Friday, April 5, 2019

Early Exit Denied


It was Friday, and I was surprised by a minimum day. That's a good surprise.

Although, it wasn't actually a minimum day for the students. It was what they call International Day, which is a day where the campus clubs sell food, and the kiddos spend time in a carnival-like atmosphere with dancers and other performers. The entertainment and the food are from many different nations.

So, while the classes ended just before 1 PM, the students were still "at school" until their usual dismissal time a little over two hours later.

However, they let the subs go after the classes were over.

I had checked out, and I was on my way to my car. At the above gate, there was a girl climbing over. (This is known as "hopping the fence". Read: ditching school.) She was almost to the top when I got there.

"What are you doing?"

Yes, it was pretty obvious, but I had to open the conversation somehow.

She did not have an answer for me, of course. She got her legs over the top, and she was ready to hop down on the outside.

I said something about if she really wanted to leave, she needed to go through the office. There was a crowd of parents picking up their kiddos there as I checked out. She said she was going through the office.

I told her to go back on inside. She said she needed to hop down. I reasoned that it would be the same hopping down on the inside as it would be on the outside. She managed to get her legs to the outside, so it would be just as easy to throw them over the other way.

And... She did.

Keep in mind that I'm just a sub. I really have no authority here. And there's no other adult nearby. I have no authority to stop her, really. I can't grab her. I don't know her name. I can call the office and ask for security to show up, but by the time they get there, she can totally be gone.

But, the girl tossed her backpack down to her friend who was waiting on the other side (presumably to follow her over the fence after she got out). And then her phone.

The boy questioned why she was doing this. She informed him that I was telling her she couldn't leave. (Although, I could see him, he could see me, and we could both hear each other, so none of this was news to him.)

Then the girl threw her legs back over and hopped down. On the inside.

I knew they'd try again the minute I left. So, I waited. The girl and boy argued. I was still there. And I debated calling the office to let them know about the soon to be breakout.

The girl and boy walked back towards the festivities which weren't too far away. That's when a woman I recognized from the main office turned the corner. She talked to the boy and girl.

I figured it was safe for me to leave.

Did they eventually find a way to escape campus? Perhaps. I rather hope the woman booted them to a detention of some sort. While she's not an administrator, she works with them. At the very least, their attempted flight was noted.

Does this make me the bad guy? Well, in their story, at least.

Would you have let them leave? Did you ever ditch school?

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...

21 comments:

  1. I would have done EXACTLY what you did. And, no, I never ditched school (this is probably somewhat of a surprise).
    One of the reasons I'm glad I'm not a sub or Teachers Assistant anymore.

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  2. Good question ;) I never ditched school, and maybe that's why I'm a teacher now, following the rules ;)) I would have done what you did, too.

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  3. I did ditch school occasionally, but I would like to think I would have stuck around for International Day.

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    1. International Day is fun. Why ditch the fun?

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  4. Oh gosh! Is the Pope catholic? Not in the first 2 years but my last 2 1/2 years of high school(semester system), I often skipped class. I recall walking to the mall or to the plaza which was a fairly decent hike. I never skipped the whole day though, just one class before my "break" or lunch so it sounds worse than it is.

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    1. There's always that one class that we'd all rather avoid.

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  5. I don't know that I would have taken the time to stop the girl. I never ditched school.

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  6. I did skip out once toward the end of my senior year. Some friends and I played poker for Skittles at one guy's house. :) Fun memory. Be well!

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  7. I skipped school once when I was in 1st grade. For some reason i thought that it would be better than arriving late. When I heard the bell go off I decided to skip. It was far more trouble than it was worth, and incredibly boring as we hid in a neighbor's yard. Never again...Eliminate One Obligation to Avoid Burnout

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    1. Sounds like you learned the lesson early. If only some of these kiddos would...

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  8. I ditched school a few days with my mom's "permission." She was pretty liberal with the fact that if we felt we were "sick" and couldn't go to school, she would write us a note to that effect. I may (or may not) have taken advantage of it a few times over the years.

    In your case, I would have turned them in. Their parents think they are at school, school thinks they are at school. If there was something, God forbid, that happened they might be unaccounted for and cause undue stress while they were being looked for.

    I remember we had International Day when I was going to school (I did go to a high school in La Mesa). It was fun!

    betty

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  9. I never skipped class. I find it strange the school's fenced like that. Some of our primary schools are (to keep people out rather than vice versa) but our high schools aren't so if students want to they could easily leave campus.

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  10. I ditched school twice. Once (not long after my Mom died, which was when I was 12) an adult first cousin had me over for a visit over the weekend and decided I needed a day off from school, and she actually wrote an excuse note for me. The second time was in my senior year of high school, when I "cut classes" as we said back then, and spent the day with a friend. I know; I was a boring person!

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    1. Was that senior ditch day? I hardly think senior ditch day counts ;)

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  11. No I was a goody two shoes and never ditched school. I'm trying to picture the scene, is there security on the gate, why don't they walk out the easy way? There would have been nothing to stop them at any of my kids schools! I would have done what you did for sure. I like the ways schools hold an International Day!
    Wren x

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    1. No, there's no one standing at the gates. They're locked. The only way out is through the office, which is manned. The schools are responsible for them during the school day, so they have to go with a responsible adult if they want to leave. Legalities. (The school is liable if something happens to them during school hours.)

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  12. Just makes you shake your head. I'd want em to be caught, too. lol

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  13. I would have done more or less like what you did.
    No I didn't skip classes in school. There wasn't much scope for it in the school I was in.
    But, in college, yes, just a few times, within the permissible limits, and for very valid reasons. :-)

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    1. Well, in college it's different. We're (presumably) adults and more responsible for our actions.

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