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Monday, April 25, 2005
Dear Mundy’s Mill High Parent…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This letter went out today to parents at Clayton County’s Mundy’s Mill High School. Here’s a story about the tragedy over the weekend.
Dear Parents,
It is always a gratifying experience to tell the stories about the wonderful accomplishments of our Mundy’s Mill students. As educators, both teachers and administrators work hard to ensure that every student has the opportunity to achieve a first-class education and well-rounded social experiences.
We have students that will attend world-class colleges/universities during the next school year, such as MIT, Princeton and Brown universities. We have athletes who have received scholarships for their excellent athletic, academic, and social skills. We have been honored with two national merit scholars and have participated and excelled in various academic competitions within the county and state. Ours is an environment which promotes excellence, positive values, and hard work.
However, there are factors which exist from off campus that continue to challenge our efforts to consistently maintain this environment among our student body. Gang activity that has emerged into our school has created quite a dilemma for our staff, but this negative activity will not stop our efforts to ensure that our children receive the best education in a safe and nurturing school community.
The community and our Board of Education have called this administration at Mundy’s Mill High School to promote the best practices in instruction and in the general safety of our students and teachers. Therefore, it is my promise to you that we will not lose our school to mediocrity or violence.
As a result, our administration will take a stronger stance on enforcing the school’s dress code and maintain the highest possible expectations for each student’s social and intellectual development.
First, the Clayton County Police Department will have a prominent presence at our school until the end of the school year. It is unfortunate that we must resort to this measure, but it will definitely increase the safety of the masses.
Second, we will begin to confiscate all paraphernalia relating to the gang culture: grills and necklaces displaying images of drugs or gangs.
Third, sagging pants, revealing clothing and inappropriate slogans on clothing will not be tolerated. Students breaking the dress code will be sent to the office to call their parents and may receive days of in-school suspension.
Fourth, any person entering Mundy’s Mill will need to show I.D. when entering the school. There will be an individual placed at the front door to check and verify the identity of each person.
I am extremely hurt and bothered by the incidents that have recently occurred in our community with gangs and violence. I am deeply burdened by these most recent events and the negative influence that has occurred among our youth.
Despite my frustration, hurt, and anguish over these young precious lives being taken so early, I am also persuaded and committed to the safety and preservation of the masses at Mundy’s Mill High. The administration at Mundy’s Mill High will not stand by idly allowing a very small minority to invoke fear or disillusionment among our faculty and student body.
Our children will be safe, educated, nurtured, and pushed to excel at all costs. We cannot control what happens in the streets of our community, but we can make a strong statement at our schools that we will not accept nonsense and mediocrity.
Parents, you can partner with us in a significant way in this process if you would take the time to ensure that your children adhere to the school dress code and conduct policies.
In addition, we are having a called community emergency meeting at the school to address this issue on Thursday, April 28, 2005, at 7 p.m. in the commons area. Other community agencies have been invited to this meeting to help us to sort through this situation. However, we are not sure at this time who will accept our invitation. Please come out to participate fully in this event. This gang issue will be addressed, and our strategic plan to confront it at our school will be laid out.
This has been a very successful school year, and we have accomplished lofty goals. We will continue to do so now and in the future, especially with your involvement and commitment to our progress.
If you have further questions, please feel free to call me immediately at 678-817-3000. If I am not available, please feel free to speak to any of our administrators: Ms. Adams, Mr. Colbert, Mr. Davis, Mrs. Franklin and Dr. Johnson.
Yours truly,
Anthony W. Smith
Cut -and-Paste Plagiarism
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Did you see this story by Laura Diamond? Gwinnett teachers are going to start explicitly teachings students what plagiarism is, especially as it relates to the Internet.
About 58 percent of nearly 18,000 high school students interviewed for a recent nationwide survey admit to using “cut and paste” plagiarism, according to a Rutgers University study.
Are students really confused about what plagiarism is? A Rutgers professor says many think the Internet is “fair game.” It seems the students in the survey knew they were cheating, right? In a recent Newsweek column, a young woman owned up to making a living by writing other people’s papers. Do many students consider plagiarism a victimless crime?
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