Fairfield, CT -- In a stunt-gone-wrong, hallways, walls, the senior lounge and bathrooms were trashed with watermelons that seniors had decorated, brought to school and planned to place around the building. A large quantity of maple syrup was also dumped down a stairwell. FLHS Headmaster Greg Hatzis issued a letter by email to parents, describing the situation:
"I want to inform you of a situation here in the school. On Monday, the seniors planned a 'prank' that turned bad. The intent, apparently, was to bring decorated watermelons to school and leave them all about the building in various locations. Instead, several students took it upon themselves to smash the watermelons, causing us to close several bathrooms, stairwells, and the senior lounge. In addition, a gallon of maple syrup was poured down one of our most-used stairwells. There are pictures of some of the mess at the end of this letter.
This all had a significant impact on the regular functioning of the school and necessitated a huge effort on the part of our custodial staff to clean it all up. As a result, I have cancelled the senior picnic and senior yearbook signing party scheduled for later this year. I understand that this may be construed as punishing the 'many' for the actions of the 'few', but at this stage, I cannot say for sure how many were involved. In an announcement earlier today, I explained that we, as a community, sometimes have to take collective responsibility to demand personal responsibility. In other words, we have to hold one another accountable to do the right thing.
I may be willing to reconsider today’s decision, but it will depend a lot on how our students react. The response of the students will help define the legacy of this senior class. I also reminded underclassmen that events like this might have an impact on decisions about future privileges. Each year I get questions about our senior internship, and I defend it by explaining that our students have the maturity to represent our school and community in these work locations. I don’t want to question that belief.
I encourage you to talk to your children about this. As educators and parents, we are often left reacting to situations like this one. However, we also help students learn from mistakes and act on ideas that are constructive and positive. Our school climate committee is considering several ideas regarding ways to address this on a larger level. Let’s make this a learning situation that results in positive action. I have invited students to discuss this with their teachers, counselors, and other staff. As always, my door is open to them, as well.
Thank you,
Greg Hatzis, Headmaster