ANN ARBOR–Ice Cube Elementary principal Abram Colwell had a busy day Wednesday when several boys were sent to the office following separate but related playground incidents during scheduled “playground time.”
“Number 73 started it,” claimed Louie Fulcher through tear-stained eyes.
“Did not!” shot back Chris Sutton.
Sutton was accused of name-calling, which he acknowledged, “but only because he was shoving me and playing dirty,” Sutton told the principal. When pressed to reveal the names used, Sutton muttered that “maybe” he called Fulcher a “fat Fulcher.”
“We do not say hurtful things, young man,” explained a patient, but firm Colwell. “It’s important to use your words, and choose your words.”
Both boys continued to mutter under their breathes, halfheartedly promising to “be good sports.”
A second incident involved L’il Kenny Coleman, who found himself in a scrap with several other boys during same recess period. Picked on for generally being shy, Coleman revealed to the principal that he was tired of the bullying– a growing problem in schools nationwide. Bullyingstatistics.org states that one in four students are regularly bullied.
Playground monitor Jim Kreklau gave Coleman two hours of detention, but did not feel the incident warranted a suspension, citing the “boys will be boys” maxim.
Coleman and Sutton noted that it was “totally worth” getting in trouble, as the result apparently was part of some schoolyard game involving two rival teams. Though not a concern to educators or parents, the boys were happy to have beaten the so-called Yaks1 team 3-1 Wednesday, carefully choosing to compare them to used feminine hygiene products.