,” Assistant Principal Kris Thompson said. “Parent’s don’t want their kids at home unsupervised because they know nothing is going to get done.”

And parents agree. In a wRight Choice parent evaluation one parent wrote, “Punishment by home suspension alone does the student more harm by missing school, getting behind in classes -and does nothing to improve one’s ability to recognize what got him [or her] into this situation.”

While at the program, students spend their days with a teacher, Leesa Sherman. In the mornings, the students lead discussions about themselves, and after Sherman helps them with the school work they are missing at the high school. Their afternoons consist of community service, probation meetings, or presentations that are helpful to change their behavior.

The students also fill out questionnaires about their lives, school work, and the incident that got them suspended while at the court house. When they’re finished they write something called a Restorative Justice Letter. In the letter the student must write why they were sent,  who their behavior affected, and what they’re going to change about their future actions.

“I don’t want to get into anymore trouble because I want to graduate from high school” is what one student wrote after taking the program. “I want to change my reputations by not getting into trouble,” said another.

In an incident of bullying, the suspended student wrote a letter to the person he bullied.

“You did not deserve what I put you through. I am sorry that I bullied you because I thought you were different than me.”

The program will be evaluated at the end of the year to see if it was successful. There is a possibility that it will be a permanent addition to the school for future years.