Wednesday, Mar. 30, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Principal: Too many Booth 8th graders are having sexBy JOHN MUNFORD Booth Middle School Principal Ted Lombard is urging parents of his eighth graders to have a serious chat with their kids in the wake of several recent incidents of significantly inappropriate behavior both on campus and on field trips. In a two-page letter dated Thursday, March 24, Lombard encourages parents to talk with their children about sexual relationships and what your expectations and family values are. Lombard acknowledged Monday that rumors in the community were rampant, but he declined to go into detail about the incidents, citing privacy issues and unresolved matters. Lombard said he felt the information in the letter was important for parents and the community. You can be assured that if it is happening at school, it is also happening outside of school, Lombard wrote in the letter. As a parent, these kinds of behavior and their casual approach to physical relations greatly disturbs me. The letter was sent with a requirement for students to return a form signed by their parent and/or guardian indicating the letter was read. School officials have taken up the issue directly, such as an hour-long classroom guidance class on sexual harassment and appropriate behaviors between boys and girls, Lombard noted in his letter. Although Lombard said an upcoming field trip to Savannah this week would take place, the adult chaperones have a detailed plan to provide appropriate supervision for our students, he wrote in the letter. Also, he indicated he would be on the trip as well and he would not hesitate to call a parent to drive down to pick up their child if he or she acts inappropriately, even on the last day of the trip. Lombard said Monday that he felt the letter was important to let parents and the community know about what was going on. Id rather err on the side of letting people know of our concerns and the community concerns, Lombard said. While noting that the incidents involve only a few of the schools eighth graders, Lombard said as a parent he felt it was important for other parents to talk the issue out with their children. Eighth graders can fall prey to the thinking that they are so close to being in high school, they think theyre more mature than they actually are, Lombard noted. |
|
Copyright 2004-Fayette Publishing, Inc. |