<p>It sounds good in theory. It doesn’t seem so wise in practice.</p>
<p>I’m all for dismissing the families that allow off-campus parties (with drinking and/or drugs) at their homes.</p>
<p>+1 Pops2017</p>
<p>Choate is a one-strike school regarding drugs, but treats alcohol use with probation or suspension and applies its rules evenly to on- and off-campus offenses:</p>
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<p>Im wondering if the Crisis Intervention policy which protects students/peers from disciplinary action in the event of life-threatening emergencies is there partially to soften the consequences of drug and repeated alcohol abuses for certain high-profile students. It seems the schools always have wiggle room in troublesome situations.</p>
<p>Just to add some global perspective on the issue of alcohol & teens, at DS’s previous international school there were constant arguments btwn the European parents vs all the other nationalities regarding parties for high school students in PRIVATE homes. The European parents thought serving alcohol in their own homes to older teens was natural, and all the other nationalities were quite upset over it.</p>
<p>^^^The global diversity schools value brings diversity of view and practice with alcohol. I believe that is why it’s difficult to have a one-strike policy with alcohol use (not abuse) when there are kids on campus who have been acceptably and legally drinking it in their cultures for years. The student handbook is careful to include a statement to the effect that the school celebrates the diversity of cultural practices but emphasizes that while students are part of the Choate community they must abide by Choate school rules, but many students think the alcohol ban is provincial and shouldn’t apply to them, thus the infractions.</p>
<p>When in Rome…</p>
<p>Apropos lax alcohol rules in Europe, I would liken this to the states’ varying rules before Ronald Reagan forced it to a common 21 years old in the 80’s. Europe may have varying rules and traditions, but I wouldn’t try driving over the 0.02 legal limit in Sweden unless you want to spend some time in the hoosegow**.</p>
<p>Serving alcohol to under-21 year olds in the USA is illegal. Period. Although I do not agree with a “one strike” policy for kids, I would hold any over-21 adult to that standard without exception.</p>
<p>** [Google</a> Answers: Drunk driving in Sweden.](<a href=“Google Answers: Drunk driving in Sweden.”>Google Answers: Drunk driving in Sweden.)</p>
<p>I’ve taught at a one strike school and I’ve taught at an “endless strike” school that billed itself as “second chance.”. My one-strike school actually did treat the first drug or alcohol offense as a mistake–those kids had to check in with medical staff regularly and were enrolled in a program to discuss choices, health issues, etc. Getting caught using on campus after that was counted as your “one strike.” This drove most alcohol and drug use off campus.
As for non-substance issues, we did have kids dismissed for plagiarism–two got caught as second semester seniors in different years. But both knew the rules, knew the consequences, had been at the school for four years and saw other kids get thrown out…and they cheated anyway. That school did a crackerjack job of educating kids about plagiarism, and was very clear about the expectations. They were also way more lenient with freshmen and new students who were still learning than they were kids who really knew the school’s expectations. I thought the system was fair–but then again, I’m one of those irritating people who never ever drank illegally or did any drugs, or cheated in high school. </p>
<p>I didn’t teach at the “multiple strike” school for very long, but whoever guessed it was correct–the chances were applied very unevenly across the board, and a lot of behavior that was incredibly destructive to the community was allowed under the excuse that kids make mistakes. Of course they do–and to be a high school teacher is to purchase ringside seats to a constant spectacle of teenage mistakes–but I thought that school spent more time excusing bad behavior than fostering good. </p>
<p>The posters who advocate examining the policies at the schools you like are very wise. One Strike schools may not necessarily be unthinkingly draconian, and “second chance” schools may have multiple loopholes that have nothing to do with keeping kids safe and everything to do with keeping donors happy. Or not. Best always to investigate and ask!</p>
<p>The one chance policy has very little leeway, and it is not only for the “regular” kids.</p>
<p>I have a very prominent example, but will keep it for the sake of maintaining a certain persons privacy. Cases such as these are VERY, very, rare.</p>
<p>For her senior journalism class, my daughter wrote a piece about the “one and done” policy. She basically argued that boarding schools pride themselves on acting in loco parentis, and as such, should take a page from what an actual parent might specifically with regards to alcohol use.</p>
<p>Her argument was that a parent would never evict a child from the home after coming home drunk for the first time. Sure they would be very angry and take punitive measures, but they would also use the behavior as a learning experience.</p>
<p>She went on to say that her school always encourages the kids to take leaps of faith, to challenge themselves academically, athletically and artistically. They do so because they know that the supportive school is there to catch them if they fail. She believed that one poor decision, ie a first time drinking offense, should be looked on as a learning opportunity too.</p>
<p>She put it much better than I did. Her teacher said he receives at least one of these essays each year. Hers was the best he had ever seen. </p>
<p>zp</p>
<p>Zero tolerance gone wrong <a href=“http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/10/13/north-andover-high-punishes-teen-for-giving-drunken-pal-ride-home-from-party/[/url]”>http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/10/13/north-andover-high-punishes-teen-for-giving-drunken-pal-ride-home-from-party/</a></p>
<p>You beat me to it!! I live hundreds of miles from North Andover and this story was on our local news.</p>
<p>Generally, you hear these things from public schools, not prep schools. Nonetheless, it’s a great example of zero tolerance equaling zero discernment. We try to teach our kids to be thoughtful, critical thinkers and this is the example that gets set.</p>
<p>Yikes. This is the public school ChoatieKid would have attended had we not moved. And all these years I’ve had regrets about moving away from the fine NA schools. Thanks, Momof7thgrader, for putting that regret to bed. ;)</p>
<p>This is what is being tried here… seems a great idea. And no penalty for the “helper”…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.saferides102.org/callforasaferide.aspx[/url]”>http://www.saferides102.org/callforasaferide.aspx</a></p>
<p>When D arrived at school last month, we had an ‘introduction’ meeting with her advisor, who said “I take ‘in loco parentis’ very seriously. As your advisor, your well being is my priority.” Advisor then gave her a card and said “This is my cell phone number. Should you ever find yourself in a scary or dangerous situation, i.e., if you are visiting another student’s home and there’s alcohol or drugs, call me, no matter what time it is, and I will get you back to campus safely. I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to stay with, or be in a car with, someone who is drinking or using drugs.” I was very grateful for this very up-front approach.</p>
<p>How prevalent is abuse of prescription drugs at boarding school?</p>
<p>I’m aware that some high school students obtain Ritalin and Adderall illegally to help them focus during midterms and finals. Do boarding schools include this type of drug abuse in their one- and two-strike policies?</p>
<p>Here’s a link to interesting information about the scope of the problem:
<a href=“http://www.drugfreeworld.org/files/truth-about-ritalin-booklet-en.pdf”>www.drugfreeworld.org/files/truth-about-ritalin-booklet-en.pdf</a> </p>
<p>At S1’s school, schedule drugs must be dispensed by the health center. The drug must be consumed at the health center, in front of the nurse. Any unauthorized schedule drugs on campus are prohibited. </p>
<p>S1 asked me if he could get a diagnosis of ADD so he could get Adderall prescribed and extra time on the SAT, like other kids in his grade were doing. I said NO. I talked to S1’s advisor about it, and the advisor told me w disgust that quite few parents were doing this. Sickening that kids now are having to compete w phamaceautical enhancement.</p>
<p>It depends on how draconian the school is in enforcing these rules and how involvement is defined. The military academies with their Honor Codes, have had to dismiss huge numbers of cadets in order to stick with that code. Though many would agree that a flagrent breach deserves zero tolerance, that the code also includes those who might have seen the breach, known about the breach and required them to “snitch” in circumstances that they feel are against their personal codes of honor makes this a very difficult issue indeed. You witness a murder or someone being assaulted or some other such serious crime, yes, you had better report it. But you think you saw someone glance at a paper, and you hear cheating rumors. Ummmm we are starting to get into some gray territory here. You walk into a room and suspect a bottle with alcohol is in there, it’s one thing to back out and leave, a whole other to tell what you suspect when you don’t know for sure. At what point does one report possible infractions? Tough for young adults at age 18. With some of these boarding schools, some of these judgements are required of kids barely entering their teens. </p>
<p>And yes, prescription drugs that are not prescribed to a student are not permitted. At some schools, there are even strict rules about non prescription meds like Tylenol. You need a form signed by MD and parent to accompany the non prescrip med that has to be kept at the nurse’s station with strict rules on when it could be used. You can’t even pop an allergy pill when things get uncomfortable from your own stash without risking disciplinary action. </p>
<p>Most such schools do have a sanctuary provision where if a student, parent appeals to the school first, reporting drug abuse as a medical problem BEFORE getting caught, if it’s done freely without being forced into the situation by the school, even the One Strike schools will work with the student, family and treatment protocol. </p>
<p>But in the case of the North Andover teen, the proper course of action would have been for that teen to call the police, parents, other adults and get them involved. Not go and make the rescue themselves. Some honor codes, as mentioned above require students to report such infractions and voluntarily entering a room, car or other place where there is drinking, contraband, clearly taking or having taken place is in violation of the rules. You call for adult help in such situations. Not a bad rule, though I do agree the penalties for the young woman in the story are too harsh. I’ve known several cases where someone nearly died because the kids took care of the problem instead of calling in more seasoned help. Though, yes, sometime immediate, emergency intervention is required to prevent death or a high chance of it, the first opportunity to call for help needs to be taken in such cases, and not doing so, can truly lead to a tragedy. A young man who was similarly helped by friends (at college) nearly died because friends were taking him home to sleep it off instead of to an ER which was where he needed to be. They all got into trouble, and this was college, and a known heavy drinking school as well.</p>
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<p>This disgusts me as well. I was so disappointed to hear how prevalent Adderall abuse is. Nothing you can do about it when all those kids have those “necessary” prescriptions.</p>
<p>I don’t believe in one-strike-and-you’re-out policies for kids or teens. Heck, in general I don’t like them for adults either! I read through the Parent-Student manual at the school my daughter wants to attend before I called to tell them she is coming. I like that there are consequences and punishments for the first offence, but not immediate expulsion. My 14-year-old won’t always make the right choice the first time, but she does learn from her mistakes.</p>