ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUSPENDS BOY FOR POT

But Officials See Learning Opportunity For Grade 7 Student

The principal at Mildred Hall school hopes a Grade 7 student caught
with marijuana last week can chalk it up as a learning experience.

The boy had taken the drug out in class and was showing it to other
students when he was discovered by a teacher, said Yasemin Heyck,
principal at Mildred Hall.

"It was a minuscule amount wrapped in a little piece of foil," said Heyck.

"It was taken away, obviously," she added.

Police were immediately called to the school. Heyck said the student
purchased the marijuana downtown.

Consequences for the Grade 7 boy included two days suspended from classes.

The first day the boy and his mother met with police and teachers to
discuss the incident.

The second day he spent in an in-school suspension, according to Heyck.

The reprimand will focus on education, said Mel Pardy, assistant
superintendent for the Yellowknife Education District 1 (YK1).

"There certainly is a drug issue in this town," he said.

The school district is well aware of this, he added, and they have
always worked to keep students informed.

"We're trying to focus on the education of kids - when they're
confronted with this outside of school and how to deal with it," said Pardy.

Heyck agreed. "We're trying to make this as educational as possible,"
she said. "You screw up, but learn from it."

Mildred Hall has drug awareness workshops and brings in an addictions
counsellor from the Tree of Peace, said Heyck.

"We bring them in all the time. It's a fact of life in Yellowknife so
we want to do all the prevention that we can."

Constable Roxanne Dreilich said the RCMP cautioned the student on the
dangers of drugs.

"In this case, the youth involved did not have prior involvement with
the police, which means they receive a verbal caution," said Dreilich.

The consequences had an effect on the boy, said Heyck.

"He was scared," she said.

"I'm hoping this is an experience he really learns from.

He has the potential to be a very successful young man and obviously
this type of behaviour is going to interfere with that."

Mildred Hall has always taught their students to be smart about
drugs, said Heyck. They don't plan to add any programs after this incident.