Kindergartner Suspended For Bringing Toy Gun to School

[redheadbaker]

Overreaction on the school's part? Dumb decision on the mom's part? Is it normal for children to go to kindergarten with their pockets full of toys? 

www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1522342699/WCVB-Kindergartner-suspended-for-bringing-toy-gun-to-class#ixzz2OHoGvNmq

A Hopkinton (Mass.) kindergartner has been suspended from school for carrying a toy gun.

Christina Krueger Stone said her 5-year-old boy attends Center Elementary School each day with his pockets filled with toys. His teacher became concerned Wednesday when she observed the child showing a toy gun to another student, Krueger Stone said.

Interim Principal Milly Katzman ordered the kindergartner to in-house suspension for half a day.

Krueger Stone said there is no language in the student handbook that prohibits toy guns from being brought to school, and she is appealing the suspension.

The 4-inch plastic gun was purchased at a Wild West show during a family vacation in Arizona, Krueger Stone said.

Krueger Stone has requested to meet with the superintendent Friday to make her appeal.

When contacted by WCVB Thursday, the superintendent refused to comment, citing confidentiality.

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Another (longer) article here: www.metrowestdailynews.com/newsnow/x2082717157/Hopkinton-mom-Toy-gun-leads-to-boys-suspension

[eclaires]

Well, my K kid wouldn't have a pocket full of toys. He's tried a few times, but I'm strict about it. It's a distraction and he shouldn't have them, let alone have them every day and she knew about it.

As for suspension, depending on the policy, I don't necessarily have a problem with it. I think it's a dumb policy if it's that broad, and is an overreaction. But maybe you should make sure your kid isn't loaded down with toys AT ALL. Good lord.

[redheadbaker]

Mar 22, 2013 11:28:03 GMT -5 eclaires said:

Well, my K kid wouldn't have a pocket full of toys. He's tried a few times, but I'm strict about it. It's a distraction and he shouldn't have them, let alone have them every day and she knew about it.

That was my thought, too, but not having kindergartners, wasn't sure if it was acceptable. 

[pescalita]

Come on, it's a half day in-house suspension. And he should neither have toys, nor "pockets full" of toys, nor things that look like weapons (zero tolerance lady??). I guarantee she's calling his employer in 20 years.

[ttt]

I need to know more about this. He brought it to school one single day and was suspended? Or he was bringing stuff every day after repeatedly being told not to?

The fact that mom apparently immediately went to the media with this story is enough to make me side eye her.

[ringstrue]

I just don't get suspension for a five year old for something like this. Behavior like acting out or harming something/someone - sure because you need to remove them from the situation. But to a kid there is no difference between a toy gun and a toy robot guy, for instance, they are all just toys. WE as adults see an issue because how of much they can look like the real deal and the need to have swift action but their perception is different.

If you had rammed it into the class's heads before that there is a no toy gun policy and/or one of those "no gun signs" policies then I can understand punishing the kid with maybe just a confiscation and a write up.

[cookiemdough]

My son's preschool and preK class did not allow kids to bring toys to school except on show and tell days. If he and his mother knew the rules about bringing toys then I don't really have a problem with it as long as it doesn't go on some sort of record in his file.

[ttt]

I mean, he's five years old. Kids sneak stuff in their pockets, they do things without mom and dad seeing. So if he snuck the toy into his pocket and had it at school, I think confiscating the toy with a stern reminder not to do that again would have been sufficient.

But if he was doing this over and over again, knowing he wasn't supposed to, and mom was supporting him instead of the school, then I think this is an appropriate punishment.

Again, the fact that mom went to the media with this story makes me think this wasn't just a single "oops, Junior brought a toy with him to school".

[ringstrue]

The article says there is apparently not policy in place for toy guns.

She doesn't want it on his record so I can understand appealing and going to the media if she felt she was getting no where. We have a culture right now where your record means way more than it should for stuff like this. I can see being particularly worried about how it's phrased in his file.

[eclaires]

It's seriously completely ridiculous to me that the mom is like, "yeah he has a pocket full of toys every day!" Like that's okay? Um, no.

I wonder if they suspended him to get her attention because they'd asked her not to let him bring stuff in. Jackson's school is really strict about what they can bring in (only on special days) and his teacher is really strict about their access to it on those days. Which is good, IMO.

[ttt]

Mar 22, 2013 11:48:43 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

The article says there is apparently not policy in place for toy guns.

She doesn't want it on his record so I can understand appealing and going to the media if she felt she was getting no where. We have a culture right now where your record means way more than it should for stuff like this. I can see being particularly worried about how it's phrased in his file.

It just happened on Wednesday, so I don't see how she could be frustrated about it "getting nowhere" so much that she needed to go to the media.

[ringstrue]

Here is what the second article says:

HOPKINTON —
A mother is fighting her 5-year-old son’s suspension today, after she said school authorities decided it was the proper punishment for bringing a toy gun to school on Wednesday.

Jonah Stone showed the toy plastic six-shooter to another student in the bus line going home on Wednesday, his mom, Christina Stone said she learned from Center School Principal Mildred Katzman.

Jonah got the gun on a February vacation trip to a Wild West-themed park in Arizona, along with a cowboy hat.

"I realize what’s going on in the world today, and I’m sensitive to that," said Stone of Hayden Rowe Street. "But I think this is unreasonable."

School officials refused to confirm the incident on Thursday.

"At this point there’s no information," said Interim Superintendent Steven Hiersche, citing student confidentiality. "I think, in general, any time a parent doesn’t agree with any decision that a principal makes they have a right to appeal to the superintendent, and we have a process in place for any disagreement."

Stone said she has scheduled a hearing with Hiersche today, and that she will appeal to the Massachusetts American Civil Liberties Union if Hiersche doesn't overturn the decision to suspend her child for half a day.

"I just don’t want this to be on his record at all," Stone said. "He wasn’t mean, he wasn’t trying to scare anyone, he wasn’t pulling the trigger."

Stone, a single mom, said she received a call from Center School, where her son attends kindergarten, at about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, and was told that an incident had occurred, and she needed to come to the school immediately.

Stone said Jonah, who has asthma, was so terrified at being held after school he could hardly breathe.

"I'm flabbergasted," Stone said. "I feel I'm being made to feel stupid because I didn't know he'd be suspended for this."

The elementary school code of conduct for Hopkinton does not list suspension as a first punishment for any infraction, including possession of a weapon, threats, or physical assault.

Stone said she did not know her son had brought the toy to school, and will hide it to ensure he doesn't take it to school again.

[ringstrue]

Ok wait. Is this a toy gun that doesn't do anything or is this a cap gun?

[Deleted]

I'm so ok with this. Who knows what the other kids thought? And what kind of records do kindergarten students have? None that go to other schools or anything.

Bizarre move to go to the media.

[cookiemdough]

Okay she sounds like an idiot.

[pixy0stix]

Mar 22, 2013 11:48:43 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

The article says there is apparently not policy in place for toy guns.

But there might be one about toys.

[ttt]

Mar 22, 2013 12:03:31 GMT -5 tillie said:

This is so riduculous. People have gotten so out of hands. He's a little boy. He's 5. 5 YO boys like to play with toy guns. I think it's the administration that should be looking within themselves to learn what common sense is.

There are lots of things that 5 year old boys like to do that they aren't allowed to do in school.

[Deleted]

DS had to do a project on shapes for his kindergarten class a couple of months ago. He had to find items of different 3D shapes at home and take them in. We found a small empty match box in our camping gear and he took it as an example of a rectangle/cube amongst the other things he collected. The box came back with a note from the principal letting us know that it was inappropriate and not allowed.

My bad for not realizing that obviously my six year old might burn down the school or set another child on fire with an empty match box?

There is a lot of over reaching and overly PC-ness going on these days.

[kadams767]

Mar 22, 2013 12:20:41 GMT -5 ttt said:

Mar 22, 2013 12:03:31 GMT -5 tillie said:

This is so riduculous. People have gotten so out of hands. He's a little boy. He's 5. 5 YO boys like to play with toy guns. I think it's the administration that should be looking within themselves to learn what common sense is.

There are lots of things that 5 year old boys like to do that they aren't allowed to do in school.

Sure, but a suspension for a first offense?  Granted, I don't have kids, but that seems a bit much.  He's 5.  Take the toy away, call the parents, whatever, but a suspension?  Is that a standard punishment for kids in K now?

[ttt]

Mar 22, 2013 12:30:49 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Mar 22, 2013 12:20:41 GMT -5 ttt said:

There are lots of things that 5 year old boys like to do that they aren't allowed to do in school.

Sure, but a suspension for a first offense?  Granted, I don't have kids, but that seems a bit much.  He's 5.  Take the toy away, call the parents, whatever, but a suspension?  Is that a standard punishment for kids in K now?

If it was a first offense, I agree. That's why I said I need to know more about this before having an opinion.

[kadams767]

Mar 22, 2013 12:31:40 GMT -5 ttt said:

Mar 22, 2013 12:30:49 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Sure, but a suspension for a first offense?  Granted, I don't have kids, but that seems a bit much.  He's 5.  Take the toy away, call the parents, whatever, but a suspension?  Is that a standard punishment for kids in K now?

If it was a first offense, I agree. That's why I said I need to know more about this before having an opinion.

I agree.  Obviously we will never know all of the facts in cases like these, but at first glance, it seems a bit overreactive to me.

[Deleted]

So maybe this is wrong and judgy of me, but when a parent jumps to the media or a lawyer for a small issue, I'm automatically assuming they/their kid is wrong.

I know what they say about assuming right?

[cookiemdough]

It is a half day of in-school suspension. And given the mother acknowledged he typically brought toys, it is not really a first offense. That being said if they don't have a formal policy for toys then I don't see how the school can enforce it. But really her dragging this to the media is a turn off. It is not good common sense in this day and age to let your kid go to school with toy weapons.

[pescalita]

Mar 22, 2013 12:48:36 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

It is a half day of in-school suspension. And given the mother acknowledged he typically brought toys, it is not really a first offense. That being said if they don't have a formal policy for toys then I don't see how the school can enforce it. But really her dragging this to the media is a turn off. It is not good common sense in this day and age to let your kid go to school with toy weapons.

Ditto this, and I'm honestly surprised they don't have a weapon/toy weapon policy.

[penguingrrl]

Is he suspended because the toy is a gun or because he brought toys t school repeatedly? I have a kindergartener. Te only things in her backpack are her folder, a book to return on library day, her water bottle and an inflateable booster seat in case she has someone unexpected pick her up (my mom surprises us with this sometimes, as do ILs, so keeping a seat with her is easier than one in each potential car she might ride in). No toys go to school with her ever.

[summer]

All I know is that I don't even live there and I've already drilled into DD's head the do's and don'ts of American life so that there's no beef when we get there. No gun play of any sort is at the top of that list. I feel like this is obvious by now, overreach or not, we should all know the drill: real guns in school (adults w permits)- YES; students of any age pretending- NO.

[hopecounts]

Mar 22, 2013 12:00:06 GMT -5 @mrsesterhouse said:

I'm so ok with this. Who knows what the other kids thought? And what kind of records do kindergarten students have? None that go to other schools or anything.

Bizarre move to go to the media.

Actually your school file follows you from school to school until you graduate.
my mom was a counselor and every post planning one of her jobs was Sorting out the files and transferring them to the correct middle schools.
she was also responsible for shipping files when kids moved out of district.

[ringstrue]

Maybe its just a reflection of our crappy HS here, but I could totally see getting static from a shitty school admin person over this and feeling like I needed to go to the news about it. But some of our news stations basically fall all over themselves to find "dirt" like this. She could totally be a bebe AW too so there isn't a way to know for sure right now, anyway.

[msmerymac]

First, in-school suspension for a kindergartner probably means he's playing with a teacher's aid in a separate room for a few hours. NBD.

Second, what's it going to say in his file? In school suspension at age 5 for bringing a toy gun to school? So? This hardly means his 9th grade math teacher will come down harder on him for skipping class because he has a "history." It's kindergarten. I knew someone who had to repeat kindergarten because she wasn't socially adept, and she ended up in the top 10% of our class, went to a good college, and now works in finance in NYC. Jesus H. Christ.

This parent also seems clueless. She's sensitive to the current culture of violence, but is cool with normalizing guns at age 5? $10 says she's not the kind of person who concerns herself with the appropriateness of her kid's toys, at all.

But then I'm a crazy hippie who fails to see the point of toy guns. In my mom's school (early childhood), when a kid would pretend to shoot someone, with a finger or a chicken finger or whatever, they were corrected and told, "real guns hurt people." I don't see why you'd want to play at killing someone or think that's totes cool or better than using a real gun because it's just pretend. I can pretend a lot of things, and that's fine. Violent fantasies aren't something I want to encourage.

And the mom going to war with the school over this is just teaching the kid that whatever he does is right, and if the school corrects him, it's wrong. 

[mnvegas]

Updated March 22, 2 p.m.: WCVB is reporting that the boy's suspension has been overturnedafter a meeting between his mom and school administrators.

holliston-hopkinton.patch.com/articles/fake-gun-incident-leads-to-kindergartener-s-suspension