Little Buggers Revisited

Exciting times yesterday, we had lots of little incidents around the school that made us feel that we were on the verge of loosing control (again).

First we had the case of the four pyromaniac girls.  These little darlings, all year 9, decided to try a "scientific experiment"; will paper burn?
Apparently the answer is yes.  Especially when the paper is ripped up into small strips and give a dousing in that ever-popular nerve agent called Lynx.  The wee sweethearts did this in a classroom, in the middle of a lesson, and were decidedly not full of remorse when they were stood down for 2-3 days.
Their defence?

1. Wanted to see what happened.
2. Bored
3. Teacher never said we couldn't

In a completely separate case, a Year 12 boy, normally pretty sensible (within adolescent values of sensible, which is not saying much) also decided to run a "scientific experiment".  He wanted to see what would happen when he switched a school computer's voltage regulator from 240v to 110v whilst it was plugged in and running.

It went BANG, much to his oft repeated surprise.  "I didn't know it would do that" was one of his lines of defense, together with "it shouldn't have been so easy to move"
Please note that this was done in one of my computer labs (I wasn't there I hasten to add), in full sight of the teacher (who acted quickly and appropriately when he realised what the little angel was doing).
The switch is on the back of the systems unit, so it had to be turned around (not all that easy with all of the cables and plugs), then the switch had to be moved.  This is not a normal switch, it is a recessed slider, which requires a fair force to move it, and is normally done with an electronics-type screwdriver.  We think he used a pen.
This young man, to be fair, fronted up initially when challenged.  He really didn't have much of an option, with the teacher and at least three of his "mates" willing to "dob" him in.  Kids are funny that way.  They wouldn't dream of dobbing in even an unknown kid for using a mobile phone in class, or for other misdemeanours, but when someone does something really dumb, especially if it's dangerous or inconveniences them, you get swamped in the rush of witnesses.

The last case is a bit sad.  Another young man had some sort of trouble in a corridor, and the result was a smashed glass door.  There didn't seem to be any malice or forethought (Forethought in a year 10, give me a break, what planet are you from sunshine?), just boys being boys.  But the window was smashed, the boys were hustled off to a DP for interrogation.  The truth, or a close facsimile thereof was established, but during a subsequent harangue by another senior colleague, the boy snapped, and really meaning it this time, smashed out the window of the DPs office.

  I actually teach the kid, and though he definitely has anger-management problems, he's quite a nice lad deep-down, who wants to succeed after you have shown him he can.  Some of our kids have a real problem with success.  They've been told all of their lives that they're useless, will account to nothing, and probably been on the receiving end of a few bashes.  Anyway, the boy is now on a Section 27, meaning he will have to go through a review and restoration process before being allowed back in school.

Boys will be boys

I hope today's quieter, especially with the final rehearsal of the school production.  Richard [of RBB] will be tied up all day.  Sometimes he works too hard.