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nel
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 1173 total posts
Name:
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West Hempstead
I'm sure everyone's seen the articles on Newsday about the terrible accident on Thursday that killed two seniors from WHHS. I just can't get it out of my head. Why do high schools need to have open campuses if these things keep happening? 
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Posted 4/12/08 8:59 AM  |
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donegal419
St. Gerard, pray for us.
Member since 7/07 7650 total posts
Name:
K
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Re: West Hempstead
It's terrible!
Is our district's HS an open campus? I honestly don't know...
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| Posted 4/12/08 9:34 AM |
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nel
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 1173 total posts
Name:
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Re: West Hempstead
Posted by donegal419
It's terrible!
Is our district's HS an open campus? I honestly don't know...
It is... and in my second year, we had this same exact thing happen, except that all four kids were killed instantly. The others had to see the accident when they left school for the day. I'll never forget that.
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| Posted 4/12/08 9:43 AM |
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beautyq115
New Year!
Member since 5/05 13729 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: West Hempstead
Posted by donegal419
It's terrible!
Is our district's HS an open campus? I honestly don't know...
I remember a horrible accident in your district about 6 years ago. I was working in a neighboring district and was on my way back to work and I just missed the accident by about 5 minutes. I saw the aftermath of a car over turned...I will never forget that
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| Posted 4/12/08 11:32 AM |
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cjb88
Little Brother
Member since 5/05 3540 total posts
Name:
C
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Re: West Hempstead
it is really sad - there was a death at smithtown this year too-I know the state is considering a new rule not allowing any schools to have an open campus... my district has an open campus for seniors only- if they closed it, at this point, we honestly do not have the room or the supervision to house all of the students at once in our building- there would be no where for them to go... i think as of now my building is thinking of coming up with a policy where they can close campus when the weather is bad so the students cant go out driving in poor weather...
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| Posted 4/12/08 11:41 AM |
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beautyq115
New Year!
Member since 5/05 13729 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: West Hempstead
I don't think schools should have an open campus....too much happens when schools allow kids to go out.
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| Posted 4/12/08 11:54 AM |
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Gatsbygirl
Please St. Therese....
Member since 10/07 8494 total posts
Name:
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Re: West Hempstead
Every spring.....My hs had a closed campus (it was in the middle of nowhere). At the time we complained, but now I see the wisdom in it!
I feel terrible for those families
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| Posted 4/12/08 2:32 PM |
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browneyedgirl
family is all that matters
Member since 6/06 6513 total posts
Name:
browneyes
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Re: West Hempstead
although this is a horrible tragedy, i do not support closing campuses for several reasons.
1. these accidents are occurring because of careless/reckless drivers. according to reports, the drivers were speeding and weaving. to punish everyone because of the reckless actions of a few shouldn't happen.
2. most kids leave campus to get something to eat. i know i left my HS every day to get lunch. not only would they not be allowed to leave, the businesses around them would suffer. many businesses near my HS do the majority of their business from the HS kids.
3. many schools do not even have space to hold all of the students at the lunch periods. they would have to expand ($$$) or rework their entire school day. not all schools have cafeterias. those too would have to be built ($$$)
4. making a sweeping law for the entire state based on individual incidents isn't right. to tell all districts that they have to close is not fair. let individual districts decide what is right for their population. although kids in my old HS can walk to lunch spots, the HS in the district i work for is miles away from the nearest restaurant.
again, i feel terrible for these families and the students who lost their lives. it is a horrible tragedy. but to say that closing campuses would stop teen accidents isn't accurate. maybe then they shouldn't allow students to drive to school AT ALL. maybe parents shouldn't give a kid a car at 16/17. if they will speed at lunch time, they will speed getting to school and leaving school.
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| Posted 4/12/08 2:57 PM |
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nel
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 1173 total posts
Name:
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Re: West Hempstead
Posted by browneyedgirl
although this is a horrible tragedy, i do not support closing campuses for several reasons.
1. these accidents are occurring because of careless/reckless drivers. according to reports, the drivers were speeding and weaving. to punish everyone because of the reckless actions of a few shouldn't happen.
2. most kids leave campus to get something to eat. i know i left my HS every day to get lunch. not only would they not be allowed to leave, the businesses around them would suffer. many businesses near my HS do the majority of their business from the HS kids.
3. many schools do not even have space to hold all of the students at the lunch periods. they would have to expand ($$$) or rework their entire school day. not all schools have cafeterias. those too would have to be built ($$$)
4. making a sweeping law for the entire state based on individual incidents isn't right. to tell all districts that they have to close is not fair. let individual districts decide what is right for their population. although kids in my old HS can walk to lunch spots, the HS in the district i work for is miles away from the nearest restaurant.
again, i feel terrible for these families and the students who lost their lives. it is a horrible tragedy. but to say that closing campuses would stop teen accidents isn't accurate. maybe then they shouldn't allow students to drive to school AT ALL. maybe parents shouldn't give a kid a car at 16/17. if they will speed at lunch time, they will speed getting to school and leaving school.
I do see your points, and my district did NOT close the campus after we had this same type of accident occur almost seven years ago now. But at the time, we did acknowledge that kids speed more in the middle of the day when they are rushing to get back from lunch than they do either coming to or leaving school in the morning and afternoon. I will say, though, that I'm all for parents NOT getting these kids expensive, fast cars as soon as they learn how to drive. It's just too tempting for some of them...
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| Posted 4/12/08 7:18 PM |
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nel
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 1173 total posts
Name:
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Re: West Hempstead
Posted by beautyq115
Posted by donegal419
It's terrible!
Is our district's HS an open campus? I honestly don't know...
I remember a horrible accident in your district about 6 years ago. I was working in a neighboring district and was on my way back to work and I just missed the accident by about 5 minutes. I saw the aftermath of a car over turned...I will never forget that
You're thinking of the same one I am, I'm sure. It was one of the most horrible experiences I've ever had as a teacher. Unfortunately, that was not the only one. We seem to have had a string of bad luck. The kids think it's a curse, and sometimes, it's hard to argue.
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| Posted 4/12/08 7:19 PM |
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MrsPowers
So blessed!
Member since 11/06 10348 total posts
Name:
Ivelysse
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Re: West Hempstead
Posted by browneyedgirl
although this is a horrible tragedy, i do not support closing campuses for several reasons.
1. these accidents are occurring because of careless/reckless drivers. according to reports, the drivers were speeding and weaving. to punish everyone because of the reckless actions of a few shouldn't happen.
2. most kids leave campus to get something to eat. i know i left my HS every day to get lunch. not only would they not be allowed to leave, the businesses around them would suffer. many businesses near my HS do the majority of their business from the HS kids.
3. many schools do not even have space to hold all of the students at the lunch periods. they would have to expand ($$$) or rework their entire school day. not all schools have cafeterias. those too would have to be built ($$$)
4. making a sweeping law for the entire state based on individual incidents isn't right. to tell all districts that they have to close is not fair. let individual districts decide what is right for their population. although kids in my old HS can walk to lunch spots, the HS in the district i work for is miles away from the nearest restaurant.
again, i feel terrible for these families and the students who lost their lives. it is a horrible tragedy. but to say that closing campuses would stop teen accidents isn't accurate. maybe then they shouldn't allow students to drive to school AT ALL. maybe parents shouldn't give a kid a car at 16/17. if they will speed at lunch time, they will speed getting to school and leaving school.
ITA!!! As a HS teacher at an open campus, it is a privilege and it is quite difficult to take away once the kids have had it already. I imagine if campuses close, then the kids would sneak out anyway.
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| Posted 4/12/08 9:33 PM |
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ggt08
;)
Member since 5/05 5208 total posts
Name:
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Re: West Hempstead
my sister attends West Hempstead HS. so sad for everyone involved. I think I saw on the news out of 32 LI districts 19 are open campuses and 13 are closed.
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| Posted 4/13/08 6:25 PM |
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Erica
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 11767 total posts
Name:
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Re: West Hempstead
that's sad...but I agree that it shouldn't be a law for the entire state (I'm sure upstate rural schools would have trouble with this)
that said, I had a closed campus and that was almost 20 years ago ( ) I only knew on ONE student who died in a car accident in the four years I was there (and that was over the summer)...maybe it was a good idea (although I hated it at the time, since I lived w/in walking distance and we had a village filled with food places 1 long blokc away). The school had extra lunch periods to deal with all students being in the building
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| Posted 4/14/08 3:05 PM |
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