News
About 90 Bear River High School seniors are learning a tough lesson in accountability just a week before they are scheduled to graduate.
Elsewhere in Nevada County, Nevada Union High School students are being sternly warned against a similar stunt with the consequence of not walking on graduation day.
The Bear River students admitted to pulling an early-morning prank Wednesday, when a small pickup truck was parked in a second-story hallway and several hundred desks were stacked in the hallways as well, according to a report filed with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.
School staff were called in at about 2:30 a.m. to clean the mess up, taking several hours of work, said Principal Jim Nieto. Students who arrived early Wednesday morning helped to clear the mess, he added.
While no major damage was done to the school and no major injuries were suffered, the seniors were addressed and asked to step forward on Wednesday, Nieto said.
“We told them there are a lot of people who went above and beyond for you this year,” Nieto said. “Some may have not come forward, and that's life. You get people who won't take accountability in the real world, too.”
Many of the students stepped forward to accept responsibility (including the driver of the truck) and were assigned between two and 10 hours of community service to be completed by next Thursday – the last day of school for seniors – Nieto said. The range of hours accounted for their culpability in the prank.
“They will be here to make it right,” Nieto said.
Students will help teachers and school staff in cleaning duties and “whatever else we might need” to remedy the situation, he added.
Nevada Union students may not be afforded the same quarter, said Principal Marty Mathiesen.
If students are found to be involved in a prank that costs money or staff time to fix, they could not walk in the Saturday, June 11 graduation.
Mathiesen made an automated phone call to his 500-plus senior class Tuesday night explaining his stance, and planned to speak to classes of students and contact parents this week.
“I'll call them again,” Mathiesen said. “To remind them that, look, No. 1 is make good decisions, help your friends make good decisions. This is the end of a 13-year marathon for you and I don't want you to trip up in the last 100 yards.
“I reminded them that the idea of a senior prank vs. the reality are two different things. If you participate in disruption to the school or any kind of damage where we're repairing property and using staff time, they're not doing their job by cleaning up your messes.”
It's a privilege to walk at graduation, and students need to take into account the fact that the honor isn't theirs alone, Mathiesen added.
“It's more than just you, it's a reflection of your parents, who are proud of you, it's a reflection of your community and specifically your school,” Mathiesen said. “I will not tolerate anything that diminishes the dignity of that ceremony.”
To contact Staff Writer Kyle Magin, e-mail kmagin@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4239.
Elsewhere in Nevada County, Nevada Union High School students are being sternly warned against a similar stunt with the consequence of not walking on graduation day.
The Bear River students admitted to pulling an early-morning prank Wednesday, when a small pickup truck was parked in a second-story hallway and several hundred desks were stacked in the hallways as well, according to a report filed with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.
School staff were called in at about 2:30 a.m. to clean the mess up, taking several hours of work, said Principal Jim Nieto. Students who arrived early Wednesday morning helped to clear the mess, he added.
While no major damage was done to the school and no major injuries were suffered, the seniors were addressed and asked to step forward on Wednesday, Nieto said.
“We told them there are a lot of people who went above and beyond for you this year,” Nieto said. “Some may have not come forward, and that's life. You get people who won't take accountability in the real world, too.”
Many of the students stepped forward to accept responsibility (including the driver of the truck) and were assigned between two and 10 hours of community service to be completed by next Thursday – the last day of school for seniors – Nieto said. The range of hours accounted for their culpability in the prank.
“They will be here to make it right,” Nieto said.
Students will help teachers and school staff in cleaning duties and “whatever else we might need” to remedy the situation, he added.
Nevada Union students may not be afforded the same quarter, said Principal Marty Mathiesen.
If students are found to be involved in a prank that costs money or staff time to fix, they could not walk in the Saturday, June 11 graduation.
Mathiesen made an automated phone call to his 500-plus senior class Tuesday night explaining his stance, and planned to speak to classes of students and contact parents this week.
“I'll call them again,” Mathiesen said. “To remind them that, look, No. 1 is make good decisions, help your friends make good decisions. This is the end of a 13-year marathon for you and I don't want you to trip up in the last 100 yards.
“I reminded them that the idea of a senior prank vs. the reality are two different things. If you participate in disruption to the school or any kind of damage where we're repairing property and using staff time, they're not doing their job by cleaning up your messes.”
It's a privilege to walk at graduation, and students need to take into account the fact that the honor isn't theirs alone, Mathiesen added.
“It's more than just you, it's a reflection of your parents, who are proud of you, it's a reflection of your community and specifically your school,” Mathiesen said. “I will not tolerate anything that diminishes the dignity of that ceremony.”
To contact Staff Writer Kyle Magin, e-mail kmagin@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4239.
