I don't remember having a Hell Night as a back to school rite of passage when I was a kid.
Don't get me wrong, we had our grad pranks but I recall they were at the end of the year and I also remember they were harmless and nondestructive for the most part.
A walk around SDSS on Wednesday morning told me that vandalism is apparently a large part of Hell Night. Lots of well thought out fence tipping, some really creative spray painting of the school building itself with thought provoking messages such as F*** Police and F*** School.
These eloquent messages must have taken several hours to develop by some of our community's brightest future citizens and the parents of these artists should be very proud indeed.
We all know that it is only a few people that do this type of thing but aren't you kind of tired of hearing that repetitive observation?
I think it is time their peers took charge. Maybe students can resolve these random acts of stupidity and embarrassment internally, in their own way.
Kids that do this type of thing need to channel their angst in more positive ways.
Students and parents should take a look at the mission statement of the Delta school district and understand there are some very important guiding messages there that will help our students, schools and community.
A recent couple of back to school polls by Ipsos Reid showed Canadians are generally concerned about the public education system. That response was highest in B.C. where 79 per cent of us are concerned. B.C. also graded the public school system at a D or F 26 per cent of the time.
Does this mean private schools are immune to Hell Night?
Probably not, but the low numbers on the polls are likely a direct reflection of ongoing labour unrest and lack of a beneficial, long-term agreement between the BCTF and the employer here in British Columbia.
It seems that many people have a gut reaction to this type of polling information and seldom do they recognize the public education system accepts all students from all ability levels and that it makes extraordinary efforts to educate children regardless of their learning needs.
If you look at what the Delta district has accomplished you will notice it has worked hard to add elements of private school study to a public school environment through the academy programs.
This varied mixture of programming opportunity can only be good for our kids and hopefully they will take pride in knowing that creativity and innovation are alive and well in their own backyards. There is more to come, so stay tuned.
When future grads come to their Hell Night, hopefully they take some time to consider the district vision: "The Delta School District is a leading district for innovative teaching and learner success."
Kids in our communities need to find respect for their learning environments and take pride in their schools so that future grads can take the vandalism out of the Hell Night equation.
They might even feel good about it and learn that school is not hellish. Let's hope.
