-What Should Be Done About the St. John School Stabbing?

By: R. Jackson

A 9^th grade boy was stabbed in his left rib on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at the Julius E. Sprauve School. Two students were just playing with a knife and were not expecting anything to happen. My brother has a class with them and he told me that he saw that it was an accident. The victim acted as if nothing happened because he did not want his friend to get in trouble.

Everyone should know not to bring any weapons to school. Playing with sharp objects is dangerous. Everyone who has a child in public school should be disturbed by this problem. “We are all grieved by it, and we are going to do everything within our power to make sure a situation like that doesn’t occur within our campus, so that the faculty and students can feel safe. I believe it’s an isolated incident,” said Mario Francis, Principal of the Sprauve School.

“Now that this incident has occurred, I think that there will be more random searches and an increased focus on the school ‘s peer mediation program,” said Francis.

I have one question to ask: Will this peer mediation really help against accidents?

I think that Francis should have been more aware of students bringing weapons to school, and parents should talk to their children about playing with dangerous objects. Parents should become closer to their children, sit down and listen to them. Whatever they have to say should be important. I am both concerned and angry at this situation. No school is going to safe unless everyone pitches in and helps to make it safe.

Cooper, Constance, “Details on St. John School Stabbing Emerge.” Daily News, 8 April 2010 page 8.