After complaining of being bullied, a freshman boy recently attempted to hang himself in the boys’ locker room. The student council plans to meet Thursday to discuss the topic of adding an advisory period to prevent the issue of bullying.

“We were very fortunate that Coach Steede found the young man before he harmed himself,” principal Shai Tsur said. “This incident opened our eyes and showed us that we must act before one of our students seriously hurts himself or herself.”

A school policy states that a student who bullies another student will be suspended for three days and must attend five, one-on-one counseling sessions with a school counselor.

“I don’t believe we have tolerated bullies in the past, but I want an official discipline policy for students who bully,” Tsur said. “We will not stand for it. If students choose to bully, they will face stiff consequences.”

To make the advisory work out properly, Principal Tur plans to shorten lunch by 10 minutes and start school 10 minutes earlier.

“We don’t agree with an earlier start time for school or losing 10 minutes from lunch,” student council president Elisabel Cordero said. “I think students would prefer adding time to the end of the school day rather than starting earlier.”

In order to ensure small numbers, every teacher, administrator, librarian and counselor will have an advisory period.

“Mr. Tsur assured us that it would not be more work for us, and I believe him,” science teacher Olga Camps said. “It will be nice getting to know students on a deeper level.”

Separating genders is also being considered for the advisory period.
“[The} advisory period sounds like it will help students get to know each other better,” Cordero said. “If we are all friends, the bullying will stop.”

To determine whether or not to overturn the principal’s decision on junior Jim Stack’s idea of growing his hair out for Locks of Love, a charity that provides wigs to children with cancer, the school board plans to meet Monday at 7 to vote over the issue.
“Had I approved Jim’s request, then I would have students every day asking if they also could break the dress code,” principal Tonya King said.
The dress code states that male student’s hair must not be longer than collar-length and must be a natural color. After denying Stack’s request, King suggested another option.
“He could have a fundraiser and donate the money to the organization. I would be more than willing to help with the fundraiser,” King said.
In order for Stack to help out Locks of Love, he must grow his hair 10 inches long, which would take him between a year and 18 months.
“I hope the school board understands. I won’t be hurting anyone when my hair gets longer. I even agreed to tuck it into my shirt so it won’t be as noticeable.”
Stack applied earlier to be a donor. In addition, he experienced his 5-year-old sister lose all of her hair due to her chemotherapy treatment. Also, Locks of Love wrote a letter on Stack’s behalf to the school board.
“I hope the board approves my request. Donating my hair to Locks of Love is a very special project to me,” Stack said.
Each month, Locks of Love receives 200 requests from families who cannot afford a wig for their sick child, and every month they have to turn down about 150 of those requests.
” I was moved by Jim’s passion to donate his hair,” president of Locks of Love Gisel Roco said. ” We desperately need human hair for our wigs.”
A total of 350 students signed a letter written by the Student Council, which supports Shack’s project.
“Girls have long hair, and no one is distracted,” student council president Gilbert Castillo said. “Rules were made to be broken, and this is a very good reason to break one.”
The school board refused to comment on the issue before the meeting.
“We will discuss it at the board meeting next week,” school board president Bill Valdez said. “I will say that the letter was well-written and had some good points.”