Tuesday afternoon

After making a short run at completing some work this week, Vincent got into trouble today for getting a text message during a test and then declining to hand his cell phone over to his teacher - the same teacher who turned him for making that remark in December. Vincent said he felt this was unfair because others had gotten text message during the test and she had not asked for their phones. He's suspended for three days, through the end of Friday, but he says he won't come back, because he says they'll just find something else for him to get into trouble with. We'll see if he sticks with that. He did get stuff out of his locker, which makes it seem more definite. He was still agitated when I talked with him briefly. I continue to have mixed feelings about all of this. I did talk with his guidance counselor about how he could transfer to the all-on-line school.


P.S. Tuesday evening Vincent - to our surprise, over at our house with his friend - seemed to be hedging about shifting out of his school. Apparently he can go back Monday, if he chooses to, although he will be all the more behind with school work (which he's not supposed to be able to make up from those three days) and with his senior project (he didn't show up Tuesday for a planned for library project). I also forgot to mention that last week he apparently dropped out for good from an activity that was the love of his life last winter - the 10-Minute Plays. He had missed some practices because of all his sicknesses/absences. So - to him - similar things set him off against the plays that supposedly set him off against his social studies teachers - justice/fairness/conspiracy issues both. He said he felt the teacher was singling him out on the cell phone, since others during the test had got text messages or calls (and she supposed didn't ask for their phones). With the 10-Minute plays, the student leaders made fun of Vincent for missing practice even though he was sick when he missed practice (admitted - to my mind - sick in part because of bad decisions he made for example about going over to his friend's when he already didn't feel great). Vincent initially said he was quitting the plays because he wanted more time to do homework (oh that that were really true). I also believe that - if he were still in school - in about a week - after 4th sixth-weeks' grades came in - they would have to boot him out anyway - and he may have seen the handwriting on the wall - You can't fire me - I quit! I had mixed feelings about it last year, but that was a big part of his life. His tenure at school may or may not be over. But it seems that his 10-Minute plays tenure is definitely over. (He had even talked about helping direct the plays until his inability to fit a Theater class in his schedule, the Danes, his girlfriend, his bad grades, and his general problems all seemed to intervene.)

-- Perry