Stricter rules for illegal substances at Norton Middle School

Norton Middle School will enforce a stricter consequence should a student be found in possession of an illegal substance on school grounds.

In the 2011/12 school year, students caught with an illegal substance will face a suspension of 10 days, an increase from the previous standard set at a five-day suspension.

The amendment to the student handbook was presented for approval before the Norton school committee at its Monday, June 13 meeting.

School committee member Andrew Mackie was worried the punishment, being out of school for 10 days, was too severe at the middle school level.

“Our intention is to send a message, but I think this just might be a bit too harsh,” Mackie said.

Middle school principal Michael O’Rourke and Norton High School principal Raymond Dewar spoke as to why the 10-day punishment was appropriate.

“It does give people a sense of, I’d better not,” said Dewar. “If you are a middle school student I think you know better. It has a greater impact to have 10 days.”

O’Rourke agreed with Dewar,

“The 10 days will make people think,” O’Rourke said. “Kids are doing this at an earlier age and it’s a deterrent to the kids.”

Mackie also expressed his concerns about the academic gap a student would experience if out for 10 days.

O’Rourke assured that help would be given to those suspended and students would receive classroom assignments online as to not fall behind when out of school.

Deniz Savas, vice chairman of the school committee, felt 10 days might create a hardship for families with two working parents and abstained from voting on the amendment.

The rest of the board agreed to make the change to 10 days, taking into consideration Dewar and O’Rourke comments as to why the increase in suspension was beneficial.

“Allowing someone to have a substance abuse problem and not deal with it sternly contributes to their spiral,” Dewar stated.

Late Child Star Heather O'Rourke Writes Outraged Memo to God Upon ...

STV — (Defamer today obtained this memo currently making the rounds in Heaven's Third District, Cloud Unit G — better known as "Sesame Heaven," or the Late Child Stars Dept. Reliable afterlife sources have confirmed its authenticity; we pass it along to you without further comment.)

Dear God,

Hi, God, it's me, Heather O'Rourke — the little girl from Poltergeist . How's tricks? I know how busy you must be dealing with the whole Isaac Hayes thing right now (my vote: let him in!), but when you get a second, I was hoping I might ask you for just one tiny little favor. It would really mean a lot, and I've been really good all these years and haven't requested anything except for that pony, but that was, like, 20 years ago when I first got here, and you never got back to me. No probs, though, God — I'm kinda glad it didn't work out, because now I need you to do me a much more important solid: Can you please smite the people responsible for this planned remake of Poltergeist ?

I don't quite know how these things work; Brad Renfro told me you helped out with his dealer not too long ago, and that depending on my grievance I could get some "real fucking payback" (his words not mine, LOL). And I think I've got a pretty strong case. I'm sure you've heard about all these movies MGM is recycling — Red Dawn , RoboCop , etc. — which is all pretty tacky, if you ask me. Like, really, God, aren't there any new ideas? Then I heard this morning that they hired some writers to remake my movie Poltergeist . I couldn't believe it! We had such a good thing going back in 1982, and now they're just gonna go and unimaginatively squeeze another few dollars out of the property. I'm practically spinning in my grave!

Now listen, God: I have always minded my manners and been nice to everyone, as per Your dictates. But this really ticks me off, and if everyone else down on Earth gets to bomb, rape and kill each other with impunity, I don't see why I can't just this once ask you to strike someone with lightning or cast them opposite Billy Bob Thornton or at least scare some honest-to-You sense into them. Have you seen Poltergeist , God? I mean, I know you probably anticipated a lot of the twists, but didn't we do a good job overall — good enough to be left alone, anyway? It's not like we made Short Circuit (another forthcoming remake , but that's not my problem) or anything.

Heather O'Rourke

The encyclopedia of fantasy

Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide

Deaths from Digestive Disease, Heather O'rourke, Joe C. , George Teasdale, Austin Ford, Mikhail Ulyanov

Totally awesome 80s