Catholic school suspends student for shaving head

[Called2Grace]

A student who shaved her head to help raise money for leukemia (her father is sick with it) was suspended from a catholic school until her hair grows back.

Schoolgirl suspended for cancer head shave

 

[Davidnic]

Depends on the dress code. The article says there is nothing about a shaved head, but there might be parameters on hair length. Seems though that it is not a clear cut as the media presents.

From their webpage:

Dear parents and carers, staff and students and friends of Mount Alvernia College

I write with reference to the media reports of the suspension of a student from Mount Alvernia yesterday. Sadly for our college community, the media reports that have been aired do not accurately represent the situation. We value and respect the rights of every young woman in our community and we will continue to respect this student’s right to privacy by not making public details of the disciplinary issues involved.

As a Franciscan school our philosophy is to actively assist those in need and we do this on a daily basis. It is distressing that necessary caring guidance provided to this student over a range of issues has been misrepresented. Her father’s illness has been known at the college and we have continued to actively support the student and her family throughout the years they have been associated with the college. It is unfortunate that this head shaving incident has received wide publicity when all the facts are not known.

The college has guidelines on fundraising and has in the past allowed students to shave their heads to raise money for cancer. We have an active Outreach programme at the college where funds are raised for all sorts of causes, the most recent being $800 raised by Year 12 students for Breast Cancer. Over the course of this year, the students at Mount Alvernia College have raised in excess of $14,000 for causes such as leukaemia, the bush fires, our sister schools in Egypt and Papua New Guinea, Daffodil Day, Colour for a Cure, St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, Project Compassion, Tatts and Tiaras. We are currently undertaking to supply 32 local families with Christmas hampers as part of the annual St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. All students are actively encouraged to participate in these organised school activities which are centred on our Franciscan values.

As leader of this community I have found this situation very difficult when the full facts of the situation were not able to be revealed. I ask for your continued prayerful support for all in our community including this young woman and her family and can assure you that we will continue to work towards building our educational community in the spirit of Francis, Clare and Elizabeth Hayes.
​

 

[Steve "Sonic" Smith]

Depends on the dress code. The article says there is nothing about a shaved head, but there might be parameters on hair length. Seems though that it is not a clear cut as the media presents.

From their webpage:

Dear parents and carers, staff and students and friends of Mount Alvernia College

I write with reference to the media reports of the suspension of a student from Mount Alvernia yesterday. Sadly for our college community, the media reports that have been aired do not accurately represent the situation. We value and respect the rights of every young woman in our community and we will continue to respect this student’s right to privacy by not making public details of the disciplinary issues involved.

As a Franciscan school our philosophy is to actively assist those in need and we do this on a daily basis. It is distressing that necessary caring guidance provided to this student over a range of issues has been misrepresented. Her father’s illness has been known at the college and we have continued to actively support the student and her family throughout the years they have been associated with the college. It is unfortunate that this head shaving incident has received wide publicity when all the facts are not known.

The college has guidelines on fundraising and has in the past allowed students to shave their heads to raise money for cancer. We have an active Outreach programme at the college where funds are raised for all sorts of causes, the most recent being $800 raised by Year 12 students for Breast Cancer. Over the course of this year, the students at Mount Alvernia College have raised in excess of $14,000 for causes such as leukaemia, the bush fires, our sister schools in Egypt and Papua New Guinea, Daffodil Day, Colour for a Cure, St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, Project Compassion, Tatts and Tiaras. We are currently undertaking to supply 32 local families with Christmas hampers as part of the annual St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. All students are actively encouraged to participate in these organised school activities which are centred on our Franciscan values.

As leader of this community I have found this situation very difficult when the full facts of the situation were not able to be revealed. I ask for your continued prayerful support for all in our community including this young woman and her family and can assure you that we will continue to work towards building our educational community in the spirit of Francis, Clare and Elizabeth Hayes.
​

Just a PR note:

If you're going to defend your actions: defend your actions.

If you're not, keep your mouth shut.

All claiming you are right without providing details does is make you look whiny.

Better approach:

"We suspended her with cause. We followed our own rules."

People aren't dumb. When they read the rules and find that having your head shaved isn't a cause for suspension, they'll figure out something else happened.

 

[Davidnic]

It could also be there are guidelines for doing it that were ignored.

 

[princess_ballet]

It could also be there are guidelines for doing it that were ignored.

Uh, like what? I mean come on.

If this is honestly over some part of dress code, then the school should be ashamed.

 

[Davidnic]

Uh, like what? I mean come on.

If this is honestly over some part of dress code, then the school should be ashamed.

No they shouldn't. If they have let people shave their heads in support of cancer before, and get around the dress code (and they have) then obviously this is more than that.

 

[Michie]

One of my friend's boys was growing his hair out for cancer victims. He was about 10. School asked him to cut his hair but eventually it was worked out that the front was cut & the back was put into a ponytail & tucked inside the shirt. The mom had no idea what was in the guidelines or dress code. Guess she never read them.

 

[JCFantasy23]

I think it seems sad. As the mother said, the girl had beautiful long hair and this seems more of something she did to try and deal with her fathers impending death from leukemia.

 

[Antigone]

I think it seems sad. As the mother said, the girl had beautiful long hair and this seems more of something she did to try and deal with her fathers impending death from leukemia.

I agree. If this really is about something as insignificant as a dresscode, the school is being petulant about it.

 

[princess_ballet]

I agree. If this really is about something as insignificant as a dresscode, the school is being petulant about it.

And how would be about something else? Really, the school couldn't offer up anything. "Just trust us, we're right."

And what kind of college has a dress code?

 

[CrusaderKing]

It's one thing if a public school does it, but a private school can impose a much stricter dress code if they choose to do it. If anyone is going to complain, just go to a public school and stop paying tuition to the private school.

 

[Anhelyna]

And how would be about something else? Really, the school couldn't offer up anything. "Just trust us, we're right."

And what kind of college has a dress code?

Plenty in the UK

Here , and I suspect Australia too , Private Schools for children from 4 to 18 are often called such-and-such College.

A very strict Uniform policy is usually in force .

There , as usual , is probably more to this than meets the eye

 

[Antigone]

And how would be about something else? Really, the school couldn't offer up anything. "Just trust us, we're right."

That's kind of what their response is like, though - "It's about our dress code, only we don't want to admit that, so we'll pretend there's something else going on too, only we're not going to tell you what it is."

 

[Antigone]

It's one thing if a public school does it, but a private school can impose a much stricter dress code if they choose to do it. If anyone is going to complain, just go to a public school and stop paying tuition to the private school.

Then again, it's not as if she went to school wearing a t-shirt that read "f*** the pope" or something.

 

[Anhelyna]

I repeat - there's more to it than this.

Look at David's post #2

The college has guidelines on fundraising and has in the past allowed students to shave their heads to raise money for cancer.

We aren't there , we have all our knowledge of this incident from newspaper reports [ and we all know how absolutely truthful and accurate they always are ] so we should not be making judgements

 

[Antigone]

I repeat - there's more to it than this.

Look at David's post #2

We aren't there , we have all our knowledge of this incident from newspaper reports [ and we all know how absolutely truthful and accurate they always are ] so we should not be making judgements

I read that post. The school's statement couldn't be more vague.

 

[Davidnic]

I read that post. The school's statement couldn't be more vague.

Out of legal issues for privacy that they have to follow...unless you honestly believe that the school has a protocol and has allowed others to shave their heads in this circumstance (which is a fact) but decided to draw the line here at someone who has a father with leukemia? You really would rather believe that, no matter how illogical it is and has a glaring missing piece, than give the school the benefit of the doubt.

Stunning.

 

[Davidnic]

I'm here defending this and then I have to turn around on another thread and make a stand against willful murder enacted as Capital punishment. Some days it is very depressing to be a moderate.

 

[Michie]

I'm here defending this and then I have to turn around on another thread and make a stand against willful murder enacted as Capital punishment. Some days it is very depressing to be a moderate.

Tell me about it.

Thats why I read make a comment or two or none & basically try not to get mired in it.

But the Church has to have a voice here. Hence the topics.

 

[Antigone]

Re-the school: protecting the student's privacy does not mean they can't disclose their own policy. They could simply have said "we have this and this policy and it was violated, hence the suspension." Why add the vague "We've had students shave their heads before"? Whether or not they had a good reason to suspend the student, it's bad PR strategy because it makes them look petulant.

I'm here defending this and then I have to turn around on another thread and make a stand against willful murder enacted as Capital punishment. Some days it is very depressing to be a moderate.

Maybe you should move over here. You'd be an all-round conservative in my neck of the woods.