Local briefs

Groves High School getting an early start

As a part of the school improvement grant for Groves High School, all new and returning students will begin classes today.

All returning students will be required to be in class, in uniform, and on time for the starting bell time of 7:30 a.m.

For information on bus schedules, go to http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/Documents/Bus_Routes/QMF_3056...

Classes at all other Savannah-Chatham public schools begin Aug. 22.

CAT School Supply Drive on until Aug. 19

Chatham Area Transit announces its 2011 CAT School Supply Drive through Aug. 19.

CAT’s school supply drive is focused on assisting families with school supplies during these challenging economic times and demonstrates a commitment to connecting the community. School supplies will be collected on all CAT vehicles and at CAT’s administrative offices, 900 East Gwinnett St. and 124 Bull St. The collected supplies will be donated to CAT’s education partners which are part of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

For questions or concerns, contact Valerie Ragland, marketing manager at 912.629.3924 or vragland@catchacat.org

Citizen Police Academy taking applications

Metro police are taking applications through Sept. 9 for Citizen Police Academy, a 13-week program designed to allow residents to informally interact with the members of the police department and the local criminal justice system.

Participants meet officers from each Metro police unit and speak to people who represent the agencies with which the officers interact.

Highlights of the program are tours of the 911 center and the Chatham County Jail, firearms training, traffic stop role playing and a chance to ride along with an officer on patrol.

The class meets on Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Savannah-Chatham Police Department Squad Room, 201 Habersham St. The class starts Sept. 15. Registration is $10, and only checks or money orders can be accepted.

For an application, visit any police precinct, call Gianna Nelson at 912-651-2246 or visit www.scmpd.org . Applications must be signed and noterized and can be turned in to any precinct or to police headquarters, located at the corner of Habersham and Oglethorpe streets.

Graduates will be eligible to apply to the police department’s Volunteers in Policing Program.

Should you Choose Your Kid's Friends? | Banana Hammocks & Tutus

As the beginning of the school year creeps up on us again, I am reminded of the crappy experiences we had last year in our public school system.

Styles was in 4th grade and there were fist fights in his classroom, on the playground, at gym, etc….  The children in his class were outright rude and disrespectful to the teacher and other students in the class.  Once the school year was underway and nearly half way over, I realized that the teacher was completely unable to control her classroom.  I’m sorry that she had a class full of disruptive douches but at what point do you really begin disciplining your class or hand things over to a higher authority? Had I not been battling Postpartum Depression, I would have taken him out of the Savannah Chatham County Public School System and home-schooled him but I just didn’t have it in me at the time.

In any event, Styles came home a few times with phone numbers of children in his classroom.  More than once we called the children and they came over for a sleepover.  They were all super nice kids and seemed very respectful.  On another occasion, Styles brought home a boy’s number and I hung it on the fridge thinking that we would call this kid the following weekend.  We’ll just call him Abe.  A few days later, Styles came home to tell me about a fist fight on the playground, started by Abe because someone on his team didn’t catch the football when it was thrown to him and they lost the game.

I started blankly at Styles while he told me this, thinking, “Is this the same Abe whose number is hanging on my refrigerator?”

I asked him and he confirmed that it was the same Abe.  He said that Abe is a really “sweet kid” but he just has a temper.  I asked Styles how he would feel if Abe beat him up for winning a game of air hockey here at our house and he said that, that wouldn’t happen because Abe liked Styles.

Oh the naivete.

I told him that Abe was no longer allowed to come over that weekend.  I was pregnant and not willing to deal with one of the class bullies when my husband wouldn’t be home.  Sure, things could have turned out fine but I could have also had to deal with Public Enemy #Douche and I just wasn’t emotionally capable at that point in time to handle it.

Abe was never invited over and I asked Styles to please find friends who didn’t have temper problems, who didn’t disrupt his education on a daily basis, and whom he could trust.

Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, a survey report

Savannah-Chatham County public schools, standardized test results

Savannah's Historical Public Schools

1993-94 schools information including "Report card" for each public school and system and school-by-school standardized test scores

Dismantling contemporary deficit thinking, educational thought and practice