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Posted on Fri, May 31, 2013 : 12:11 p.m.

Skyline High School hires 4 security guards for seniors' final week of class

By Danielle Arndt

08262012__Ann_Arbor_Skyline.JPG

Skyline High School hired four security guards this week to help in case of incidents due to seniors leaving.

AnnArbor.com file photo

It's the final week of school for seniors at Skyline High School — and outgoing Principal Sulura Jackson hired additional security to deter students from engaging in senior pranks.

The principal, who will be leaving at the end of the month to take a job in North Carolina, hired four security guards to monitor school entrances and stairwells, said district spokeswoman Liz Margolis. She said the security guards have been at the school since Monday. Friday will be their last day of duty — it also is the last day of school for seniors.

Margolis said the security guards cost $1,000, and the bill was paid from Skyline's "trust and agency fund," part of the building discretionary fund that the principal maintains.

sulura-jackson.jpg

Principal Sulura Jackson

"One administrator is out this week, so they felt they needed to have extra bodies," Margolis said. "There has not been any damage or any sign of a nefarious senior prank. ... Ms. Jackson just felt she needed more presence in the building. She did notify parents about it."

Last year, the seniors staged a food fight in the cafeteria and other pranks, such as fire alarms being pulled and stink bombs set in the hallways.

Students did pull a fire alarm on Tuesday this week and dropped a number of "Class of 2013" balloons over the upper-level railings of the school into the common area below. There also was an attempted flash mob during second-period lunch Thursday, but the dance-off was quickly squelched.

Tuesday's incidents prompted Jackson to send an email to parents stating: "As a result of today's 'pranks' and misbehavior, additional security measures will be taken to ensure the safety and security of the Skyline learning community."

"Deliberately pulling a fire alarm endangering the lives of others is a crime and students who are apprehended will be both charged and disciplined," Jackson wrote. "To date, no senior 'pranks' have been approved, as they disrupt the learning environment and will not be tolerated. ... I am asking all Skyline parents to assist us with securing our learning environment by discussing the 'Code of Conduct and Consequences' pages in the Rights & Responsibilities Handbook with their student."

Margolis said there were no reported senior prank incidents at Huron or Pioneer high schools, which both dismissed last week.

Principals at all of Ann Arbor's 9-12 buildings send out emails annually to families in early May, informing them about end-of-the-school-year festivities for seniors. The emails encompass prom, graduation and safe practices to keep all students safe, Margolis said, adding the district did not do anything different this year from what it does every year.

"That's normal practice. They also hold senior meetings to discuss expectations of behavior," she said.

AnnArbor.com requested information on senior pranks from schools across Washtenaw County and how they handle such incidents. Skyline and Lincoln High School both had pranks in 2012 that resulted in a need for cleanup, although Lincoln's involved significant property damage.

senior-walk.jpeg

2013 seniors at Lincoln High School partake in a new last day tradition.

An unknown number of students at LHS spray painted vulgar terms and the hashtag #LHS12 on the school, as well as smashed the windshields of a Chrysler PT Cruiser used for driver's education training. The vandalism and graffiti cost the district about $9,000 in cleaning and restoration.

But rather than drawing attention to last year's event and warning seniors against participating in pranks and other misbehaviors, Lincoln started a new tradition of honoring its senior class on their last day with a "senior walk."

LHS Principal Mandy Stewart said before the final bell on May 21, the seniors gathered and walked in procession through the school, as teachers and underclassmen clapped, cheered, hugged, cried with and congratulated the graduating seniors. She said the school played touching music that meant something to the students during the processional, and the seniors could make song requests.

"We really wanted to set a different tone in the building as the seniors were exiting. The feedback was amazing. Everyone said it was really cool and it actually made them feel special, and they liked getting to say good-bye," Stewart said. "Who wants to come back and (do something destructive) after they've been honored for what they accomplished?"

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Comments

Brad

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 2:20 p.m.

Money from another previously unknown "bucket"? Did they learn this from city council?

Terry Reilly

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 1:21 p.m.

Those crazy seniors. Great last week legacy for Principal Jackson, Maybe the seniors will realize they have a nice, still new school and will leave it in good shape for next year.

microtini

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 12:17 p.m.

The culture of an institution is a reflection of its leadership. So long, Ms. Jackson.

aaparent

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 11:05 a.m.

@ Danielle & A2.com -- Thanks for keeping readers informed on school news. Here are some questions I have from reading comments: 1. Did Skyline parents get an email about the security guards, or was this communication botched? 2. @ Cahill asked about the discretionary funds for buildings. Is that another clue that when Green talks about zero budgeting she means stop this hiding cash game? 3. A commenter said they saw 6 principal candidates interviewed or heard this. What is the status of the Skyline principal hire? Will AAPS do the pattern of years past and announce several principal changes at the 11th hour before school starts in the fall? 4. Before hiring security guards for $1000, did the principal at Skyline consider other options involving her staff? What do the class principals do at Skyline or does this building have a different administrative structure. I have heard that the class principals at Skyline have similar leadership problems as the building principal

Danielle Arndt

Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 2:16 p.m.

Hi aaparent, these are good questions. I'll be asking/looking into them soon. Thanks for reading and staying engaged with us.

Jack Gladney

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 9:38 a.m.

Balloons and food fights and flash mobs, oh my! However, triggering a false fire alarm is another matter. I'm not sure that it requires additional security, though. The bigger question is: Who are the grown children, ready to be set upon the world, who pull a false alarm potentially endangering others in the building and diverting the resources of first responders? Congratulations, parents. You raised them well.

TryingToBeObjective

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 7:37 p.m.

I agree. The harmless stuff was overreacted to. The fire alarm, however, was very stupid. What if someone's life was impacted by that false alarm? Would it have been worth the prank if someone lost their home due to a delay in response? What if someone lost their life? Stick with the balloons and stuff. And get a principal who knows the difference. Perhaps if harmless pranks are tolerated, there will be less inclination to pull the stupid ones that endanger lives.

jns131

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 1:34 a.m.

Pioneer has Leaman. The Boss as I am hearing her being called. She sent home a newsletter saying that any senior thinking of pranking? Will be suspended from graduating, attending the graduation and the list goes on and on. One great principal. I heard she is implementing a lot of changes for September.

TryingToBeObjective

Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 2:34 a.m.

What Wake up A2 says must be true since there is no "allegedly" in his/her statement, gotta follow the posting guidelines. Kinda like everything on the Internet is true. Truthfully I have no idea. Just chuckling about the guidelines some of us have to follow, while others......do not.

jns131

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 10:36 p.m.

I'd like to see your documentation on this one because mine says this is the safest she has ever felt at Pioneer even after White left. So I disagree with your statement.

Wake Up A2

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 3:27 p.m.

1st) Cindy has no discipline policy in place. The kids run the school. She adopted the Pat Green wait and see policy which didn't work for Pat. 2) Attendance is the worst it has been in 5 years at the school. This will cause Pioneer to lose AYP. As much as folks hated Micheal, he got the kids in class... She doesn't, further more when she instituted a detention policy she didn't follow through and now the kids skip class and there is no punishment. 3) The staff don't respect her and skip the staff meeting because of this, so nothing gets done. 4) She has investment in the school. She told her folks at Clague that she only needed two years as a high school principal then she was going to play as a superintendent some where. 5) She locks herself in her office and has her minion stop people at the door. 6) Failure rates are up because she removed all of the measures Micheal put in place to help them. This will also hurt Pioneer for AYP. So she is the boss alright, in her mind.

Jay Thomas

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 12:24 a.m.

What a disgrace. I blame Sulura Jackson for fostering this kind of environment. Maybe the new Principal can take the school back.

Rod Johnson

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 6:10 a.m.

This was only the last day for seniors, I thought.

jns131

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 1:34 a.m.

She does not know how to contain these children. This is why she is spending the money. Today was the last day for Skyline. Almost all of the graduations start mid week.

MargeauxF

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 11:57 p.m.

As a student at skyline I witnessed most if not all of this first hand at school. The guards were watching over the lunch rooms however when there were no lunches in session one or two of them would stand outside her office. That leaves me wondering if her intent was actually to "..ensure the safety and security of the Skyline learning community." or to ensure her own safety. What I do know is her parting with the school is far over-due and I look forward to a change in administration, it's time for a prison break.

ktw

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 10:08 p.m.

I'm sorry, why isn't she going to be there that last week and how does the district have money to pay for 4 security guards when we are laying off teachers?!! This is just another example of the lack of quality leadership within the district.

ViSHa

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 3:47 a.m.

@ Usual Suspect: and don't forget the AAAA, just look at their contract posted on the AAPS website, their intent is pretty clear.

Usual Suspect

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 1:31 a.m.

When people are hired for reasons other than qualifications for the job, this is what happens. It's happening at several schools in the district. This school is lucky to be getting a chance at fixing the problem. I really hope the new Superintendent will not continue the social engineering experiment being conducted by the Board and the current Superintendent.

RPS Security

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 9:32 p.m.

Danielle Arndt, You might want to find a different District Spokesperson to get your information from. Maybe someone that knows what they're talking about... Just saying :)

a2xarob

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 9:09 p.m.

I love dancinginmysoul's reference to "Footloose." All high school principals and administrators should be required to watch it before they can pass on to another year of "service." Footloose, cut loose!

say it plain

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.

They should use such money to *buy or rent textbooks* for their classes, because some have had to live without them this year...shameful! Security to squelch dance-offs? I thought Skyline's rhetoric was about "relationships". I guess in the same way that prison guards and prisoners have a "relationship"?! Lincoln High School's principal probably doesn't talk that "relationship" talk , but nonetheless displayed much more sensitivity to them than Skyline's administrators. I wonder if Lincoln schools manage to keep textbooks in their students' hands as well...

PineyWoodsGuy

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:22 p.m.

Adm was correct to bring in security. It is a very sad commentary on our youth that this needs to be done. Not at all like "back in the day." Of course today youth can post their so-called "pranks" on You Tube and gain notoriety. "Prank" is just a polite word for "vandalism" which is a misdemeanor crime any day of the week. Hey kids! Taxpayers pay money for what you would destroy.

a2xarob

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 9:14 p.m.

Dancing and dropping balloons is not vandalism. Doesn't anyone have a sense of fun and yes - entitlement - for the graduating seniors? They've done their 12+ years and should be able to do some proud stepping in the school where they finish up. Love the Senior Walk idea too. It sounds like at Skyline they're being treated like convicts instead of young adults who have completed an important step in their lives. What is going on over there that adm. is so worried?

Wake Up A2

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 7:55 p.m.

The best part of this is: they had half a dozen principals there this week to interview for her job. Skyline may have been one down but they had six more there plus balas folks. So how many admin types do you need in one building. Then they spent more on mall cops....

MichU

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 7:51 p.m.

I'm hopeful that with new leadership at Skyline__demonstrating some wise flexibility__a positive culture will continue to grow.

noidea

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.

Couple of items... No email or phone call using the well-used notification system was received by anyone in our household from Skyline about this. All bathrooms were regularly locked during the school day, over this time period. This over-reaction is a poor lesson for students on having a proper reaction to a perceived problem. Why is this behavior by an administrator tolerated? School board are you seeing this? I hope a change in principal will change the punitive and negative culture of Skyline to be one where students want to transfer TO Skyline instead of FROM. That was the ideal behind the new high school.

TryingToBeObjective

Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 2:29 a.m.

Cut *loose

TryingToBeObjective

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 7:47 p.m.

The bathrooms are regularly locked after bomb scares at Forsythe. It doesn't solve anything. "Allegedly" the principal from Forsythe applied for the spot at Skyline. "Allegedly" they wouldn't even interview her. "Allegedly she also applied for the spot at Pioneer, and the same thing happened. What does it take to cut lose a principal that is not liked, not respected, and ineffective in the AAPS? If she will not be interview (allegedly) for an advancement, what makes the AAPS keep her in her current position? My apologies for the "allegedly" part. Trying to follow the guidelines.

Tesla

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 7:06 p.m.

Couple years before I graduated in 1978 they hoisted a volkswagon beetle onto the roof of the school library....two floor and a half high. No motor was in it but still. Our class managed to steal a full sized Big Boy statue and put it in the courtyard adorned with class of 1978 items. Swiping Big Boy statues was sortof a cliche back in the day. I pulled a fire alarm on a telephone pole when I was like 9 years old. The fore chief visited my home for a chat with me and my folks. I still remember the fire engines racing by to what they thought was an emergency. I was a bad kid. I don't recommend being a bad kid.

Usual Suspect

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.

Don't forget the Paul Bunyan form the restaurant at Jackson and Zeeb.

MichU

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 7:54 p.m.

...and I had a friend who almost got a felony for pinching a US flag from the pole in front of a McDonald's. The prank wasn't worth it.

$5,000 is just pennies

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:59 p.m.

Another $1,000 from one of the buckets of money hidden from the public's viewing. Couldn't the community assistants be used? Monitoring the hallways is part of their job description.

Mary

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:56 p.m.

I love Lincoln High School's Senior Walk through the building set to music while passing by younger classmates and teachers applauding and wishing them well. Rewarding and uplifting!

Barb

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:53 p.m.

"Principals at all of Ann Arbor's 9-12 buildings send out emails annually to families in early May, informing them about end-of-the-school-year festivities for seniors." Does anybody fact-check statements like these? I can tell you Stone/A2Tech didn't send one out.

Rod Johnson

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 3:45 p.m.

Well, I quoted the email from Sulura in full, but aa.com's hall monitors decided it had to be deleted, so I'll just say that there was such an email on Wednesday. Look for the subject line "Senior Pranks & Senior Caps & Gowns."

Haran Rashes

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:37 p.m.

I am also a Skyline parent, and I also did not receive any such e-mail. An e-mail sent earlier today to Principal Jackson and to Liz Margolis asking about this supposed e-mail has gone unanswered.

alarictoo

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.

Check your Spam folders... ;^)

Blazingly Busy

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 7:03 p.m.

I'm a Skyline parent and don't recall getting an email.

leezee

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:38 p.m.

Holt High School has done a flash mob for the last few years. I dunno.....seems pretty harmless, lasted about six minutes and everyone had fun. If you let the students do something as harmless as this, maybe it dissuades them from doing anything destructive. See below and enjoy! 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rtFOZ-rYUA 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xcV0AlCxIY

pegret

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:30 p.m.

I am so relieved to hear that life-threatening dancing in the cafeteria was quickly squelched, but those "Class of 2013" balloons dropping could have been deadly. Whatever will we do without Ms. Jackson next year?

Wake Up A2

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:17 p.m.

Nice to see the spin doctor back at it again...pioneer was spray painted two days in a row. Seems the "principal of the year" still cant run her building. Where is the budget for the guards? The company hired to clean pioneer. Danielle time to ask balas if they are telling you the truth...because they are not.

Basic Bob

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:24 p.m.

huron still has purple paint from the pioneer class of 2011 even though some were caught, the restitution was not applied to actual cleanup.

Danielle Arndt

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:23 p.m.

This is the first I've heard about Pioneer being spray painted. I will see what I can find out. Thanks for the comment.

Basic Bob

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:11 p.m.

how will posting rent-a-cops at the doors prevent a student from pulling a fire alarm inside the school? will aafd ignore the alarm or waive the false alarm fee if the school can document they had security posted? one would think the school could find an administrator, teacher, or community assistant to hang out by the front door and there would be no need to hire a temp.

TryingToBeObjective

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 3:30 a.m.

RPS Security, are you related to Sulura Jackson in some way? Just curious......

RPS Security

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 9:16 p.m.

AAFD takes All fire alams seriously,When they roll out on a false call, those calls cost..The resorces are tied up untill it is proven to be a false call.. In the mean time any legit calls comming in at that time could possibly be delayed and Lives Could be at risk waiting for responders that are wasting their time and Tax payers money on the false alarm. Skyline does not have enough CA's to cover every hallway,and every enterance. The additional Security for a few days is money well spent. If the school ever invests in a modern security camera system..Then They might not have to hire extra security during the known problem days..

John Simon

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:10 p.m.

Let's just be thankful she's leaving. I think the entire student body can agree that dropping balloons and preparing a flashmob shouldnt be punished by not walking at graduation. She also stopped a freeze from occurring, where all the seniors would stop on the hallway. She said it was a hazard and that it would not be tolerated. Maybe the new principal will keep their sanity towards harmless pranks, a tradition in every high school across the u.s. I guess well see what happens with the class of 2014

Shaniqua Jones

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:04 p.m.

You hire police to patrol the building when police were cut at the larger high schools. You freeze the budgets and say no spending. How is it that Huron, Pioneer and Community can do without hiring additional security? Could that say something for the leadership or lack of at Skyline?

Blazingly Busy

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 7:01 p.m.

I think you are on the right track Shaniqua...

highschoolstudent

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:52 p.m.

Furthermore, Skyline posted multiple cameras for recording both early and late lunch. I believe that this is infringing my rights and no one was told that they would be on camera. They did not have my permission to record me eating my lunch and I find it offensive for not even confirm that this would be ok to do. For the next time I think they should alert students that they will be filmed instead of filming without asking for permission.

Basic Bob

Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 1:02 a.m.

The right to free health care only applies to self-employed partners of government workers. If you are unemployed or struggling to get by working at Walmart or McDonalds or hundreds of thousands of small businesses, tough luck.

Usual Suspect

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 1:34 p.m.

Jack Gladney, I'm sure they've learned all about the "right" to an abortion, the "right" to free health care, the "right" to camp out in public parks if it's a protest, the "right" to shut down opposing viewpoints, and all the other "rights" the left has invented.

TryingToBeObjective

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 12:10 p.m.

Infringing on your rights? Isn't Skyline the only AA high school without cameras? Of the larger ones, I mean.

Jack Gladney

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 9:28 a.m.

It's sad that a high school student lacks a knowledge of what is permissible under our system of rights. I guess they don't teach that kind of silly stuff in government and civics classes any more. (Here's a hint, gentle lamb: You have no right to nor expectation of privacy in any setting that is deemed to be or generally recognized as being a public place.)

EyeHeartA2

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 3:58 a.m.

Rights? You gotta a lotta learnin' ahead a you.

CLX

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:37 p.m.

AAPS has a form in which parents consent to pictures and videos at the beginning of each year, and almost everyone signs this form. It may even be that your must affirmatively opt out of being filmed, and no one does that. Although kids find it hard to believe, you have very few rights in high school -- administrators have a lot of power in the name of safety and education.

Usual Suspect

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:58 p.m.

The lunch area, hallways, etc are public areas, and there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. Therefore, permission is not needed. The restrooms and locker rooms would be a different story, of course.

Usual Suspect

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:40 p.m.

The way I heard it was an airborne order of french fries was introduced into the dancing crowd and they broke up in anticipation of a pending food fight (that never materialized.) I got a chuckle out of hearing about the clever prank involving letters on faked AAPS letterhead posted through the school notifying male students of a new policy that requires an inspection of a certain part of their anatomy.

An Arborigine

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:33 p.m.

Expecting trouble ociffer?

TryingToBeObjective

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:06 p.m.

Good one.

David Cahill

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:30 p.m.

So Skyline has a "building discretionary fund", and within that there is a "trust and agency fund". AnnArbor.com, how much is in the building discretionary fund for each school? How are these discretionary funds accounted for in the AAPS budget?

Danielle Arndt

Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 2:23 p.m.

We're looking into the discretionary funds.

ViSHa

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:24 p.m.

Or "pizza & field trip money"

TryingToBeObjective

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:37 p.m.

Otherwise known as administrative"lunch money."

DonBee

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:37 p.m.

Mr Cahill - If you remember the "surprise" a year ago at the board meeting for AAPS when the Discretionary fund was finally revealed to the board. The fund includes all the building money for their use. I don't have the exact number in front of me right now, but the number a year ago for the total discretionary fund was between $3 and $5 million. I don't know if it was cut for this year, it has not been on any of the documents that are on Board Docs.

Old Salt

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:26 p.m.

I find it sad that this is necessary..

Rod Johnson

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 6:06 a.m.

That is, if it actually had been necessary, which it wasn't. This is a control freak's last hurrah.

alarictoo

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:26 p.m.

$1000 for 4 'Security Guards' for 4 days? For four 8 hour days multiplied by four people, that breaks down to less than $8.00 an hour. Seems a little unlikely...

TryingToBeObjective

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 3:35 a.m.

What are the facts, RPS Security? And you must be related to Ms. Jackson somehow. Am I correct?

a2citizen

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 9:59 p.m.

Not that guards were but an example of the economic effects of undocumented aliens.

RPS Security

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:56 p.m.

It was 4 Guards,for 3 days,For 5 1/2 hours a day Dont know who came up with the figure of $1,000 The artical seems to be missing most of the Facts.

dancinginmysoul

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 8:30 p.m.

It depends on the type of security guard. A long long time ago I had a friend who was a security guard and in 2000 he made $9.37 an hour. And he carried a gun.

DonBee

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:34 p.m.

Might just be 6 hours per day. That would be 10 dollars an hour, still seems low. Not for the wages paid to the people doing the work, but for a short term contract to a firm, including overhead.

lynel

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:13 p.m.

Dancing in the cafeteria! Balloons in the common area! Quickly call for back-up security!

evenyoubrutus

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:11 p.m.

"An unknown number of students at LHS spray painted vulgar terms and the hashtag #LHS12 on the school, as well as smashed the windshields of a Chrysler PT Cruiser used for driver's education training." Wow. 18 year old kids seem a lot younger these days than when I was that age.

Nicholas Urfe

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:10 p.m.

"There also was an attempted flash mob during second-period lunch Thursday, but the dance-off was quickly squelched." Good thing they're bringing in hired help to control those little buggers. Can't be having no dance-off. Have you seen the way those kids shake their hips these days?

dancinginmysoul

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:09 p.m.

I feel like Kevin Bacon is going to be dancing around an abandoned warehouse any day now. Footloose, cut loose!

TryingToBeObjective

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:08 p.m.

Having an ineffective administrator can "disrupt the learning environment". It's a shame they "will not be tolerated" in the AAPS.

EyeHeartA2

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:07 p.m.

"To date, no senior 'pranks' have been approved," I wonder if there is a form or something to fill out to get your prank approved? or exactly what the procedure is?

TryingToBeObjective

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 7:51 p.m.

Pegret, that's a shame. If the kids respected her, perhaps harmless pranks could be overlooked, and the harmful ones (fire false alarm) wouldn't happen.

pegret

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:36 p.m.

Believe it or not, I think there is. My senior's friends were talking about abandoning plans for some potential harmless pranks because they had not gotten approval in time.

TryingToBeObjective

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:35 p.m.

Love that one!

TheDiagSquirrel

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5 p.m.

How many typographical or grammatical errors did the e-mail contain?

Rod Johnson

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 6:04 a.m.

The email to Skyline parents, I assume--which would explain why parents from A2 Tech didn't get one. The squirrel is on the money. Communications from Herself have been an ongoing embarrassment for five years now.

Barb

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:39 p.m.

What email? Parents from A2 Tech didn't get one. I'm guessing they're not counting that school as usual.

Morris Thorpe

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 4:43 p.m.

Stopping balloons? Halting dancing? Pranks "endangering lives"? Ridiculous. If I was in charge of the school, I'd gather the seniors and tell them three rules: 1- Don't do anything that will cause permanent damage 2-Don't do anything that can hurt somebody 3- Remember that someone will have to clean up after you

AMOC

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 1:02 p.m.

I'd change Rule #3 to say "Remember that you should clean up after yourselves. All seniors will be asked to clean up after any messy but not damaging pranks."

pegret

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:33 p.m.

Morris, that is exactly what I told my Skyline senior...who by the way, was threatened with not being able to walk at graduation for zip-tying a chair to a desk. Good grief!

UloveM

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:18 p.m.

@M Nice, how long was the school closed? "My senior classes prank was to coat the windows of the school in honey and nuts. They cancelled school since it was filled with bees and raccoons."

M

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:23 p.m.

The balloons and dancing are tame. The fire alarm could get someone killed in a stampede. That kind of stuff needs to stop. My senior classes prank was to coat the windows of the school in honey and nuts. They cancelled school since it was filled with bees and raccoons.

Topher

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 4:47 p.m.

While your three rules sound nice, you're very naive to think that students will follow them. They won't - this is just what teenagers do.

TryingToBeObjective

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 4:32 p.m.

It says they hired additional security at Skyline. I thought there was no security there to start with since the AA police were cut from the budget? Nice "senior walk" at LHS. They call it a "clap out" for the fifth graders when they leave elementary school. They also seem to appreciate it.

ViSHa

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 4:28 p.m.

There's pranks and then there's vandalism and destruction of property, hopefully this years seniors will know the difference.

ChrisW

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 4:27 p.m.

Good thing they squelched the dance-off. Wouldn't want students having fun or getting exercise during lunch.

Teflon

Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 12:39 a.m.

The dance off was not "squelched" it died once onlookers started to boo

Susan Burke

Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:10 p.m.

A flash mob is a "prank"? I'd call that a creative and fun way to end the year!