# Thoughts and prayers to Franklin Regional



## Julie (Apr 9, 2014)

If you haven't heard, I'm sure you will something today. This is a school district isn't that far from the one that I work in and like the other violence that happens in schools this school is not unlike the one here, the last place you would think violence would happen.

A 16 year student, stabbed 19 students and one adult, the adult was a security officer at the school. Four are in life threatening status.

My heart and prays go out to those who were hurt and the families but also to child that did this. We as adults and parents are missing the mark in our responsibility to our young adults. These children need help and they are being ignored.


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## Skycrestfarm (Apr 9, 2014)

This one hits close to home...


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## Julie (Apr 9, 2014)

Too close!


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## Elmer (Apr 9, 2014)

As the spouse of a someone who works in an inner city school (and broke up a fight just last week).
I am always thankful when she arrives home unharmed


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## Julie (Apr 9, 2014)

I made a comment once that working in a school is like working behind enemy lines.


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## Elmer (Apr 9, 2014)

Julie said:


> I made a comment once that working in a school is like working behind enemy lines.



That is one of the counter arguments I have, when someone indicates teachers are over paid and only work a part time job.

Without getting back into the argument, I think my spouse earns every dime she is paid!


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## Julie (Apr 9, 2014)

I am not a teacher but I know what they go thru, I see it all the time. I know most think they only work 7 hours a day, 9 months a year but I know that is far from the truth especially with all the fed and state mandates that keep constantly changing. Plus there are the children, we have more ADHD children than you can imagine. They can be very difficult to handle. And then there are the darlings who's parents insure them that no one in the school can touch them. I watched a 1st grade student stand in the middle of the hall, flip off the assistant principal and scream "F*** YOU at the top of his lungs and this is elementary. And we are considered one of the least violent schools in PA.


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## ffemt128 (Apr 9, 2014)

Such a senseless act.


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## JohnT (Apr 9, 2014)

We never hear about this sort of thing at Catholic schools (I attended one). 

I am beginning to think that this is because the teachers have a more freer hand. 

Of course you do hear of sexual abuse by teachers, but we never hear anything about kids running amok and body counts. 

That 1st grader that gave the finger, what was his punishment? I got to tell you that if that were in a catholic school, the punishment would have fit the crime and then some (by the school, the teacher, and the parents).

My heart goes out to those people.


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## vernsgal (Apr 9, 2014)

I watched this on the news this morning,prayers are on everyone.

I think Canada as well as the States have to make some changes in the schools. Teachers and students should feel safe.


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## JohnT (Apr 9, 2014)

vernsgal said:


> I watched this on the news this morning,prayers are on everyone.
> 
> I think Canada as well as the States have to make some changes in the schools. Teachers and students should feel safe.


 
Vernsgal, 

The problem is that there is no change that can protect kids against a murdering rampage even if you installed metal detectors. I remember this one case where one boy pulled a fire alarm and another boy shot the students as they came out the front door. 

What can be changed?


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## Julie (Apr 9, 2014)

It has to start at home. Look at the Connecticut shootings, that boy had problems, Mom knew that but did not want to accept that her son maybe mentally sick. We need to stop worrying about the stigma of mental health having to be hidden in a closet.


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## BernardSmith (Apr 9, 2014)

I have not heard the news today but my heart goes out to all those kids and parents and school staff and teachers involved. Life is so very fragile. We live in such violent times, so much rage, so much anger, so much hurt and so much suffering. My wife is a teacher in a high school in NYC but where the greatest acts of carnage seem to take place is not in city schools but in suburban and small town schools. The schools, as Julie says, you might least suspect.


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## vernsgal (Apr 9, 2014)

Julie said:


> It has to start at home. Look at the Connecticut shootings, that boy had problems, Mom knew that but did not want to accept that her son maybe mentally sick. We need to stop worrying about the stigma of mental health having to be hidden in a closet.



I agree Julie. Too much is left for others to look after when it should always start at home.


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## Runningwolf (Apr 9, 2014)

Unbelievable. It is no longer those schools you might think it would be. I live in the country in a very nice area. In 1998 there was a major school shooting at a ninth grade dance. A teacher killed and several students shot. The shooters family ran a very respectable business for probably 40 years and are still here. I knew the family and met their young son numerous times. There was no clue. There often times never is until afterwards all of a sudden, you hear people say yeah he was different. Heck how many people say that about any one of us? 

Just saying today it happens where and when you least expect it to. Our focuses must be with families and victims and not the shooter who is looking for attention. It is truly a sad day.


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## Julie (Apr 9, 2014)

JohnT, I, also, went to a catholic school first thru eight and heaven help any of us if we even squirmed in our seats! But, sadly, that is not how it is today in Catholic schools well not here anyway. When a child needs any type of special attention, whether it is in educational special needs or special attention in discipline , the Catholic school sends to over to the public schools.


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## Elmer (Apr 10, 2014)

I have been told by my spouse that most inner city kids only throw down on school property.
They leave the shooting to on street stuff, especially if it is gang related.

However that being said my spouse had to sit through 2 different hearings with the parents of the girls who were fighting. The parents main complaint was that school officials did not do enough to either prevent the fight or break it up. Forget the fact the both girls had the others hair in their clenched fist.
And once pulled apart they jumped over the teachers back to start the fight again.

I my simple opinion it all starts at home. You are raised by a schmuck, you will have a schmuck!
We have kids who are disassociated with empathy, compassion and reality.
I always think of a parent's typical response when finding out their kids did something unspeakable "not kid", "my kid would never do that".
but they do....

....And I went to public school and turned out fine!


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## tonyt (Apr 10, 2014)

JohnT said:


> We never hear about this sort of thing at Catholic schools (I attended one).
> 
> I am beginning to think that this is because the teachers have a more freer hand.
> 
> ...



My wife and me, and both of my kids attended Catholic school for 12 years each. JohnT you are absolutely right and statistics support your comment. It's sad that our Social State mentality accepts and expects so little from those it gives so much. JohnT I'll PM you the rest of my rant as we're not suposed to get too political here.


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## tonyt (Apr 10, 2014)

Julie said:


> JohnT, I, also, went to a catholic school first thru eight and heaven help any of us if we even squirmed in our seats! But, sadly, that is not how it is today in Catholic schools well not here anyway. When a child needs any type of special attention, whether it is in educational special needs or special attention in discipline , the Catholic school sends to over to the public schools.



Julie, that was not my experience. I attend 12 years of Catholic school and more often than not the kids that got kicked out of public school were accepted in our school. And it is true that Catholic or private school kids that needed special educational consideration found it in the private sector. Now however, Federal money goes to local school districts to provide special education, counseling and so on for kids in private school. Each district meets with the private schools in the district to determine how the funds can best serve the private institution.


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## Hokapsig (Apr 10, 2014)

As this school is app. 5 miles from my house and I have a fraternity brother that is a teacher at Franklin, I was concerned that this is literally in my back yard. Our nieghborhood police and ambulance responded to this. 

Without getting political, this is what happens when we absolve everyone of responsibility and accountability for thier actions. Maybe if we taught some morality and respect in school, this wouldn't happen.


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## vernsgal (Apr 11, 2014)

Hokapsig said:


> Without getting political, this is what happens when we absolve everyone of responsibility and accountability for thier actions. Maybe if we taught some morality and respect in school, this wouldn't happen.


 This is what I'm saying, except it should be taught at home 1st and foremost.
We can't expect the schools to be responsible for teaching our kids everything.


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## Runningwolf (Apr 11, 2014)

Hokapsig said:


> As this school is app. 5 miles from my house and I have a fraternity brother that is a teacher at Franklin, I was concerned that this is literally in my back yard. Our nieghborhood police and ambulance responded to this.



Hey Bill was this Franklin School down near rt322 in Cranberry or in south of Pittsburgh in Monroville?


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## Hokapsig (Apr 11, 2014)

Runningwolf said:


> Hey Bill was this Franklin School down near rt322 in Cranberry or in south of Pittsburgh in Monroville?


 
Dan we are about 26 miles ESE of pittsburgh and about 5 miles east of Monroeville off of route 22.

I do agree that respect and accountability should be taught at home. However, I think it should not be hindered in the schools also. Let's teach the RIGHT things in home and in the schools. As much as political correctness makes us feel good, it's not the real world. Let's prepare our kids for surviving the real world.

I also feel bad for the parents of the kid that did the act. The father left his home and family in the morning to go to work, and came home to his own family and many other families devastated. The son that he left that morning will now be a long term prisoner. Students that should be worry about the prom and graduation are worried about surviving and healing.


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## Runningwolf (Apr 11, 2014)

Bill I don't know why but I always thought you lived closed to Butler. I see it on the map now. As you mentioned there are always many victims besides the injured.


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## Julie (Apr 11, 2014)

Bill, you seem to be under the thought that what is taught at school will be re-inforced at home. That is so far from the truth. How do you expect schools to teach morals that are not supported at home?


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## Runningwolf (Apr 11, 2014)

vernsgal said:


> This is what I'm saying, except it should be taught at home 1st and foremost.
> We can't expect the schools to be responsible for teaching our kids everything.



I agree with you and Julie. The parents are the front line in teaching the kids moral, respect and responsibility. The schools are their to reinforce and enhance what the kids should have learned at home. It was certainly that way when I was growing up. God help us if we ever got in trouble in school or even at a friends house.

How many kids have a structured home life in regards to meals, homework, CHORES (what's that), free time, bed time, tv,family time, etc..


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## JohnT (Apr 14, 2014)

Dan, 

I know that this is a little off topic.....

You mention "Free Time".

My father felt that kids should not have too much free time and I agree with him. We were raised to work hard. At the end of summer, school was like a vacation! I simply did not have a whole lot of time to get into too much trouble.

There is a lot of "Idle hands is the devil's workshop." Having a part time / after school job was not a privilege, but was expected.

I also think that a lot of kids have no clue on the meaning of a dollar. Too much is given to kids and not enough is earned BY the kids. Need $200.00 for sneakers, here you go. Need a new car, here you go. need money for spring break, here you go.


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## Hokapsig (Apr 15, 2014)

Julie,

In my world, what is taught in the home should be re-inforced in the school, and vice versa. This incorrectly assumes that what is taught in the home and in the school are complimentary. This is not the case in my experience. When we got a call from the school informing us of our child's behavior which was not acceptable, we investigated the behavior and dealt with the child. The behavior was not repeated. The child learned where the line was and to not cross the line. Too many times, children do not know where the line is. Too many times today, either the parents or the schools move the line so that the child is confused. Reinforcement of the line teaches the child right from wrong. When the line is crossed, the child must be immediately returned to the other side of the line. If not, the child has established a new line.

When we were young, the punishment was severe for crossing the line, hence the line was not crossed often. This is not true today. No reprecussions for crossing the line. Too much "do what feels good" and not enough line enforcement by both parents and teachers.


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 15, 2014)

Some parents will get a call/note from the school saying something like this: "Your child was in an altercation and was hit in school/day care today. We don't believe there was any harm caused, but as there was physical contact, we need to let you know." I think many parents today first go to "How could you let this happen to my little angel!!?? Who did this?? Why was more supervision not provided? That other kid needs to be removed from my little angel's class!" A generation ago, the response was more like: "Is he allright? OK, Good. Did he deserve it?"  Too many kids these days are raised to think they can do no wrong and that the world owes them something. When they don't get that which they think the world owes them, they feel they are within their rights to strike out against it.


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## tonyt (Apr 15, 2014)

Hokapsig said:


> Julie,
> 
> In my world, what is taught in the home should be re-inforced in the school, and vice versa. This incorrectly assumes that what is taught in the home and in the school are complimentary. This is not the case in my experience. When we got a call from the school informing us of our child's behavior which was not acceptable, we investigated the behavior and dealt with the child. The behavior was not repeated. The child learned where the line was and to not cross the line. Too many times, children do not know where the line is. Too many times today, either the parents or the schools move the line so that the child is confused. Reinforcement of the line teaches the child right from wrong. When the line is crossed, the child must be immediately returned to the other side of the line. If not, the child has established a new line.
> 
> When we were young, the punishment was severe for crossing the line, hence the line was not crossed often. This is not true today. No reprecussions for crossing the line. Too much "do what feels good" and not enough line enforcement by both parents and teachers.



THE FOLLOWING IS MEANT TO BE HUMERUS ALLEGORY.
The School = U.S Administration
The Child = Iran, Russia, Syria and so on
The Parent = American People
The Line = U.S. Foreign Policy


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