The Annual Assembly Meeting

People who know me know that i love to talk but I also know when to shut up. There was a person at the meeting today who just does not know when to shut the fuck up. Oh god i could have throttled this person. But it's over now so I'll let it go.

Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the whole meeting but I was able to participate in the discussion of topics that were important to me.

We talked about expanding and planning new buildings. It was kind of funny how some people wanted to get into a level of detail that just made no sense for the stage that we are in. and one of the staff members even said that the purpose of the motions were just to gauge interest. although, I'm guilty of expressing opinions in an attempt to sway people. So the idea for a new building, a soccer field and a barn passed. the idea of a dorm did not.

Some of the motions really turned on what the interpretation of the Sudbury philosophy is to that person. The motion to remove the thesis requirement for graduation was withdrawn but the staff member who made it brought up a good point which was that it should be for the students and not just to make the parents happy. Another staff member said that the celebration of students leaving should be separate from the thesis/graduation process which I endorse. The nature of sudbury is such that you can be ready to go and if you don't feel the need to go through the thesis process why should you be deprived of us sending you off.

the staff member who made the motion to remove students from the community service requirements spoke quite passionately and really tried to make their case. The argument basically hinged on the idea that we were forcing the students to do something and that goes against the philosophy. One parent, a guy I really respect because he just cuts through the bullshit and gets to the point, pointed out that he thought the non compulsory aspect applied to education, not to life itself. At least I think that's what he said. I know that's what I was thinking but hadn't found the right way to articulate it. To me, helping out, volunteering, is a habit that should be taught like hygiene. Wear clean clothes, brush your teeth, help out when its needed. what was funny was that the motion was made by a staff member, not a student and there were no students present to argue against it. In fact the one student who had anything to say,our carpool buddy,was actually in favor of keeping the policy in place. I had to go outside to make a phone call and there were a bunch of students sitting around and I thought about telling them that we were discussing the community service policy. I decided against it in case they would have voted for the motion. which did fail.

I wanted to make a motion during the open agenda that parents be notified of drug charges but I couldn't stay that long and I'm not sure how much more discussion I could have gotten through. Oh well, there's always next year. Also, it might not have been possible because it might have to come from school meeting. I learned alot about what is really in the purview of school meeting vs. the assembly. I should expound upon it more but I'm tired.