This past weekend we celebrated the golden jubilee anniversary of Brother Rice High School. What a weekend! Unforgettable - great weather, great events, a great victory on the field of competition, and the family and friends of Brother Rice all together for three days.
The spirit of Edmund Rice is alive and well in the hearts of his followers. We carry the mission forward with enormous pride as we look back at the unprecedented accomplishments of the past 50 years.
I am the President of Brother Rice High School. I've decided to occasionally share my thoughts about education, students, teachers, faith formation, family, academics, athletics, administration, advancement, alumni, admissions and other school topics as appropriate. Feel free to respond to birney@brrice.edu
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Self-esteem: Teens feel great about themselves — but are they headed for a fall? - chicagotribune.com
Self-esteem: Teens feel great about themselves — but are they headed for a fall? - chicagotribune.com
I am confident that a survey of teachers and coaches in 2010 would reveal that the issue of self-esteem is a common double-edged sword in working with young people today. There is no question that self-esteem is an important factor in anyone's personal development. At the same time, a sense of humility and realistic awareness about one's strengths and weaknesses is invaluable. Sadly, in my estimation, the humility and realistic awareness are, in my opinion, relatively uncommon for 14-15 year olds. Perhaps its a normal part of their maturation process. Maybe its hormones. Are teenagers invincible in their minds? You know the answer. Maybe this happens naturally, or maybe its the times we are in, or maybe its a result of parental behaviors in recent years. I don't know. What I do know is that one of the hardest challenges our teachers and coaches have is establishing high expectations and challenges for students and athletes who have come to believe that they are wonderful and special and "off the charts" and above average as they say in Lake Woebegone....and then struggle or react badly when their efforts are judged to be inadequate. Presumably every student starts a class with a gap between where they are and where they need to be or want to be....working hard, overcoming obstacles, responding to adversity, coping with challenges are all a part of the educational learning process. In fact, they are critical elements of the process. Unfortunately, how many students and parents conclude that the teacher or coach doesn't like me or is incompetent or is unfair or is mean-spirited or is too hard or is humiliating when all a teacher and coach are trying to do is PUSH someone to excel, to get better, to reach higher than they think that they can. Adolescents, in my experience, are not great judges of their own skill sets or particularly objective when evaluating their talents compared with others. If their self-esteem is inflated by a false sense of reality, it makes life harder for them (frustration), their parents (frustration), and their teachers and coaches (frustration). See a pattern here?
Earlier this year, I read a Sports Illustrated article about a gifted young NCAA female athlete who was considered to be the best athlete this year in her particular sport. The most compelling comment in the article was from a coach who said that this athlete ALWAYS understood that her coaches were trying to make her better, listened to their criticisms and worked endlessly to overcome these weaknesses. She was a coach's dream and became the number one player in her sport. I wonder how many of her competitors failed to improve under similar circumstances, girls blessed with similar or even greater talent but who failed to appreciate that parents and teachers and coaches were trying to help them get better by addressing their weaknesses. The athlete who listens to a coach, the student who listens to the teacher, the child who listens to the parent....and then responds to observations regarding weakness by working to address the problem rather than pointing a finger and resisting efforts to improve is going to succeed. Why would a person resist the urge to get better? If your self-esteem is so high that it is unrealistic and therefore you are overly sensitive to criticism, you will stagnate and/or fall behind. This is the great danger of self-esteem from my perspective.
Teachers and coaches who convey to their students and athletes that they love them and that's why they have high expectations are the professionals who can overcome this challenge. John Maxwell says it well - "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care". Self-esteem misconceptions can be melted away when a student works with professional educators who effectively demonstrate that they love their students unconditionally.
I am confident that a survey of teachers and coaches in 2010 would reveal that the issue of self-esteem is a common double-edged sword in working with young people today. There is no question that self-esteem is an important factor in anyone's personal development. At the same time, a sense of humility and realistic awareness about one's strengths and weaknesses is invaluable. Sadly, in my estimation, the humility and realistic awareness are, in my opinion, relatively uncommon for 14-15 year olds. Perhaps its a normal part of their maturation process. Maybe its hormones. Are teenagers invincible in their minds? You know the answer. Maybe this happens naturally, or maybe its the times we are in, or maybe its a result of parental behaviors in recent years. I don't know. What I do know is that one of the hardest challenges our teachers and coaches have is establishing high expectations and challenges for students and athletes who have come to believe that they are wonderful and special and "off the charts" and above average as they say in Lake Woebegone....and then struggle or react badly when their efforts are judged to be inadequate. Presumably every student starts a class with a gap between where they are and where they need to be or want to be....working hard, overcoming obstacles, responding to adversity, coping with challenges are all a part of the educational learning process. In fact, they are critical elements of the process. Unfortunately, how many students and parents conclude that the teacher or coach doesn't like me or is incompetent or is unfair or is mean-spirited or is too hard or is humiliating when all a teacher and coach are trying to do is PUSH someone to excel, to get better, to reach higher than they think that they can. Adolescents, in my experience, are not great judges of their own skill sets or particularly objective when evaluating their talents compared with others. If their self-esteem is inflated by a false sense of reality, it makes life harder for them (frustration), their parents (frustration), and their teachers and coaches (frustration). See a pattern here?
Earlier this year, I read a Sports Illustrated article about a gifted young NCAA female athlete who was considered to be the best athlete this year in her particular sport. The most compelling comment in the article was from a coach who said that this athlete ALWAYS understood that her coaches were trying to make her better, listened to their criticisms and worked endlessly to overcome these weaknesses. She was a coach's dream and became the number one player in her sport. I wonder how many of her competitors failed to improve under similar circumstances, girls blessed with similar or even greater talent but who failed to appreciate that parents and teachers and coaches were trying to help them get better by addressing their weaknesses. The athlete who listens to a coach, the student who listens to the teacher, the child who listens to the parent....and then responds to observations regarding weakness by working to address the problem rather than pointing a finger and resisting efforts to improve is going to succeed. Why would a person resist the urge to get better? If your self-esteem is so high that it is unrealistic and therefore you are overly sensitive to criticism, you will stagnate and/or fall behind. This is the great danger of self-esteem from my perspective.
Teachers and coaches who convey to their students and athletes that they love them and that's why they have high expectations are the professionals who can overcome this challenge. John Maxwell says it well - "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care". Self-esteem misconceptions can be melted away when a student works with professional educators who effectively demonstrate that they love their students unconditionally.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Coming Home - Alums at Brother Rice
Faculty by Decade:
Bob Stark 64, Denny King 64
Mark Dyar 75, John Birney 76
Bob Riker 85
Dave Sofran 94, Brian Kalczynski 94, Dan McGrath 96, Joe Kalczynski 96, Ryan Lawson 97
Andrew Ciesielski 2002
Coaches: (list is incomplete)
track & cross-country - Bob Stark, Denny King
soccer - Paul Attard
football - Dave Sofran, Kevin Hart, Jim Fontanesi, Mark Goebel, Brad Cochran
golf - Mark Dyar
hockey - Bill Christie, Bruce Wilberding
basketball - Leon MacDonald, Joe Kalczynski
wrestling - Jim Nelson
baseball - Bob Riker, Brian Kalczynski,
lacrosse - Chris Feldman, Ajay Chawla, Mike Walker, Ryan Holden, Phil Vincente, Roger Himrod
Bob Stark 64, Denny King 64
Mark Dyar 75, John Birney 76
Bob Riker 85
Dave Sofran 94, Brian Kalczynski 94, Dan McGrath 96, Joe Kalczynski 96, Ryan Lawson 97
Andrew Ciesielski 2002
Coaches: (list is incomplete)
track & cross-country - Bob Stark, Denny King
soccer - Paul Attard
football - Dave Sofran, Kevin Hart, Jim Fontanesi, Mark Goebel, Brad Cochran
golf - Mark Dyar
hockey - Bill Christie, Bruce Wilberding
basketball - Leon MacDonald, Joe Kalczynski
wrestling - Jim Nelson
baseball - Bob Riker, Brian Kalczynski,
lacrosse - Chris Feldman, Ajay Chawla, Mike Walker, Ryan Holden, Phil Vincente, Roger Himrod
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
We Are Brother Rice
During my graduation speech this year, I unexpectedly choked up while describing the soccer team's practice during this past fall playoffs of praying together with our student crowd. It was a unique moment in a spectator sport - hundreds of student spectators quietly kneeling in the stands together with the team kneeling next to them and praying together before the game - its a visual image that I will never forget. The message that this sent to our students, their families, and the broader community about the meaning of prayer & faith & brotherhood at Brother Rice is very powerful and for me, unforgettable. It is a symbol of our mission. As soon as I get a picture, I'll post it. In the meantime, here's a photo from the recent lacrosse season that reminds me of faith and prayer and brotherhood....
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Ipads & E-Textbooks
I love technology - no question. I'm a geek and proud of it - I know my dad would be proud.
That said, I have NEVER made the argument that computers would replace teachers, nor have I made the argument that bad teachers become good teachers with technology.
The fact of the matter is that great teachers who utilize technology effectively offer a great value to their students in this day and age.
So now we have teachers who can use computers effectively for grades and presentations and lectures and research and other stuff, and we have students who seem innately capable of exploring technology and are hooked on its multimedia/communication elements. Blending the two together effectively so that learning takes place is NOT automatic. For a school to effectively use computers in the classroom requires teachers who are willing to teach students who actually integrate the computer as a part of the learning process.
Now Apple produces a $600 tablet computer and signs a deal with the major textbook manufacturers so that it can offer Ipads to students with all of their textbooks available electronically. Is this a game changer?
For us, it may well be. I don't like students spending $400 annually to carry 100 lbs. of textbooks that they have to lug around. What if they could carry around a "universal device" like the Ipad that contained all of their textbooks electronically. Instead of lugging around a heavy object for hours on end, what if they carried around a productivity tool that enabled them to read, research, write, communicate, calculate....the list goes on and on. A teacher could easily adjust to the availability of an electronic textbook - what's the transition? Having an electronic textbook that could also enable a student to write an essay, do research, prepare a presentation, etc. has significant value to me, especially when we are preparing students for college & professional careers in which these tools are and will be ever-present.
My guess is that we will thoroughly explore the Ipad/E-Textbook solution during the 2010-2011 calendar year to determine if it represents an academic, intellectual and financial benefit to us. Here's the first article I've seen of a school that is testing the devices this summer: http://trib.com/news/local/article_f16bc845-df1c-54a1-a0be-196a42cb6ad2.html
That said, I have NEVER made the argument that computers would replace teachers, nor have I made the argument that bad teachers become good teachers with technology.
The fact of the matter is that great teachers who utilize technology effectively offer a great value to their students in this day and age.
So now we have teachers who can use computers effectively for grades and presentations and lectures and research and other stuff, and we have students who seem innately capable of exploring technology and are hooked on its multimedia/communication elements. Blending the two together effectively so that learning takes place is NOT automatic. For a school to effectively use computers in the classroom requires teachers who are willing to teach students who actually integrate the computer as a part of the learning process.
Now Apple produces a $600 tablet computer and signs a deal with the major textbook manufacturers so that it can offer Ipads to students with all of their textbooks available electronically. Is this a game changer?
For us, it may well be. I don't like students spending $400 annually to carry 100 lbs. of textbooks that they have to lug around. What if they could carry around a "universal device" like the Ipad that contained all of their textbooks electronically. Instead of lugging around a heavy object for hours on end, what if they carried around a productivity tool that enabled them to read, research, write, communicate, calculate....the list goes on and on. A teacher could easily adjust to the availability of an electronic textbook - what's the transition? Having an electronic textbook that could also enable a student to write an essay, do research, prepare a presentation, etc. has significant value to me, especially when we are preparing students for college & professional careers in which these tools are and will be ever-present.
My guess is that we will thoroughly explore the Ipad/E-Textbook solution during the 2010-2011 calendar year to determine if it represents an academic, intellectual and financial benefit to us. Here's the first article I've seen of a school that is testing the devices this summer: http://trib.com/news/local/article_f16bc845-df1c-54a1-a0be-196a42cb6ad2.html
Monday, June 14, 2010
Numbers
50 years as an institution to celebrate this fall (1960-2010)
47 graduating classes
9,000 graduates
98% college graduation rate classes of 2004 & 2005 in five years
80% college graduation rate classes of 2004 $ 2005 in four years
26.2 Average ACT score class of 2009
$9.5 Million in college scholarships class of 2009
9 National Merit Scholars 2010
7 State Academic All-State Teams on average
55 State Athletic Championships
1996 - birth year of freshmen in the class of 2014
60 "feeder schools" of Rice students
66% Rice grads estimated to be living in Michigan
70%+ Rice graduates attend college in-state
400+ Rice grads living in Chicago area
300+ Rice grads living in California
300+ Rice grads living in Florida
100+ Rice grads living in NY
1969 Bob Stark & Al Fracassa begin their careers at Rice
1971 Paul Gray begins his career at Rice
1972 Jim Rademacher begins his career at Rice
1973 Dave Kozlowski & Ron Kalczynski begin their careers at Rice
1974 Carl Grosso begins his career at Rice
1975 Frank Carrico begins his career at Rice
1980 Br. MacIntyre begins his career at Rice
1981 Patrick McDunn & Mike Hoch & Doug Filo begin their teaching careers at Rice
47 graduating classes
9,000 graduates
98% college graduation rate classes of 2004 & 2005 in five years
80% college graduation rate classes of 2004 $ 2005 in four years
26.2 Average ACT score class of 2009
$9.5 Million in college scholarships class of 2009
9 National Merit Scholars 2010
7 State Academic All-State Teams on average
55 State Athletic Championships
1996 - birth year of freshmen in the class of 2014
60 "feeder schools" of Rice students
66% Rice grads estimated to be living in Michigan
70%+ Rice graduates attend college in-state
400+ Rice grads living in Chicago area
300+ Rice grads living in California
300+ Rice grads living in Florida
100+ Rice grads living in NY
1969 Bob Stark & Al Fracassa begin their careers at Rice
1971 Paul Gray begins his career at Rice
1972 Jim Rademacher begins his career at Rice
1973 Dave Kozlowski & Ron Kalczynski begin their careers at Rice
1974 Carl Grosso begins his career at Rice
1975 Frank Carrico begins his career at Rice
1980 Br. MacIntyre begins his career at Rice
1981 Patrick McDunn & Mike Hoch & Doug Filo begin their teaching careers at Rice
Saturday, June 12, 2010
People, Programs and Physical Plant
A number of schools in our area have, thanks to public bond money, built some tremendous facilities. Troy High, Clarkston, Hartland are just a few examples of institutions that are exceptionally impressive physically.
How has Brother Rice thrived over the years despite facilities that have (at least historically) been considered at best mediocre? I question if any Rice grad from the 60's or 70's or 80's would defend our building....frankly, there wasn't much to brag about until the late 80's addition of the new media center and D wing.
As President, one of my most important tasks is to raise funds to rebuild and renovate our soon to be 50 year old building. We've made great progress - the academic facility has been reborn with the science & engineering wing left to complete, while the athletic facility has been reborn with the gym/locker room complex remaining.
If I had 10 million in cash today, we could finish the renovation and Brother Rice would compete with ANY school in the area in terms of the physical plant. But it wouldn't ensure that we would be successful because the fact is that without the right people and programs, it doesn't matter.
Al Fracassa has told the story many times about the college coaches who would visit Brother Rice and ask him to show them our facilities. When coach walked them to the back of the school to see the field, they would frequently say to him - seriously, show us your facility. I'm not proud of the fact that for years our great school has had mediocre facilities, but I am extraordinarily proud of the fact that we have triumphed over what many would see as an debilitating obstacle because we have had so many great teachers and coaches and counselors over the past 50 years whose commitment to the mission of Catholic education has made an incredible difference in the lives of over 9,000 graduates.
This year, five faculty members have chosen to retire from our institution: Veronica Dewey, Rachel Boudreau, Lorraine Meier, Jerry Shaw, George Henretty. These individuals have given over 115 years of professional dedication to the boys of Brother Rice. We are forever grateful for their efforts on behalf of Catholic education, and we are absolutely mindful that finding the right people to fill their positions is critical to our success as an institution. Study after study shows that its not the physical plant that matters most, its the people who work with our sons who can shape and mold and transform and sometimes even save lives.
May the good Lord bless our retirees who have dedicated their lives to such a noble endeavor.
How has Brother Rice thrived over the years despite facilities that have (at least historically) been considered at best mediocre? I question if any Rice grad from the 60's or 70's or 80's would defend our building....frankly, there wasn't much to brag about until the late 80's addition of the new media center and D wing.
As President, one of my most important tasks is to raise funds to rebuild and renovate our soon to be 50 year old building. We've made great progress - the academic facility has been reborn with the science & engineering wing left to complete, while the athletic facility has been reborn with the gym/locker room complex remaining.
If I had 10 million in cash today, we could finish the renovation and Brother Rice would compete with ANY school in the area in terms of the physical plant. But it wouldn't ensure that we would be successful because the fact is that without the right people and programs, it doesn't matter.
Al Fracassa has told the story many times about the college coaches who would visit Brother Rice and ask him to show them our facilities. When coach walked them to the back of the school to see the field, they would frequently say to him - seriously, show us your facility. I'm not proud of the fact that for years our great school has had mediocre facilities, but I am extraordinarily proud of the fact that we have triumphed over what many would see as an debilitating obstacle because we have had so many great teachers and coaches and counselors over the past 50 years whose commitment to the mission of Catholic education has made an incredible difference in the lives of over 9,000 graduates.
This year, five faculty members have chosen to retire from our institution: Veronica Dewey, Rachel Boudreau, Lorraine Meier, Jerry Shaw, George Henretty. These individuals have given over 115 years of professional dedication to the boys of Brother Rice. We are forever grateful for their efforts on behalf of Catholic education, and we are absolutely mindful that finding the right people to fill their positions is critical to our success as an institution. Study after study shows that its not the physical plant that matters most, its the people who work with our sons who can shape and mold and transform and sometimes even save lives.
May the good Lord bless our retirees who have dedicated their lives to such a noble endeavor.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Spring Athletics 2010
As most everyone knows by now, Brother Rice is an athletic powerhouse. Our record of success and achievement is unprecedented in the state of Michigan. Our record this spring is worth noting:
1. Golf - Catholic League champions, Oakland County Champions, District and Regional Champions. At the regional, our five golfers shot 67, 69, 69, 71 and 73. Incredible. Today and tomorrow they are playing for the state championship.
2. Lacrosse - Catholic League Champions, Midwest Champions, District and Regional Champions, defending state champions, undefeated in the state of Michigan for the past 8 years, playing for the state championship tomorrow against our great rivals Catholic Central.
3. Track - Rice Relay Champions, Ambrose Relay Champions, Regional Champions
4. Baseball - Catholic League Champions, District Champions. The Warriors play in the Regionals at Novi on Saturday against Walled Lake Central at noon. If we win, we play the winner of Novi vs. Canton in the afternoon for the Regional Championship.
Our athletes and coaches are to be commended for continuing the legacy of success by their commitment to excellence. Congratulations on a great spring sport season and good luck to golf, lacrosse and baseball in their quests to become state champions.
1. Golf - Catholic League champions, Oakland County Champions, District and Regional Champions. At the regional, our five golfers shot 67, 69, 69, 71 and 73. Incredible. Today and tomorrow they are playing for the state championship.
2. Lacrosse - Catholic League Champions, Midwest Champions, District and Regional Champions, defending state champions, undefeated in the state of Michigan for the past 8 years, playing for the state championship tomorrow against our great rivals Catholic Central.
3. Track - Rice Relay Champions, Ambrose Relay Champions, Regional Champions
4. Baseball - Catholic League Champions, District Champions. The Warriors play in the Regionals at Novi on Saturday against Walled Lake Central at noon. If we win, we play the winner of Novi vs. Canton in the afternoon for the Regional Championship.
Our athletes and coaches are to be commended for continuing the legacy of success by their commitment to excellence. Congratulations on a great spring sport season and good luck to golf, lacrosse and baseball in their quests to become state champions.
Great news to share about a Hall of Famer.
Br. David MacIntyre has been on the faculty at Brother Rice High School for the past 30 years. Two years ago, he celebrated his 50th year as a Christian Brother. He is a beloved figure at our institution and a member of our Hall of Fame. He is also my friend and someone that I have known and admired for 34 years.
Earlier this year, Br. Mac received news that he had cancer and required chemo treatments. It was a difficult and grueling experience that forced Br. Mac to leave the classroom in February. As we witnessed the inevitable impact of chemo on this wonderful man, we hoped and prayed that the treatments would work. Yesterday, we received the great news that he is clean of cancer!
I know that every member of our community gives thanks to God for this wonderful news. God has blessed Mac with health and He has blessed us with a very special man.
Earlier this year, Br. Mac received news that he had cancer and required chemo treatments. It was a difficult and grueling experience that forced Br. Mac to leave the classroom in February. As we witnessed the inevitable impact of chemo on this wonderful man, we hoped and prayed that the treatments would work. Yesterday, we received the great news that he is clean of cancer!
I know that every member of our community gives thanks to God for this wonderful news. God has blessed Mac with health and He has blessed us with a very special man.
Alumni World Tour Part 121 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Two-thirds of our graduates live in Michigan. One-third do not, and when I travel, I try to make contact with alums who live in the city that I am visiting.
Last week, I held an alumni gathering in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Hilton. Based upon our database, there are about 25 grads living in the Twin Cities, and on this night, 15 of them gathered together to laugh, network, and reconnect with their alma mater and their brother grads. As usual, there was a wide span of graduates in attendance - Tom Lelich '72 was the "senior" member of the group, while Joe Bahoora and Brett Heberer 2003 were the youngsters. John Luke '78 is the manager of the Hilton and as you can imagine he did a great job of setting up the venue and ensuring quality service from the wait staff!
We had a great time. I really enjoyed myself and was glad to reconnect with so many alums. The Twin Cities are beautiful and warm in June....don't expect to return for a winter alumni event anytime soon!!!
We had a great time. I really enjoyed myself and was glad to reconnect with so many alums. The Twin Cities are beautiful and warm in June....don't expect to return for a winter alumni event anytime soon!!!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day Memories
Good leaders are proactive, right? Why wait for trouble? Head it off at the pass....show the community that you are in charge. Good advice to any new leader....
During the spring of my first year as principal in 2005, I met with the senior class on their first day back from Easter vacation. Aware of the recent history of pranks that were upsetting to the faculty and problematic to our public image, I met with the seniors and shared with them my concern about denying seniors the chance to walk at graduation based upon their behavior. I wanted to spare their parents the anguish of such a decision, so I encouraged the seniors to strongly consider this and to NOT do anything stupid before graduation.
Graduation came and went with no pranks. What a smart guy! What an outstanding leader! Everyone walked, everyone was happy, life was good.
Until....Memorial day evening, 2005. Yes, the seniors had listened quite well. They didn't do anything before graduation, so they all got to walk. Unfortunately, they were smart enough to recognize the fact that if they did something AFTER graduation, I had minimal leverage to punish. In other words, the safest time to pull a prank was when they were graduates and no longer seniors.....
I returned home from northern Michigan on the night of Memorial day 2005, blissfully unaware of what was to come. Five hours on I-75 that evening, all I wanted was a good night's sleep before the last week of school. I hit the sack around midnight expecting a good 7 hours sleep. And then the phone rang at 2:30pm and the caller asked me if I was the principal of Brother Rice. I answered yes, groggily, wondering what it could be. The voice on the other end of the line brought a sudden end to my semi-conscious state when I was informed that the Bloomfield Township police were at the school and I needed to get there as soon as possible.
When I got to the school, I was shocked to see seven police cars in the parking lot, each one with a recent graduate handcuffed in the backseat. Can you say turkey shoot? Police 7, graduates 0. (I found out later that one graduate avoided capture and ran home in the middle of the night, so I guess the score was really 7-1.) Their crime? They left a few mice, a few crickets, and a lot of candy (yes candy) that spelled out statements such as Greetings from the Class of 2005. A tough bunch, eh? Hardened criminals? Hardly. But they were in custody because they had been in our building without permission.
For the record, they didn't break anything. They put a ladder on the roof, jumped into the courtyard and got in through one of the interior windows that was open. We would have gotten them eventually as the building is videotaped, but the drama of the moment was that their laughter had woken up the neighbors and they were handcuffed by the time I got there. I wasn't exactly in a position to say let them go, nor do I think the police would have appreciated that given their efforts. It was a harmless prank, but when you're trespassing at 2am in a school, you've got a problem when the police show up.
Demonstrating either historic naivete or stupidity or both, one of the grads had actually videotaped the entire event. Once this was discovered, the police on site enjoyed their discovery with a degree of humor that I suspect that graduates will never forget. As if being caught red handed wasn't bad enough, there was further visual evidence if necessary. Thankfully, there was no damage. In fact, these grads admittedly loved the school and would never have done harm.
They did, however, want to have some fun. Surprise! Ever heard of unintended consequences? The police took them to the station at around 3:30am, processed them and then called their parents and released them sometime between 4 and 5am. One sat in a jail cell with an individual who had been arrested that evening for attempted murder. Don't think they'll ever forget that night, even though we laugh about it today. Their parents were mortified and the grads were horribly embarrassed. One of the parents reportedly asked his son upon picking him up at the jail what he intended to study in college. The shocked grad, completely taken aback by the first words from his dad, asked why he would ask such a question. The dad replied that it had better not be criminal justice because he was clearly a horrible failure as a criminal....
Their penalty? I dropped the charges (Breaking and entering - a felony!) and instead assigned community service. I wasn't really angry with them, though I was upset that I lost out on a night of sleep! After the police dog was summoned to search the building one last time (no kidding), and the police finally left around 4:30am, I spent an additional hour or so trying to capture the few white mice. Thought I got them all, but of course, I wasn't given a manifest/inventory of the count ahead of time. Naturally, two were undiscovered by me - one ended up in Coach Kal's class and the other was discovered in the women's rest room. Neither made a very good choice...
During the spring of my first year as principal in 2005, I met with the senior class on their first day back from Easter vacation. Aware of the recent history of pranks that were upsetting to the faculty and problematic to our public image, I met with the seniors and shared with them my concern about denying seniors the chance to walk at graduation based upon their behavior. I wanted to spare their parents the anguish of such a decision, so I encouraged the seniors to strongly consider this and to NOT do anything stupid before graduation.
Graduation came and went with no pranks. What a smart guy! What an outstanding leader! Everyone walked, everyone was happy, life was good.
Until....Memorial day evening, 2005. Yes, the seniors had listened quite well. They didn't do anything before graduation, so they all got to walk. Unfortunately, they were smart enough to recognize the fact that if they did something AFTER graduation, I had minimal leverage to punish. In other words, the safest time to pull a prank was when they were graduates and no longer seniors.....
I returned home from northern Michigan on the night of Memorial day 2005, blissfully unaware of what was to come. Five hours on I-75 that evening, all I wanted was a good night's sleep before the last week of school. I hit the sack around midnight expecting a good 7 hours sleep. And then the phone rang at 2:30pm and the caller asked me if I was the principal of Brother Rice. I answered yes, groggily, wondering what it could be. The voice on the other end of the line brought a sudden end to my semi-conscious state when I was informed that the Bloomfield Township police were at the school and I needed to get there as soon as possible.
When I got to the school, I was shocked to see seven police cars in the parking lot, each one with a recent graduate handcuffed in the backseat. Can you say turkey shoot? Police 7, graduates 0. (I found out later that one graduate avoided capture and ran home in the middle of the night, so I guess the score was really 7-1.) Their crime? They left a few mice, a few crickets, and a lot of candy (yes candy) that spelled out statements such as Greetings from the Class of 2005. A tough bunch, eh? Hardened criminals? Hardly. But they were in custody because they had been in our building without permission.
For the record, they didn't break anything. They put a ladder on the roof, jumped into the courtyard and got in through one of the interior windows that was open. We would have gotten them eventually as the building is videotaped, but the drama of the moment was that their laughter had woken up the neighbors and they were handcuffed by the time I got there. I wasn't exactly in a position to say let them go, nor do I think the police would have appreciated that given their efforts. It was a harmless prank, but when you're trespassing at 2am in a school, you've got a problem when the police show up.
Demonstrating either historic naivete or stupidity or both, one of the grads had actually videotaped the entire event. Once this was discovered, the police on site enjoyed their discovery with a degree of humor that I suspect that graduates will never forget. As if being caught red handed wasn't bad enough, there was further visual evidence if necessary. Thankfully, there was no damage. In fact, these grads admittedly loved the school and would never have done harm.
They did, however, want to have some fun. Surprise! Ever heard of unintended consequences? The police took them to the station at around 3:30am, processed them and then called their parents and released them sometime between 4 and 5am. One sat in a jail cell with an individual who had been arrested that evening for attempted murder. Don't think they'll ever forget that night, even though we laugh about it today. Their parents were mortified and the grads were horribly embarrassed. One of the parents reportedly asked his son upon picking him up at the jail what he intended to study in college. The shocked grad, completely taken aback by the first words from his dad, asked why he would ask such a question. The dad replied that it had better not be criminal justice because he was clearly a horrible failure as a criminal....
Their penalty? I dropped the charges (Breaking and entering - a felony!) and instead assigned community service. I wasn't really angry with them, though I was upset that I lost out on a night of sleep! After the police dog was summoned to search the building one last time (no kidding), and the police finally left around 4:30am, I spent an additional hour or so trying to capture the few white mice. Thought I got them all, but of course, I wasn't given a manifest/inventory of the count ahead of time. Naturally, two were undiscovered by me - one ended up in Coach Kal's class and the other was discovered in the women's rest room. Neither made a very good choice...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)