The principal's office: Keeping it un-cool.

Grounded is not cool. Neither is disappointing parents. You're on the right track.

Hold your dominion.

Jeez.

Are Mo and I the only two ever sent to the principal's office?

The principal has only been needed twice in 40 years?

They oughta fire those guys.

Promise me, son, not to do the things Ive done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
It wont mean youre weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope youre old enough to understand:
Son, you dont have to fight to be a man.

I promised you, dad, not to do the things you done.
I walk away from trouble when I can.
Now please dont think Im weak, I didnt turn the other cheek,
And papa, I sure hope you understand:
Sometimes you gotta fight when youre a man.

Why was he fighting?

Sorry. I can't think of any way to make it uncool.

When I went to the principal's office with my gang of sheehooligans (for treeing a group of our male classmates at the bus stop), I was only disappointed that we didn't get more publicity.

One disappointed and disapproving look of my father was always more than enough for me. He never even raised his voice. I can lend him to you for a bit if you feed him well.

I was sent a few times. Once for "eating napkins and wiping herself with potato latkes" and another time me and friend for "shoving each other into shrubbery repeatedly"... We had a book for all the grades and notes to the parents, i still have it somewhere.
good times!

my mother was unfortunately somewhat amused, father never knew. he wouldn't be. it wasn't either cool or uncool, as it was just me and my friend and we didn't particularly care to share that with others.

I was sent to the principal's office once in elementary school, but I dunno what for. I barely remember anything about it. Just what the office sort of looked like and the noises from the secretaries.

That is totally it, eBeth -- publicity.

The she-hooligans came by tonight and I told them Mo couldn't play or have company and he was upset that I didn't tell them why.

Later, we were working in the yard and I was fence yakking with Bachelor #1 and Mo was all "tell him about me going to the principal's office".

Really, it's a badge. It was for me. It was for you. It seems to be for Mo. Unfortunately for Mo, I think earning the badge could become a real habit if he gets any attention for it.

Why was he fighting?

It's always hard to get to the bottom of and it is hard to explain without sounding like I'm making excuses. I'm not making excuses. There is no excuse to hit.

It was actually two fights.

The first tale goes that he hit H in the stomach during a basketball game. H is really super competetive and he can dish it out but he can't take it. Mo punched him plain and simple over some infraction during the game.

The teacher had a "long" talk with him about the rules (I don't know if the other kid was involved in the talk) and told him he had to keep his hands to himself or he would have to go to the principal.

The second one is the only one I've ever heard Mo try to explain. I think he was baffled by getting sent to the principal over it. Apparently this kid, A, kept telling Mo he was supposed to be doing something and Mo saying that no, it wasn't his turn to do it (it wasn't his turn). The kid kept going and going and Mo shoved him away.

A started crying.

Mo went to the principal.

No principal's office visits. Goody goody here... it took me years to get as obnoxious as I am now.

I'm trying to think about the kids I work with. There always seems to be someone there. Maybe that's the key. If it's a common occurrence it won't lend a sense of coolness. Of course, if it's a common occurrence it might lose it's effectiveness too.

My child was sent several times to the Principal's office, mostly in Kindergarten and first grade. Once at recess, she and 2 other girls were sliding down the hillside on a rainy day and the teacher refused to let them
back into class as they were muddy from head to toe. She (teacher) sent
them right to the Principal who was almost laughing when he saw those
little cuties with mudd all over their faces.

I myself was summoned to the Principal's office by himself. It was winter
and we were throwing snow balls on school grounds, which was strictly
prohibited - we did it anyway! One of my icy snow balls hit the Principal's
window by mistake while he stood behind it looking at us. When he opened the window to tell us to come to his office, one of the snow balls was already in mid air and landed directly on his chest.

Oy, that wasn't a good visit. We all got letters home to our parents and
2 weeks of detention.

I was arrested by the student patrol in first grade for swearing (we had 6th grade crossing patrols -- complete with badges). I was overheard calling out to my friend 'Chuckie'. The stupid, hard of hearing patrol cop insisted I hadn't called him Chuckie, but something else that rhymes with it, and made me tell my tale to the Principal.

I was let loose on a sympathy appeal (I was bawling my eyes out).

Next time was years later for skipping school -- guilty as charged.