A BAD LESSON

It was the first day of school in Westwood and the high school students
were gathered for a talk in the auditorium.

Four individuals were quietly pulled out.

All four had marijuana on their person.

This was not a fling on the last day of class.

This was four high school students carrying marijuana into class on the
very first day of school.

This makes a bad statement and starts the school year negatively.

It says these four students are starting out their school year with an
attitude. School is of secondary importance and having fun is of the utmost
importance. They just sashayed into the first day of school with an illegal
drug on their person.

Westwood is a marvelous school system. It offers students the top of the
line in school programs, extracurricular activities and an excellent chance
to move to a top college.

Marijuana compromises all that.

The fact these students had marijuana on them and brought it to school is
sad. What's also sad is that the incident was not addressed at the most
recent School Committee meeting, just two days after it occurred. It would
have been a perfect opportunity for Superintendent Dr. Paul Ash to confront
the issue, tell parents what's being done about it and remind everyone of
the school's drug policies. He could have grabbed the issue by the horns,
tell the parents and students system problems such as these are being taken
seriously by the administration. Other school officials could have used the
forum to tell parents what resources they have available to help with
children and drug issues right in town. School Committee members could have
had questions about what resources or steps the schools have - or should
have - to combat this problem.

But the entire scandal was ignored at the meeting, as if it never happened
at all. The bad news that's not going to make alcohol and drug-related
problems in the Westwood system disappear. If incidents like this continue
to be ignored by our school leaders at public forums, it does little to
dissuade youths from engaging behavior as cavalier as bringing pot to
school with them on the first day of school. What message does that send to
them?

Principal Jean Wentworth did say the four were not caught smoking
marijuana. While she would not say what their whole punishment might be,
"students are receiving a 10-day suspension" as part of the penalty.

Hopefully, this penalty will give all Westwood students their first big
lesson of the year, a lesson they will not forget.